Ada is a sweet and very friendly dog and we are thrilled with her progress so far.  Now that she has been settling into a foster home, we are learning a lot more about her.  Walking Ada is enjoyable - she does not pull on the leash and self-corrects easily.  She is a superb jogger - matches the runner's pace and really enjoys being outside.  Ada has met several neighbors and is considered a charming star in the neighborhood.  Bikes, cars, trucks, and loud noises scare her a bit.  She has been enjoying living in the country and gets more confident every day.  Hikes in the woods are her favorite.  We have started training basic commands and she is getting fairly consistent with "come" especially when the person has a treat.  Ada is highly food motivated and appreciates positive praise.  She has no problems with getting any part of her body touched and is affectionate.  There is no observed food aggression - she eats readily out of a person's hand and has no issues with having her bowl touched; she takes treats gently.  Toys are an entirely new concept to her but toys that can be stuffed with food become quick favorites.  Crating Ada is easy; it seems to be her calm and safe space and she is visibly relaxed and quiet in her crate and gated area.  From there, she observes the activity in the house and learns.  Clear signs are given when she wants to go outside and we are well along the way for her to be housebroken.  Living inside is entirely new to Ada, and transition to a home environment requires small, incremental steps and patience.  The house is a bit overwhelming to her, and while she gets more comfortable every day, we are taking it slowly.  She handles being tethered in a room extremely well, but is anxious if given too much space. The road to freedom inside a house will understandably take time.  The resident dog has played a significant role in Ada's positive transition to the home environment and contributes continuously to her calmness on outdoor walks and when encountering new environmental stressors.  Ada will benefit greatly if her adopter has a calm and well behaved dog that she can watch and follow.  If interested in Ada, please ask to meet her.

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.

Amika has had a lot of "firsts" since her foster family brought her home less than 48 hours ago: first hardwood floors, first stairs, first refrigerator noise, first crate, first HVAC noises, and first time meeting cats (presumably!). For being so new to this whole house thing, she is surprisingly unfearful and has taken her new life changes in stride! She gets along perfectly with her foster cat siblings, largely ignoring them or giving a little sniff. She is doing great on her daily walks and is already walking in a nice heel position with very minor corrections, and has passed people and bikes with no reactivity issues aside from minor nervousness. She is most comfortable outside and does not yet know what to do with herself in the house, but she is happy to lie down and snooze in her crate to get used to the activity.  She has been sleeping through the night silently in her crate, and is now learning how to be left alone in the crate for longer and longer periods of time.  She is food motivated so that makes training easier, and she is already getting pretty good at "sit" after one day! Her foster family are looking forward to seeing her develop as she gets more comfortable!

Hi my name is Liesel and I wanted to share a little bit about myself. The 1st year of my life, which is supposed to be filled with love, attention, and quality care was instead spent in a filthy pen with little to no food or clean water fending for myself to stay alive.  I bear psychological and physical scars of this 1st impressionable year of my life.  I am easily startled by sudden movements, loud sounds, and people. Currently, I feel safest in my crate or in small enclosed areas like the bathroom, hallway or backseat of the car.  Regardless of where I am, you will never hear a peep out of me.  I am curious about these humans who refer to themselves as my foster parents.  I am most accepting of their presence when they feed me and stroke me gently to let me know it is going to be ok. I have quite the appetite because I was not fed regularly so I’m more than willing to accept food.   My newly found favorite treats are pepperoni, turkey jerky from Aldi, and freeze dried beef liver.

I've never been an indoor dog and am used to relieving myself in my pen, but my foster parents told me I am doing so well with potty-training and are proud I've only had one accident inside.  When outside I walk well on the leash with my foster parents until something unexpectedly spooks me and in my mind, it is fight or flight, at which time I will go to the end of the leash pulling to get away from whatever scared me. Sometimes I hear things going on outside or from the other apartments around me and will get up to investigate causing me to start pacing.  However, once the threat is gone I retreat to my safe place.  My foster parents told me they think I would do best in an environment that is not city-like, where there is less activity and no people coming and going from the complex. Without these distractions I tend to keep to myself and relax where I feel most comfortable.

I am learning the ropes from these two other dogs in the home.  I watch them receive love and attention as they seem so happy to be around the humans, as of now I'm still a little unsure.  For now, I quietly retreat to my safe place where I get fed and have a warm, dry place to sleep.  I sleep through the night in my crate without incident and enjoy the company of the other two dogs as dogs are all I have ever been around.   I like the red thing filled with peanut butter that they call a “Kong.”  I will not chew your valuables or anything I am not supposed to.

I am trying so hard to learn how to just be a dog and not worry that someone or something is going to hurt me.  I am going to take time and patience to learn to trust my surroundings.  The only thing I want is to love and be loved and find a family to call my own.

Now that Katrin is living in our home, we have learned quite a lot about her in a short period of time. She never had much in the way of handling or any training but we're very happy to report that she appears to be very inquisitive and social with people! With that said, she is still very much a puppy! She loves to play with other dogs and will antagonize, jump on and engage in rough house with other dogs if permitted. We are experienced and have well socialized shepherds and they know we have the situation under control. However, she could get herself in trouble if her handler/family is not monitoring the situation closely with other dogs. Just like a puppy, she loves to chew on things, some that are inappropriate such as dog beds, carpet, shoes, etc. This is all part of being a puppy but it will be up to her family to monitor and show her what is appropriate and safe to chew on and what is not. Puppies don't know that they may be chewing on a poisonous plant or an electrical cord. They need us to guide them and keep them safe from themselves.
She's learned about things in daily life such as how to climb a flight of stairs and quickly overcame her concern for them. She is interested in the full length mirror and is fascinated about the adorable white puppy staring back at her. She's got a great appetite! Through positive reinforcement, she is learning normal commands such as sit and come. Not perfect but definitely showing signs of progress. She's not loving her crate and will carry on until she gives up fussing. Then she will lay down for a while. This will take time and repetition but it's all about giving her structure and expectations. She has been so good in our home and we are thankful to have her with us so that we can learn all about her. She will need to be in a home with another dog looking for an innocent playmate as she seeks the company of another dog and their humans. However, her humans will need to be aware of the patience and responsibility that not only comes with a puppy but also one who will need to be kept on leash for quite a while until a strong bond and recall is established.

From Bentley's temp-fosters while his full-time fosters took a well deserved vacation.  Upon him entering the house we were somewhat taken back as Bentley is much bigger in person than what he looks like in the pictures, we've always had medium size dogs - I would say Bentley is on the large size (not overweight). Within an hour of being dropped off, Bentley was calm and very friendly and was laying down with us wanting nothing more to be petted. He took to his crate with ease and displayed no issues with spending the night in it as well as 4 - 6 hours each day. He showed no food aggression with the resident GSD and the two got along well despite the resident GSD being extremely jealous of Bentley. Bentley knows basic commands like sit, shake and down but could use some work with heel. While leash walking, Bentley appears to want to stick by his human's side. Expect a hero's welcome when you return home as he will circle, kiss, and nuzzle you - he is a big baby who wants nothing more than your love and attention. Bentley is an exceptional dog and we will miss him terribly when he leaves. If Bentley sounds like a good fit for your home, ask to meet him - you won't be disappointed.

Dear MAGSR, this is Bentley 

Hi to my MAGSR family. This is your big friend Bentley. Things have been going well in my foster home even though they didn't take me to Disney with them. I love all of the little humans in my home ages 7/9/9. They give me belly rubs and sneak me treats from the table. I love to lean on people and try to sit in their laps. I wasn't well socialized with dogs before but I'm doing that here too. I really love the 60 lb male here. He doesn't love me as much as I love him, so we're working on boundaries. The female GSD here is a little crazy and she's not my favorite but I'm pretty good with her too.  My big news is that my surgery to stabilize my wrist is done. I have a long recovery in front of me. My leg hurts very much right now, even with my pain meds. But I'm not complaining as long as I have company. The humans here are sleeping in the same room as me because I cannot walk up any stairs yet and I try my hardest to cuddle up to them. I'm looking forward to Spring and my beautiful shaved off fur growing back. Please find me my own family who thinks I'm beautiful even though so much of my fur is gone. My foster mom says I'm a very good boy and made of 80% love and 20% fur tumbleweeds. I'd like my forever home soon. 

Bentley

Dieter is a very scared boy who seems to be the victim of physical abuse on top of the extreme neglect so he is VERY fearful of people. He was caked with his own feces and in terrible physical condition on intake.  Quick movements or unexpected touching of him in any way make him jump and shake.  He's slow to walk and will frequently walk in front of you and block forward motion with his body. Through all this, he is a sweet dog, showing no aggression towards humans. He takes treats very well and seems grateful for the kindness.  He likes to have his head or on his body rubbed, as long as you are careful around his ears due to a severe double ear infection.  Dieter is okay being brushed, so we continue removing the matted fur from him.  Dieter has shown no aggression toward any of the other dogs and seems to be more comfortable being around them than people.

Dieter is clearly feeling better after the extraction of 4 bad teeth, and continued treatment for the ear infections.  Dieter seems comfortable around other dogs but high energy pups still make him uneasy. He's also getting much more comfortable around people, moving toward some of the volunteers for the first time rather than just leaning on his handler.  He sat and laid down while out on the leash for the first time, so he's now more at ease in these surroundings.  We're seeing he has some training, doing a sit for one of the volunteers handling him.  This big boy still has a long way to go, but with love and training, he will reward that time tenfold with loyalty and companionship.  Could you find that love in your heart for Dieter? 

Kalani is settling into her new surroundings which is helping us get to know her better.  Energizer bunny comes to mind when describing her energy.  She is a busy girl, she enjoys her time in the play yard with all of the toys, but some tough toys are in order for this mega chewer.  She is still working on improving her leash manners, that will come with daily leash walks.  Kalani can be mouthy, not realizing her sharp teeth hurt.  If you are looking for a running partner, live an active lifestyle and have the energy and time, ask to meet Kalani

Kalani is settling in to her foster home. In so many ways, Kalani is just a puppy with normal puppy behaviors - curious, uncertain, brave, funny, sweet and anxious. She's a chewer and loves to chew so it's important to keep her busy on chewing only those things which she is allowed to have. She is crate trained and learning sit and is food-motivated making her easier to train for simple commands. Kalani has a high prey drive and when combined with her playful puppy mouthiness, she can become a little worked up. Kalani has the great potential to be a wonderful dog. She is a sweet young girl looking for a forever home to provide consistency, structure and training with a handler who has prior experience with the breed so she can reach her full potential and correct some of her puppy habits which are inappropriate for a dog of her age. If Kalani sounds like she could be a fit for you, please ask to meet her. 

Young Kalani has greatly benefited from her 6 weeks of professional training at K-9 Koncepts. Originally found as a stray, she didn’t know much about interacting properly with the world when she came to us. 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, since she is much more focused on her handler and less concerned with random activity nearby.  She is still the same happy, lovable, sweet girl she was before, just much easier to handle and more enjoyable to be around. Kalani has learned sit, heel, down, stay, and come to various degrees (all of course will need to be reinforced by continued proper training and handling), and is ready to move on to a forever home. If you would like to meet Kalani, she is ready to meet you and your family! Please ask to meet Kalani today!   

Melina is settling into her foster home. She has has no accidents in her crate and takes care of business as soon as she goes outside.  Her foster mom feels it is safe to say that Melinda is crate trained and housebroken. Melina cowers and tries to bolt when getting out of her crate and is considered a high flight risk so extra precautions must be taken with her. Melina walks well on a leash but hits the ground if startled by a noise or sudden moves. She cries some when left alone. Melina is looking for a quiet home where she'll have someone who will treat her with the respect and love she deserves. If Melina sounds like a good fit for your home, and you have the patience to take your time with her to allow her to trust you, then ask to meet her.

Lilly is setting into her foster home nicely.  She loves her doggy beds.  She lays in her doggy bed when she's not around her human, and at night when her humans go to bed - she lays in her doggy bed all night.  When her humans move, she pops up and comes over to say Hi and follows around the house.  Lilly loves to go outside for walks and is very easy to walk. She's very food motivated and loves when she gets treats. Lilly likes dogs of her own size and is somewhat shy around new people but will warm up with treats.  When she first came to her foster home, she did not want to get in vehicles, and whined, but by the third day, she jumped in the car and was excited to go for a ride. Lilly is looking for a fur-ever home.

Ada is a sweet and very friendly dog and we are thrilled with her progress so far.  Now that she has been settling into a foster home, we are learning a lot more about her.  Walking Ada is enjoyable - she does not pull on the leash and self-corrects easily.  She is a superb jogger - matches the runner's pace and really enjoys being outside.  Ada has met several neighbors and is considered a charming star in the neighborhood.  Bikes, cars, trucks, and loud noises scare her a bit.  She has been enjoying living in the country and gets more confident every day.  Hikes in the woods are her favorite.  We have started training basic commands and she is getting fairly consistent with "come" especially when the person has a treat.  Ada is highly food motivated and appreciates positive praise.  She has no problems with getting any part of her body touched and is affectionate.  There is no observed food aggression - she eats readily out of a person's hand and has no issues with having her bowl touched; she takes treats gently.  Toys are an entirely new concept to her but toys that can be stuffed with food become quick favorites.  Crating Ada is easy; it seems to be her calm and safe space and she is visibly relaxed and quiet in her crate and gated area.  From there, she observes the activity in the house and learns.  Clear signs are given when she wants to go outside and we are well along the way for her to be housebroken.  Living inside is entirely new to Ada, and transition to a home environment requires small, incremental steps and patience.  The house is a bit overwhelming to her, and while she gets more comfortable every day, we are taking it slowly.  She handles being tethered in a room extremely well, but is anxious if given too much space. The road to freedom inside a house will understandably take time.  The resident dog has played a significant role in Ada's positive transition to the home environment and contributes continuously to her calmness on outdoor walks and when encountering new environmental stressors.  Ada will benefit greatly if her adopter has a calm and well behaved dog that she can watch and follow.  If interested in Ada, please ask to meet her.

Blue is settling into his foster home even though it's only been a few days. He's walking better on a leash and really wants to play with or at least be near the resident GSD, who is still trying to figure out who his new house guest is. Blue likes to chew on his chew toys and is crating really well with no accidents in the house or the crate. Blue seems to know basic commands, but can sometimes be stubborn, but he's young and training should help with that. If Blue sounds like he'd fit well into your family, ask to meet him.

Blue continues to progress with his training. He's great in the crate and is still accident free in the house. Blue takes the "tough chew" label on toys as a personal challenge and wins every time! He loves his Nylabones and antlers. Blue is still leary of new people, but we're working on it. We'll continue with training and go to more public places to get him comfortable with new experiences. 

Trooper is one resilient and incredibly special guy. He was welcomed into the MAGSR family, as so many are, with very little information about where he came from or what he had been through. Although Trooper took a little time to adjust to a life of comfort, regular food, and stability, he seems to have discovered that things are improving every day. Trooper has already come a long way in the short time he has been with MAGSR​. He has begun to learn basic commands such as sit, down, stay, and wait. His heel is coming along and only requires a few reminders that leaning in is better done when hanging out and not when walking on leash. As training is a requirement for all dogs, Trooper will be top of the class. 

A perfect companion in the car, Trooper either lays down or quietly watches from his seat. He is good about getting into and out of the car. Having recently moved into a foster home, Trooper is now learning the ins and out of living in a home. Although cautious at first, Trooper seems to be taking this new set of changes in stride. He is learning about the joys of having his own bones, a comfortable place to sleep, and how to navigate slippery wood floors. Trooper is also developing an understanding of crate training and housebreaking. This is important as he will need to be on crate rest during his heart worm treatment. If Trooper sounds like a good match for your household, please inquire about him today.