Date Adopted:  Feb. 3, 2017

Age at adoption: Stray unknown ,est. no more than 7

Kaiser’s unique personality is a combination of a fundamental gentleness and loyalty, contrasted with a loud and startling way of introducing himself to strangers and the world.  He really does want to meet and engage with people, but his initial greeting is a loud series of barks, even with people he has met before.  He likes getting attention, petting and treats, so he’s quick to stop the barking and make friends.  His paws attract a lot of attention, because they are big and splay out as he walks, making them look even bigger.

In foster care, Kaiser lives with a female German Shepherd who is also a senior.  They don’t really play together, but they hang out and interact off and on.  He will run to retrieve a ball; but, instead of bringing it back, he pushes it around and then pounces on it.  He enjoys riding in the car but becomes anxious if left inside it by himself, even for short periods; he’s managed to displace the rearview mirror, turn on windshield wipers and has even locked the car.  He doesn’t like to be left home, alone, either, but he has learned to stay in a heavy duty crate and has learned that his foster Mom will return in a reasonable period of time.

When we first heard about Kaiser, he was in a shelter without much hope of being adopted.  He was emaciated, had a benign growth in one ear that was partially blocking that ear canal, and a rectal cyst that was open, bleeding and causing him pain.  GSRNE paid to have both the growths removed, and the veterinarian also found that he had an inflamed bowel and was not absorbing protein when he ate.  Kaiser was put on a daily probiotic, given Vitamin B12 shots weekly, given a course of prednisone and ear medications, and he gradually put on weight and began to feel better.

Kaiser didn’t like getting the ear medication when he was new in his foster home, and he would run for the nearest sofa when he saw his foster Mom pick up the bottle.  He buried his head under a pillow and peeked out with one eye to watch her approach, but he made no other objection as the drops were administered.  Afterwards, he would run off for a minute and then come back for some treats.  As Kaiser started feeling better and better, his foster Mom made notes about his unique personality quirks.  For instance, “Another item on the ideal home list would be a relaxed home environment, whereby a dog who is a bit clumsy and might walk through his water bowl instead of around it would be well tolerated.” Also, “he can be exasperating, as in his head inside the refrigerator when I didn’t even see him coming, causing me to almost drop things.”

Kaiser is a senior dog and is looking for a place to call his own for his remaining years.  He has a decrease in strength in his hind legs, which is just starting to show when he climbs the stairs.  As we’ve learned more about Kaiser and the love and loyalty he has to give to his own special person, we’re grateful that GSRNE had the support and funds to give him a much better life than he may ever have enjoyed before.  His foster Mom wrote, “He needs someone who lives in a cabin way out in woods…with pails of water around and a big pick-up truck with a huge passenger seat for a dog.”  We’re sure Kaiser will be very happy with adopters who will be home with him much of the time, enjoy tossing a ball for him in the fenced yard, take him for rides and love him as much as he will love them.