Wilder(Needs a friend!) German Shepherd Dog & Boxer Mix Chicago, IL

Wilder is a sensitive, sweet, and soulful pooch who needs a loving forever home. Pal's Place rescued Wilder from an overburdened animal control facility in rural Kentucky. He is estimated to be between about 2 years of age and weighs 55 pounds. A recent DNA test revealed that he is 50% German Shepherd, 13% Boxer, 15% Boston Terrier, 13% Australian Shepherd and 9% Beagle. A true super mutt! Wilder has some of the most expressive and intense eyes we have ever seen, and it seems this guy has already seen a lot in his young life. Wilder landed at animal control when he was an older pup (maybe 7-10 months old) and spent a couple of months in the confines of a kennel. Black dogs are often overlooked, and with him being so timid and scared, his chances of being adopted or tagged for rescue dwindled. We here at Pal's Place have a soft spot for underdogs, and as soon as a foster spot opened, we brought him into our program. Several months ago, he came to Pal's Place, a very shut-down, scared dog. After spending much of his formative puppy months in a kennel, he didn't know how to be a dog. He was extremely timid and nervous around new people, and while always being ok in the presence of other dogs in his foster home, he spent much of his time alone, observing but not interacting much. Fast forward to today, and Wilder has blossomed under the care of a loving, patient, and understanding foster home. He now loves to play with people, and other dogs, has discovered the comforts of the couch, loves toys, and is becoming more confident daily. He loves trips to Prairie Wolf dog park, long walks, and cuddling on the couch at the end of the day with his favorite humans and canines. Like his namesake, the actor and comedian Gene Wilder, Wilder has a goofy and silly side and seems to enjoy making his humans laugh. He's come such a long way, and we are thrilled to see him so happy and look forward to seeing this boy blossom even more in a forever home. While Wilder has made tremendous strides, it seems he was handled roughly or possibly abused at some point. Quick movements and loud voices still startle him and sometimes cause him to run, hide, urinate, and tremble in fear, even from people he's very comfortable with. These episodes are becoming less frequent, and he's recovering much quicker (usually only a minute or two, then he's back to normal). We are hopeful that, in time, his past treatment will no longer haunt him as much, and we hope to find adopters that are understanding, supportive, and patient with him as he continues to work through his past trauma. Wilder is well-behaved in the home and housebroken when kept on a regular schedule. After living in a cage for many months, he understandably dislikes being confined at all, so crates are a no-go for him. It's generally not an issue for him, though, as he has been trustworthy when alone with free run of the home for 3-5 hours at a time and has not been destructive. If he's alone for more than 5-6 hours, he will occasionally get into a little mischief, but this is usually curbed if he's given some good exercise and playtime before being left alone. While his 50% German Shepherd DNA is not that obvious in appearance, it is in behavior. Wilder's foster home is very experienced with the German Shepherd breed and reports a lot of his temperament as 100% Shepherd and exhibits many herding breed characteristics. He can be mouthy and vocal when feeling excited or playful, especially with other dogs. Wilder is best suited for confident and dog-savvy guardians, experienced and understanding of herding breeds. Very young children might be a little too overwhelming for him, however older, respectful children should be fine. We also feel he needs to be in a home with at least one other dog in the home to keep him company and help with his continued confidence-building and rehabilitation. He is being fostered with multiple other dogs and gets along well with everyone but really loves to play rough and tumble. He'd love at least one canine companion with a similar play style. Wilder is incredibly intelligent, clever, and attentive like most herding breeds. He loves to learn and would be a great dog for agility, obedience, tracking, or other dog sports with some training. If you are interested in meeting our wonderful Wilder, please reach out today! His adoption fee to the rescue is $375. He is currently being fostered in Chicago and can be visited by appointment after an adoption application has been submitted and approved by the rescue. For more information or for an application, please email palsplace1@hotmail.com or visit http://palsplacerescue.org/adopt/

• Wilder's adoption fee to the rescue is $375. He is neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date with age-appropriate vaccines. Wilder can be visited by appointment once an adoption application is submitted and approved by the rescue. To complete an adoption application online, visit http://palsplacerescue.org/adopt/ or email Palsplace1@hotmail.com for an application or more information. We cannot place holds on our dogs for any reason. Please do not apply unless you are ready to welcome a new member into the home within three days of applying.

• Pal's Place adoption fees start at $475 for puppies and $375 for dogs aged six months or older. This fee helps to cover medical expenses needed to prepare dogs for adoption (vaccines, microchips, spay/neuter surgeries, etc.), feeding, transportation, and general care for the dogs. Pal's Place is 100% reliant on donations to care for our rescued dogs.

• Please email Palsplace1@hotmail.com or visit our website, www.palsplacerescue.org, for an adoption application. Pal's Place is a volunteer-run organization. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. Please also check your spam/junk folder when awaiting an answer; sometimes, replies and applications end up in there!

• All our dogs are in foster homes and can be seen BY APPOINTMENT ONLY after an approved application is received. For more info, please email palsplace1@hotmail.com. Email is the preferred contact method and is the quickest way to receive a response. We cannot place holds on our dogs. Please do not contact us until you are prepared to adopt.