Tragically, his mom has no where to live by the end of February. People are really struggling with finding affordable housing and the cost of living
Not to mention some landlords not dealing well with 75 pounds of Shepherd. Nick needs a new home and family by the end of February, no wiggle room there. Read more about him below and please step up if you can open your heart and home.
He was really good at the meet up yesterday. Happy to meet men, strangers and was polite with other dogs. He's better with female dogs.
Name: Nick (Nicholas)
Breed: German Shepherd
Weight: 75 pounds
Gender: Neutered male
Age: 5-6 years
Obtained From: He was a stray and was pulled from a kill shelter in the California and brought to Ontario 2 years ago (not by Speaking of Dogs Rescue)
Reason for Intake: His owner is in financial crisis and is facing homelessness.
Up to Date with Vetting: Yes.
Good with dogs: He has been good with female dogs. He was housed in the same run as a female dog at the shelter and he goes on group walks with female dogs without issue
Good with cats: He is living with 6 cats. Initially, he stalked the cats. Slow introductions over months worked to get him used to the cats.
Good with kids: He has only met kids on walks while in this home. He is not recommended for young children as he may still nip when playing or knock them over. Likely fine with older kids.
Good with strangers: Yes. He does not bark when strangers visit. He will go up and greet them and be friendly. He might get excited and jump up. He's fine with new people moving around in the home.
Resource guarding issues: Not from people or the cats. Unknown with dogs.
Ever bitten a dog: No
Fears: He alarm barks when it thunders.
Housetrained: Yes
Crate trained: Yes. He is crated on car rides. Lengthly periods of crating are not recommended due to his orthopaedic injury.
Bark when left alone: No. They have a camera and he is quiet when left alone. He is used to being left alone for more than 3-4 hours at a time.
Destructive: No
Energy Level: Medium to high
Leash skills: He is described as a joy to walk. He may pull a bit at the beginning but is pretty good at loose leash walking. He can walk by other dogs on the same side of the street with no reaction.
Okay with physical handling/manipulations: They can bathe and brush him. He is a bit squirmy for nail trims but they can do them.
Known commands: sit, down, stand, come, break, yes, wait
Food on now: Previously fed raw or cooked food with veggies and fruit. Currently eating Farmina N&D kibble. 1.5 cups, 2x/day.
Behavioural issues: He does better with female dogs and dogs who are not in his face. He will alarm bark at thunder. He is said to be a really nice dog and easy to live with.
Medical issues: He has an old injury (prior to this home) that resulted in a dislocated hip. As a result, the hip carved out another socket and that leg is shorter than his other leg. He had a consult with an ortho surgeon who indicated the hip was functional and they would not recommend surgery. They recommended Omega 3's and to avoid prolonged crating. He is able to walk 1.5-2 hours/day and run. The owner has provided videos of him with other dogs and being active. This ortho vet said he is not in pain at this time but needs to follow meds, exercise and keep his body weight right
February 4, 2026, 1:49 pm
