ATLAS HAS A NEW FAMILY
- Friday, July 03 2015 @ 06:08 pm UTC
- Contributed by: erik
- Views: 3,113
ATLAS NEEDS A NEW FAMILY !
UPDATE: WE HAVE COMMITTED HIM TO A FAMILY WHO WILL PICK HIM UP SHORTLY ATLAS is a handsome black and tan male GSD. He has been neutered and received all shots and a chip. He was given up by a family who didn't train him and expected him to be their perfect pet. When he became mouthy AND THEN WAS INVOLVED WITH A FEW MINOR BITES they put him at a shelter.
He was adopted through our rescue in 2015 and has been in a home doing really well for about a year. He was again involved in a minor bite case where he was defending the home and not being aggressive. We have found that he does not like crowds of new people in the home and that may have resulted in him defending a position. The family who got him now is being forced to relinquish him because of insurance reasons.
Let me explain more about Atlas now that we have him.
ATLAS IS A GOOD DOG. MAKE NO MISTAKE HIS ISSUES ARE STILL THERE AND SHOULD NEVER BE DISCOUNTED BUT HERE ARE THE CURRENT FACTS.
Atlas was unneutered, untrained and out of control when he had his initial incidents. He is now fixed, has lived calmly with a family for a year and although he did have a few bits none were serious and all were explainable. He has been involved with 5 separate 'so called bite' incidents and now 1 year later a 6th. No one ever got stitches and no one was attacked, these were superficial situations but they did happen and we always disclose everything we know about a dog. The incidents happened when strangers were in the home and unsupervised IN ALL CASES. As a young unneutered male dog we believe he was simply selecting who entered the home, according to him, and not to the owners who failed to become his alpha. Now that he was fixed, that bite happened to a new room mate in the home and NEVER with the owners.
The original incidents were, according to the then owners, who were brutally honest and forthcoming with us, minor. One was him grabbing a boys shirt, another few were him mouthing the arm of a person who extracted their arm from his mouth and were cut by his sharp teeth. None were provoked and ALL HAPPENED IN THE HOME WHILE HE WAS UNATTENDED WITH STRANGERS. We therefore recommend crating when unsupervised and 'home alone and that if new people wish to care for him or live with him that they be properly introduced to him before allowing them unsupervised access to him.
I continue to spend time with him and he is as good a gold. Our kennel manager things he is by far one of the best we have ever had stay with us. WHAT A GREAT DOG. HE IS JUST SUPER WITH PEOPLE, DOG AND DISRACTIONS!!!
Atlas felt that he always had to make the decisions on who entered and who stayed. This is not at all unusual for a young dog who has had no authority, no training (ever) and no discipline from anyone he felt was his alpha. He simply made all the decisions himself. These incidents happened from the time he was first relinquished to a new home at 2 years old to 2 years 8 months old. He is now 3.5 years old.
Atlas was evaluated by 3 separate trainers and behaviorists before originally coming to me yesterday 7/5/15. He was the perfect gentleman with me from the get go. He was NOT mouthy, he was not disobedient nor was he challenging ME OR ANYONE ELSE in any way. He was seen by Diane and 3 of our trainers all of whom agreed that we need to give this boy a chance.
Now that he was returned he was evaluated by Rusty Graham who has expressed that he is a good dog and with the right owner a great pet.
What Atlas needs is an alpha person in a home with no small kids and lots of training. He was cat friendly and dog friendly as the prior owners had smaller dogs and cats. WE SUGGEST NO OTHER PETS AND NO SMALL KIDS. Our idea owner would be a couple who had the time and knowledge to train a young GSD and a family with experience handling a young dog. He is easily taught, not at all jumpy or wild and he simply seeks guidance. He will immediately come to you and give his nose of acknowledgment to you as a sign of acceptance.
Dogs with no training are not bad dogs just untrained. THEY CRAVE GUIDANCE AND AN ALPHA IN THE HOME. He has been evaluated by 3 qualified trainers outside of our rescue and each felt he is just fine and now a 4th in Rusty.. Mouthiness can be corrected easily and of course anyone taking him would have to attend out school where they will learn to correct all of a dogs bad behaviors. Otherwise Atlas is a sharp looking smart dog.
He came out of a family with kids and therefore so long as the kids are teenagers, we see no real reason why that wouldn't work out well so LONG AS THE DOG GETS THE TRAINING HE NEEDS and each member of the household participates in his training and socialization. He is housebroken and non destructive, loving and responsive to praise and to leadership. He is about 4 years old and very handsome.
Because he was involved previously in what was consider by the family as a bite, you will have to sign a waver of understanding that certifies you understand his past and accept him as is. You will be signing a waiver of liability to us at the rescue as well. This is mandated by our rules and does not reflect on this dogs quality nor future. He is great dog that needs a great home.
UPDATE AFTER 1 Year WITH HIM the owner wrote:
This is a great dog. he is responsive and has shown zero signs of issues. It has become obvious to us that the families that had him were just wrong for dogs and he didn't respect them or their home. I totally love this dog and I strongly feel he would be a great pet for the right handler.
update MAY 2016: We has Atlas at the AEL Yappy hour where he met 100+ people and 100+ dogs. He did fabulous. he was affectionate and let everyone including 30+ kids love on him like he has been theirs forever. He is maturing into a great dog.
[image8_left]
UPDATE: WE HAVE COMMITTED HIM TO A FAMILY WHO WILL PICK HIM UP SHORTLY ATLAS is a handsome black and tan male GSD. He has been neutered and received all shots and a chip. He was given up by a family who didn't train him and expected him to be their perfect pet. When he became mouthy AND THEN WAS INVOLVED WITH A FEW MINOR BITES they put him at a shelter.
He was adopted through our rescue in 2015 and has been in a home doing really well for about a year. He was again involved in a minor bite case where he was defending the home and not being aggressive. We have found that he does not like crowds of new people in the home and that may have resulted in him defending a position. The family who got him now is being forced to relinquish him because of insurance reasons.
Let me explain more about Atlas now that we have him.
ATLAS IS A GOOD DOG. MAKE NO MISTAKE HIS ISSUES ARE STILL THERE AND SHOULD NEVER BE DISCOUNTED BUT HERE ARE THE CURRENT FACTS.
Atlas was unneutered, untrained and out of control when he had his initial incidents. He is now fixed, has lived calmly with a family for a year and although he did have a few bits none were serious and all were explainable. He has been involved with 5 separate 'so called bite' incidents and now 1 year later a 6th. No one ever got stitches and no one was attacked, these were superficial situations but they did happen and we always disclose everything we know about a dog. The incidents happened when strangers were in the home and unsupervised IN ALL CASES. As a young unneutered male dog we believe he was simply selecting who entered the home, according to him, and not to the owners who failed to become his alpha. Now that he was fixed, that bite happened to a new room mate in the home and NEVER with the owners.
The original incidents were, according to the then owners, who were brutally honest and forthcoming with us, minor. One was him grabbing a boys shirt, another few were him mouthing the arm of a person who extracted their arm from his mouth and were cut by his sharp teeth. None were provoked and ALL HAPPENED IN THE HOME WHILE HE WAS UNATTENDED WITH STRANGERS. We therefore recommend crating when unsupervised and 'home alone and that if new people wish to care for him or live with him that they be properly introduced to him before allowing them unsupervised access to him.
I continue to spend time with him and he is as good a gold. Our kennel manager things he is by far one of the best we have ever had stay with us. WHAT A GREAT DOG. HE IS JUST SUPER WITH PEOPLE, DOG AND DISRACTIONS!!!
Atlas felt that he always had to make the decisions on who entered and who stayed. This is not at all unusual for a young dog who has had no authority, no training (ever) and no discipline from anyone he felt was his alpha. He simply made all the decisions himself. These incidents happened from the time he was first relinquished to a new home at 2 years old to 2 years 8 months old. He is now 3.5 years old.
Atlas was evaluated by 3 separate trainers and behaviorists before originally coming to me yesterday 7/5/15. He was the perfect gentleman with me from the get go. He was NOT mouthy, he was not disobedient nor was he challenging ME OR ANYONE ELSE in any way. He was seen by Diane and 3 of our trainers all of whom agreed that we need to give this boy a chance.
Now that he was returned he was evaluated by Rusty Graham who has expressed that he is a good dog and with the right owner a great pet.
What Atlas needs is an alpha person in a home with no small kids and lots of training. He was cat friendly and dog friendly as the prior owners had smaller dogs and cats. WE SUGGEST NO OTHER PETS AND NO SMALL KIDS. Our idea owner would be a couple who had the time and knowledge to train a young GSD and a family with experience handling a young dog. He is easily taught, not at all jumpy or wild and he simply seeks guidance. He will immediately come to you and give his nose of acknowledgment to you as a sign of acceptance.
Dogs with no training are not bad dogs just untrained. THEY CRAVE GUIDANCE AND AN ALPHA IN THE HOME. He has been evaluated by 3 qualified trainers outside of our rescue and each felt he is just fine and now a 4th in Rusty.. Mouthiness can be corrected easily and of course anyone taking him would have to attend out school where they will learn to correct all of a dogs bad behaviors. Otherwise Atlas is a sharp looking smart dog.
He came out of a family with kids and therefore so long as the kids are teenagers, we see no real reason why that wouldn't work out well so LONG AS THE DOG GETS THE TRAINING HE NEEDS and each member of the household participates in his training and socialization. He is housebroken and non destructive, loving and responsive to praise and to leadership. He is about 4 years old and very handsome.
Because he was involved previously in what was consider by the family as a bite, you will have to sign a waver of understanding that certifies you understand his past and accept him as is. You will be signing a waiver of liability to us at the rescue as well. This is mandated by our rules and does not reflect on this dogs quality nor future. He is great dog that needs a great home.
UPDATE AFTER 1 Year WITH HIM the owner wrote:
This is a great dog. he is responsive and has shown zero signs of issues. It has become obvious to us that the families that had him were just wrong for dogs and he didn't respect them or their home. I totally love this dog and I strongly feel he would be a great pet for the right handler.
update MAY 2016: We has Atlas at the AEL Yappy hour where he met 100+ people and 100+ dogs. He did fabulous. he was affectionate and let everyone including 30+ kids love on him like he has been theirs forever. He is maturing into a great dog.
[image8_left]