Dexter was brought into the Muskingum County Dog Warden and Adoption Center about four or five months ago. He left the center and went home with a family, but was returned about 30 minutes later.

All 60 or 70 pounds of Dexter is a little hyper and likes to jump around, or on people. While he’s harmless, the family that originally took him home didn’t think he was suitable for their small children.

The large, four-legged friend is a Saint Bernard mix with potentially a touch of Great Dane sprinkled in, Deputy Dog Warden Brittany Callihan said. He’s about a year and a half old.

Dogs at the adoption center have dog houses in their cages, but Dexter refuses to actually go inside of his house. Instead, he lays on top of the house and just wags his tail.

With a little training, and a lot of love, Dexter is a great dog for any family with kids that may be a little bigger.

“There’s no aggression or anything, he’s just a big boy and he likes to jump on you,” Callihan said. “We would like to see Dexter go to a home where if there are kids, they’re a little bit older or a very dog savvy family.”

He gets along with other dogs, although he’s not the biggest fan of cats.

“You have to let him know who’s boss,” Callihan said. “Definitely someone who would be willing to work with him and discipline him and train him. He’s probably never had any training a day in his life.”

All three of the pet stores in town, We Lov Pets, PetValu and PetSmart offer in-house dog training or have a person for training that they work with. The Warden also refers people to Gone To The Dogs for training, as well.

“We always tell people, ‘Try that (dog training)’ before you know just give up on them,” Callihan said. “It can be just a simple, they just need some discipline, they think they’re in charge, just like Dexter.”

Dexter is available for adoption at the Muskingum County Dog Warden and Adoption Center. Anyone interested in adopting him can call the center to set up an appointment for a meet-and-greet at 740.453.0273.