9/23/14  

Hi, my name is Rufus.  Yes, it rhymes with . . . oh never mind.  I am a really great dog, if I do say so myself.  I am big and tall and lanky, and my foster mom tells me all the time how handsome I am.  That makes me blush.  I know some basic commands like sit, down, and stay.  Okay, maybe "stay" is not my strong suit because I LOVE people and want to be near them all the time.  In fact, I am all about my people.  Are you going to run errands?  Great, I'll come along.  Going outside to the back yard?  Me too!  Dog park?  Hooray!  To the restroom?  I'll give you two minutes of privacy.  I just want to be near you all the time.  I love having my head rubbed.  I got a bath the other day and I was okay with it.  I really liked being brushed!  I have been having a lot of fun in my foster home going to all kinds of events, and generally I behave myself well in public.  Okay, I did try to steal all those toys at Pet Smart but it's only because I have so much fun with things that squeak.  They are the best.  The only thing that would make me happier is actually to catch a squirrel.  I am living with another large GSD right now.  He's okay and we get along but we don't interact or play all that much.  I guess I was used to being an only child.  I also am living with a couple of cats.  I am very interested in them and I really like to chase them.  I wonder if they're tasty?  

Rufus's foster mom here. Rufus was an owner surrender to the rescue.  He is UTD on all his shots and is heartworm negative.  We have all medical records for him.  He was vetted regularly and generally well taken care of, and it shows!  With a little training, Rufus will be the complete package:  Smart, handsome, sweet, goofy.  He is a total people dog, knows basic commands, is very confident, friendly to everyone he meets, does well with other dogs (though he can be a little rude in his introductions), and flops over frequently for belly rubs.  This big lug has been with me for less than a week and has settled in amazingly well.  Because he is so much about people, I think he will transition easily to any new situation.  What he lacks in manners currently he makes up for in charm.  Rufus definitely needs training and a strong leader who can set and maintain consistent boundaries.  He does counter surf a bit and is always underfoot in the kitchen.  We are working on leash manners (currently not wonderful) and have seen improvement just over the last week.  While Rufus is living with cats right now, I do not think he should be in a household that has cats, as he does have a fairly strong prey drive.  I also would hesitate to bring him into a home with very small children (toddlers) because of his size.  I do not think he ever would be aggressive with children, but I would worry about him knocking them over and/or stepping on them.  He just doesn't realize how big he is.  Other than that, I just can’t say enough nice things about this dog.  He is going to make someone or some family very happy.