Meet Vader.

Lockport, NY · 4 years 10 months · American Pit Bull Terrier / Mixed (short coat)

Listed since Jan 11, 2026. Listing dates do not establish shelter intake or continuous availability.

First seen by Goodmorph Oct 30, 2026.

Rescue last updated: Aug 10, 2026

In the shelter’s words

Are you looking for a dog who is equal parts adventure partner, training buddy, comedian, and professional snuggler? Hi. I’m your guy! I’m the kind of dog who believes that if you’re going somewhere, I should probably be going too. Hikes? Count me in. Long walks? Absolutely. Road trip? I call shotgun. Patio hangs? Obviously. Training session? Let’s work! Weekend adventure? Where are we going?! And after all that excitement? I’m ready to clock out and become a full-time couch cuddler. I’m smart, goofy, affectionate, and VERY into my people. I love having a job, I love learning, and I really love being included in my humans’ lives. I also happen to be pretty good at making people laugh — especially when I’m being my goofy self. But let’s talk about the important stuff, because I’m not looking for just any human. I’m a dog who does best with structure, consistency, and clear expectations. Think confident coach meets loving best friend. I like knowing the rules, and I do best when my person follows through with them. If left to make my own decisions, I’ve been known to come up with some questionable ideas. So I need someone who is willing to guide me, advocate for me, and help me make good choices. I also have a past that my future family needs to understand. I originally struggled with resource guarding and reactivity toward people and other dogs. But guess what? I put in the work. I attended Badass Dog Training and completed an intensive six-week board-and-train program, and I have made HUGE progress. I’m more confident. I’m more thoughtful. I have better manners. And perhaps most importantly, I have friends now! I can successfully navigate the world with continued structure and leadership, and I’m pretty proud of how far I’ve come. I’m crate trained, know a solid list of commands, and am e-collar conditioned. I genuinely enjoy training and working with my person, so if you’re the kind of human who thinks having a dog with skills is pretty cool, we’re going to get along just fine. Now, I’m going to be honest about one thing: I am not a “set it and forget it” dog. My training isn’t something that gets checked off a list and forgotten about. I need an experienced adopter who understands that training is an ongoing relationship and who is willing to continue giving me the structure, leadership, and communication that help me succeed. The good news? My future family won't be doing it alone. My adoption comes with sponsored one-on-one sessions with Badass Dog Training, so you'll have support as we continue working together and building an awesome life. My ideal human is active, confident, committed, and ready to keep learning with me. Someone who can be a little bit of a hard ass when I need it, but who also understands that beneath all my training and adventure skills is a dog who really, really wants to be loved. I want to be your adventure buddy. I want to be included. I want to learn. I want to make you laugh. And, after a long day, I want to curl up next to you and probably take up way more of the couch than necessary. I've already done a lot of the hard work. Now I'm looking for my person — the one who will keep showing up, keep guiding me, and let me be the goofy, loyal, affectionate, adventure-loving dog I was meant to be. If you're looking for a dog who will keep you moving, keep you laughing, challenge you to be an engaged dog parent, and then absolutely melt into you for a cuddle at the end of the day… Maybe I'm your guy. ❤️

RescueGroups record ID: 22187363

What this home needs

• Other dogs

  Mentioned by the shelter

  “Feed checkbox: Yes”

  Not a verified observation — ask staff about the context. A positive shelter report may support search results; it remains unverified and needs confirmation.

  Shelter statement ↗
• Still to ask the shelter

  cats · children · housing and stairs · medical and care. These details are not documented here; unknown does not mean no.

Roster last seen: Nov 2, 2026, 6:07 AM UTC
Goodmorph last synced: Nov 2, 2026, 6:07 AM UTC
Availability confirmed by a person: Not confirmed

Shelter staff and authorized volunteers: add a dated observation

This shared profile remains available for up to 90 days after it leaves the source roster, unless removal is requested sooner. Adoptions and applications are handled by the shelter.