Winter - Somerset

Poor Winter has had a terrible start to life and needs a kind but firm understanding home now where she can learn to trust people and know what it is like to be fed and cared for properly.

Winter is a beautiful white GSD who is nearly 3 years old, not spayed and the fosterer is not sure when her last season was. She couldn't stay with her previous owner so is being temporarily looked after but cannot stay where she is.

Winter is living with teenagers but previously lived with 5 children ranging from 3-14 years. The fosterer has 3 terriers including an elderly JRT with whom she is OK but she tends to be too playful and boisterous for the elderly small dog to cope with. She has also lived with a no-nonsense cat but has tried to chase cats outside.

At the moment she is getting virtually no exercise and only has access to a small garden.

Winter is a really lovely girl.  She greeted our volunteer quietly and confidently with a wagging tail, sniffed her trousers and licked her hands.

She has bonded really well with her fosterer, who adores her; she has set Winter appropriate boundaries (own room with a bed in it, no getting on the furniture, stays downstairs) which sound like they've helped with her guarding issues.

Winters' fosterer took her on two months ago.  She'd noticed her being progressively more neglected and then, one day when she was visiting the former owner, Winter killed the family's tortoise. The owner beat the dog and said she wanted her PTS.  The fosterer was extremely upset and persuaded the owner to let her have her.  She is now the legal owner.

Winter had never previously been given proper regular meals and was mostly fed scraps.

Not surprisingly, Winter is food and toy possessive. The fosterer has been working on her food guarding and she now can put her hands in her bowl whilst she's eating but Winter can't tolerate another dog being near when she's eating.  She also guards her toys and bed.

She hates raised voices and shouting because she's been hit in the past. She looked very anxious when the fosterer raised her voice - not very much - to show our volunteer her reaction.

We are sure she'll make a fantastic, loyal companion; possibly best as an only dog but if she was given regular exercise, we are sure she'd be fine with another youngish dog that would respond to her cues to play.

She loves her Kong and likes balls and tuggy toys; frightened by humans shouting (but she is used to living with noisy children and teenagers).

Winter with her foster mum

Winter is such a pretty playful young girl