Meet Mortimer, Morty for short.  Morty is a gorgeous, shy, and sweet 2-year-old German Shepherd.  He is described by his foster mom as having a “silly goofball personality that is at odds with his regal appearance”.  Every morning Morty greets his foster mom with a big tail wag.  This is followed by games of fetch and a long hike in the woods.  Later in the day Morty may enjoy a good chew or have a blast eviscerating his soft toys.  Morty knows basic obedience including sit, down, leave it, and off.  He is a bright boy and a fast learner, particularly with the right enticement such as a yummy treat!  Morty has a lot of energy, but settles quietly in the house when playtime is over.  His foster mom says that he is loving and affectionate and the consummate entertainer that brings a lot of joy.

Morty came to GSRNE through the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL).  Since puppyhood, Morty lived with an elderly couple.  When the wife died, Morty was surrendered to ARL.  Morty did not have much exposure to the outside world.  Even the wind blowing through his fur would scare him.  Despite his fear, he quickly charmed the ARL staff and they carefully placed him in a foster home with German Shepherd experience.  Morty’s foster mom began the challenge of introducing him to the outside world.  She bought him a jacket which helped resolve his fear of the wind and took him for long walks.  Initially he would run from other people and other dogs.  His foster mom started to introduce him to strangers with treats and see other dogs in the distance.   They would go to outside sporting events and watch from a distance to get Morty used to being around activity.

Although still very shy and timid, he was adopted earlier this year.  Within 8 hours of being in his new home, Morty escaped and spent 11 days in the wild ultimately being captured by a Missing Dogs of Massachusetts.  His new adopters realized that they did not have the German Shepherd experience needed to properly care for Morty so ARL placed him back with his foster mom.   ARL then contacted GSRNE to see if we could bring Morty into our rescue to offer him more breed specific resources, training, and to bring his story to a wider German Shepherd audience.  They also requested that we keep him in his current foster home given how well he had been doing there.  After meeting both Morty and his foster mom, we knew that not only was Morty a great dog, but that his foster mom was fantastic with him.  Morty was transferred to GSRNE and has remained in his foster mom’s capable hands.

Morty’s foster mom has told us that his 11-day adventure did help with some of his fears.  She continues to work with him daily to expose him to new experiences.  His confidence continues to grow and his world continues to expand.  Morty will now stand calmly and sniff a stranger when she stops to chat on a walk particularly if that person offers him a treat.  He has met another GSRNE alumna and played happily with her in the fenced yard.  He is learning that people and play can be fun.  He walks well on the leash and is less timid of other dogs.  He has not had an exposure to cats.  His foster mom says that the perfect home for Morty would be a quiet home with a fenced outdoor space where he can explore and relax off leash.  He would do best with active adults and/or older children.  He is currently the only pet and loves soaking up his foster mom’s attention.  We think that he may also do well with a friendly, confident dog in the home.

If you have experience working with shy dogs and are willing to take the time to allow Morty to adjust to new people and environments, you will be rewarded with a loyal and loving companion who will make you smile every day.