# Seeking opinion on rescuing 2 year old female GSD



## wReckingCrew (Feb 4, 2013)

Good morning all, I am planning to adopt tomorrow and was hoping to get some of your opinions on it. I have done my share of lurking here and know there is probably no better place to get valuable advice. I have gone thru the adoption process, home inspection, meet and greet, etc.

She is a 2 year old GSD, quite petite at 53 pounds that was rescued from a high-kill shelter in Ohio by an organization that set her up with a foster family. She lives there now with her two foster parents, a full grown GSD, a 6 month old puppy GSD-mix, and 2 cats. The fosters brought her to my home for a 30 minute meet and she seemed wonderful. Definitely shy at first, and spent most of her time sniffing around, but friendly as well. According to the fosters, she gets along great with their other pets, no destructive behavior, potty-trained, smart with commands, obsessed with playing ball, not much of a barker, and quite passive

This all seemed to be pretty accurate from what I could see in my 30 minutes. The fosters leave her to roam free while away at work with some of the other pets and no issues. Even though she gets along well with them, they say she might prefer to be only dog as she is passive and small and will get pushed aside for attention. While she was fine being left alone with others to keep her company, I am concerned it might be different being left alone at my house being by herself. I live alone and work regular 8 hour days 4 days a week (1 day/week I telecom from home). The fosters actually work longer hours but more erratic (nurse/construction), but like I said she has others with her to play with during that time. 

My other concern is her ability to get along with other dogs/cats outside of those in her foster home. Because I live alone, she needs to be able to get along with the other pets within my immediate family. My mom and dad (divorced) each have goldens, both goofy/well behaved and don't foresee a dominance issue, and my mom also has 2 cats. But I babysit their dogs occasionally and they would be doing the same for me. So, every once in a great while I have a golden retreiver staying at my home while they are out of town, and she would likely do the same at their house. 

I have always loved GSD's but living on my own only a couple years out of college, they just haven't been a good idea for me yet. I do have a somewhat small fenced in yard and about an 1100 square foot home that would be fine for her. I came across this girl and she seems like a perfect fit for my situation given her petite size and non-dominant behavior. I know with my schedule I can't raise a puppy from a few months old either, so being 2 years with her given personality I think it would be a good fit.

I know this is a lot, but any advice/opinion is so greatly appreciated, whether its on one point above or everything I have mentioned. I also live right next to a large park that is the size of a couple soccer fields, every day there are people out their playing ball and socializing their dogs and I would like for her to be able to take advantage of that as well. Not knowing a rescues background, I don't know if her current passive behavior could change out of no where, or at two years old will has she pretty much developed a personality that will stay?

Again, thanks so much all!


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Sounds to me like she and you are a great match! She will be a lucky dog to come and live with you. I am not an expert on behavior, but I would think her personality traits would be pretty squared away by two years old. If she gets along with her foster siblings, then she most likely gets along with dogs. Of course, nothing is ever a sure thing, but I don't know how much more anyone could possibly foresee. Have fun with her.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I don't think I would leave her unsupervised with other animals for a while (and I would probably never leave any large dog unsupervised with small dogs or cat, but that's just me. I'm a cautious soul). I would probably confine to a smaller area at first and see how she does.


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## wReckingCrew (Feb 4, 2013)

What are your thoughts on her being left alone at home for 8 hours/day for 4 days/week? I have expressed my concerns with this to the organization and the foster parents and they both seem confident she will do fine with it, but would still like to hear from some members here. 

She will get exercised and attention plenty each day when I return home from work, I am very active both day to day and in the outdoors on day/weekend trips up north. I am confident she will have a blast with me and everything I do, but still just worried about the 8 hours alone.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I would see if you could get her at a time where you have those 3 days off..

I would also see if the fosters would be willing to have her meet your families dogs and see how that goes.

Is she crate trained? I'm not sure I would be comfortable after, say the 3 days of being with me, leaving her to her own devices while I was at work.

Can you crate her and check on her say, on a lunch break?

I would also see if you could take her for say, a two week trial, if it didn't work out they would take her back type of thing.

She soundslike a sweetie! Good luck I hope it works out


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## zivagirl (Jan 5, 2013)

You could crate until you get a better feel for her.


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## San (Mar 22, 2012)

Agree with crating her. 

Hubby and I are on our 5th foster dog now. We have 3 resident dogs (a GSD, a Westie, and a Pek mix). We don't usually let our foster and resident dogs meet until the foster dog has gotten comfortable with us (2-4 weeks). So for the first few weeks, we crate/rotate or use indoor gates to separate the dogs. 

Our resident GSD will tolerate well-mannered dogs, but our last foster GSD had to be separated from her because he would not leave her alone (constantly wanted to invite play). 

BTW, we got our resident GSD when she was 2.5 yo. Give you new girl time to bond to you first, don't overwhelm her with too many things in the first couple of months.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

She sounds like a perfect fit for you. As far as the work days, you will find out when you have her. When I brought my 3-yr old weimeraner female home from foster care where she had been with 2 other dogs, she developed separation anxiety. It was difficult getting through it, but we certainly did it. Not trying to scare you but that's pretty much the worst case scenario, and I want to assure you it can be overcome. We did it!

More likely you're concerned about her emotional needs not being met, that she will be lonely all day while you're gone. Well, it's not a perfect world, and if she is being adopted by someone so thoughtful as to consider beforehand how she will feel...then I feel certain you are the type of person who will work to meet her needs. She needs a forever home, and you are offering one with a heart. Doesn't get much better than that.

One option is doggy day care. When Lillian's SA was so unmanageable that she busted through two wire crates in as many days, I started taking her to the office. When I changed jobs, and that was no longer an option, I took her to day care. Worked like a charm.

And now, I have adopted two rescue GSDs, so the Weim is never alone. Not even a passing hint of the troubled girl I took in four years ago.

Good luck. I hope to hear your success story!


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## Marnie (Oct 11, 2011)

Did you ask the foster if she was crate trained? If she is, I would get a crate. It will be handy to have later when baby sitting other dogs. If one dog is crated while you work, they can't get into trouble when left alone. If she hasn't been crate trained, I would plan on leaving her in the laundry room or in the bathroom for a few days until you see if she displays any anxiety when you are gone. Better to be safe than to come home to deconstructed sofa. Before you leave her for 8 hours, you might try some short trips to see how she does alone. Leave her with a kong filled with peanut butter or canned pumpkin. That way she will be busy when you first leave the house and may not get alarmed.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

She sounds perfect for you! Has she met other animals outside of her foster home? If she is good with the dogs and cats in her foster family she will probably be ok with the animals in your family. My guy Rafi travels with me a lot and has stayed with my mom and her cats, a friend's cat and dog and my cousins' dog, all without any problems. 

As long as she is getting a couple hours of mental and physical exercise every day she should be fine home alone for 8 hours. Most dogs are home alone that long every day. 

Is she crate trained? If so, then you could crate her at first until you're sure she's ok loose.


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## wReckingCrew (Feb 4, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback everyone. She has NOT been crate trained, so I would be starting from square one with that. I am thinking about getting her a crate but want to ease her into that, so I am thinking about confining her to my kitchen using a couple of gates, until she learns to like her crate.

Have any of you ever noticed changes in personality after 2 years old?


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## RowdyDogs (Nov 12, 2012)

Oh my heavens, alone for 8 hours 4 days a week? You monster, how can you even consider that!

J/k of course, that's actually quite a good schedule. Usually it's 4 10-hour-days.  Seriously, most people who are financially secure enough to own dogs have full time jobs, so are gone for at least 40 hours a week. 4 8s is actually a really good schedule.

Crate training is something most dogs take to pretty naturally. Susan Garrett's 



 are great for teaching to dog to feel safe and love her crate.

I also think your dog sounds really well-suited to your situation when it comes to other dogs. Her description makes me think of my mom's dog, actually. My mom sits for my dogs and I watch hers a few times a year, and they LOVE it. This is especially remarkable because my mom's dog HATES living with other other dogs, as I learned when we stayed with her for a few months when we moved states (Mom also still had another dog for about a year after she adopted her dog, before the other dog passed away and suddenly it became apparent how her surviving dog did better as a solo dog, so it wasn't just my dogs). But short visits? Wonderful!

It will also be easier for you to accommodate any problems in a short-term visit. For example, when my mom and I exchange dogs, we need to separate them during 2x/day feedings. For me, that would be an incredibly obnoxious problem in the long-term, but I can deal with it for a couple of weeks. They don't need to get along perfectly if they're only together on visits/vacations, just tolerate each other.

Short visits are a lot different from living together, even if those short visits are fairly frequent. From the description of your dog, she sounds like the problem is that she is bullied, not that she is aggressive or anything...which makes me think that with proper management, some dog-sitting is not a big deal.


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## wReckingCrew (Feb 4, 2013)

Just wanted to post a follow up: Asti was dropped off last night by her foster Dad (I actually found someone post about her in the Urgent Rescue section of this forum from when she was at the shelter in Ohio, small world here!). 

So far she seems great. Very responsive when calling her and when telling her to sit. She even sits and lifts up each paw for me when coming inside to let me dry her paws off!! 

She did pee in my hallway while foster Dad was still here, but I'm sure just out of nervousness and no accidents since. She seemed to sleep fine through the night and didn't even wake me up in the morning.

My only concern is she hasn't eaten yet other than a few treats. I went with Wellness Core based on what I read on here. I also went with the large breed puppy formula to start her out with as she is still only two.

Could this be a nervous thing, or does she perhaps just not like the food?


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## Marnie (Oct 11, 2011)

Better to ask the foster what she ate while she was with them and if she ate well or was picky. Then you can transition her slowly to the food you want to feed. Wellness gave my dogs the runs so a quick change to that or any food might do the same for her. If she ate well in foster care, she will probably adjust in a day or so and eat well for you. You really should call the foster home or the rescue and ask about her appetite, her housebreaking, and if she chewed on chair rungs, rugs, etc.

The accident in your hallway was the foster's fault. He should have made sure she ran around and peed before he brought her to you home.


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