TAZ (formerly "Blake")

UPDATE 6/27: Blake had his neuter surgery today and came through without complications. He will be brought to Phoenix at the first opportunity, although we'll probably wait and bring him when Cyndie is ready to make the trip in another week.

UPDATE 7/8: Thanks to Chuck and Jon of Husky Camp and volunteer transporter Betty, Blake made the trip from California to Phoenix this afteroon and is settled in comfortably at his temporary foster home with one of our staff members.

Once the cat spat and hissed at Blake, he made a very hasty exit stage left and never looked back!

UPDATE 8/22: Blake had his official kitty test this morning and did very well. He was initially interested in the cat and wanted to sniff. She allowed the sniffing to a point, and they said "NO MORE." Blake backed right off. When she went under the kitchen table, he attempted to follow, but when corrected decided it wasn't worth the effort. We think he could live successfully with a dog saavy kitty.

Hi, Lucas! Did you come to visit me?	Hello, kitty
Boop!	Ear sniffs

UPDATE 9/21: Blake was evaluated by Blake at Soldier's Best Friend this afternoon and, pending his physical, will be going into the SBF program to be paired with a veteran!

Will work for food!
He was fine with being flipped onto his back		Loud noises? It's a FOOD bowl! Blake's fine with it.
"Off!"		Learning to follow
Up and over the A-frame		Blake even got him to walk the agility catwalk!

UPDATE 9/29: Blake returned to Soldier's Best Friend this afternoon to meet a veteran who is in need of a confident, friendly dog. Blake applied for the job. We'll know by next week if he's hired!

UPDATE 2/1: Blake (now "Taz") is being returned to our rescue for rehoming. The veteran that he was paired with decided that the Soldier's Best Friend program was a commitment that he was unable to make at this time. Since Taz was chosen for this veteran, this also means that Taz is resuming his search for a forever home. He is a very energetic and bold boy, and his training has progressed almost to the point of him being able to take and pass his Canine Good Citizen test.

UPDATE 2/15: We took Taz down to Heidi's Village for some playtime and a meet & greet with prior adopters Sandy and Rich.

    
We definitely took advantage of the photo opportunity and Taz was more than willing to oblige

Our thanks to prior adopters Sandy & Rich, who offered Taz the opportunity to visit and see if their pack was a good fit for him ... unfortunately, it wasn't. Their pack is older and they have several very young grandchildren, and Taz is still very much a youngster. From Sandy & Rich: "First, we want to say that we love Taz!! He is a bold, energetic, handsome boy. We do though, need to recognize our changing family dynamics. We now have 8 grandchildren under 6 and they all have 'Yorkie' like little dogs. Our Taz is full of energy and would be great for a young, energetic family. He loves Rich and would do great with any man. ... The vulnerability of our little grandkids and their little dogs have to be our first priority. I know this is a cowardly way to tell you this, but with tears this is the best I could do. I know this is a big surprise; its a big surprise to us. I think we felt we will always have a pack of big dogs, that's what we do. But while the babies are so little, we need to adjust. Our first family with dogs and babies will be here the end of May. I know space can be a short commodity for the rescue; Taz is welcome to stay with us until the end of May. I will continue to support Taz from a distance with donations and love. I am so, so, sorry this didn't work out and that I didn't consider my very changed life until he was here. I had complete failure of imagination. Keep doing what you do for these beautiful dogs. We are all grateful! P.S. Other than the puppy mouthing, he was a perfect gentleman. He runs like the wind and no potty accidents inside! :) A++++."

UPDATE 6/2024:

Foster mom Meg is delighted to be able to finally add Taz to her family

 
Taz meets foster dad Gopi and foster sister Losie ~ we think Taz is smitten

FIRST FOSTER UPDATE: "Taz and Losie had a blast playing together at home! I must say, this is the first time I didn't have to use a leash for the foster dog on the first day. They wrestled, chased each other, and even tried some acrobatic moves. Taz has so much energy that he can even keep up with Losie, who is known for her boundless energy. I'll send you photos and videos of their playtime tomorrow."

FOSTER UPDATE 6/20: "First of all, Taz is absolutely brimming with joy! He just can't stop showing how happy he is, running around like a bull in the backyard! Losie seemed to have lost some confidence even more since we had another foster dog from another rescue join. Initially, Losie was hesitant to play with Taz, but after about 30 minutes, they started wrestling and chasing each other, and really enjoyed their playtime together!

I read an update from his previous foster that mentioned Taz is a bit mouthy. It's true he uses his mouth to say, 'Hey, let's play!' - mostly by licking Losie's entire face, haha! He does nibble a bit when they wrestle, but it's gentle and not biting. I know because Losie would definitely snap at him if it hurt, but she didn't. They played for almost 30 minutes in the yard and then collapsed into bed, exhausted.

Taz loves his crate. He went in by himself and slept through until our morning walk. He's highly food motivated, so he's quick to learn anything for a treat! Today, we did some obedience training with Losie, and he caught on immediately. You give him a command once, and he's got it! We worked on 'Patience and focus on handler' training today. Taz had to wait in front of the treats until he made eye contact with me, focusing on me instead of the treats. At first, he just stared at the treats, but after watching Losie get hers, he figured it out! Once he understood how to earn his treats, he kept his eyes on me and tried not to look at the treats. He got it in just ONE try!!

Losie, again, became an onboarding coach and showed him how to use the doggie door. Before dinner, he went outside by himself through the doggie door and did his business twice! No accidents so far, and he uses the doggie door when he needs to go potty. He's super smart and responds well to commands. He's a strong boy, so I'll continue teaching him how to walk nicely on a leash, which he's already good at, and how not to wrestle inside the house He already knows who to follow in my household -- and surprisingly, it's NOT me...it's LOSIE! Losie follows me, and he follows Losie!

As his previous foster mom mentioned, he would do great in a household with younger dogs and hoomans, which would help him burn off his high energy. After a long morning walk and some wrestling, he's quiet and has been sleeping in the living room for almost 5 hours without waking up. As long as he has a good start to his morning, he enjoys relaxing during the daytime. He's always smiling and wagging his tail. He is one happy dog!"

FOSTER UPDATE 6/21: "Taz is thriving in his training and he did great! He waits patiently for my next command and seems to truly love the training itself, although he enjoys the rewards as well. We don't allow any dogs on the couches or beds; instead, they have their own beds in each room, like the living room and master bedroom. There's also a couch specifically for the dogs that they're allowed to use -- this used to be Gopi's relaxing space, but we've taken it over. Taz has already figured out the rules and sticks to this couch or the dog beds. What a smart boy!"

FOSTER UPDATE 6/24: "I have some updates on Taz from this weekend that I'm excited to share with you. First of all, we went for a hike near our house, and he absolutely loved it! He walks stunningly well on a leash and enjoyed every moment.

Here are some new things we discovered about Taz:

• He is surprisingly very protective at home, in a very good way. We didn't expect this since he is usually super friendly. However, once I say 'friend' and show an index finger (meaning 'hold it there'), he stops barking at the door and the delivery person immediately and listens to me. He was even fine when I received a package from the delivery person. This is a great plus for a family who wants a very friendly dog but also one that can protect the family and house, especially since he follows commands so well.
• He does not like pushy and barking dogs. While on walks and hikes, he doesn't react to other dogs unless they bark at him. If they do, he barks back, but a gentle pull on his leash and a firm "leave it" command calm him down.
• He would love a playmate, but I highly recommend pairing him with 'submissive' dogs. He plays rough, as does Losie, but if Losie becomes too rough after warming up, I need to step in and break them up. Chasing each other is fine, but wrestling gets them too excited.
• Although he enjoys playing with other dogs, he would do very well as the only dog in a household since he loves playing with toys by himself. He keeps himself busy throughout the day by chewing on his chew toys and making squeaky sounds with his squeaky toys. He loves fetch as well. As the previous foster mentioned, he thrives in a household with a young couple or a young man because of his energy and love for fetching and walking. However, he requires less exercise than Losie, a Belgian Malinois. He enjoys quiet time with his toys during the daytime.

  

• He is a pro in the crate.

Overall, any behaviors that might need work are very easy to correct due to his exceptional responsiveness to his handler. Gopi also agreed that he is the fastest learner and the most attentive to his handler among all the dogs we've fostered and owned."

FOSTER UPDATE 6/25: "Just a quick update to share! If you receive applications from potential adopters who have a male dog ... We had an incident where Taz met a male Malamute, who is a friend of Losie's, and Taz didn't take to him at all .... The Malamute has a quirky habit of growling even when he's happy, which Taz, of course, misinterpreted. He seems to be okay with female dogs, but so far, he hasn't reacted well to any of the three male dogs we've encountered. It might be different if he's not with Losie, as it seems like he's trying to protect her by standing in front of her. Taz is not a dog that randomly snaps and gets upset with other dogs. There might be reasons, like the other dogs barking or growling at him. He's incredibly protective of Losie and Eugene. He doesn't care if strangers or other dogs try to approach me. I could tell he was thinking, 'This strong bi**h can take care of herself.' No matter what, even if he's upset with the other dogs, he listens to me. Whoever trained him did a great job."

FOSTER UPDATE 6/27:

  
"I forgot he's super smart ... he knows how to work smarter not in a
harder way ~ he and Losie always need to be touching"

FOSTER UPDATE 7/1: "We just came back from a 3-day trip to California, and I must say, we are astonished and so impressed by Taz's behavior. On the first day, we were stuck in traffic and were in the car for almost 8 hours. We had three short breaks and one 30-minute break in between. Taz was very quiet and patient, making no noise in the crate and sleeping peacefully.He enjoyed staying in the hotel room and made himself right at home.

We went hiking, to the beach, and walked around the town. Wherever we took him, he was confident, and got all the attention.

Although he loves food, he patiently waited while we were eating and was such a good boy."

Just enjoying a normal Saturday morning

Both Taz and Losie know that Eugene is their comfort blanket. Although Eugene tries to sound professional and strict, look how relaxed they are when training with him... Unlike the training sessions with Scary Mum

UPDATE 7/13: Taz went to the vaccination clinic with his foster family this afternoon for an update. According to foster mom, Meg, "We went to Petco for Taz's vaccinations this morning, and oh boy, it was so crowded! However, he did great there!! He was smiling and wagging his tail at the vet staff and was happy. The lady who helped him said he was so cute and such a good boy! He did an excellent job today!"

FOSTER UPDATE 7/26: "He is learning 'boundaries, patience, and leave it' and is doing absolutely amazing! He must have been solo since he was a puppy, except for the three months with the previous foster, so he didn't have any ideas about 'sharing and boundaries.'

Now, he knows he cannot take others' treats. He doesn't even go near while the other one is still eating (he eats so quickly, so he always has to wait for the others to finish). Regarding food and treats, he has completely stopped snitching and even ignores them. He is also learning the same thing with toys. He still wants whatever Losie is holding in her mouth, but now he knows it's not right to steal her toys. I still have to supervise and say 'ah ah' when he tries to snitch and he listens. However, he cannot help it when it comes to the BALL! Especially his favorite blue ball! He doesn't get aggressive, but he will tackle her if she tries to even sniff his blue ball (of course, this tackle is nothing harmful to Losie). The blue ball is everything to him, so we kind of respect that (even Losie knows).

This blue ball is everything to Taz

He enjoys a 1-hour walk early in the morning and playtime in the yard for about 30 minutes. That's it until evening. We can't go out in this heat, so during the day, he falls asleep and charges his energy for the evening. We do some mental stimulation training indoors during the day. After the sunset, it's long playtime in the yard. They run around the yard for about 1 hour and collapse in bed afterward until the morning.

We gave him a bath in the yard 2 days ago. He is not a big fan of water, but he felt so good having a cold shower in the yard, and he didn't move at all. His coat became softer after the shower and brushing. We normally brush our foster white shepherds everyday, but Taz doesn't shed much and has very short hair, so we brush him only once every 3-4 days. He LOVES brushing time :)

Mr. Taz always uses his bed as a pillow...

A couple of days ago, Taz was running at full speed when he suddenly realized a wall was right in front of him. He tried to brake with his front paws, but he was running so fast that he couldn't control his speed. He ended up with his back legs up in the air, doing a handstand, and stopped just before hitting the wall. It was hilarious! Gopi and I couldn't stop laughing for a while. It was like a scene from a comic book. Taz makes us laugh all the time.

From the videos:

Taz is munching in his dream...

Taz and Losie having a love-love moment

Losie loves his tail...

Adoption fee $395.00.

If you are interested in Blake, please fill out our PROSPECTIVE ADOPTER'S QUESTIONNAIRE. You will be contacted by return email. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, please Email Nancy at WhiteGSDRescue@AOL.com. This questionnaire link is only for Blake or other white German Shepherds on our site. WE WILL NOT CONTACT YOU until a questionnaire has been completed.