Ava

Breed: German Shepherd
Sex: Female

Birthday: October 19, 2017
Rescued: October 15, 2021
Re-Homed: December 10, 2021

Status: Adopted

Temperament

Ava is a smart, affectionate girl who is looking for her forever home where she can enjoy a calm and relaxed life.
She adores people and gets vocal when she sees hers, but is easily quieted with calming words and gentle affection.
Ava has an extremely high prey drive and can be very reactive when over stimulated in the wrong way. She is fearful of other dogs, it will cause her anxiety and in turn, reactivity.
Ava can walk very well on leash when she’s content and in the proper setting. The wrong environment will make this difficult.
She has no resource guarding with people, has good recall, and is not destructive. Jumping on people is very minimal except occasionally in the excitement of your arrival.

Ava absolutely needs to be the only pet in her new forever home, which should be in a quiet country setting.
There should be no small children in Ava’s life. She has no experience with them, but a family with dog savvy kids over 14 would be considered.
Ava would be best suited for people experienced with German Shepherds, or similar large breeds.
Her new family needs to understand how important consistent calming techniques are for her. She is responsive to calm and positive reinforcement of things she already knows. If she participates in training of any kind, it absolutely must NOT include shock collars, prong collars, or any other tight restraints around her neck.
It will be important to recognize what escalates Ava, and do what’s best for her by limiting such situations.
She should not be encouraged to chase squirrels, rip up stuffed animals or any similar aggressive behaviour.
Being that Ava is not a dog park dog, she needs a fenced in yard without neighbouring dogs, and a place to walk on leash once and a while. Off leash walks would only be suitable for Ava if there is no chance of coming across other dogs.
Ava experiences stress and anxiety in new situations so she will need time, patience and understanding to settle into her new home.