Henry is a smart, active, affectionate, and beautiful purebred German Shepherd who is eager to please and learn. His DOB is 3/9/2022. He is healthy with regular wellness checks. All vaccines and heart worm/flea/tick meds are up to date. He is a flat back shepherd, which has less risk for hip dysplasia. All recommended care has been provided to support joints, such as carrying him up and down stairs when he was small. He has been in foster care since May due to the relocation to a small apartment by the original owner.
Henry loves to be with people. Henry understands concepts such as get your toy and let's go outside. He knows and follows these commands: sit, stay, come, down, drop it, leave it, go to your place. He is making good progress on wait and off. He loves playing outdoors and in water, belly rubs, hugs, praise, training, ice, and peanut butter. He needs plenty of exercise- ideally, a fenced in yard or an owner who is committed to walking him or setting up play dates with dogs of similar energy. His original owner attended training and taught Henry basic commands and walking in public places such as large hardware and pet stores for socialization. He walks fairly well on a leash, but does pull when excited. I am approaching 70 and continue leash training in the fenced back yard, but do not feel strong enough to walk and hold on to him in busy public places. Indoors he is in kitchen/family room and sleeps alone there. He does not have access to bedrooms. He likes riding in the car and does not get sick, but he really wants to be with the driver, so he needs a seatbelt or sturdy partition so that he does not wiggle his way up front.
He visits with extended family and is affectionate and follows basic commands with them. He loves the older bull mastiff dog who visits and they love running together in the yard, but his exuberant play can be exhausting for the more sedate dog. Henry has been boarded and likes playing with the other dogs and staff. He has typical puppy behaviors, but is very tall and may be overwhelming to others when seeking attention. Henry has been boarded several times and is not aggressive. He exhibits some herding behavior and does protective barking at dogs and people when he first spots them, or when strangers approach the owner. He has not been exposed to cats or children. Henry is house broken and does not chew or destroy property. He may gather shoes and other items if they are left around, but they are not damaged.
Henry's ability to live with other dogs and children is dependent on the owner's continued training of him. It is important to keep in mind that although he is looks big like an adult dog, he has puppy energy and will jump when greeting people he hasn’t seen for a while and needs redirection. He is energetic, playful, and does not tire easily. I have had several other dogs with lots of energy, but Henry is the smartest and less prone to being stubborn or taking his time in following commands. He is a wonderful, loving dog for someone who understands the needs of his breed.
