Kira

Kira, Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd Cross, Adult, Female 

10. She is beautiful

9. Her endless energy.  She never slows down, never stops, and always pushes for us to run that extra few miles. 

8. The perseverance she has shown in overcoming her past.  She was abused, neglected, and tied to a too short chain as someone's guard dog.  It took months for me to earn her trust.  She does not hand her heart over easily but if you earn it the rewards are incredible.

7. Her confidence.  She has had to rely on herself for so long that she doesn't doubt or second guess herself.  I wish I had even half her confidence.

6. When she runs and gets to relax, she defines freedom.  She runs at full speed around the yard, races through the woods chasing animals.  She can bring a smile to anyone's face just by watching her run.

5. She has a goofy side once she trusts you. She drops the aloof, seriousness and acts like a puppy. She runs around, grabs toys to play with, teases, and lets herself relax.

4. She is determined and once she sets her mind to something, she WILL accomplish it, no questions.  She refuses to give up until her "job" is done.  She never quits and never backs down.

 3.  She has amazing intelligence.  She knows an incredible number of tricks: sit, down, stay, shake (both paws), speak, heel, front, back, left, right, slow down, stop, watch me, leave it, drop it, get it, go find____, patrol (go check the yard and the house), and touch. 

2. While she is sometimes a hard dog to live with and a hard dog to bond with, the reward of winning her trust and loyalty is beyond anything I have ever experienced with a dog. In everything she does, she is intense, good and bad. She is the most incredible dog I have ever met and I know I will never have another dog that even compares to Kira.

1. Above all else, Kira is 100% loyal.  She will follow me anywhere, stick by my side through anything, protect me when it is necessary, make me laugh when I need it, and be there when no one else is.  I have never met a dog as loyal as Kira.

Ralphie

Ralphie, American Bulldog/Lab Cross, Young Adult, Male

10. He gives the best hugs in the world.

9.  He is happy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.  He doesn't know how to be unhappy.

8.  He loves to run and play.  He runs and runs, in and out of the water, through the woods, around the trees (sometimes into the trees!), and then collapses by my feet totally content and happy.

7.  He is the definition of "more heart than brains".  Somedays I think Ralphie is the dumbest dog I have ever met but he leads with his heart more than anything and it makes me love him even more.

6. He loves to snuggle in bed at night and is the best pillow I could ever ask for...he has to be, he usually steals mine!

5. He is goofy and makes me laugh.  He does a somersault when I give him a buttscratch, sleeps on his back with his tongue hanging out and all 4 legs straight up in the air, tries to fit the entire toybox of toys in his mouth, and smooshes his face against the bars of his kennel practically begging to be taken with when I leave. 

4. His first true love, more than anything else: food, other dogs, toys, etc is people.  He is loyal, always trying to please me, wants to be by my side doing whatever I do, and lives for affection.

3. He is amazing with the other dogs and has a healthy respect for the cats.

2.  He has endless patience and tolerance with the kids.  They can do anything to him.

1. Even when he is being naughty he makes you smile and love him even more.  He woke me up the other day licking and playing with my feet, when he realized I was awake, he pinned me to the bed in a huge Ralphie hug.

Fathead

Fathead, Black Lab/ Pit Bull Cross, Young Adult, Male

10.  He has a great watchdog bark but once people come in the most threatening thing about him is his tail that wags a mile a minute and smacks their legs.

9.  He is so playful and fun.  He LOVES to go running and makes the ideal running, walking, or dog park companion.  He is great at fetch!

8.  He thinks all the other dogs want to play with him and will love him as much as he loves them.

7.  He is the best snuggler in bed ever.  He likes to sleep right in my arms with his head on my pillow and under the covers of course.

6.  He is smart and eager to please.  While he sometimes lacks impulse control he tries his hardest to make me happy.  He is a quick learner and knows tricks.

5.  He thinks he's a 60 lb lap dog.

4. He is friendly to everyone and views all people and other dogs as instant friends that he should greet, play with, and love.

3. He is a goofball.  He loves to carry around stuffed animals in his mouth like they are his babies and then sleep with them in a pile. 

  2.  He may look tough but he's a big wussy baby at heart.  Like when he decided he was going to follow his foster sister in chasing turkeys. The minute the turkey turned around and looked at him, he high tailed it back behind my legs and then once they were all chased away he ran around barking like he was responsible for them being gone.

 1.  He bonds hard and fast.  Within the first few days he was following me around and being my buddy.  He isn't obnoxious about it but he loves to be by my side.  If I'm outside, he's outside.  If I'm at the computer, he's lying by my feet.

Harley

Harley, German Shepherd/ Basset Hound Cross, Adult, Female

10.  She looks hilarious.  She makes me smile just to look at.

9.  She is great with the other dogs.  She respects the older one that wants to be left alone, she plays with the other playful ones, and is a leader to the ones that are nervous. 

8. She has manners in the house that rival my own dogs.  She is housetrained, crates for the workday but doesn't need it, doesn't chew on things besides her toys, and sleeps in bed every night.

7. She loves to go for walks but she is never pushy about it.  If I miss a day with her on walks, she is content to play with her toys or the other dogs.

6. Not much fazes her.  The other dogs in her space, the chaos of rescue life, the loud adoption events, car rides, vet visits...you name it and she's the name sweet happy Harley through it all.

5. She is the perfect size and shape to snuggle with and she loves to cuddle!  She can by my pillow, foot warmer, or the one that sleeps right up against my side.  Either way she is happy.

4. She is smart and already knows some tricks and commands.  She walks on the leash well and knows how to sit and lay down.

3. She has her own version of fetch that she thinks is better than anything in the world.  She'll chase her toy just long enough to get the other dogs interested in her and it, then she'll let them all run past her for the toy so she can hop up into my lap for some undivided attention while the others wrestle over the toy. 

2. She thinks that she is the protector of the yard from the squirrels and the birds and is so pleased with herself when she gets to chase them away, stubby legs going a mile a minute.

1. She has combined the best of both her breeds.  She has the German Shepherd loyalty and the Basset silliness.  She everyday makes me laugh and makes me love her a little bit more.

Dakota

Dakota, Black Lab/ Pit Bull Cross, Adult, Female 

10.  Dakota has house manners that put my own dogs' manners to shame!

9.  She may be a supposed "tough pit bull" but she blows that stereotype out of the water...she is a huge wimp.  Dakota won't even go for a walk in the cold, she shakes and tries to crawl up my jacket!

8.  Dakota is fabulous with kids.  She LOVES to play with them and is the perfect companion for kids who like to run around and throw toys for her to play with. 

7.  She is great with my other dogs.  Her best friend is Fathead another Pit Bull/ Lab mix.  She could play with them all day.

6. When she gets the zoomies she looks SO funny.  She tucks her tail and flies around so fast she becomes a black blur! 

5.  Her loyalty.  Dakota is my shadow, she follows me around without ever getting in the way.  She helps out with the chores, sleeps on the sofa with me, and when I'm at the computer she is right there warming my feet.

4.  She has handled her life being turned upside down with such grace and ease.  She lost her home and her owner, ended up in the pound down south, and yet she hasn't lost any of her happiness and her ability to love. 

3.  Dakota is so happy and fun.  She is the perfect energy level but is far from hyper. She loves to play but will them snuggle up right with you for some love too.  She adapts herself a lot to what I want to do.

2. Dakota is dead set on changing those negative stereotypes for Pit Bulls.  She is outgoing, friendly, happy, tail-wagging, kid-kissing girl...typical pit bull.

1.  She is a typical bully breed and is the best snuggler in the world!  She snuggles the way only a Pit Bull can!

Dusty

Dusty, Black Lab/ Australian Cattle Dog Cross, Young Adult, Female 

10. She is such a unique, goofy looking dog!  Her ears stand up at 2 different angles and she will always look like a puppy.

9. She has so much energy and LOVES to run, play, and herd around the toys and balls in the yard.

8. She is easily one of the smartest dogs I have ever met.  She learns things so fast and basically can learn anything you want to teach her so long as you put the time in.

7. She has wonderful manners in the house, housetrained, crates for the workday, and has settled in so quickly

6. She LOVES the other dogs and loves to play with them.  She would play all day with the other dogs if they could keep up with her!

5. She has a goofy silly side...she loves to be a little naughty in a sweet way.  She'll steal my shoe right before I am leaving and sit in front of me with it in her mouth just wagging her tail like crazy until I notice her!

4. Dusty is a dog who can so anything, and I mean anything.  She is an agility dog, obedience champ, and a fetch player extraordinaire!

 3.  She has the spirit of a puppy in a full grown body and fully intends to maintain that spirit it seems.  She is a joyful dog and an absolute wonderful sweet girl.

2. Dusty is an incredible running partner, she sticks by my side, watches my every move, and almost never pulls.

1. Dusty's potential to learn and be trained is beyond anything else.  She only needs someone to put in the time and the energy to do whatever they want with her.  Give her the exercise, mental stimulation, and training and she is going to be an  even more incredible dog than she already is.

Jackie

Jackie, Terrier/ Australian Cattle Dog Cross, Young Adult, Female 

10.  Jackie has the waggingest stub tail that goes a mile a minute whenever she sees a toy, person to love on, or another dog to play with.  Her tail never stops wagging, really, sometimes she even wags it in her sleep!

9.  Jackie is the perfect family dog....she is outgoing, friendly, great with everyone and everything, smart, and has manners.  She is exactly what people ask for in a family dog.

8. She is just the right size to be able to snuggle in your lap and yet be big enough to play around with the kids and other dogs...prissy dog, she is not!

7. Jackie adores kids.  She plays with the kids she meets and LOVES when the neighbor kids come around the play with her.  She is the ideal kids' dog because she is ready to play with the older kids and run around the yard yet gentle and careful with the little ones.

6. Jackie is a snuggler extraordinaire.  She snuggles in bed at night with me, snuggles on the couch, and is always ready for a hug or a snuggle. 

5. She gets silly as can be over squeaky toys!  Give her a squeaky toy and its amazing how much fun she can have with it.  I love to watch her with her new squeaky toys...she thinks she has the best prize in the entire world.

4. Jackie is always watching to see what I want her to do next.  She is all about pleasing me, working for me, and wanting to do the right thing.  She is so in tune to her owners she is almost always correct in what she thinks I want too.

 3.  Never in her life has Jackie met a stranger.  Everyone to her is an instant friend and she responds to them as such!  She is always happy to meet new people and everyone loves to meet her too!

2. For a young dog, Jackie's manners are incredible.  She is housetrained, crates for the workday (only because she likes to steal the shoes around the house if she is loose!), and is not a barker.  She walks pretty well on the leash with a little reminding and learns things in a flash.  I think she learned sit in about 10 minutes.

1. Jackie is probably the dog I see the most potential in of any dog in rescue.  She is the kind of dog who could and would love to do anything , agility, obedience, rally, therapy dog work, flyball, and yet she is equally thrilled about being a family companion and best friend.  She is happy to do absolutely anything her owners want.