Reno
GSRNE #230
Adopted in March 2008
Reno was found wandering with a female dog in a state forest and was picked up by the animal control officer. Both appeared to be purebred GSDs, approximately 2 years old. He was kept by the ACO for a few months during which time they were unable to locate his owner. It was felt that they may have come from a breeding facility where they had escaped or just “let go” as dogs they didn’t want to breed further. The ACO named the male, Colonel and the female, Sergeant. A private home was found for the female and GSRNE took the male.
We first met Reno in March of 2008. Reno is our second adopted GSD after Tess who was with us for over 12 years before passing on. Just before Good Friday we got a call from GSRNE asking us if we would like to meet Reno. That weekend, Lisa and I drove up from CT to his foster home in Massachusetts. With his tail wagging, Reno met us at the gate, and we fell in love with him. In his yard, we played fetch and watched him play with another dog, after which we went inside to learn more about Reno. During the meeting Reno came in and fell asleep with his head on my lap. That was when we knew for sure that Reno was the one for us.
Over the next couple weeks, Reno got used to the routine at his new home. We introduced him to all of our friends and family and found him to be more sociable than our past shepherd. We have found that Reno is not afraid of thunderstorms, fireworks, lawnmowers or the vacuum cleaner, in fact he is a confident shepherd without many fears. He is well-mannered and is not food aggressive. Nail clippers though, are not his favorite thing, but he’s fine with a nail grinder and some treats. We no longer have to use the crate if we are going out, though it’s still available for him whenever he wants to go lie down. Reno is pretty quiet, he does not bark at the neighborhood kids who pass by daily going to school. However, Reno will do his big boy bark to alert if someone is at the door or in the driveway, or signals with a short bark if he needs to go out. We found out how bright he is when we came home one day to find he figured out how to undo the latch of the dry kibble bin and served himself. One thing Reno loves, are car rides; it doesn’t matter where or even if the car ever leaves the driveway. For walks, he really loves to go to the park. During the summer after a long hike he loves to run into the lake and go for a swim or to play with the hose in his pool. I’ve also noticed that he really likes to follow scents so I may have to look into tracking. At the parks he has met dogs, people, and wildlife. The first time he met a horse and rider he sat quietly and was complimented on how calm he was.
Soon after we got Reno we enrolled him in doggie day camp. We were worried if he would pass his initial evaluation and half-day stay. But he did fine and now we take him there to every so often. Talk about a tired dog when he comes home! We also enrolled him in basic obedience training
at which he did well and will continue on with his training. Most days, Reno keeps his mom company, and keeps the backyard free of cats and squirrels. In the afternoon he goes for a ride to the high school to pick up our son. In the evenings after a walk and play, he’s comfortable with a bone and some belly rubbing. Reno has bonded with his dad and everyday lets his mom know when it’s time for him to go out on the deck with his Cuz, to patiently wait for his dad to return home from work.
Thank you GSRNE for bringing us together; Reno gives us great joy, many smiles and lots of laughs each and every day!
