5/27/23. Ruby is a young, spayed female, approx. 50 lbs.  At less than 1 yr old, she is a fully grown dog with the brain of a puppy. 

Ruby has a striking appearance, with a sable coat, a black mask, and a splotch of red behind her ears.  She is up to date on shots and on preventives, but unfortunately came up positive for worms and is being treated.  This is not uncommon in dogs coming from crowded rural shelters.

Little is known of her background, but based on her behavior, I would guess she was purchased as a puppy and surrendered to a shelter when she grew up and the owners couldn’t manage her.  She is extremely shy and very fearful, easily startled by loud noises and sudden moves, all indications that her previous humans didn’t always treat her kindly. 

She spent the first couple of weeks hiding either in her crate or under the backyard steps.  She is now a bit more outgoing, but anyone who adopts her should be very patient and gentle with her until she develops a little trust.

Ruby has a lot of energy, is food motivated, and tends to be very destructive if left unsupervised.  She is a skilled counter surfer and very adept at striking when you’re distracted. 

She currently lives with a mature male GSD and puppy Athena 6289.  She gets along with the male, plays with Athena, and is starting to act like a member of the pack.  She has also done reasonably well at adoption events with other GSDs, but she can be reactive to dogs during walks.  

Ruby is not completely potty trained but getting there. She is crate trained.  She walks ok on a leash, but tends to pull and get distracted, which is normal considering his age and lack of training.  She is also good on car rides. 

I have taken her to an elementary school to see how she does with children, and she did ok.  However, given her age, energy level, mouthiness, and lack of manners, I would not let her be in the presence of small children unsupervised.

Ruby’s reaction to cats is unknown and I have no way to test her.

Overall, Ruby is a work in progress.  She would probably benefit from the presence of a more mature and even-tempered dog in the household, but I would not make that an absolute requirement. 

Her ideal adopter should be active, have prior experience with dogs (preferably GSDs), be very gentle especially in the first few weeks, and be very patient with her.  He/she would also need to be willing to take her to a basic obedience class as a minimum.

Ruby is being fostered in Arlington 22204 .   If you are an approved adopter and think you can give Ruby a good home, contact arivederci@aol.com