Our dog is a pound puppie too. Found wandering about, rocks in stomach, ran away every chance he got at first.
After a few months though we quickly realized we had received the best dog ever. He stopped running away, wouldn't leave our side most of the time, and in 4 years he's never had a single accident or chewed anything up.
He learned sit, shake, lay, roll, circle in a week's time. Speak took another few days and lately we decided to try play dead.
He's never bit or been aggressive to our kids, 2 and 7 at the time we got him. He is very protective though. If I invite you in or he knows you, just don't make sudden movements towards me or my family. If you're uninvited and he doesn't know you...look out.
He's snapped at some kids for playing rough, usually with toy guns involved, but never hurt one.
He gets stigmatized because he's part pit-bull, but he's a huge baby. I can't imagine a better dog. He does everything I tell him and like I said, there have been unforseen situations where he was inside for extended periods...never one accident.
Just my story of a dog nobody wanted. Best I've ever had.