Size
(when grown) Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg)
Details
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
Gwen has a lot of energy and spunk! She can be a bit of a goof ball and loves to roll in tall grass, play with toys, and bounce around when she gets excited. BEHAVIOR:Gwen was really good today on our day trip. She has a bubbly personality and also likes to be near. She's a great mix of playful, sweet, adventurous, focused, obedient, and received praise well. She has some work to do on the leash and she showed a lot of promise for training (even keeping me accountable when she knew she did something right and wanted a treat or some form of accolades. She's quick!). We used a harness instead of the traditional collar and leash. PEOPLE:She met a few people on the trail including a couple kids about 9-11 years old. She was very calm and accepting. Never growled, yipped or barked. She wasn't much of a licker either.ACTIVITIES:Gwen was great on the Trinity Trail. We saw several bikers, joggers, strollers, skaters and she was really un-phased by any of them. Occasionally she would pull and hold her ground when something in the grass smelled really good, but after some work and treat training, she was showing progress to keep moving. We got down to a splash stream where she loved to cool off and feel the water on her paws. We even found some tall grass and she LOVED to roll around in it feeling the cool scratchy texture all over.After a long walk, we found a good grass area to roll around for a bit and she LOVED the squeaky toy and sock toy I had. She was playful and could spring in the air about 5 feet. Once she burned off her energy, she did really well with basic training. She was very possessive of her toy at first, so we worked on letting go, which she got pretty good at. We also used the toy as an incentive for remaining calm and keeping good extended eye contact. She was really making great strides in the 30-45 minutes we spent working. OTHER DOGS:The shelter informed me that Gwen doesn't like other dogs or cats. Knowing this, we were very careful on our out and about. We did encounter quite a few other dogs on the trail. Gwen didn't care for other dogs and showed signs of aggression when engaged for longer than 10 seconds. We kept our distance about 10 - 20 feet. Typically, she would see a dog at a distance, make eye contact, and watch. As the dog walked closer on the path, the other dog would see her and start to scramble toward her. This triggered a defense in her. Up until the other dog would scramble, Gwen was able to keep still, but intensely focused energy. The very last dog we saw was a very well-trained black lab. We were about 15 feet off the trail and the lab kept calm and paid no attention to her. Gwen, still focused on the lab, was able to remain calm. Her energy was starting to increase and I consoled her the whole time and rubbed her chest. She didn't even give as much as a soft growl! She got some major praise and loved the attention for doing a good job. It may be a simple matter of continued, controlled, training and letting her know that other dogs are "ok". CAR:Gwen likes the windshield view of the road. She mostly stayed in the back seat, but would put her paws on the console and put her head right next to mine and watch the road. She felt most secure when she had contact with me. Also, she LOVES high blast air conditioning. She did pretty well in the car. Overall- Gwen was super fun to work with. She is very teachable, playful, lovable, sweet, and will keep you laughing. She loves a cooler environment, so if you like to keep your home chilly, she'll warm up to you fast! If you're looking for an awesome pup for a single dog home, Gwen is your gal!
