Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue
Mia is a happy-go-lucky, young, female German Shepherd Dog who is only about 7 months old (born 5/9/18). She's still growing (she's only about 50 pounds right now, but she's likely still got some height and width to gain in the next year).
Mia views the world as a delightful, fun place -- and she is looking for an adopter with the same sunny attitude! She is trusting, affectionate, and very loving.
She's a gorgeous example of an all-black GSD -- although some people get confused by all-black dogs and think they must be mixed, this color pattern has been part of the GSD breed standard from the beginning, and some of the best-bred GSDs in the world have this color.
Mia is a little dynamo! She's intelligent, confident, and independent. She's has marvelous focus on tasks. She's also curious about everything, and eager to explore. She already knows several basic commands such as sit, come, shake hands and stay. She learns quickly and eagerly -- she will be an absolute joy to take through an obedience class. However, her sharp mind means that she will need ongoing mental stimulation and a "job" in the home!
She is also athletic and agile. In fact, her compact size, athleticism, and intelligence make this versatile little firecracker a great candidate for agility or other sports!
Mia gets along great with the other dogs in her foster home -- large and small. She really loves rough-and-tumble play with other big dogs, but she can moderate her play style to accommodate a tiny Yorkie too. She will amuse herself if her housemates are busy or gone and loves squeaky toys.
All young GSDs also get into mischief until they're taught what's appropriate and what's not. It's important to understand that like any young GSD, Mia explores her world using her mouth. Her puppy-mouthing means that she's not a good candidate for homes with small kids, as most kids don't appreciate the dog using its teeth during play (and may even be frightened by this normal behavior). She has started to understand the word “gentle” and can be redirected to acceptable chew toys, but when she gets excited, shoe laces, pant legs (and even hands) are likely to be pulled!
Mia doesn't live with cats or kids, so we don't have any first-hand information about her with them. However, she doesn’t seem to have much prey drive, so she could likely be taught by an experienced owner and dog-savvy cat to respect the kitties' space. Her initial instinct is likely to be play, play, play.
She is already housetrained and crate trained. She also recently tested negative for heartworms.