Sally

Senior

Sally is an unclaimed stray from the Escalon area, so nothing is known about her background. Sally appears to be around 8 to 9 years old, with 84 pounds on her classic frame. Sally is a pretty girl, black and tan, with lots of honey color in her coat, and has a dignified and handsome bearing.

Sally is a gentle, calm and very polite dog - an absolute delight to have around. She has liked all the people she has met so far. She is sweetly affectionate, giving a little kiss now and then, and really brightens up over a nice tummy rub or good ear scratching. She has impeccable house manners and is perfectly house-trained. She can be trusted alone indoors for hours at a time, and is long past any chewing or other troublesome behaviors. Sally settles quietly where ever she goes, and is content to be a house princess.

She seems to know many commands, but hardly needs to be told what to do – she mostly does the right thing on her own. She gets excited when she sees the leash, sometimes taking the leash in her mouth, and really enjoys her strolls around the block. Sally has been going to work with her foster dad, and rests quietly all day near his desk, making no trouble at all.

At her foster home, Sally is getting along wonderfully with the two cats, one of whom likes to nap next to her. Sally is also excellent with the resident dogs, though she is not interested in play. When the younger dog gets too rambunctious indoors, Sally reminds the youngster to tone it down, and use inside manners.

"Ride, Sally, Ride!" This girl loves to go for car rides, watching out the windows long after the other dogs have gone to sleep. She still needs help getting her hindquarters into the car, but is eager and happy to go. Sally has a big, deep alarm bark - unmistakably German Shepherd - when the doorbell rings, but does not bark at squirrels, neighboring dogs, or passers-by on the sidewalk.

Sally was in the shelter a long time. We're grateful that this special girl was spared. With her excess weight, lack of exercise and a tired hip joint, Sally developed significant atrophy in her leg muscles, and is slowly working back up to regular walking. Her recovery from this atrophy currently requires pain medications. She has a great spirit and determination to be part of things, and doesn't shy from the work necessary to regain strength, even going upstairs to be part of the family. She has already made a lot of progress, is losing weight nicely, and is steady on her feet again, though not walking far yet. Gradually increasing exercise coupled with continued dieting should bring Sally back to a reasonable level of activity for her age.

Sally will be a wonderful addition to a home looking for a calm, sweet, well-trained easy dog who can fit right in. She will bring a lot of love and happiness wherever she goes. She would be suitable for a less active senior home, in that her exercise needs are minimal. Sally would also be a good trainer for younger dogs, setting an excellent example, and reminding the youngsters about appropriate behavior.

This is a Level 2 Dog.

Added May 2012