Adopted MAGSR Dogs

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. , Tayson has been in a home for the first time in her life for a week now. She is very well behaved in her sturdy, heavy duty crate (she didn’t like the wire crates at all, and easily escaped from them). She is calm and steady in the crate, and has had no accidents in it. Crate training is the first step towards housebreaking, and Tayson seems to be crate-trained at this point. After a week, she is comfortable around her foster mom, but still nervous and fearful when others are around. She gets along well with the resident older female GSD, and seems to take comfort from having another dog nearby. Tayson is walking well on a leash, although she will pull when fearful and trying to move away from something she doesn’t understand or isn’t familiar with; most of the time, however, she is happy to walk along side her foster mom on a loose metal leash. She prefers to eat inside of her crate, especially when no one is watching. She’s had so many new experiences in her first week in a home, and has handled all of them so well and with grace. She is a kind sweet dog who wants to be with people, but is still fearful of too much stimulus and contact at one time. As Tayson gains in confidence and comfort, we are certain that she will continue to make progress, learning to trust and bond with her humans. Stay tuned for future updates of Tayson’s journey to becoming a wonderful future family member. If she sounds like a fit for your family, ask to meet her. , After a skittish first few weeks, Tayson’s progress learning how to be a dog in a house is accelerating. She is out of her crate and interacting with her foster parents for long stretches of time now. She is becoming the playful spirit we always knew existed, but was hidden for far too long by her previous unfortunate circumstances. Tayson would learn from and do best in a home with a confident dog to help show her the way forward. Tayson walks well on her leash (except for the exciting moments when deer go running away), and is now curious and interested in everything on the farm. We are starting to take trips off the farm to increase her exposure to new sights, which is both interesting and stressful for her, but necessary. She continues to be accident-free inside the house, and is very good about relieving herself outside on her walks. She is one of the sweetest fosters I have ever had, very quiet, and just incredibly great to have around. If you would like to watch this girl emerge from her shell into being a wonderful family dog, please ask to meet Tayson. She is truly ready to start bonding with you in her forever home. , Sweet Tayson, Pacin’ Tayson, Brown-eyed Tayson, Little Miss Tayson, Sweet Pea, or Tasey, as she has affectionately come to be known by her foster parents, where she has been staying for several months now – her foster parents are happy to report that Tayson now knows how to wag her tail! While still sometimes quiet and nervous, Tayson has decided that her favorite place to be is not always in her crate anymore. She enjoys curiously exploring the first floor of the house and absolutely adores being outside in the backyard on her long lead! She is still content to sleep in her crate and greets her foster mom in the morning with a wagging tail and now knows what the word “outside” means! Tayson will happily spend hours outside if she can, rolling in the grass and dirt (no prissy manners here!) and absolutely loves to play chase with her foster brother. She will sneak up behind him and nip at his tail if he’s not paying enough attention to her. While we’re getting better at recall, she still sometimes will give you a look that says “please, just 5 more minutes!” before she will come to go back inside the house, but we try to give her plenty of praise and pets when she does. Tayson has spent a full workday in her sturdy crate with no problem but is also a great companion for anyone who is home during most of the day as well. While working from home during quarantine, her foster mom reported Tayson would spend most of her day on a dog bed next to her and a spot where she could look out the window. Speaking of, a comfy dog bed is an absolute must for this sweet girl. After everything she has been through, Tayson has decided she likes comfortable things such as couches and dog beds to lie on whenever she can! Tayson is still nervous around strangers and is more comfortable around women at the moment - she will pace back and forth around people she does not know and noises that she is not expecting, although she does fine with passing cars, the tv and things like the microwave and refrigerator. She will still go to her crate when she needs to find a “safe space” to hang out and doesn’t make much noise except for an occasional soft cry when she thinks there’s something going on that she’s missing out on. Tayson has only barked about twice since being in her foster home and both times were while she was playing outside. Tayson is not too interested in stuffed toys but does enjoy chewing on a nylabone in the privacy of her crate, or playing with a rope toy outside and will gently take treats from her foster mom’s hand, but again preferably when she’s in her crate. Tayson takes some time to warm up and decide to trust after her rough start to life, but she is a very sweet girl and respectful guest. Tayson has the most adorable smiles and personality quirks! She will do great with someone in a quiet household who has time and patience to get to know and bond with this special girl, and definitely another canine friend for her to play with. If Tayson sounds like she may be a fit for your home, please ask to meet her.

When Buzz entered into his foster home, it was very apparent that prior to his arrival at MAGSR he had not experienced the life, luxuries, or kindness that he clearly deserves. His body told the story of limited food, health care, and experience within a loving household. Although having clearly survived some challenging circumstances, Buzz walked into his foster home with a happy-go-lucky attitude. He has an overall enthusiasm and curiosity for what life has to offer. With so much to learn and so many new experiences to partake in, Buzz has been very busy over the last few months.  He started with the basics, crate training and housebreaking, which he has mastered at this time. He loves to be outside and knows that this is where his "business" needs to be handled. Then, it was onto pack introductions with the resident senior dogs. Buzz loves the company of other dogs but needed to learn that senior dogs are not always as playful as younger pups. Having learned what is and is not tolerated by the resident dogs, Buzz seems to have found a good balance within his foster pack and does well with a few reminders from his fur siblings from time to time. More recently, Buzz has started a regular regiment of daily training. He is highly food motivated and seems to be excelling with sit, down, wait, watch, and come. As he masters these commands, he will be ready to learn additional commands particularly, if food is involved. In his free time, Buzz has been learning that tough toys and bones are great to play with, that a daily run and a long walk or two helps him burn energy, and that head rubs really are the best type of affection.  Buzz is an amazing pup and will be a great match for an experienced household. Although he is not aggressive with children, he does not realize that his size and energy can be too much for little people. He would be better suited for a home without children; this will allow him to further develop into a good canine citizen without the distraction of little people. If Buzz sounds like a good match for your household, ask to meet him today.  , Hello!  I’m Buzz and I’ve been told that you want to hear about my latest adventures. I love exploring new places and learning new things. Attending training classes with my foster mom has been great. This week, the trainer gave me compliments for being patient and calm around other dogs and people and a positive role model in class. That made my foster mom proud. We’ve been practicing every day. I’ve been told that I am excellent with environmental distractions. I’m a teenage pup with occasional mischief and testing, but I’m well on the way to becoming a canine gentleman. I’m a fan of car rides, especially when they take me to fun new places, and I insist on going everywhere with my humans. Hardware stores are cool, farmers markets are easy, meeting people on our walks is fun, parks for hiking are the best. Pet stores? Well, I don’t know how they expect any shepherd to stay calm around all the exciting food, treats and toys. I like food – A LOT!  Food puzzles and food-filled chew toys make my day. Frozen food treats are amazing on a hot afternoon. Meal time is the biggest event of every day and I am learning a bit more focus with each dish. Sometimes, I like to test what delicious things may be around me. They say that it’s good to stop and smell the flowers. My preference is to stop and eat the flowers, but I am learning that that’s not a good way to earn praise. The neighbor’s horse is my new friend and I enjoy meeting all the neighbors. A few of them are my buddies now and I give them kisses. Being the center of attention is great, but I think I miss having other dogs to play with. My foster mom started calling me Love Buzz because I like to snuggle and I don’t leave her side. I’ve been trying to convince her that there is absolutely no issue with an 80 lb. lap dog. She’s not convinced yet, but I will keep trying. While I wait for my fur-ever home, I will continue to soak in my adventures and have a good time. Let MAGSR know if you would like to meet me.

Teak has been doing great in his foster home. He has been attending local group obedience classes as well, which has helped him build his confidence. He no longer trembles with tail tucked when seeing our volunteers each weekend that he’s used to, but instead, approaches and gives some of them sniffs and kisses. Although with those he does not know as well, he is still very unsure and looks to his handler for security. Teak will need a strong handler with prior breed experience who will provide much needed structure and training to help him continue building confidence and learn the right way forward. Teak loves his female GSD fur-sibling in his foster home and will be well matched with a family that has a confident dog that he can learn from and follow. Teak has been a little bit of a wild thing off leash in the house when tested in a controlled situation and wants to move from couch to couch and hit a counter or two along the way, and can also be reactive and protective when confronted with the unfamiliar when he is on his own in his crate, etc..  Teak needs boundaries and structure, and not a lot of freedom, at least until he learns the rules of how to behave in the home. Teak is definitely warming up and loves butt scratches from his handler. If Teak sounds like he may be a fit for your family, ask to meet him.