Question: How is Jo, a former fighting pit bull, different from other dogs?

Jo is smaller than I thought she’d be. She has triangular, shar-pei like ears that meet in the middle of her forehead when she’s thinking and that can stand straight up when I’m bored. Jo is pudgy, which seems strange until you realize that shelter workers don’t have a lot of extra time, but they do usually have extra treats. Her coat color is seal: that is, a black so dark you can see your face in it with chocolate and tarnished silver highlights. She has faint scars on her front legs, and one through her left eyebrow.

When she’s nervous, Jo licks her lips.

Jo is a little intense about cats, but she’s getting better. Donna, of BadRap fame, pointed out to us that most bust dogs have never seen a cat, and therefore do well with them if introduced properly despite their high drive natures. Jo and Handsome Jack don’t like each other at all – both of them are too “pit bull” to back down from the other. But we had a proud moment yesterday when Jack went to smack Jo for being too pushy, and Jo – instead of fighting back – turned to me for direction. I threw her a treat party. In contrast, Jo loves Keagan, my long-haired, red-headed boy. If she had her way, she’d probably spend hours bathing his ears. She’s going to get hairballs.

A lot of the past week has been teaching Jo the ins and outs of living in a house. Everything is new to her: she spent twenty minutes today fascinated with the flushing toilet. The tv was another revelation, but personally, I think she just has a crush on Hugh Laurie (because, really, who doesn’t?). She is enamored of squeeky toys, adores her kongs, and thinks rawhide chews are the best invention ever. She’s not a big fan of her crate, and she loves the backyard. One of her favorite games is running through the piles of leave while I’m trying to rake.

Jo loves people. She even seems to like all the little kids running around the neighborhood, which is great because not even I like all the little kids running around the neighbor hood. Whenever she meets someone new, she huddles up to them and hold very still as if she’s afraid the person will change his or her mind and leave. I don’t think I’ve met many dogs as desperate for love as Jo.

She’s got a smile to melt hearts.

My parents have a Yorkie that was part of a hoader’s collection for the first two years of her life. Katy’s a sweet dog (honest!), but she’s dumber than a dead fish. I’ve always wondered if it was because of Katy’s personality or because she was never taught how to learn in those first crucial years. So I was worried for Jo. It turns out I worried for nothing, though. Jo’s smarter than some people I know, even if she has the attention span of a two year-old on espresso. I’d probably be a little unfocused right now, too, if I’d never seen indoor plumbing before.

Question: How is Jo, a former fighting pit bull, different from other dogs?

Answer: She’s not.