Hercules is a 3-year-old, 54-pound German Shepherd mix with a big personality, a good brain, and a very serious relationship with his toy collection. In foster, he was described as friendly, playful, affectionate, and a major fan of cuddle time. He loves fetch, bones, stuffed toys, car rides, and following his people around the house. He is also a bit of a talker and has no problem letting you know when he has something to say.
He is house trained and leash trained and already knows sit, down, paw and shake. He also learned cues for getting his bone and ball, and his previous family had started teaching him to spin. Volunteers have described him as sweet and calm on walks, and he has frequently ignored other dogs while passing their kennels. His previous owner also reported taking him to the dog park, where he was playful and got along well with the other dogs. They said he did well when approached and petted by children between 2 and 10 years old.
Hercules does have one important challenge to work through: being left alone is hard for him. His previous home reported significant separation-related distress, including destructive behavior when nobody was home, and he does not currently do well with a crate. He has also shown that unfamiliar people can make him uncomfortable in some situations. After one week in his previous home, he lunged at a stranger walking closely past him at a restaurant and made contact with the person’s pants without biting. Back in the shelter, where his stress level was considerably higher, handlers also saw barking, avoidance of reaching hands and a few light air snaps when he became overwhelmed.
Hercules will do best with someone willing to give him calm introductions to new people and a gradual, structured plan for learning that alone time is safe. Give him that foundation, and there is already a lot to work with: an affectionate, playful, smart dog who loves being involved in whatever his people are doing—and will happily bring the toys.
