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Date Adopted:     March 18, 2020

Ziva is a cute as can be but has some personality traits that mean she will need a knowledgeable GSD person to live with and work with her. She came into rescue with resource guarding and other issues, most of which have been worked through, though will still need to be managed by her new owners. Therefore, a household with no children or older children will fit her best. She has a good amount of energy and will thrive with an adopter who knows how to direct that energy through training and play sessions.

Ziva was picked up as a stray when she was fairly young so we estimate she’s about 2 years old now.  Initially, she had no concept of “personal space” and would jump and mouth her foster mom for hours at a time when she came home from work and her interactions with people were almost exclusively by mouthing their hands.  Any corrections would just make her escalate her excitement into more jumping/biting harder, and her foster mom used to say it was a good thing she is so adorable! During the time she’s been in foster care, she’s been taught to redirect her attention to a toy and a quick game of tug if needed.  She still mouths your hand occasionally but it’s always easy.

Ziva needs a low energy household and owner. We are not talking about someone lazy as she needs someone to help her get her own energy out with walking and ball playing.  We are talking about a personality type, or someone that has learned how to control the energy they give off. Ziva is very sensitive and will pick up on your energy level and act accordingly.

Ziva gets along with some other dogs and plays vigorously with the young mixed breed male in her foster home.  She can be rough at first, so any other dog has to know how to tell her to knock it off without hurting her.  Once they’ve been together for a few minutes, Ziva will calm down. She will also bite (easily) and harass another dog for a few minutes when you come home as she is over-stimulated with excitement but usually can be redirected into getting her toy fairly quickly. Any other dog in the household would need to be able to put up with this. She does interact well with her the other dog in the house the majority of the time; playing tug and chase/grab games with other dogs are favorites for her.

Ziva has an obsessive personality which means she notices reflections and shadows on the floor, wall or ceiling and has to be redirected to a toy or fetch game to get her mind off it.  She wants to chase cars on walks and needs work with not barking at passing cars when riding (especially at night because of car headlights shooting by).

Though it may sound like she is a difficult dog, once you know how to manage her occasional issues, she is a fun dog. She bonds closely to her person, and after her initial excitement when you come home and some walking or ball playing to get our her energy, she can lay calmly on her bed. She’s learned that petting can be nice and especially loves having her chest scratched.

She will play fetch with a ball in the house, bring it back and dash after it again and again.  Her enthusiasm is catching, and she makes training sessions fun. Ziva is an adorable little girl who needs someone to adore back. Any work you put into the relationship with her will be worth it as she has a big heart and lots of love to give.