Pleasant Grove, CA - German Shepherd Dog. Meet Poe a Pet for Adoption

My basic info

Breed

German Shepherd Dog

Color

Black - with Tan, Yellow or Fawn

Age

8 years 1 month old, Young

Size

Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)

Weight

80 lbs (current)

Sex

Male

Pet ID

–

My details

Good with kids

Good with dogs

Not good with cats

Purebred

Needs experienced adopter

Shots current

Spayed / Neutered

Housetrained

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

"Poe" is a 2-yo (born 3-22-16), 80-lb neutered male GSD who is loving, playful and protective. Poe is friendly with people on neutral ground and when properly introduced at home--for the most part. He is great with his family's 3-yo daughter and 9-yo son. See https://youtu.be/I79Pi7GvxQE for a video of Poe responding to 3-yo Laken's commands!

Poe wants to play with other dogs, but his approach ("Here I come!") and typical GSD rough style of play can make some dogs defensive, leading to squabbles. He is good with a small (under 20 lb) female dog who he has play-dates with every so often.

I met Poe at GSRSV's rescue ranch, and for the most part he did great with the other dogs there. Occasionally he would growl when he was standing next to his owner Britne and another dog approached her, but he was very quick to respond to a verbal rebuke. Poe interacted with the other dogs for about an hour with no squabbles and the longer he was there, the more relaxed he became. See elsewhere on this page for a video of Poe romping and splashing with the other dogs.

Poe will need continued socialization with other dogs to learn a more proper introduction and to tune his style of play to that of the other dogs. This will require an experienced GSD owner (no first-timers for Poe) who knows how to keep an overly-exuberant 80-lb dog in check.

Poe is housetrained and is inside with his family when they are home. When they are gone, he generally stays outside--(he has access to the garage via a dog door). He is fine when left inside on his own, though.

Poe walks easily on leash when he is wearing a harness. However, he is very reactive towards other dogs--he will bark and carry on out of his desire to meet the other dog. Clearly, Poe will need additional training if he is to overcome his on-leash reactiveness.

Poe loves to go for car rides and is an excellent, calm passenger. He loves to chase after tennis balls and will occasionally bring them back (he prefers to chew them up)! Poe also loves to swim (see the video above).

Poe does exhibit some OCD behaviors that are not uncommon in GSDs: he loves searching for and chasing reflections and shadows (e.g., of birds flying overhead) and he is constantly on patrol in the backyard, forming paths along the fenceline.

As mentioned, Poe is protective of his people--sometimes a little too protective. Recently, Poe's owners' had their 16-yo nephew and some friends over and they were all gathered around Poe. For some reason, Poe bit the hand of one of the nephew's friends when he reached out to pet him. The bite barely broke the skin, but it shook the foundation of trust that his owners have in Poe. Previously, Poe had snapped at a friend of Britne's (without making contact), so the incident with the boy raised concerns about possible future incidents. Though Poe is an integral member of their family, Poe's owners have decided it would be best if they find him a more appropriate home.

My read on Poe is that he's not aggressive at all but rather a little headstrong. I believe that he simply needs a stronger correction response from his owners to show him "who's boss" and to convey to him that they do not need him to protect them from their own friends!

GSRSV has evaluated Poe and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Poe through its adoption program while his owners continue to care for him.

Poe is located in Truckee, CA. His adoption fee is $260.