Duke German Shepherd Dog Mix Columbus, OH

Duke- approximately 2 years old, 70 lb, black German Shepherd Mix, Male

Duke is an absolute gem, especially for couples or single individuals without kids. While he's generally great around children and usually keeps to himself, he requires a lot of attention! Duke thrives with someone who can invest time in his training and engage in active activities like jogging, biking, or hiking – he's got tons of potential waiting to be unleashed! His loyalty is remarkable, and pleasing his person is his top priority.

His “undistracted” obedience is already impressive; he follows commands diligently, including this neat trick where he immediately settles on a mat (think of it as a mobile "Place"). Now, you might wonder about the importance of "undistracted obedience." Well, Duke's foster mom has only been working with him for three weeks, and there's still a lot of training ahead. While he's mastered basic commands with hand signs/motions (working on incorporating verbal commands reliably), the next step is to gradually expose him to more distracting environments.

Training Duke is a breeze thanks to his strong food drive – regular kibble works fine, but as distractions increase, higher value treats become essential. He's genuinely eager to learn and thoroughly enjoys his training sessions. So, if you're looking for an outstanding doggo with heaps of potential, Duke might just be the perfect fit for your lifestyle!

? Things Duke has down:

Potty-training: he has never pottied in the house and can hold it!

Basic training [Sit, Down, Roll-over, Thru (the legs), Center (middle), Place, Kennel, Come, Stay, No]

Threshold Boundaries [Exits to the house and Kennel Door]

Loose-leash walking [sans dogs]

Heel command (au pied)

? Things Duke needs to work on:

Leash Reactivity - Duke gets very frustrated on leash when he cannot go and see another dog. He has learned not to pull, but he will whine and bark in frustration. If he is not on-leash (in a home or fenced area) he is very playful and nosey with other dogs, but not aggressive.

Crate training - Duke is fine in the crate as long as someone is in the house. If he just needs some rest time or he needs to be in there for family meal times, no problem. However, when he is kenneled when he is alone in the house, he spends a good amount of time attempting to break out of the kennel. We consider this a severe case of separation anxiety and this would need to be worked on.

Duke is a GREAT MATCH for someone who:

? Is a single person or couple with no kids

? Practices an active lifestyle

? Can establish structure for their dog

? Can give their dog a “Job”

Duke is NOT a good match for:

? First-time dog owners - He would be best cared for by someone who has successfully trained this breed or similar before.

? Busy family - Duke needs LOTS of quality time with his person

? Someone who isn’t willing to put in the training - Duke, due to his breed, can get anxious and destructive if he doesn’t have clear boundaries and expectations from his owner. He needs a job and a leader to teach it to him.