Gretchen is a very lovable, sweet-tempered puppy! Once she gets to know you, she will nudge her way into your heart and onto your lap! She loves to snuggle up right next to you to get some good scratches. If you ignore her subtle hints, she will gently paw you, bury her head next to you, and rollover on her back making it a little more obvious that she wants her belly rubbed! And believe me, with those eyes, it is hard to ignore!

When first meeting Gretchen, she is a bit shy and timid. Meeting new people is a little intimidating for her and she needs time to get to know people once she is ready. She has not been around kids, however, she would be great with older kids who will respect her space. Although Gretchen loves attention, in true Shepherd fashion, it’s always on her own terms! She likes to have her own space where she can nap and know it’s her safe place. She is great with other dogs, big and small. She is timid at first meeting new dogs but then warms up much quicker than with meeting new people. She has two furry foster siblings whom she gets along with very well.

Gretchen is an intelligent girl and has learned a lot in a very short time! She knows how to sit and walks well on a leash. She loves to walk, sniff, jog, sniff some more, and walk side-by-side with her foster brother. She does not react to other people or dogs as they pass by. She does great riding in the car in a kennel. With her shy personality, riding on someone’s lap in a moving car is still a little but scary, so she prefers to be in a crate while traveling. We have also worked on crate manners in the house. She did not like crates at first, but she now understands that it is her safe place and will go in there to take her naps! She sleeps in her kennel at night and during the day while her foster parents are not home. She is potty-trained which she learned very quickly. It does not take her long to pick up on new things! She is a very smart girl who is a delight to be around.   

Gretchen is still a puppy and is all about playtime! Her favorite thing to do is play with her foster brother. Whether that is running circles in the backyard, playing tug, or rolling over and giving each other kisses, she loves to play with him! Her favorite toys are chew toys, tug toys, and stuffed toys! She LOVES treats and is very food motivated which is great for training! Cheese is her favorite reward! She has a medium energy level but will get bored if she doesn’t have enough to do! She then resorts to pulling books off the bookshelf and LOVES to pull on the toilet paper roll and drag it all over the house! She recently saw snow for the first time and at first, she didn’t know what to think, but as soon as she realized it was fun to eat, she loved it! She really enjoys being outdoors in the backyard or on walks! The more outdoor time with her humans and fursiblings, the better!

Gretchen's ideal home will have a friendly doggy sibbling that she can look up to and play with. This sweet, shy girl gains a lot of her confidence from having a dog buddy around. It also helps her burn some of her puppy energy! Gretchen is a fabulous girl who will be a fabulous addition to a very lucky home. All Gretchen wants out of life is good scratches, a safe place to call her own, a buddy to play with, and lots of toys and cheese, and she will be one happy pup!