How can this pretty girl not have an adopter when she came to ASF 14 months ago? I fear it is because we are an Aussie Rescue, and when people see Raya, they see all German Shepherd. Raya does take after her German Shepherd mama mostly, but her daddy was all Aussie, and he contributed to her looks a little in her 1 blue eye and turned down ears.
Raya is an 18 mos. old female German/Australian Shepherd cross. (DOB 10/2/2023) She is around 65-70 lbs. and may fill out some more but has probably reached her full height. Raya is already spayed, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations, on monthly preventatives, house broken to a doggy door, and crate trained. She knows sit, down, shake (paw), bedtime (crate), and touch. She loves to play with toys and chew on bones, and she will collect a few at a time in case she gets bored with just one. She is content to lie by herself quietly if she has enough toys close by. We have been running brushes over her and trimming her nails regularly, and she submits to it expecting a treat for her patience. She has a deep throaty bark, loves to give kisses often, and will cuddle when she is in the mood. Raya has a ton of puppy energy and enjoys running, romping, and wrestling with her foster siblings. She is starting to show her grown up personality and has given corrections to another pup when things get too rough. Another dog in the home is highly recommended, preferably one who can continue to teach her respectful pack manners and keep up with her need to get rid of her boundless energy.
Raya is very clever and has figured out how to lift the handles on our baby/pup gates in the home to allow herself access to the other dogs or people when she wants. After using the locking mechanism to thwart her attempts at co-mingling, she simply and quietly began jumping the gates. * We are working on respect for boundaries. * She has never even attempted to jump the outdoor fencing, but if she chose to, I believe a 5-foot fence would come as an easy obstacle for her to overcome. This young girl is food motivated, and very willing and able to learn if you just give her the time, patience and instruction.
When Raya came to us, she was very unsocialized and fearful. With our family and pack, she has blossomed into a loving, silly girl. She has a different play style with each member of the pack, and she loves the grandbabies when they visit. Having said that, she is large and still puppy clumsy at times, so she should be supervised with small children. Outside of our home, Raya still struggles with her fear. She has stranger danger and will bark loudly and try to flee or hide if an unknown person/dog approaches her. We have taken walks in dog friendly stores, and she does ok if not approached or startled. She has been given calming medication, and a muzzle has been used, in order to help her with Veterinary visits, as they must physically handle her without much time for trust building. There have been no biting incidents, we are just being cautious and preventative. In light of this, an adopter will need to visit her on more than one occasion and be patient enough to allow her to come to them on her terms. All household members should be included to be sure Raya learns who her new family will be. She is currently being fostered in the Northeastern corner of Maryland. She has never been exposed to cats or other animals besides dogs. If you need an alarm system, she makes a great alert for anyone approaching the home!
A dog like Raya does require some effort to win her over and build her confidence around others, but the reward you get in her loyalty, trust, and love is immeasurable. She deserves her own family and furever home. Could it be yours? Will you give her a chance to be live her best life? If you are interested in this beautiful, smart, and loving girl, here is the app: https://www.australianshepherdsfurever.org/adoption-application. There is an additional $20 microchip fee which includes registration and transfer to her new furever family.
Raya is being fostered in Rising Sun, MD.
