Verbena - Bena German Shepherd Dog Mix Newberg, OR

Verbena (Bena for short) is an approx. 5 year old, 50lb, spayed white shepherd mix. We adopted her 2 yrs ago from a local shelter where she was brought from Mexico. She gets along well with our other dog.

Bena is a sweet, gentle, loving dog; everyone who meets her adores her! Her expressive ears and a happy bounce make us smile. She will make you laugh watching her play with toys like a cat! Bena enjoys attention and having her belly rubbed and is a good snuggler!

A relaxed dog when people are home, she is easy to have around. She has even gone to our office on occasion and provided comfort to troubled therapy clients. We don't have children, but Bena has been well behaved and lovable around our friends' children. She is not very food-motivated but can be convinced with cheese or meat.

Bena is housebroken and does communicate if she needs to go outside. She is a smart, submissive girl and tolerates baths, nail trimmings, and fur and teeth brushing well. She also seems happy when her humans make her look silly in dress up clothes.

Bena walks well on a leash, stops for lots of sniffs, but does have occasional minor reactions to cats and bicycles. However, she is easily redirected. Bena loves being outside and spends a lot of time in our yard just exploring or hanging out. She has been learning an obstacle course and likes to earn treats. She does well on hikes, camping, and other outings. She greets new people very politely and is not a jumper nor does she get overly excited. She knows many commands (sit, down, shake, walk with me, jump up, etc). She is also up to date on her vaccines and shots and is spayed.

Despite her many attributes, Bena suffers from separation anxiety, and we have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that we are no longer able to meet her needs in our home. She seemed fine being at home for about a year after we adopted her, but since Nov 2022, she gets anxious and whines/paces when a human member of her pack is not home. In the past, she has chewed our door handles and door molding when left alone (even with our other dog). For 7 months now, we have worked with a trainer, and tried medication, but have not been able to make significant improvements with her. We did try crate training her but she was more anxious when we did. She has no known health problems beyond her anxiety.

We also have an appt. with a Vet Behaviorist on Sept 19th and are happy to keep that appt so the next family can have the benefit of that pricey evaluation and recommendations.


Aside from her anxiety, Bena is a sweet, lovable girl. We wished we could find a way to keep her, but we both work outside the home and have exhausted other options. We are hopeful she can find a forever family who can meet her needs and appreciate all the love she gives in return!