Before writing Sam's update, I interviewed other family members to see what they have to say about Sam.

ORHD aged 8: My favorite t​hing about Sam: he is sometimes funny when he steals pillows off of the couch and snuggles with them. If Sam had a human job it would be a boxer; no, the guy who shoots t-shirts out of the big gun at games and makes everyone cheer. Sam was very stinky when he came here but he smells better now. I hope his new owner likes to give dogs baths. He liked his bath.

HLHD aged 8: My favorite thing about Sam: he brings back the ball when I throw it. Also, he ran into the wall his first night here. He thought a shadow was a door. He put his head in my lap and made sad sounds and let me pat him. If Sam had a human job, he would says hello to everyone at [LARGE DISCOUNT STORE] and marker people's receipts. He would act like the job is fun. Sam can be annoying because he never wants to just do nothing, but he is very nice and silly. I hope his new owner buys a lot of tennis balls.

MSD aged 6: My favorite thing about Sam: he looks funny when I put underpants on his head and stick his ears out of them. He really, for real, likes hugs. Not like some dogs that you can hug, but they want to get away. If Sam had a human job it would be a clown or a hugger who hugs people that need hugs. I hope Sam's new owner hugs him and never forgets to feed him.

Foster dad: My favorite thing about Sam is that he does not have a mean bone in his body. He is starting to listen to his name, "No, Sam." If Sam had a job it would be the guy who really wants to tell you about his religion at the Metro. I hope Sam's new owner is expecting an eight-year-old dog to have as much energy as our 4-year-old one does.

Slinky (resident dog-neutered-male) aged 4: My favorite thing about Sam is that he is available for adoption. If Sam had a human job it would be: proctologist. I hope Sam's new owner feeds Sam enough. Even though he is annoying, he just wants to be friends, and no dog deserves to be starved - like Sam was.

Update from foster mom: Sam is enjoying life with a family, although he is really struggling to be calm and relax. He spends a lot of time pacing and seeking attention. He is not destroying anything, although he really likes an old couch pillow, which we are letting him keep. He carries it around but hasn't torn it up or taken anything else that he should not have.

Sam is very eager to please and responds to a sharp, no. He has had zero training and is starting to understand that he needs to "sit" to be served dinner. Sam is housebroken and he is fine when left alone at home in a crate - handled an 8 hour day without issue. He is dramatic and vocal when crated while his people are home because he wants to be with them. Sam has accepted that he is not permitted to be in the humans' beds or on the couch. He is having a harder time realizing that the resident dog doesn't like him "like that." That issue should improve after Sam is neutered. On a positive note, he accepts rejection well.

Sam walks nicely on a leash. He has met a males and females of all ages and sizes and done well with a variety of personalities. He would likely do well with a bossy female or any dog that wouldn't meet his exuberance with aggression. Sam has shown no interest in chasing rabbits or squirrels, when they are around, so it seems likely that he would be okay with a cat.

Sam is an all around friendly guy, who will 100% do well with training, consistency, and that all important trip to the vet.

Meet AWESOME Sam!  Guess what---I know sit, stay, paw, down and I come when called!  Some friends took me out for the day and they discovered I know all of these commands and more!  I know how to speak on command and if you ask me to smile I will give you one bark—its’ not really a smile because I don’t show my pretty teeth but it is so cute J  Someone loved me so much that they spent a lot of time training me.

My friend took me to a horse show and I was out and about with horses, people and other dogs. I was even polite to those little dogs that don’t really look like dogs to me J   I was amazing and she was so impressed with me.  She took a photo of me hanging out with a horse. I am good with cats too!   Neither one of my new friends can take their dogs out in public—LOL!  I rode great in the car with my friend and I was so good on a leash at the horse show.  Most dogs can’t do what I did that day.

I am over the top impressive with the STAY command---I stayed with tons of distractions in my friend’s back yard.  There were people walking down the street with dogs, joggers, lawn mowers buzzing around but I STAYED until I was released.  Next they did a series of recalls with me just to make sure that I would come when called.  I came every single time they called me---they tried to trick me and one hid on the side of house so I could not see her but I came when she called.  Every single time I came to them the girls made me do a sit and then a down.  They wanted to make sure that I was SUPER SMART and I am!!!!!        The girls gave me treats for my impressive behavior and they discovered that I take treats gently.  My  mouth is super gentle and my new friend was so impressed---sometimes she calls her dog Jaws because he takes treats so hard which is so impolite.  Then the girls pulled out the dog puzzles and I started to excel playing the Brick game by Nina Ottosson and then came the Bob-a-Lot which I got in a New York minute!

I am good with kids too!  What’s not to like about me---come meet me!  Everyone is special but I am super special because I am trained, housebroken, can go out in public, like people, cats and kids and I am very handsome and loveable!

Update:Harley has been with us about a month and she progressing forward in leaps and bounds . She has done great meeting dogs big and small. Harley is an extremely active high energy girl that will do well with an active family and another active dog. She loves to chase a tennis ball and play rope tug with her fur foster brother. She is learning the do’s and don’ts of a home as she is quick to snatch shoes and put her paws on the counter as this girl has lots of puppy left in her!!  This girl loves to play all day long and if not allowed to burn that energy and use her mind she could easily get herself into trouble as she is very intelligent! She is crated trained and we are working on house breaking. She was well behaved and sat patiently while she got her nails clipped. She rides excellent in the car!

Harley is a very slow intro girl and requires weeks of patience from her human before she is ready to trust you. It took her a month to trust us enough to seek affection. Harely is still a flight risk and we have to make sure we are careful as to where she is when doors are opened as she could easily slip out. Harley will have to remain leashed in a fenced yard for several weeks until she is bonded with her new family. Harley will require patience, stability, training, and lots of love. Are you the perfect family for Harley?

Update:  Our volunteers working at the kennel report that Star walks well on the leash with few corrections, enjoys being brushed, knows sit and down reliably especially with proper treats and isn’t overly interested in the other dogs.  She met a family of four with two young children and did well around them.  She is a beautiful girl and will make someone a fine companion.

Cyrus is progressing nicely! With regards to his behavior, he is learning what is expected and what is not permitted. He's a fun, charismatic, exuberant pup. We have been socializing him with Sherman (another MAGSR dog) and they get along quite well, reason being that Sherman is a calm, confident, socialized dog. This would be an ideal time for Cyrus to get into a foster home or adoptive home and to start obedience training as he is showing the wilingness to focus on commands and tasks.

Just recently, Cyrus’ manners have improved a lot and he is really showing signs of maturing. He is now being worked with another socialized, well balanced dog and behaving himself very nicely. He is also taking treats much better and his focus is continuing to improve. In addition to this, he was just recently introduced to several people he did not know including children and we are very proud of the way he conducted himself.

He is an awesome dog. He is happy to be with his people and a playful goofy puppy. He loves marrow bones with peanut butter and playing with toys in general. He also loves to give HUGS!  He does better in a vari-kennel as opposed to a wire crate. He has not had any accidents in the house.  We are working through his crate anxiety. We play music for him, have used lavender in the room to soothe him and calming treats bought at Pet Value and we have not had issues with him breaking out of our crate. He absolutely loves car rides and meeting new people! He does have some bad habits such as counter surfing but he easily corrects. He does still need strong guidance as he does tend to want to push him limits as he is a young male full of life!!

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.   

We have learned more about Jixer and his past.  He was surrendered to the shelter after a family member convinced his family that they were not properly caring for him.  He had lived his life on a chain in a circle of dirt.  He has never lived in a home and has had no training.  Jixer has a lot of energy that will need to be channeled and work with.  He will need to learn house manners and of course good obedience training.

Jixer is no couch potato and will require an active family who can keep his energy level in check with both physical and mental exercise.