Ruff Ruff! My name is Nitro - Only $55 adoption fee!

Nitro - Only $55 adoption fee!'s Story...
This handsome guy was saved off the euthanasia list at one of the kill shelters. He looks to be a purebred American Rottweiler. Nitro is so sweet & affectionate & so easy to fall in love with! He is smart & listens well, quiet, & has been very easy care. He LOVES to train & has learned MANY words already, even ones that are not on the list below, like "Rollover"! He loves the big cushy dog beds, & will happily lay around & hang out with you. He would also be a great dog for an active family & would love to go on daily walks, boating, running, or hiking with you. His favorite toy is the one in the picture. The rope toy with the ball on it. He loves to play with people, especially tug of war. He'll do the play stance with you & get really goofy. He also loves grass & will happily roll around in it & has a grand 'ol time, LOL! He is a little stand offish to strangers (typical Rottweiler), but once he knows you, he loves to give kisses & is very affectionate. :-) Everyone that meets him comments on how handsome he is. Nitro is a great companion dog & I would love to see him with someone who likes to take their dog with them wherever they go. He behaves great in public (friendly, mellow & quiet). He has been so sweet & easy to take care of, & has quickly become one of my favorite fosters in the short time he has been here!

Age/Birthday: Just turned 3 yrs (B-day is 12/25/09)

Weight at last Vet visit: 74 lbs, he is at the perfect weight

This dog/puppy is currently learning:
- To go potty in a certain corner of the yard
- Mailman (to bark when the mail comes)
- Not to dash out the door
- Sit
- Lay Down
- Wait
- Ok (This is a command release)
- Come
- This way (when you are walking & change direction)
- Drop it
- Scooch (To move out of the way)
- Out (go out of the room)
- Quite
- Go lay down
- No
- Treat
- Speak
- Shake
- Up High (to stand on their hind legs)
- kitty
- Back up
- Outside? (if you say this & get a reaction, they need to go outside to go potty)
- Go potty
- To bark when s/he wants to come inside
- Good girl/boy
- Bad girl/boy
- Stand up
- Ready (alerts them you are about to throw something)
- Water
- Inside (to go in the crate)
- Heal
- Stay
(What each pet learns depends on the foster home they were placed in & how much time that foster has had to work with them)

Tested with:

Cats: He doesn't really pay much attention to them when he is in the crate & they walk by. I have let him meet them face to face while having him on a leash a few times, & he just went up & sniffed them. One time he did try to nip, & that was of course the last time he was around my cats. My cats are mellow & not afraid of dogs. I don't know if he would act differently/worse if a cat took off running.

Dogs: I have introduced him to all kinds of dogs. Big, small, male, female, he has been great with all of them. He likes to greet other dogs on our walks in the morning. He is very soft & appropriate with all of them. The only thing he doesn't like is when dogs jump on him. I have a large breed, 5 month old, Mastiff puppy. She is large & FULL of energy & will jump on other dogs when playing, which Nitro does not appreciate. He is playful with me, but I don't think he has played with other dogs. He doesn't seem to understand it.
He was also protective of his food, & some toys, with dogs when he first came to us. I have been working with him on this. Getting him used to having other dogs sit in front of him while he eats. I have seen a large improvement since he has been here, & he no longer does that. He is more protective with some dogs than others. He quickly listens to correction from me. That being said, he is a dominant dog & would be best as the only dog.

Kids: Previous owner said he has been around all ages & is very friendly. Which I can totally see because he is a big love bug with people. I would like to see him in a home with kids 7 & older though.

Men: Friendly

Women: Friendly & affectionate. Loves to bury his face in long hair & gives lots of kisses. He also loves to be talked to in a baby voice :-)

Crate Trained: Yes, he will go in when asked & whine or bark when he needs to be let out to go potty.

House Trained: Yes, BOTH with a doggy door or without. If you don't have a doggy door, he will stand at the door when he needs to be let out. If you do not do it right away, he will pace. He's SUCH a good boy.

Leash Trained: He LOVES to go on walks & gets very excited, LOL! He is FANTASTIC on the leash! Very easy to walk, listens well. Soft & mellow. Loves to great the other dogs on the walk.

Car: Great in the car & will load right up for you! He loves to go on car rides & stick his head out the window :-)

Other issues: None, He's WONDERFUL! As I said, he is very easy to fall in love with, & EVERYONE comments on how handsome & well behaved he is!

Adoption fee is only $55 & includes:
- Spay/Neuter surgery
- Up to date on Vaccinations
- Microchip
- Harness *
- Other surprise goodies from Safe Haven
- Free office visit to Vet or 50% off any Optimum Wellness Plan
- Other coupons from Partners
- Available Paperwork: Spay/Neuter records, Vaccs records, Vet records, Micro records, Recommendation list, etc...
- Continued Support: Safe Haven will be there for the lifetime of your new adopted pet. If you ever have questions or concerns, we will always be there to help. Our goal is for you & your pet to live happily ever after!

If you are interested in adopting this pet, you must be willing to come to Phoenix, AZ to meet them.
Please e-mail for an application
After we receive your application, we will contact you so you can meet him/her. WE ARE CLOSED ON SATURDAYS.

ADOPTING A CAT OR DOG IS UP TO A 20 YEAR COMMITMENT! THEY ARE NOT OBJECTS THAT YOU CAN GET RID OF WHEN THEY BECOME INCONVENIENT. THEY ARE INNOCENT LIVING, BREATHING ANIMALS WITH FEELINGS THAT DEPEND ON YOU TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO TAKE CARE OF, LOVE, & PAY FOR EVERYTHING THIS PET NEEDS FOR UP TO 20 YEARS, THEN PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR AN APPLICATION.

* Safe Haven STRONGLY believes that collars should only be used as decoration. A dog can slip out of collar. Which becomes a problem if your dog gets lost, or you are trying to restrain your dog, & it comes off. Also, attaching a leash to a collar puts pressure on the neck, which is one of the most sensitive areas of the body, & could hurt them. For these reasons, Safe Haven includes a harness with every dog adoption to ensure the safety of the dog, as a harness is more expensive than a collar & some adopters will not buy them for this reason. A harness distributes the weight on the chest & shoulders. It also has a handle on the back that you can grab if need be, without hurting your pet (EX: Dog falls off your boat, just grab the handle & pull your pet back in with no harm done. With a collar, you would have to strangle your dog when pulling your dog in). Also a dog cannot slip out of a harness, so it is much easier to restrain them & they will never loose their ID if they get lost.
If you need harnesses for your other dogs, additional harnesses can be purchased for a reduced price:
$5 for small
$6 for medium
$7 for large
No tax is charged as we are a non-profit