My name is Henry and I am a goofy, lovable, affectionate, friendly, and very smart puppy!
Quick Facts:
- Breed: German Shepherd
- Gender: Male, neutered
- Age: 10 months old
- Size: 65 pounds
- Good with…
- Dogs? Yes!
- Cats? Yes
- Kids? Yes! 8+
Henry is not a CDR dog. This is a courtesy posting for Henry’s current owners, who will make all decisions about his adoption. To apply to adopt Henry, fill out an online application and we will forward it to his current owner.
History
Before living here I lived with another family who had five kids! My littermate still lives with them and is learning to be a service dog! My current mom needed a service dog, too, so I came to live with her here and have been training to be her service dog which has been pretty fun!
Personality
I’m told that I have a ridiculously awesome personality. That I’m funny and smart and expressive and curious and affectionate and silly and dignified—a lot of cool stuff all in one furry package! I’m also told that my ears are crazy cute—that they are big and all over the place and incredibly expressive! My mom says that you can tell exactly how I’m feeling once you learn how to read my ears. When I want to be extra extra cute, I lay them back a bit and tip my head just so and it cracks everyone up!
Sometimes I’m all puppy–an adorable, silly, goofy tease! I like to steal shoes and get my current mom to chase me. She is slow! I run all over laughing at her, letting her almost catch me, then dashing around in circles! Fun, fun fun!!! I never ruin anything, though. I think it’s much more fun to toss things up in the air than to gnaw on or chew them, which I am told is really excellent of me (and different than most pups of my age). My favorite toy is a stuffed pig. I have had it a long time and love to make it squeak!
At other times, they say I act like a dignified, mature, grown up dog, even though I am still just a young pup. At those times I am calm, mannerly, and seem to exude self-control and dignity. I am protective, in a calm, friendly way that everyone says is awesome. Mom says one of my coolest qualities is how calm I am when something big happens like an unexpected loud noise. I hardly even look around to see what’s going on because I know I am fine!
I’m also very smart, curious, and interested. I learn very quickly, and am eager to do so. I love mastering new things, and since mom was training me to be a service dog, have learned lots of things despite my young age! I heard my trainer tell mom that I am super smart and a fast learner–I even ring a bell on the doorknob to let my family know I need to go out!! I confess that I still need some work walking on a leash properly… everything just smells so good I can’t resist! I sometimes use my mouth to explore people, too, (like most puppies my age do!), but am pretty gentle about it.
I adore snow! I loves to bounce around in it and make it fly! Rain, on the other hand, is confusing to me! I have gone swimming, but I get frightened when I can’t feel the bottom underneath my feet. No thank you! Playing in streams and in big mud puddles are super fun though, so we can do that together! I am also quite good in the car and will “wait” until you get my leash on before jumping out if you ask me to!
I love being in the same room with my mom and other people, but I don’t really like to snuggle. It makes me feel uncomfortable (very common for shepherds!), so am grateful if you get your snuggling and hugging needs met by other pets or family members! I do like to be petted, though, very much! Especially scratches and belly rubs! And I do like to come and sit on your feet sometimes, and when you start to pet me, I get all happy-wiggly-waggly all over! I come over and say hi all the time, too, just to see how folks are doing. I am very loving and caring and attentive!
Cohabitation
I have been living with my family since I was four months old – there are a lot of them! I have two Jack Russell Terrier older sisters (I mostly leave them alone, but we play sometimes), two human siblings (a teen and an 8 year old) who treat me really well and give me lots of pets, two cat friends (one likes to play but the other is very grouchy–I leave her alone!), my dad and my mom. I spend most of my time following mom around since she is home all day. I cohabit beautifully with everyone!
Favorite Activities
- Playing at the dog park!!
- Running free in the woods! (I always stay close to mom!)
- Taking naps in my crate!
- Playing chase!
- Teasing mom!
- Car rides with the windows down!
- Learning new things!
Why I am Looking for a New Home
I was learning to be my mom’s service dog, but I have lots of allergies. When I eat anything with beef in it I get all puffy and red and sick! I can’t wear my leather collar either. This is a problem for mom… She has trouble training me, and someday she wanted me to wear a big leather harness to help her out, but now I can’t. She worries that we will encounter something in public that is really toxic for me. She still needs help, so I need to find a new family to make room for another service dog candidate. I know she loves me and will miss me. I understand, though!
Medical
Mom says I am allergic to lots of things, so here’s the list:
Beef – makes me really sick very quickly
Grains (even healthy whole grains)– Upsets my stomach mostly. I do not counter surf except for when there are pastries, breads, cookies, and muffins on the counter. Then I counter surf! So you can’t leave that stuff out, because not only will I steal it, but it will upset my tummy really badly!
Leather and Nylon – slowly makes my skin break out in a rash all over! Horrible!
Nickel – a metal in all the hardware on my collars and harnesses that gives me a rash!!
Cat food – I get violent diarrhea even if I only eat a little bit!!
Right now I am on a raw chicken diet (muscle meat, bones, and organs), which is working very well for me. The vet thinks once my allergies are well controlled, we could probably add back some other foods, but I might never be a dog who is ok on kibble.
I need to be brushed often and for now, while we are trying to get my allergies under control, I need baths every couple of weeks or I get super itchy and uncomfortable. I tolerate baths because I love my people, but do not exactly enjoy them!
Otherwise, I am quite healthy! All up to date on vaccines, and hearty and robust! Hips seem fine, and I’ve got good energy.
You might need to buy only cotton or hemp products for me (collars, dog beds, etc), and if you have leather seats in your car, would be best to cover them so my skin never touches them. Not really a huge deal once you know what’s ok and what’s not. I promise—my big goofy lovable self is worth itI don’t really like getting groomed much, but I don’t bite or anything.
Summary
I would really love an active person or family who doesn’t mind being diligent about my diet and grooming. Someone with a sense of humor would be awesome! Mom and Dad say that I am a stellar puppy and am going to mature into the kind of unusually amazing dog that everyone looks for, who is the best companion ever!
If you are interested in adopting me, please fill out an online adoption application and the rescue folks will forward it to my current owner, who will make all decisions about my placement!
