My name is Riggs!

Let me introduce you to Riggs. He is a 7 month old neutered male German Shepherd/Husky mix with a HUGE heart! He currently weighs 45 pounds, by the size of his paws he looks like he's going to be a big boy. He has the German Shepherd black and tan colour and has the husky colour lines under his belly and neck. He has the loyalty (stick by your side or follow your every move) of a German Shepherd and has the energy (wanting to run) of a Husky. He is such a fun loving pup and will be your best buddy forever. The Husky in him would really appreciate an ACTIVE forever home.

Riggs was a stray at a rural animal control facility and was not claimed by his owner. How his previous owner didn't come for him is beyond comprehension. He deserves a family who is as devoted to him as he will be to them. He needs to belong to a home where he will receive tons of attention and not be allowed to roam free and get lost, and where he can be confident in the fact that he is home forever. He will be pretty attached, as he will follow you from room to room. He has a hard time enjoying the outside unless you are right there with him. As soon as you leave to go into the house he will be right behind you; he doesn't want to just sit and relax on the porch or deck unless you are there with him. Riggs is super affectionate loves his head, neck and chest being rubbed and will come up and cuddle with you on the couch, but may wait for you to ask him and then spoil you with kisses.

He is crate trained and can sleep the whole night without having to go outside. He stays in his crate as well when no one is home, which I'm sure after the puppy, mischief stage he would be fine out during your time away, but that won’t be for a while yet.

Riggs would do well in almost any home situation. He is young, very energetic and so funny to just watch. It would be nice to have a space for him to play. I'm sure you can expect a calm dog once he is older, but will still require a good length of exercise daily. He will need an active family that loves to be outdoors and will commit to exercising him properly. He would love to be someone’s running partner if at all possible. Riggs loves his walks/runs in the bush on the trails. We have him on the extended leash for this walks in the bush, however have dropped the leash and he always stays near and will come when called. He does an amazing job making friends, no aggression shown with other dogs at all, just loves to play and run with them. If you cannot get him on a good run, then a few walks a day will suit him fine, heels on command. He will also do well with just playing in his own yard, as long as he is with people and not alone. Believe me you won't want to leave this pup alone, he is just a treat himself so much fun and a joy to be with.

Riggs settled in and bonded nicely with his foster family. We have our own 7 year old dog and 2 young boys. Riggs coming in was a little exciting for our 7 year old and wore him out a lot. However after a week it seems like both understand each other now. When it is time for the older one to rest he will just let Riggs know and they will both settle down together. Riggs is not a pain in his butt. Sometimes he will just go lie down in his crate by himself. He is so good with our two boys ages twelve and thirteen; they will play and wrestle with him and no aggression, growling or biting shown. He still has the puppy nibble but all you need to do is let him know with a loud "ouch" and he kisses immediately. I feel he will be good with any children over 5 years old in the household as we have not witnessed any aggression whatsoever in Riggs. He will be a very soft, gentle natured but energetic dog. He will be so loyal and a very loving dog.

Riggs is being such a good boy during his stay with us. Upon his arrival he was not house trained and only really knew the command sit. I can say he is now house trained, which only took him about five days. With praise and consistence he now will go to the door when he needs to go out. You should however still take him out every time he finishes, eating, sleeping, playtime and limit his water consumption. He doesn't give any noise alerts so still should be watched for the first little bit till he gets use to his forever home.

With Riggs catching on so quickly to his house training and crate training we have had some time to also teach him some good basic obedience. He is a very smart boy and learns fast. We are now teaching him good behaviours which he is picking up very easily. He now sits while you put his food dish down, sits when putting on and taken off the leash, sits on command. He also understands the words stay, lie down, off and come. The only bad habit he still has is taking food off plates/tables or from your hand if given the chance. This seems the hardest to get him out off. He was underweight when we got him and believe he wasn't properly nourished in his prior home. He has put weight on now but still is tempted to steal food if given the chance. With continued training and supervision this will be resolved. We started with treats for training but now the treats are not needed as much just a good pat and "good boy" praise is reward enough. Riggs seems to want to please all the time. His new family should commit to continuing his obedience training to bring out the best in this smart dog.

Riggs is a top student in our eyes and we know that if you adopt him, he will love you endlessly and try to impress you everyday. Adopt this fellow, it'll be the best decision you have made. If you are looking for an active and energetic young pup to be your most loyal friend then Riggs is your boy.

All Pound Dog Rescue dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, heartworm tested, de-wormed (if required), and microchipped prior to adoption. The adoption donation of $400 is applied to assist in the costs of veterinary care and the overall care of the dog. For more information and adoption applications please consult our website at www.pounddog.ca.