Shadow's Story
In October of 07 my son and I adopted a second German
Shepherd. I have found with many dogs, specifically the working/ herding breeds,
if they don’t have a job they go self employed. My female Shepherd has a job;
she is a Certified Therapy Animal. My son and I had been looking for an animal
that he could train and participate in volunteer work with as well. I found
Shadow (then named Braxton) on Petfinder.com. A gal in the Salt Lake area was fostering him for the Humane
Society. Thank you Julie for your kind heart, gracious spirit and fostering the
newest member of our family. We were told Shadow was approximately six months
old and rescued from his former master, as he had been severely neglected. He
was, however, recovering and did not show any short comings because of his
neglect. We made a trip to see Shadow and, of course, I was instantly taken with
him. I made my son wait a week just to make sure this is what he really wanted
to do- it was!
Shadow fit right into the family but it took me a while to decide what this animal was all about. He has such a dark, serious face, he has to herd everything on two or more legs and he puts his mouth on everything too! He is constantly underfoot and armpit, I can not get in to a cupboard or drawer with out him checking it out. None of these are complaints mind you, I really take pleasure in an inquisitive dog, but this guy takes the cake and first prize! It took me a little bit but I finally figured it out… he is happy! He enjoys everything his humans do and some of the things we don’t, like getting into the Tupperware drawer. Does not matter what shadow is doing, it’s his favorite thing. “Chewing on a toy at your feet- it’s my favorite thing, sneaking on your bed in the middle of the night- it’s my favorite thing, checking out the Tupperware drawer, chasing flies like a cat, and slurping your tooth brush when you are not looking or sitting so I can be petted- it’s my favorite thing.”
He has gained a tremendous amount of weight and the muscle he lost as a result of his neglect. He has also gained a couple of inches and his body has filled out to be the majestic adult male dog he is. He has never shown any signs of his neglect either physical or psychological. He did not understand treats and was a little spooked by loud noises (AKA the vacuum) but he has long since gotten over that. Most specifically the food part! He now thinks the vacuum is a game of chase. He has immense potential to become a great therapy animal. Shadow is happy, healthy and we just love him!
Shadow is the dog on your right
-Jen Jordan and the Animal Family, Utah County
