My name is Freya!

She's a little tentative when she meets new people or goes to an unfamiliar place, but Freya quickly gets comfortable, and then she's a playful, inquisitive puppy.

HISTORY
This sweet baby was bought from a backyard breeder and gifted to a teenage boy in a family that couldn't afford to keep her. They love her, but they have made the painful decision to ask HART to find her a family that's better able to meet her needs.

Freya has been living in a foster home in Kennewick, Eastern Washington since about mid-June. She is not located in Woodinville; we use that address in an effort to optimize our dogs' adoption prospects.

SOCIALIZATION
When she arrived in her new home she was unsure of herself at first, but quickly adjusted and learned the rules and routines.

She bonded closely with her boy, and quickly became attached to the rest of the family. This is a pup who really wants to bond with her own special human! She takes a while to warm up to new people, but if they're calm, patient and not pushy she soon relaxes.

She tends to be scared and a little barky when she meets new dogs, but if they're friendly and playful she soon warms up. There are several dogs in her foster home; she constantly asks the seniors for attention, and she loves playing with the younger husky in the family.

Freya is curious about the cats and chickens in her foster home. She likes to follow them around, but has shown no evidence of prey drive. She's scared of the horses, however - they are just too big for her!

GENERAL TEMPERAMENT & BEHAVIOR
She's not an especially high energy girl, but she's a German Shepherd - in other words a working breed. As she matures she'll need daily exercise and plenty of mental stimulation to keep her happy and out of trouble.

Freya is a PUPPY, with many puppyish behaviors! In particular, she loves to chew shoe laces and cords. She's also rapidly growing to be a big girl, which makes her clumsy. She's probably not an ideal choice for a family of very young children or people who are unsteady on their feet, as she's likely to knock into them.

She's a playful pup who loves toys and games. With the other dogs she likes to play tag and keep-away. Tug-of-war is one of her favorite games to play with her boy. She'll also enthusiastically chase sticks if you throw them - but instead of bringing them back she likes to carry them off for a good chew. She loves chewing on squeakers and various chew toys and bones. She also loves the water, and in hot weather likes to cool off in her kiddy pool.

When she's had her play out, however, Freya wants to snuggle. If you're too busy for that, she may follow you around - but she's not a needy pup; as long as she feels safe, she's good at entertaining herself. And if you're busy at your desk, when she's ready to relax she's happy to settle down nearby and keep you company.

Freya is a good traveler, She'll fuss a bit at the beginning of a car ride, but soon settles down. She's also been out on a boat and quickly found her feet.

Although she's young she seems to be naturally protective, and wll bark when visitors arrive or when strangers pass by her property. She promises to be a good watchdog, making noise only when there's reason to alert you.

TRAINING
She's house trained, but needs to be let out to potty at regular intervals or she may have accidents. She hasn't yet learned to ask to go out, so that needs to happen on a schedule.

She is somewhat crate trained. She routinely eats in her crate, and often puts herself away to snooze in her open crate. She doesn't much like being crated for other reasons and will cry for a while, although she does eventually settle down and go to sleep.

Her boy has taught her several commands: sit, lie down, spin, shake. She also comes running when he calls, and stays close when out and about off-leash - although with other family members she doesn't respond well. She's comfortable on leash but still needs to walk beside her handler.

Freya appears to be intelligent and very eager to please her special human. Because of her breed and her size, she MUST receive thorough obedience training - at least to the level of an AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate, and preferably more. This pup is looking for someone who enjoys the training process, who will work with her in stimulating ways that build her confidence, reinforce the bond between them, and help her understand how to be a GOOD dog.

HEALTH
Freya has been vaccinated, microchipped and treated for internal and external parasites. She was born around March 19, 2023, and based on her current size we expect her to grow to be a big girl, probably close to 80 lbs.

She has not yet been spayed because HART does not support pediatric spay or neuter. However, sterilization by age 12 months is mandatory and is one of the terms of our adoption contract. We will refund her adopter the sum equivalent to a spay by our local clinic upon proof of sterilization.

ADOPTION
Freya is living in a private foster home in Kennewick, Eastern Washington. We'll be happy to set up a meeting as soon as your adoption application has been approved. If necessary, we can arrange transport for her to an approved, committed adopter anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, provided you cover the cost of gas.

To apply to adopt her, please email HearthfireART@gmail.com and request an adoption application form.

For more pictures of Freya, please see her Facebook album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.584229477191479&type=3