Dex is looking for a new home because his current family can no longer care for him. He is about 4.5 years old and he is a big boy, weighing in at 115 pounds! He has lived with his current family for 3.5 years and they are hoping to find the an amazing home for him.
He is vaccinated, neutered, and microchipped - all set for his forever home! He has not lived with children, but has had some exposure to them and has not had any incidents or concerning behavior. He has been trained in Jessup, MD, and access to training will transfer to Dex's new family!
He is crate-trained, but because someone is home with him most of the day, the crate is no longer needed.
It is not recommended that Dex share his home with a cat or dog.
He is described by his current family as:
Couch potato
Quiet
Playful
Friendly
Affectionate
Fearful
Protective
Always at your side
House-Trained
Separation anxiety
| He eats: American Journey large breed formula; some wet dog food, plain pumpkin, plain non-fat Greek yogurt in his frozen toys |
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"He knows basic commands (sit, down, stay, place to get on his bed, come touch as recall, paw, other paw, middle to go between your legs, catch to catch treats / toys, touch as hand targeting, off). He is extremely smart so is fed through training, games, puzzle toys, feeder toys, scatter feeding, and frozen toys (Toppl, slow feeder, etc.). He hasn't eaten out of a bowl in two years and LOVES his mealtime games! I have dozens of toys / feeding devices to send to his new home.
We have been working on his leash reactivity with Connor at Premier Dog Training in Jessup, MD for a year and a half. The training will transfer to any future owner, so they would be able to bring him there for free refresher sessions with Connor. Dex adores Connor, and the feeling is mutual! Premier is also where I have been boarding him regularly when needed."
His Fears:
| The vet - he has anxiety medication to take beforehand and we are working on muzzle training; he especially hates having his ears cleaned/examined. He sometimes gets startled by sudden motions/noises but nothing consistent, usually when he's focused on sniffing and doesn't notice something |
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With other dogs:
| He lived with foster dogs before we rescued him and did fine. However, he does not like to share "his" people with other dogs. He is leash reactive with other dogs; our trainer believes it is largely barrier frustration but he is also very protective of me so that is part of it as well. He does well at the trainer with select (medium energy, not too big) other dogs when he boards there, but I again would not vouch for him with every dog. |
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His ideal future home, as described by his current family:
I would LOVE for Dex to have a fenced-in yard in a more suburban area. When we rescued him, my ex and I had a house with a large yard in the San Diego area; since then, I have relocated with him to a small apartment in the middle of DC, which is not ideal - we have to rely on walks for every bathroom trip, and there is just a lot going on in terms of foot traffic, dogs, noises, etc. Somewhere a bit quieter would be ideal to help work through his leash reactivity.
He needs someone who understands his breeds, especially GSDs, and is willing to work on and keep up with his training and mental stimulation every day. Dex is sweet, goofy, smart, and incredibly stubborn; he's not very high energy but does need regular exercise to keep his weight down. I typically walk him for 45 minutes to an hour in the morning, then again for about 30 minutes midday or after work.
Like I said, he loves his food toys, so I really want a home who's willing to keep up with those at least part of the time. It's actually really fun to watch him and to come up with new toys and games for him! As mentioned, I have PLENTY of toys and resources that will transition with him. |
Rehoming Fee: $100
Location: Washington, DC
If you are interested in adopting, please complete our application: www.rescuewell.org/application
Please note: Rescue Well is marketing this pet and assisting with application processing on behalf of its owner as a courtesy. All fees, adoption decisions, adoption requirements are set by the current owner. All claims about behavior, history, and physical condition are claims made by the owner via an online submission.
April 24, 2024, 10:12 pm
