Apollo

April 23rd 2014
Wow where to begin... we've had Apollo almost three weeks now. The day he came he was sick and had a runny nose. After taking him to the vet it turns out he had a lot of bacteria in his nose. Other than that he was healthy and the vet thinks he's 1.5- 2 years old since his teeth and lungs are so clean. After a week of antibiotics he got over his sickness and his real characteristics have shown through.

He's smart, but very stubborn. He's learned how to sit, lay down, and leave it. However, if he doesn't feel like sitting then he stares at you with this knowing look that says "I'm not going to sit until you give me something I want." He's EXTREMELY affectionate and wants a lot of love. Even though he's not allowed on the bed he'll occasionally run and dive bomb the bed and just go dead. I suppose he thinks that if he lies absolutely still that you won't make him leave. (I have to say with the puppy dog eyes and knowing he just wants attention it's hard to say no)

He's excellent in a crate. He doesn't make a sound when he's put in it or when you leave. He has only had an accident once in the house and that possibly may have been due to him being sick. He LOVES children, the second he sees a child he just stops and watches their every movement. They also love him. Many of very young children have gone running and screaming after him (much to the shock on their parent's faces). I make him sit or lay while they pet him because he still doesn't know his own strength. That being said, I think he'll be great with children, but I don't what age is good. We have't really seen him without a lead around children and I worry that he may be a bit too rough with them.
He acts the same with dogs, but Korean owners tend to pick their dogs up because they're afraid of Apollo, but he's never growled or barked (even when a stray dog came after him). He just whines when he sees another dog. He would be really great in a house with another dog.

He absolutely loves hiking and being outdoors and is really great off a lead (yes, I know I shouldn't but sometimes he just wants to run. I make sure it's never while others are anywhere around). He never runs more than a yard away and comes back the second I call. He has made GREAT improvements with walking on a lead. He doesn't pull anymore unless he sees another dog. He LOVES people and the attention they give him. There's an older man who speaks to him every day and Apollo has now begun to look for him and if he's not outside his store he'll wait for him.

He really is a great dog! He just needs some place bigger than a Korean apartment perhaps with a family that already has a dog.

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Apollo is named for the Greek god of the sun. He's a gentle giant, muscled and formidable. At first glance, he might inspire fear- but look deeply into those puppy dog eyes, and you'll know he's nothing more than a cupcake. Unfortunately, life has been cruel to Apollo. The life of a pitbull in South Korea is far from charmed- he's been in many a dangerous situation. Pitbulls here are kept purely for the purpose of dog fighting- and Apollo doesn't want to do that. He doesn't want to fight. He wants to run, play ball, and cuddle with a loving human.

I fear he may not find the home he deserves here in Korea. He has a good chance of ending up back in a bad situation. Here's where you come in- I want to send Apollo to the States, where he can meet up with a pitbull rescue trained to help him and find him the best possible living situation. But before he can go to America, he needs a foster home to stay safe and warm in- just for a month, maybe two. I know that many of us here in Korea have small apartments, so maybe this is a long shot- but if you have a larger place, access to space to run and play... would you consider opening your heart and home up to this big baby?