Bo is great dog, and he's doing nicely in foster.  His weight is up to 84lbs from 69lbs a month ago, and he loves to run and is building muscle - he is really looking good.  He has been going to training for a few weeks and is doing very well the class, both with his basic commands and in terms of his confidence and socialization.  He does fine in his crate (although he will start to make a racket sometimes if he feels he's missing out on something!), is house broken, and has acclimated well, and is happy and comfortable with his two older GSD foster siblings.  Bo still has a lot to learn, but overall he's a very sweet and responsive dog, that is progressing well and will make a great addition to the right lucky home, that is ready to provide the care and love that Bo so richly deserves.

Handsome a sweet Bo was returned to MAGSR thru no fault of his own after his family decided they no longer wanted him. Bo’s prior family never truly committed to him and he spent most of his time in a crate. Bo is an active and friendly boy who needs exercise and continued training, as do most German Shepherds. Bo is ready for a forever family who will truly commit to him, spend time with him and not lock him in a crate and not give him up when he becomes an inconvenience. If interested in meeting this handsome boy, ask to meet Bo today!

The GA 38 arrived in MAGSR’s care in early/mid January 2019 and over the past two months, their transformation has been nothing short of amazing. These 38 broken souls knew nothing but a life of filth, hunger, and abuse. Their eyes were filled with the look of fear, emptiness and uncertainty. They cowered in the corners of their runs and tried to be as far away from humans as possible and MAGSR volunteers knew they had quite a challenge ahead to right the wrongs of their past prior to arriving in MAGSR's care. MAGSR volunteers stepped up & took on the challenge head on. And now, two months later, through the endless work of dedicated volunteers that have selflessly given their time, patience and love, these beautiful creatures have begun to meet us with tail wags, lean-ins as we walk with them, and most importantly, where once there was emptiness and fear in their eyes, it’s clear those memories have been replaced with hope and even a bit of curiosity. Their wounds have healed, their bellies are full and they have learned that all humans aren’t so bad. They are greeting us at the front of their kennel runs now eager for treats and walks. All of them have learned to walk on a leash and we are beginning some basic obedience with them such as "sit", "heel" and “watch me.” They are now used to being handled regularly for normal things such as baths, getting their weights taken, and taking their monthly preventatives. Best of all, volunteers are seeing their unique personalities and social side come out with other dogs. Just a few months ago, they were all fighting for the same food and water and ability to stay alive but today, many have completely let down their guard and are comfortable enough to engage in play and/or positively interact with other dogs. All  of these dogs have shown us how intelligent and resilient they are and have made significant strides in their road of rehabilitation. They are ready for the next chapter of their journey and we hope you may be part of  their story.

Sylvan, or Syl as her foster parents call her, has been living in her foster home for a little over a week and has made amazing progress. She was initially uncertain in the house (because she has never been in one before), but she is getting used to the noises and going up and down our many stairs. She has been eating well, been calm in the crate all day and night, and is amazing on her walks. She heels nicely, does not pull at all, and is not reactive to dogs or people in the park. Her current project is learning how to sit on command. She has also had no accidents in the house and holds it during an entire work day and makes it through the whole night, waiting until she goes on her walks. She has also been incredible with the resident cats in the foster home, being very calm and showing no signs of aggression or even interest. What an amazing dog to have come out of that terrible hoarding situation! She will just need a little time, love and training and we are confident she will make someone an awesome pup! Ask to meet Sylvan today!

The GA 38 arrived in MAGSR’s care in early/mid January 2019 and over the past two months, their transformation has been nothing short of amazing. These 38 broken souls knew nothing but a life of filth, hunger, and abuse. Their eyes were filled with the look of fear, emptiness and uncertainty. They cowered in the corners of their runs and tried to be as far away from humans as possible and MAGSR volunteers knew they had quite a challenge ahead to right the wrongs of their past prior to arriving in MAGSR's care. MAGSR volunteers stepped up & took on the challenge head on. And now, two months later, through the endless work of dedicated volunteers that have selflessly given their time, patience and love, these beautiful creatures have begun to meet us with tail wags, lean-ins as we walk with them, and most importantly, where once there was emptiness and fear in their eyes, it’s clear those memories have been replaced with hope and even a bit of curiosity. Their wounds have healed, their bellies are full and they have learned that all humans aren’t so bad. They are greeting us at the front of their kennel runs now eager for treats and walks. All of them have learned to walk on a leash and we are beginning some basic obedience with them such as "sit", "heel" and “watch me.” They are now used to being handled regularly for normal things such as baths, getting their weights taken, and taking their monthly preventatives. Best of all, volunteers are seeing their unique personalities and social side come out with other dogs. Just a few months ago, they were all fighting for the same food and water and ability to stay alive but today, many have completely let down their guard and are comfortable enough to engage in play and/or positively interact with other dogs. All  of these dogs have shown us how intelligent and resilient they are and have made significant strides in their road of rehabilitation. They are ready for the next chapter of their journey and we hope you may be part of  their story.

Nadja is adjusting to life in a foster home. Normal household sounds make her a little nervous, but she improves each day. She has not had any accidents in the house and holds it during an entire work day as well as through the night. She is most relaxed enjoying sunshine in the backyard with her foster mom. To gain confidence, Nadja goes on frequent walks around the neighborhood. Sirens, loud engines, bike riders, and children playing cause her a bit of anxiety. While outside, she will allow “strangers” to gradually approach and scratch her ears. She is learning to enjoy the attention of caring humans and will offer a kiss and tail wag in exchange for a belly rub. With patience, and a little time, love and training and Nadja will be a great family member.

Ariel is doing very well in her foster home. Her foster parents are discovering that she is a very timid but loving young pup. At home, she's a loving, cuddly, sweet girl, but is timid when meeting new people. Ariel is learning from the resident dogs in the foster home, as many dogs do. When away from other dogs, Ariel becomes very anxious and fearful – therefore, we feel she would do best in a home with another dog, similar in size, to help teach her as well as help to calm her anxious and timid behavior. As Ariel was kept in a shelter for 8 months before coming to MAGSR, she is underweight and has some muscle deterioration which her fosters are working with her to get both back to normal. Ariel has learned her name and some commands such as “no” and “sit”. She is mouthy and sometimes demands attention by running into her humans, so her fosters are working with her on those behaviors. Ariel is a very energetic girl and loves to run and play chase with her foster siblings as long as they are allowed. She will need an active home, with a strong leader, who is willing to provide her with the appropriate training and leadership required for the breed. Are you willing to tame the wild child to see the beauty she can be? If so, ask to meet Ariel today.

Some dogs simply have a special something about them. Oliver is one of those dogs. Coming into MAGSR as a stray, Oliver clearly hadn't experienced the type of life he so clearly deserves. He lacked socialization and the proper care all dogs need. Since his arrival this impressive boy has made incredible strides in a short amount of time. In his foster home Oliver has had the opportunity to become both housebroken and crate trained. He has discovered the joy of toys and will even entertain himself. Having entered into a large pack, Oliver has adjusted fantastically to the male and female foster fur siblings with which he currently lives. His easy-going and somewhat submissive personality have helped him easily adjust to pack life in the home. 

Oliver's fosters are working with him daily to develop his leash manners as well as gain experience with the outside world. They are impressed with how quickly he is learning about and adjusting to the world around him. Although Oliver continues to need some time when warming up to new people, his sweet and playful personality slowly shines through. We are sure that Oliver will thrive in a patient household that will provide him with the guidance and training all dogs need in order to become good canine citizens. If Oliver sounds like a great addition to your family, please inquire about him today. 

Oliver was returned to MAGSR because he was protective of his human and home and his family would not put him away when guests were over. Oliver also was out unsupervised, jumped the fence and had gotten loose numerous times and had many unsupervised field trips around the city, sometimes not returning for hours. Oliver was not managed properly and he is lucky to still be alive. Oliver needs someone who will work with him to keep him contained and manage him by putting him away in a secure room and/or crate when people come to the home. If your willing to give Oliver a try, please ask to meet him.

Oliver has had his world turned upside down the last couple of weeks. Oliver is a big softie and loves belly and butt rubs. Since his return to MAGSR, Oliver has been friendly with everyone he's met. He can be stubborn too when given commands, but our volunteers are working with him on this. Oliver needs someone who will commit to him, keep him contained and work with him. Could that someone be you?

Oliver has settled in nicely with his foster family and established a quick bond, especially with his foster mom.  Oliver’s calm and charming personality make him a great company.  No potty training needed; he lets you know when, and handles his foster parent’s 8-9 hour workday without a hitch.  Oliver is fully house-trained and house-friendly – he remains calm in the house, does not bother any home items, and is trained to not get on any furniture. He is not a chewer and is not even interested in chew toys.  He is sharing the house with a 12 year old Irish Wolfhound mix who has admittedly been a grumpy, jealous, and competitive pest to Oliver, but Oliver has been calm and cool throughout. They get better every day, and the humans enjoy seeing them snoozing side-by-side by the fireplace. 

Oliver is a terrific walker. Well behaved, willing to stay at heel/left. He pays zero attention to the other neighborhood dogs with underground fences, even when they charge towards him. When walking through a familiar neighborhood, he has excellent leash manners. When hiking in a park or through the woods, the new sites and smells are far too exciting and some leash corrections are needed as he much prefers to roam and explore.  He is an enthusiastic runner but is perfectly happy with just a walk too. Oliver is also great in a vehicle and long trips are not an issue, but he needs some work to get in, which should improve with practice, time, patience and commitment.

This sweet pup is a keen observer and a quick learner.  He knows “sit”, “down”, “wait” (letting his human go through doors first), and his foster parents are working with him to be more consistent with “come.”  He responds very well to calm approaches and positive praise; less so to assertive commands, as he is stubborn. He is eager to make his foster mom happy and pays attention to what will earn him praise. It should be noted that Oliver is an impressively skilled escape artist, which can be managed with additional security measures (not relying on a simple door latch or crate closure; locks over any basic latches). While he does not get into anything in the house, he is motivated to get out of enclosures. The foster family persists with crate training as all of MAGSR’s fosters do, but Oliver much prefers the extra space in the mud room. He also seems perfectly fine with the run of the whole house. He prefers learning and working over playing. The foster family has found much humor in Oliver’s attempts to outsmart them. The chess match with Oliver is a great deal of fun. If Oliver sounds like a good fit for your future, please ask to meet him!

Oliver cannot seem to catch a break.  He has been returned as his adopters have decided he will not make it as a service dog.  The adopters were told upfront that he most likely would not be suitable as a service dog, but they assured us they would keep him no matter what.  Well, they failed Oliver and he is now back with us looking for a forever family.   

Young Sheeba has greatly benefited from her 13 weeks of professional training at Stateline Canine. Originally, she found herself at a shelter and didn’t know much about interacting properly with the world when she came to MAGSR. But after professional training, she is much more able to enjoyably interact with people and normal daily activities. She is much more observant of her handler now, and has learned basic commands. Her leash skills have also improved a great deal. She has completed on & off leash training and comes with private lessons for her future owners. Sheeba has an awesome temperament and will be a wonderful companion for an active person or family. She needs a home that will give her an outlet for her energy and will follow through with the training. She has a lot of energy and had zero focus and no ability to settle prior to training. She is very social with people and works very well once bonded with someone. Sheeba is ready to move on to a forever home. If you would like to meet Sheeba, she is ready to meet you and your family! Please ask to meet Sheeba today!

Raina is settling in to her foster home. She is fine walking outside if she can be sandwiched between her humans but will continue to build confidence and work on her leash walking skills to perfect those to walk in a perfect calm heel. At this time, Raina is scared of many dogs she sees - her foster suspects that she was not treated kindly by some of the other dogs and maybe over time, she’ll settle. Raina loves food and eats beautifully being hand fed. Raina is calming down and coming towards her fosters - she responds well to praise. Raina has been great in the house, calm in her crate, and is even beginning to be playful with her parents - she is just lovely. And, most importantly, out of a wide range of options, she has selected her favorite toy - deer antler. Please ask to meet Raina if she sounds like she could be a good fit for your home.
 

Raina is a sweetheart and we are thrilled with the progress she has made in a very short amount of time.  She is very smart and observant, and while she learns quickly, she can test new boundaries with equal wit and speed.  In many ways, she is a playful and curious puppy that makes us laugh every day and is wonderful company.  It is impressive how quickly she adjusted to living in a house!  House breaking was easy - she handles a full work day without a hitch (zero accidents). Raina is calm inside her crate and quiet throughout the night.  Raina has not displayed any food aggression and has no issues with her food bowls.  She continues to be quite treat-motivated and is very gentle about getting her reward. Raina is willing to accept any handling, and while not thrilled with her shower, she is cooperative.   She has been passing her open-environment tests with more and more free space in the house and she can spend many hours looking out the patio window without an event.  Her favorite toys are always nearby and when she is done playing/chewing, we often find her napping with her favorite toy as a pillow.  Deer antler is still the absolute favorite!  While she is not quite ready for supervision-free time, it is expected that she can get there soon.  Yummy food on the counter tempts her to try counter surfing and she has confused a couple fabrics for chew toys but responded immediately to gentle correction.  She is also learning to appropriately share toys, treats, and human attention and affection with the resident dog.  Now that she is experiencing the comforts and positive attention she never had before, who can blame her that she gets a bit jealous and sharing is not on top of her priority list.  Earning positive praise is key to success with Raina and she is a very astute student.  While this girl is lovely inside the house, we have been focusing on confidence building outside and are happy to report that she is no longer reacting to cars, trucks, bicycles, and is even learning to be fine with loud trains.  While she prefers calm walks and hikes in the country, she is learning to navigate busy streets too.  Raina continues to be apprehensive about many dogs but responds well to being redirected by a human she trusts.  Trust with people is earned.  As a smaller dog coming from a terrible situation, she has some skittish tendencies, but they ease daily and she has been friendly with every person she has met.  Her leash walking skills are excellent in a calm neighborhood or when hiking in the country, and she is learning not to pull on busy and distracting streets.  We have started on basic obedience training and Raina is getting more consistent with "come" every day.  Raina has been a gem and as her confidence builds she is growing into the spunky pup that she was always destined to be.   Every day, her personality comes out more and we enjoy exploring new things with her.  Ask to meet Raina today!

My foster mom tells me that I have some fans and I wanted to give this week’s Raina update. I have been having only the best kind of adventures. My walks are the highlight of my day and I’ve become so good at it that I can now be a great jogging partner. I’m told that when I trot, it looks like I am jogging on air. I walked 14 miles on the beach on Saturday and could have gone many more. When we finally reached Rehoboth Beach from the Delaware Seashore Park, it was loud with screaming children, some nice, some not nice dogs, and many distractions. I kept my focus and walked the boardwalk and town making my foster mom proud. I even went to lunch at an outdoor patio with lots of activity and other dogs and sat quietly the whole time. I think I aced the Rehoboth Beach test. I got to hang out on a longer cable lead to watch spring flower planting. I tried my best to help, but I eventually decided it best to just plant myself in the flower bed and observe the process up close.  I am not quite sure what to do with these command things that my foster mom tries, but I have learned to love my name and I now know that “come” means warm pets and an occasional treat bonus.  I definitely like "come."  I keep hearing this word “sit” but I prefer to do that on my own accord for now. I surprised even myself that I liked playing a little dress up with festive neck bows. Those also get me positive attention. I have heard that some dogs take time to learn their house manners, but my record is 100% perfect week after week and I have picked my favorite outdoor spots (right by the fence). My profile says "working on it" for housebreaking, but I think I have this one mastered so we're going to change that to a "yes" and have moved on to working on other things. I used to be so curious about what might be on the kitchen counters that my nose just kept finding itself up there. I don’t think it is my fault AT ALL that the foster dad left roast beef sitting on the edge of counter for so long, but I only got up to look, and did not touch. I wish my foster parents would reconsider their kitchen rules but I learned to respect them. The furniture also needed exploring, but I’ve been so good that all rooms are fully open to me and I can explore with more confidence. My crate is by the window, which I like, and it is my place to relax. I am not a fan of dragging a leash inside the house but my foster mom tells me it is for my protection. Given how great living inside is compared to where I came from, I guess it is a small compromise I can make. I am getting skilled at my road trips and quite used to the car. I have toured state parks, went to a great MAGSR event to see my old GA friends, toured the University of Delaware (inside and out), and mastered the beach. A couple of hours in the car is nothing for a tough girl like me! I am curious and like to explore.

The GA 38 arrived in MAGSR’s care in early/mid January 2019 and over the past two months, their transformation has been nothing short of amazing. These 38 broken souls knew nothing but a life of filth, hunger, and abuse. Their eyes were filled with the look of fear, emptiness and uncertainty. They cowered in the corners of their runs and tried to be as far away from humans as possible and MAGSR volunteers knew they had quite a challenge ahead to right the wrongs of their past prior to arriving in MAGSR's care. MAGSR volunteers stepped up & took on the challenge head on. And now, two months later, through the endless work of dedicated volunteers that have selflessly given their time, patience and love, these beautiful creatures have begun to meet us with tail wags, lean-ins as we walk with them, and most importantly, where once there was emptiness and fear in their eyes, it’s clear those memories have been replaced with hope and even a bit of curiosity. Their wounds have healed, their bellies are full and they have learned that all humans aren’t so bad. They are greeting us at the front of their kennel runs now eager for treats and walks. All of them have learned to walk on a leash and we are beginning some basic obedience with them such as "sit", "heel" and “watch me.” They are now used to being handled regularly for normal things such as baths, getting their weights taken, and taking their monthly preventatives. Best of all, volunteers are seeing their unique personalities and social side come out with other dogs. Just a few months ago, they were all fighting for the same food and water and ability to stay alive but today, many have completely let down their guard and are comfortable enough to engage in play and/or positively interact with other dogs. All  of these dogs have shown us how intelligent and resilient they are and have made significant strides in their road of rehabilitation. They are ready for the next chapter of their journey and we hope you may be part of  their story.

Tilly has been in her foster home for a little over a week, so we wanted to give an update on her progress. Tilly is absolutely gorgeous – that is obvious. However, for those who may be interested in her, here’s some not-so-obvious information to first and foremost consider her personality and her needs, and not her physical appearance. Tilly lacks socialization with humans. While she is shy and unsure of things that are new to her, she is doing fairly well in her foster home with an experienced adult household. She is also residing with socialized adult german shepherds, both male and female. Because dogs learn from other dogs, this can accelerate the learning or trusting process. However, Tilly does not seek companionship from her foster siblings or engage in play with them. This may change down the road but for now, she appears to be uninterested in them. However, Tilly is learning from them as she sees how the foster siblings interact with the humans in the home and vice-versa. Tilly is doing great residing and eating in her wire crate. She is also doing equally well with her housebreaking. Because Tilly is tethered to the humans in the home, and will be for some time yet to come, signals from her that she has to go potty are not seen. Her daily routine is kept very consistent which helps her understand how things work in a home. Tilly is starting to show occasional interest in toys but not a lot yet. Tilly’s recall is currently not there but she is doing very well on leash. In the yard, Tilly is also tethered to the humans of the home, which will also remain that way for some time yet to come as she is a high flight risk dog and will be a flight risk for the foreseeable future, which cannot be stressed enough. Tilly startles easy and as with many of the hoarding dogs, when they become scared or unsure, their instinct is to flee. Because Tilly is not yet bonded with her foster humans, precautions are required to keep her safe. Her adoptive family will need to be on their game and her safety and security MUST be the top priority. We have not yet seen Tilly interact with children, however because of her unsure nature, we would advise that this be taken slowly and with caution as children behave differently than adults. Tilly is not affectionate and at this time, does not wish to be a lap dog. Tilly’s learning a lot about home life; residing in a crate, how to use steps, being around people, getting baths, getting her teeth brushed, praise, correction, and common household items such as ringing telephones, bright TVs, moving ceiling fans, etc. Tilly is truly a diamond in the rough and needs time and consistency so that she can shine.