I can see why this gorgeous black German Shepherd is named Dahlia, as she is stunning; although let’s hope this girl’s life does not end in the same tragic way as her namesake! Dahlia is a 3-year-old who – along with 305-plus other animals – were confiscated/surrendered to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. TAPS agreed to take in several of these beautiful dogs. Given that she came from such a situation, it is believed that she has never lived in a house and this became very apparent when she visited my home. In her kennel, it is not surprising to know that she is skittish, shies away from people, and is unsure of herself. Yet, when you take her for a walk, she walks extremely close to your side and often stops to lean herself into your body because she starves for human attention. Knowing her background, it surprised me at how well she traveled in the car because was extremely calm and even fell asleep on the way back to the shelter.
At my house, it should not be shocking to know that she tried to counter surf, but quickly listened to my correction. Although, as stated before, she is skittish and startles easily, so the correction should not be loud. She had never seen a television and was curious of the strange sounds and pictures that it projected, yet quickly learned how to go up and down stairs. Dahlia will need an adjustment period to get acclimated to a home because every little thing is new to her (televisions, the sounds of cooking, ceiling fans, etc.), but overall, I believe this sweet girl will adjust well in a home environment if she is given proper time to adapt. It should further be noted that Dahlia needs to learn bladder control as she will pee a little, then 20 minutes later pee a little more – she has never had to learn to “hold it” so there is no question that potty training will be needed for her, but she is a shepherd and shepherds are smart and learn quickly.
After a few hours at my house, she began to search for a human to get attached to and became much calmer at my house than at the shelter. Because of her background, there are a few “must haves” with potential adopters: 1) you must possess dog experience with veterinary records in your name, 2) a fenced in yard, and 3) no children under the age of 12 – so if you meet this criteria, I believe this amazing girl will becoming your lifelong companion.
Please consider Dahlia and fill out an application at www.tapsshelter.org/adoption-form. To view all our animals available for adoption, visit our website at:
www.tapsshelter.org
