German Shepherd Quarantine Rescue Story: Part 2

Just picked up our German Shepherd rescue,

get her. Dogs barking, volunteers walking

dogs, and dogs running around with

prospective owners during a meet and

greet. The location of the shelter leaves

a girl wanting the protection of a dog. In

order to bond with the dog that was selected

for us, we took her on a walk around the

rescue. While taking a break we found some

shade on the steps of an old church. Violet

took a seat right next to me. What a sweetie,

she stayed by my side the whole time. My

daughter met us during the middle of all

the activities and she fell in love with her

sweet personality and mild mannerisms. I

loaded her up and we were on our way home!

I had no idea what to expect. I was anxious

about everything! I made sure to doggie-proof

the home (getting cords out of the

way in case she was a chewer, and putting up

anything I didn’t want knocked over by a

wagging tail) before we brought her home.

Being new to the whole dog experience, I had

my dog-trainer friend, Kara Berk, meet us at

home to teach me how to best work with this

new addition to our family. Kara is a professional

dog trainer who helps people understand dog

behavior and helps people communicate in a

way dogs understand.

Kara showed me the basics - how to give

commands, how to get this little girl accustomed

to short periods of time at home alone, and how

to respond when she has any number of

behaviors to ensure I'm reading her cues.

Soon, Violet was making herself comfortable in her

new home and selecting the best spot in the yard

to do her business! We established a routine and some

feeding rules, and she is doing great! Violet is the perfect

first dog. She will protect our family, and she

knows I am her person!

Love that dog, Violet!