About Spud

PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS: Spud MUST have a tall physical privacy fence & limited time home alone & preferably with another dog as a playmate. He'll require a lot of exercise & a home where he will NOT be crated for long periods of time. Another dog to help with exercise will be helpful. Older children will be fine (aged 5 & older); unsure if good with cats. Spud is approx. 2 years old, which means he's still very much a GSP puppy in many ways. He's a gorgeous boy, weighs about 63 pounds & has a huge personality to match his larger frame. He has big paws, a larger head & beautiful amber/gold eyes that warm your heart when you meet his gaze. As a younger GSP, he'll require a lot of supervision & exercise. His fosters have discovered Spud does very well in a home with another dog of like-type energy (high-energy) to help with his exercise needs. Spud came to us from a man who realized that a GSP is a very high energy dog, especially young GSPs. Spud's previous owner was elderly & Spud's energy & exercise requirements proved to be too much for him. Spud has a fantastic personality & eagerly plays with other dogs, toys & his people. He's full of energy & wants to be in the mix of everything that's going on around him. He will be a perfect GSP for an active family, perhaps with another doggy playmate, a family that wants to include him in their outings as part of their family, i.e., hiking, swimming, camping, etc. He isn't a dog who will want to spend most of his day lounging around in the shade, or in a crate. On the contrary, the more excitement & play time this guy has, the better he likes it & the better pet he'll make for his new family. Exercise = happy dog = happy family! Currently, Spud knows some basic commands such as, 'sit, down, and come'; however, he'll benefit significantly from additional training to address his behaviors & obedience. We recommend Spud attend behavior/obedience classes with his new family to help ensure consistency in his training & this training will also help the bonding process between Spud & his new family. As we've mentioned, Spud is high-energy & a very, very strong, physical GSP. Because his previous (elderly) owner didn't have the energy to work with Spud & help him learn the ins & outs of being a well-trained pup, Spud spent most of his days as a 'free-wheeling', untrained (but not aggressive) puppy whose only purpose was to enjoy life & be the very playful young GSP that he is. It's also likely that Spud didn't get much time on leash for leash walks & this is a work in progress for him; he's tough to handle on a leash, especially since he's so strong, but with the proper training & patience, we believe he'll get better. Spud is prey-driven & very focused on squirrels & birds in the yard, gamely showing the GSP stalking & chasing traits so indicative of his breed. If he weren't such a clumsy pup, he might even be successful & catch one or two, but, he still needs to hone his skills & grow into his body and paws to have a successful 'hunt'. Spud wants to please his people & relishes being praised, petted & loved. He accepts being in a crate, but we advise he be homed with a family that won't have to leave him in a crate for extended periods of time because he does experience separation anxiety if left for long periods. He'll also counter surf if you leave goodies out & forget he's there. If caught in the act, a simple 'No' and he's back down away from his counter quarry; however, counter supervision is still a must for Spud. Spud has shown no aggression over food or toys with other dogs or people. He has a gentle, loving spirit, but because he's still a clumsy, energetic, puppy-like GSP, we advise that if he is to be homed with children, the children be at least 5 years of age or older. Spud could easily knock young children over & inadvertently hurt them. Spud gets along great with other dogs & LOVES people. He's very much a velcro GSP & will follow his people from place to place to make sure he knows where they are & maybe get a chance to be included in whatever they're doing. One of Spuds cute quirks is that he seems to 'bond' with blankets. He likes to drag a blanket around, find a napping spot & then snuggle up with his blanket for a quick nap. Spud is a relatively quiet GSP & rarely barks unless he's taken by surprise or scared. Once, he saw his reflection in a glass door & he barked at himself. In summary, Spud is the GSP for you, IF 1) you have the time & patience to love & nurture a high-energy puppy-like GSP, 2) you don't have very young children, 3) you may have another dog/s of like-type energy to help with Spud's exercise needs and 4) you want a loving, sweet, beautiful, velcro GSP who is looking for an active family to include him in their life for the long-term. If you think Spud is the perfect GSP to add to your family, please complete our online adoption application at www.ilshorthairrescue.com.

Lake County
Gurnee, Illinois 60031