Dierdre

My story

"Dierdre" is an approx 70lb, 8-yo spayed female GSD mix who is happy, well-mannered and protective. Dierdre is healthy and quite spry for her age. She underwent surgery in early April to have a large mass removed from her vaginal canal. The mass was benign and the surgery was completely successful, with no post-surgical complications. Dierdre is friendly with strangers both inside the house and beyond after introductions. She will bark as they approach initially, but after her people indicate that it is safe she relaxes and greets strangers with a sniff and a wag. She's also happy to let new people pet her; she loves the attention. When she's had enough, she just trots back to her bed. Dierdre has done very well with the children she’s met, ranging in age from 4-12 yrs . Dierdre’s foster caretaker (Lauren) says that she’d feel comfortable having Dierdre around even younger children using regular precautions. Dierdre is very apprehensive around other dogs and prefers to keep her distance. She will 'play' with them from afar by barking and hopping around, but does not want close contact with other dogs. She lives with a 14-yo Husky/GSD and they basically avoid each other, but peacefully co-exist. Sometimes when they are both really excited they'll run in the yard together--but separately. Dierdre would likely do best in a home where she is the only dog. Dierdre has not been around cats since we rescued her in early January. However, Lauren has young chickens and Dierdre has not shown much of a prey drive towards them, so she might be OK w/ a dog-savvy cat. Dierdre is completely housetrained and stays inside the house when Lauren is gone. (Her daughters come home from school before Lauren returns from work and let Dierdre out.) Dierdre sleeps in Lauren’s older daughter’s bedroom. Dierdre is well-behaved and obedient for the most part. She does pull hard on the leash initially when taken for walks, even with a prong collar. She also acts nearvously when she sees other dogs on walks, and gets reactive if they get too close. However, Diedre has not had much experience on leash because her foster home has a big yard. Lauren’s 15-yo daughter can walk her just fine with a prong collar. Dierdre has perfect off-leash recall and will come when called, even when very far away. Dierdre loves car rides and hanging her head out the window. She is active while riding, and likes to alternate windows if they are down. She loves to ride with her whole head in the wind. Dierdre likes to play keep-away with her toys and won't let you take what she is carrying. She likes when people rough-house with her and she can get mouthy, but does not bite. She will stop when you tell her to stop. Dierdre is more of a “lay by your feet” kind of dog than playful. She likes to be where her people are and follow them around to keep watch and protect them. GSRSV rescued Dierdre from the Sacramento County Animal Shelter on 1-6-25. She went to directly to her current foster home. She had her afore mentioned surgery on 4-3-25 at Burton Creek Veterinary Hospital in South Lake Tahoe. Dierdre is located in Elk Grove. Her adoption fee is $200.

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Dierdre, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.