Adopted MAGSR Dogs

Jaeger’s foster reports that Jaeger is an awesome dog and is settling in well. Jaeger is crate trained and will go into his crate during the day just to sleep, and he also spends his nights there – his crate is his safe place. Jaeger is also housebroken, and he is so smart that he will alert his human when he needs to go outside. Jaeger is a very smart boy and he learns quickly – he has found the toy container and empties it looking for just the right toy, which is typically some sort of ball. Now, if we could just teach him to put all his toys back when he is done? Jaeger is learning meal time habits in his foster home – he’s learning to sit and wait while food is presented. Jaeger is an enthusiastic eater and likely needs a food bowl with a rubber bottom, as he loves to move the bowl around the entire kitchen while he eats up every bit of his food. Jaeger loves his snuggle time with his humans and he loves having his ears rubbed, but also enjoys his alone time. Jaeger is such a gentleman, he doesn't hoover at the table while you eat, he doesn't try to race you up or down stairs, he just wants a home full of love. If Jaeger sounds like he would be a good fit for your family, complete and adoption application and ask to meet him.

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. , Leona has classic white GSD beauty, intelligence, spunk, loyalty, confidence and athleticism. Leona’s foster parents, and their friends and neighbors, have been big fans of this charming young lady since the day she came to her foster home. Given her traumatizing background, it is remarkable that Leona quickly bonds with her person and has a strong desire for human companionship. Leona has come a long way. Leona is social and friendly. On Halloween, Leona calmly greeted over 60 children and was sweet, even when the wolfman wanted to pet her. When visiting a Christmas village, she encountered many noisy children who wanted to approach her and she was just lovely. Leona receives an A+ for gentle behavior. Leona is good with dogs - she has been super friendly with all dogs she has encountered – big, happy, tail wags. If partnered with another dog, Leona wants to be #1 - she is very committed to being #1 and the center of attention - she wants all of the human’s attention and has no problem telling her person and anyone else around who will listen all about it. In social settings, Leona has been great. She calmly navigates the busy Rehoboth boardwalk like a champ. She has proven to be a confident shopper and has enjoyed many trips to hardware stores, pet stores, outdoor holiday stores, and has no issues in a pet-friendly outdoor restaurant. She even likes the vet. She receives praise and compliments often and her foster parents are thrilled that they can take her anywhere with them. Leona is not one who lacks confidence. Leona loves the car - just open any car door and she will be jump right in. Of course, the front passenger seat is where she really wants to be, but she will settle for the back as long as she is not left behind. Leona is pretty great on a leash. She can show off a nice “heel” even when on a long line. Especially when in a familiar area, she is attentive to her person and matches her pace to a casual walk, hike, jog, run, or sprint along a bicycle – thrilled to be outside. Leona is highly intelligent, an astute observer, and a fast learner - basic commands (sit, down, come, stay, etc.) are practiced daily and she is eager to earn praise (and chicken, of course). When introduced to basic agility challenges, she demonstrated natural talent and joy in the training process. Training with Leona is fun. Leona is not perfect, but who is? Would she be fine in a fenced-in yard? Well, if you mean that fences and gates are basic agility obstacles, then Leona will gladly demonstrate how joyful and easy for her to get right over them. Leona’s adopter will need to be fully committed to keeping her safe as she is still a high flight risk. Is Leona crate trained? That’s complicated. Leona can school crate engineers with her product testing skills. A standard crate is a definite NO. Confined spaces are just not her thing. She also knows how to unclip herself (at her collar/leash junction) and standard closing mechanisms (i.e. metal carabiners) pose no challenge either. Leona has not figured out how to open a padlock yet, but she has given it serious effort. Only a few things scare Leona, but she is stronger than she looks and fast, and her person needs to stay attentive. Leona respects boundaries and rules, but as any teenage girl, she is of the mindset that rules ought to be properly tested (how else would she know that her person really means them?). Leona can be headstrong, and spunk and wit are part of her charm. Consistency with her is key. Is she cool being alone at home? That has been work-in-progress. This social butterfly really wants to be with her person and did not start as a fan of the 8-hour workday. Her foster parents have gradually increased her independent time and she has done well. Leona will be best matched with a confident person with prior GSD experience, as well as experience with adult rescues and training, who would have her as a true companion and part of their active life, and a person invested in keeping her intellectually and physically challenged. In return, she will be a charming and loyal partner, ready to roll with any adventure. She has had a tough background as one of the GA 38 cohort, but she shows such incredible potential and her confidence is wonderful. She will give good days and bad days on the journey, but with patience and support, she will dedicate her life to her adoptive family. If Leona sounds like a good fit for your family, please ask to meet her.

Dear people of the Mid-Atlantic area, this is MAGSR’s lovable house-wolf, Gunner. Okay, I am not a wolf, I just play one on TV. I am actually an ENORMOUS puppy. You should see my paws, humongous. I have been living the good life with my foster family. They have middle school aged kids and two other shepherds. I really like to play with my fellow dogs and I am not happy when they play right outside my crate and I cannot join in. I don’t mind being in the crate when other people are not around. I am in there all time right now, unless I am being walked, because I am not to be trusted yet. Or so they say. Like most Belgian Malinois, I am extremely smart and quite handsome. My foster sister cannot keep her paws off of me. I will require training from an experienced trainer and a household of people who are all capable of teaching me that I am not the boss. Otherwise, I will be happy to establish myself as the boss and that does not ever go well. (You should let me order as many pizzas as I want to, though). I like my resident children and will warm up to strangers after a careful introduction. I am driven to protect the ones that I love and I will require a lot of guidance to make good choices about how to conduct myself. That is why I can only be adopted by people with experience with dogs like me and I would not be a good fit for a family where one person is committed to training me and the other person wants a couch potato. Otherwise, when my leader is away I might be tempted to turn your couch into an origami potato. I very much like walks and I went for a hike near the Gun Powder River. I REALLY wanted to jump in and swim. I love balls and I caught a bird in my mouth while it was flying by. I dropped it when I was told to; but my foster mom said that it didn’t do the bird any favors. I would definitely like to live with a family that has other dogs and birds. But maybe your birds would not like me. I am housebroken and walk nicely on a leash when someone is consistent in requiring that I do so. My biggest challenge is that nobody ever taught me not to use my mouth as a tool on people. When my foster family tries to put a leash on me, I try to grab their hands and help. I do this too when they are adjusting my collar. They don’t like this at all but I think it is a fun game. It is important for me to be crated while collars and leashes are being put on me that way if I get too excited and start with my malligator routine the door gets shut and I have to settle down. Then they try again. I have not been snappy about food or toys in my foster home and don’t seem concerned about sharing a water bowl. But that is never a promise that I wouldn’t act differently elsewhere. If you are looking for a stunningly handsome puppy who is going to be quite large and even more handsome when I grow into my ears, then you should ask to meet me. Taking me to an experienced trainer is extremely important as are setting limits and following them 100% of the time. I am a very smart boy and if you show me a loophole in your rules, I will jump through it. But if you are consistent and positive in training me, we could live our best lives together. Seriously, I’m not kidding about the pizza. , Gunner is doing great in his new foster home! Gunner is now attending weekly training classes to learn obedience and how to be a good canine friend. Gunner is a high drive GSD/Mal mix that needs consistent management by a very experienced handler. Gunner would do best being placed in a home with humans who have had prior Belgian Mal or high drive working GSD experience. Gunner has a lot of energy and needs a handler who will work with him every day to burn his energy. Gunner has great focus and ball drive – he’s extremely attentive to his handler. He’s even climbed a tree in his foster home. Gunner is so smart that he knows how to use his paws to grab someone’s ankles and stop them. Gunner has excellent working potential and would be well suited for a working position or a home situation that has the structure of a dog in a working position. If you have the necessary experience and can offer the perfect environment for what Gunner needs, please ask to meet him.

Theo is a large boy who will definitely need training in his future.  He knows sit, down, touch and can heel, however, he usually only follows the commands when he absolutely has to.  He's a boisterous boy, who will run and jump up on you to say "Hi!", we're working on letting him know that isn't the way to greet new friends!  He does love his squeaky ball and frisbee and will chase them for hours, when not following you around the yard.  Theo needs a family to spend time burning some of his energy, and training will help with it too.  Theo is a sweet boy who is very affectionate, leaning on his human for love and attention, and takes treats gently.  Theo rides well in the car, is crate trained, housebroken and is good with other dogs and cats.  Do you think your family has room in your home for Theo?  Ask to meet him, you won't be disappointed!