Ellie - German Shepherd mix - female/spayed - one and 1/2 years of age - 45 pounds - black and tan medium length coat
Filled with only good intentions, Ellie is an inordinately earnest and effortful dog. Extremely affectionate, Ellie's love of play and her love of being hugged and petted run neck and neck. She is a quick study, and strong on the commands in which she is trained and rehearsed, including sit, shake, and come. She is working very hard on down and on heel, and is impeccably housetrained.
Ellie has direct and open eye contact; she is what we call an honest dog. She is open about what she wants, never surreptitious, and as a result she is a joy to work with because it is always clear how to be on her side.
Ellie is also quite beautiful. Long bodied with refined leg, she is a graceful and agile mover, and she would excel in any training that asked for athleticism or balance. Naturally gifted in a physical sense, she is also keenly intelligent, and moreover, a dog who wants to please because she so wants to be loved.
Ellie enjoys the company of male dogs (this is the group to which she has been exposed in foster care), although she is still at a stage where she plays hard and can tend to become over-excited at play. At these times of high energy, Ellie demonstrates her greatest needs for guidance and coaching, much the same way a toddler sometimes needs to takes a nap under protest. Because Ellie loves walking on a lead or romping in a fenced yard, she is able to get adequate exercise in a number of appropriate ways, and does not need for her daily play quotient to become frantic. This capacity to become over-stimulated at play is not a fixed character trait and it is already subsiding in foster care.
Most importantly, Ellie is a dog who has always known love and nurturing care throughout her life; she is a dog who expects only good.
This is evident in her endearing way of lying down when approached for petting, and jutting up her back legs and offering her stomach for scratching, or in her companionable curiosity - she will follow her caregiver around the house without clinging, just simply shadowing in a non-obtrusive manner. Her caregiver gets very high marks for helping Ellie past her desire to sample all things in her mouth, and this stage is very nearly over.
Ellie will reward committed adoptive interest by bonding with faithfulness and great love. She shows promise of developing into a dog who is capable of very high functioning, one who may balk at being TOLD what to do, but would go to the ends of the earth when asked. She is already a very special girl with limitless aptitude and potential.
Potential adopters, please be aware: Since there are additional owner responsibilities involved with adopting a dog of superior intelligence, energy and resourcefulness, Ellie will only be placed in a home with a fenced yard and an experienced pet owner.
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