Trixie
Trixie is a very cute, small GSD mix with a shiny all black coat, a long constantly wagging tail, and a mischievous glint in her eyes. She is approximately 10 months old. She came to us as an unclaimed stray from the Sacramento City Shelter, so her background is unknown.
Although she is on the smaller size, what Trixie lacks in stature, she more than makes up for in drive and sheer athleticism. When it comes to chasing balls, or playing doggie tag, she has no problem running with the resident big dogs in her foster home. She has a surprising ability to jump for a smaller Dog, so this girl will need to be homed in a yard with full fencing on all sides. Because of her natural play drive, she would be a great candidate to compete in agility, flyball, obedience trials, or a similar physically and mentally challenging sport. It's too early to say if she will ever be a water Dog, but she does show a keen interest when the resident Dogs in her foster pack jump in the pool.
Trixie came to us without much in the way of training, but is already starting to pick up some of the basics such as sit, stay and leave it/take it. Every indication so far from the brief training work we've done with her is that she is of above average intelligence. She will respond to treats for training rewards, but is far more praise motivated. Trixie has earned her name because she is a) painfully cute, and b) a consummate trickster. Her favorite practical joke is to move the patio furniture around when nobody is looking, including pulling over metal chairs twice her size, and making off like a bandit with the seat cushions. This type of behavior only occurs when she is left alone, and is quite common with Dogs her age. Trixie is clearly still teething, as she appears to have developed a taste for wiring and cables of all sorts, among other objects. This has led to a series of unfortunate incidents involving the oral pulverizing of objects such as TV cables, a computer mouse, and most recently the solenoid wires from all the sprinkler valves in our back yard. Suffice it to say that with appropriate substitution therapy using Nylabones and tug toys to replace whatever inappropriate object she is attracted to has broken her of most of this behavior. Given this tendency, she will need to go to a home where she can be supervised most of the time until she grows completely out of the habit.
When relaxing with her foster pack in the evenings, Trixie is equally happy to lie on the floor at your feet or on a Dog bed. Then at bedtime, she will happily retire to her crate. Despite her vaulting ability, she is very good about not jumping up on people, and greets strangers appropriately. She walks well on a leash, and can occasionally be reactive to other Dogs she meets, but corrects very quickly. Trixie has chased the resident cats on a couple of occasions, but might be able to live in a home with a dog savvy cat. She would need to be tested for compatibility with any potential resident cats to be sure. Trixie does run around and get excited with her foster pack mates when they go on alert and start barking, but she very seldom barks on her own. So if you're looking for a good watch dog, just be aware that she will need to be taught to properly alarm bark.
Trixie could be happy being an only Dog, but would also do well with another Dog in her new home such as an older male. Because of her high intelligence, she will thrive with a family that will include her in daily outings and activities as well as continue to work on her training, and possibly get her involved in some kind of sporting work, or activity. This sweet little girl has a lot of love and energy to give, and will bring a lot of love and joy to the right forever home.
This is a Level 2 Dog
Added July 2013
