Many of you know that I love dogs as much as I love music. And many of you know I have a highly skilled dog who is trained in Human Remains detection.

Well, yesterday started out like any other day until I got the text. There was a dog, male GS at the shelter and they were going to put him down before the end of the day. Could I help? A bit later, and after a phone call or two, I had a basic history on the dog. Found wandering the streets and picked up as a stray. The shelter adopted him out twice and both times came back quickly. Second time, the adopters said he snapped at them which changed his status to non-adoptable. The people at the Wilson County Humane Society called me because none of their other fosters wanted to deal with a 100 lb, 2 year old intact male German Shepherd with a bite history.

So I went to the shelter to have a look and evaluate him. Long story short, the deputy at the shelter said he saw no sign of aggression and seemed happy that I was interested in him. I signed a paper and took him in the name of the WCHS.

I brought him home. BTW... my wife didn't find out until she got home from work and I explained it to her. Yeah, she's cool with it.

So, the plan is for me to keep him here for a few weeks and get him up to date on the vet stuff, possible neuter, and work on some basic obedience as he seems to have nothing in the way of obedience. No sit, no down, no here, no walk at heel. We're essentially fostering him until a proper, loving, forever home can be found and properly vetted to be sure they people know exactly what they are getting in this big boy.

Well, he and Lilly are dog reactive to each other so for now, I have to keep them apart and take turns walking one, and then the other. He's laying on the floor behind me as I type. So, the plan is to let him decompress from his former experiences and just be a dog. This morning, he showed us how loving he can be with kisses to both myself and my wife as we sat on the front steps having coffee. He's going to make someone a really good dog.

Yeah... I'd love to keep them all but that's just not possible, or should I say probable. Wife would have to ask if we could keep him.... I could never work at a dog shelter. I'd have at least a dozen dogs and no money or time ....... but there's a lot of work needed to get him to where he needs to be so whoever takes him is going to have to start from square one with this dog. I just started teaching the sit behavior to him. No wonder the adoptions failed. And approaching him the wrong way, yeah, I could see him thinking to himself.... I'm going to bite that stupid human if they do that to me again. He needs someone who knows and understands this breed and is willing to put in the work to get him to where he needs to be.

I've attached his picture in the file..... but if you don't see it, I have it on my facebook page if you do facebook.

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Last edited by Guitarhacker; 08/21/20 04:50 AM.
You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.