Returned Twice, German Shepherd Puppy Seeks Furever Home

Update: We are happy to announce that Pam has found her furever home!

Meet Pam:

Puppy Pam (animal ID: 25106) is an 8 month old German Shepherd mix with lots of shy kisses to give. 

She was born here at Valley Animal Center as part of a litter of eight in November of 2021. On February 1, 2022, a family wanting a puppy adopted Pam home.  Sadly, Pam returned to us the very next day for exhibiting typical puppy behavior.

A few days later, Pam was adopted again. In July, however, she was picked up as a stray by local animal control agencies. After reaching out to her listed adopters, they denied ever having adopted her. 

Updates from one of Pam’s siblings who was adopted:

As Pam waited in her kennel for the third time, one of our dog care associates received an update from an adopter who had adopted one of Pam’s littermates, Frida (formerly known as Lucy in our shelter). 

“Frida is so sweet!” said Frida’s adopter. “I did a DNA test and found out she’s mainly Malinois, with GSD, Husky and Malamute. It’s been pretty easy to train her with trainers who use positive reinforcement methods.” 

 

Frida’s adopter continues to work with a trainer to help Frida with her energy and some behaviors. “I work with trainers not because she’s a ‘bad dog’ but I think training is a good thing, especially for a large dog. I have two small dogs but I don’t feel comfortable leaving Frida alone with them not because of aggression but because she’s like a bull in a china shop, and her style of play is different from theirs. I tell you all of this because maybe some of these ideas might help whoever adopts Pam!”

Things to know before adopting a large breed puppy:

Big puppies like Pam can be difficult to adopt out once they’ve grown as many potential adopters are looking for “small” puppies. Sometimes too, adopters don’t truly comprehend how fast large breed puppies can physically grow. At just eight months old, Pam already looks like an adult and it’s possible she may even grow larger! 

Our new dog trainer, Mariah Prudhume, said, “Most big dogs don’t understand their size. If you have small family members, understand you might have unintentional accidents.” When adopting a large breed puppy like Pam, typical puppy behaviors, like jumping or mouthing, can seem more intense compared to a small breed dog like a Chihuahua. 

Mariah suggested understanding what breed your puppy is to better predict and manage their needs. “Not all large breeds have high energy,” said Mariah. “For example, Great Danes are more on the lazy side but Australian Cattle Dogs are extremely energetic.” At Valley Animal Center, we do our best to estimate what breeds our dogs are but it’s always best to do your own research so you are prepared!

“As long as you are willing to work with your dog,” said Mariah, “their breed size won’t matter!” 

Adopt Pam:

If anyone’s interested in being a furever home for Pam, you may visit our dog adoption center any day of the week from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also get a head start on the adoption process by filling out the online pre-adoption application found HERE.

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Valley Animal Center is dedicated to serving animal companions in the Central Valley and beyond. Our mission is to unite dogs and cats with loving people. We believe every animal deserves a loving family and furever home. Donate to support our endless mission as we care for hundreds of homeless dogs and cats.