Would you just look at that face!!  In late July, we were contacted by an ACO with whom we’ve had a close working relationship over the years.  Her shelter had just received a nearly 5 month old male German Shepherd puppy named Rajah and they were looking for our help find him a loving home.  Rajah had been purchased at 8 weeks old at a pet store.  2 months later, one of his owners died suddenly and he was surrendered to the shelter as other family members were unable to care for the gregarious and lively pup.  We don’t often get puppies into our rescue as puppies are usually adopted quickly out of shelters.  Although there was much interest in Rajah, our ACO friend reached out to us because she knew that Rajah needed an experienced German Shepherd owner to make sure he got the proper training and socialization that is so critical for young German Shepherds to avoid behavioral issues in the future.

Luckily, one of our volunteers was recently approved to foster and was able to take in Rajah.  Although a new foster for us, she has fostered many puppies over the years for her local shelter.  Soon after his arrival, we were receiving hilarious videos of Rajah splashing in the kiddie pool, doing zoomies around the yard, and playing with the resident 9 year old female GSD and 8 year old male GSD mix.  Experienced fosters themselves, the two older dogs weren’t afraid to let Rajah know when he’d crossed the line with his antics or when he became a bit too full of himself!  Rajah was initially very mouthy and rough with play, a common GSD puppy trait.  Our foster patiently worked with him on basic training and helped him learn self control.  His mouthiness has improved and he takes treats nicely.  He’s made considerable progress in learning is basic commands.

Rajah is a dog that needs a person or family committed to continued training and structure.  Rajah will push boundaries and will rule the roost if limits aren’t set.  He is full of energy and will need mental stimulation, play, and exercise.  Thanks to his foster siblings, Rajah is very social and enjoys the company of other dogs as long as that dog is confident enough to let him know when to knock it off when his enthusiasm is too overbearing.  Could you be Rajah’s new best friend?