Chester, 1 year Male Shepherd/Lab
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Chester is a 1 year old neutered male Shepherd/Lab mix who was adopted as a puppy and recently returned. We had him in a foster home and he was the gentlest of dogs and even as a pup had what you call an "old soul." He was raised with a Golden Retriever and would cuddle in bed with her and groom her. His adopter said: "Chester is overall a truly loving dog. He is just a love and although he's almost 75 lbs now, he still curls up in our laps, tries to cuddle in bed, and always leans against us while sitting on the couch. He and Molly are wonderful together and spend lots of time sleeping in the same dog bed, laying outside in the sun, and grooming each other. Chester has also been really great with our cats. He is truly one of the most affectionate dogs I've met." Chester had started showing some leash aggression in his adoptive home and had lunged at a child. As the couple are expecting a baby, an attempt at using a trainer who employs a dominance method, but it seem to make things worse and he was returned. This is a common Shepherd trait and unless this is handled with the right training, it can make a dog worse. We have him with our trainer now and he says he is a very gentle, sweet boy who is head-shy (if you reach out to pet him quick, he backs away, startled). Other than that he is a playful, wonderful dog who loves walks in the woods, loves his crate, loves chewies, loves to pal around with other dogs. He will sit, heel, and do other basic obedience commands. He will be someone's best friend, will be loyal and protective as any Shepherd worth their salt. But he has to go with someone who promises to use "positive reinforcement" training. He has a fabulous nose and would be great for nose work, which is all the rage in dog training circles now. A training subsidy is available for the right adopter, if you can prove necessity and if you are willing to go to the trainer that we choose, either in Hudson or Mendon. Chester is a very well-loved and adored dog of Save A Dog and we are committed to doing the right thing for him. He is available for adoption and is in a foster home in Wayland. UPDATE from his foster home: Chester will be a great dog for someone, he was happy here, ate well, wanted to play, good on a leash. He carried the bowling pin and the stuffed toy around in his mouth at the same time, pretty funny. He had no accidents the whole time I was at work, and then some.
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