Jasper
German Shepherd Mix | male | 2 Years Old | 63 Lbs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Good with other dogs! ✔️ Crate trained! ✔️ Housebroken! ✔️ Good in car! ✔️ Good for beginner dog owner! ✔️ Loves to snuggle! ❌ Working on leash manners!
Jasper found his forever home on January 27, 2022!
Updates
Jasper spends his nights in his comfy crate before waking up around 6:30 AM when his foster parents get up for work. On the weekends he is content to sleep in later and is a great cuddle buddy at night on the couch! He eats and goes potty in the morning on leash in our yard before spending the day in his crate while his foster parents go to work. One day he got out of his crate (user error) and gladly enjoyed hanging around the house. Everything was in the exact same condition as when his foster parents left for work except a sock that was brought into his dog bed to snuggle with. He has never chewed on anything except his toys, but does sometimes pick up socks laying around to show you what he found. He will easily exchange it for a toy to play with. In the evenings, he is content to play with his toys or his resident dog sister. They especially enjoy running around outside together. He goes on a walk at dinner time to work on leash training, but he could definitely use some more practice. He learns quickly and shows improvement even after the short time he has spent with us. He has FOMO (fear of missing out) and will follow you all around the house just to make sure you aren’t going to have fun without him. Depending on how much playing he did that day, Jasper will settle down at 8:00-9:00 PM and relax until he goes into his crate for bed time around 10:00-11:00 PM. He needs a little encouragement to go in, but quiets quickly when he realizes everyone else is also going to bed.
Jasper has done great meeting people and dogs! He is not aggressive or dominant and is a happy-go-lucky kind of dude. He is a little clumsy, so his play style is very floppy and he will often run into things if not paying attention. While playing, he is still gentle, with a puppy-like energy. He doesn't destroy toys or get aggressive or possessive. He is learning "drop it" and "bring it" commands to make ball-throwing more fun. He is a very curious guy and is constantly tilting his head at different sounds or items to try and figure out what it might be.
He has not had exposure to children while in our care.
Jasper is a very medium energy dog. He is happy with some light play time in the morning and evening, but does occasionally get the zoomies and there is no stopping him when he does. He sometimes has spurts of high energy and does so with his whole body, but they usually only last a few minutes. Just make sure his tail is not within reach of water glasses because it is very strong! He needs work on leash manners, but has shown improvement since he started training with his foster parents. He would love a yard to run around in or the opportunity to go to the dog park. I also suspect that he would be a great running partner once his leash manners have improved.
We have not seen Jasper interact with dogs outside of the home since it has been so cold outside. He does great playing with our resident dog and knows when to back off if she does not want to play anymore. He is not one to push buttons and is okay to go play somewhere else if needed. He seems to take her cues well and adjust to them. He has never growled or barked at our resident dog and I believe he would do well meeting just about any other dog.
Jasper has not had exposure to cats while in our care.
Jasper cries for 1-2 minutes at first when placed in his crate or if one of his foster parents leaves; however, he does not get destructive. He has been left alone at home during the day and the house was exactly as it was beforehand. There are lots of house plants around and food is frequently left out on the counter of which he has never gotten into either. He could easily jump on the counter as he is a very athletic dog, but knows his boundaries. Jasper has never had any potty accidents inside the house. We are working on teaching him to ring a bell when he needs to go outside, but he has not yet done it without a cue. He has learned other basic commands like sit, down, wait, and come when his name is called. He loves treats so it is easy to train him.
Jasper appears to be quite itchy, especially on his belly and legs, but no immediate cause has been identified. It could be the change in surroundings (coming from Louisiana to Wisconsin during the dry winter), or some kind of allergy or sensitivity. The vet recommended starting with medicated wipes and staying up-to-date on his flea/tick preventative which is what we are currently trying.
Jasper is such a sweet dog and is very well behaved. He likes to spend time getting pets from his foster parents, playing fetch, and playing with all of his toys! He would probably lose a tug of war contest as he is so gentle when he plays, but will win your heart over the moment you meet him. He would be a great addition to any home and be a loving member of the family.