Turnpike (now Viper) originally came to us in 2008 when he was just a puppy, tossed out of a car on the Turnpike while one of our volunteers watched.  Knowing he was in immediate danger, she stopped, opened her door and in he jumped!  We have no idea why someone would have done this to him.  He is insanely people friendly - tail wagging and eager to please.  Upon first arriving to the shelter, he adjusted well within minutes, which speaks to his incredible temperament.  Turnpike was adopted from us a few years ago but just recently returned due to a change in their family circumstances -- absolutely no fault of Turnpike's.

Here is what his previous owners and current foster family has to say about this amazing dog:

• Knows Sit, Shake, High 5, Stay, Lie Down and responds to his name
• 100% Housetrained
• Loves everyone and especially loves children
• Loves to play with toys
• Great with other dogs
• Shows no aggression toward cats
• Pulls a little on leash at first but calms down quickly
• Does not dig in the yard
• Loves to be given affection and to show affection to his people
• Highly intelligent dog and learns very quickly what is expected of him

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Belgian Tervuren is one of four Belgian Sheepdogs. It is a very smart and obedient dog. Serious and watchful with strong protective and territorial instincts. Some are very shy or sensitive. This breed needs extensive socialization from an early age, and firm, but not harsh, training from an experienced master. If you are harsh or overbearing they will become uncooperative. Tervurens are instinctively protective so they should be trained and socialized very well from an early age. Breeders should socialize puppies right from birth. Good for working and competition obedience. These dogs make excellent police and guard dogs. This type of work is currently their main occupation. They do however, make excellent pets. They are ever-watchful, alert and loyal, and they thrive on loving companionship. Belgian Sheepdogs are good with children if socialized well with them. The Belgian Tervuren needs to be part of the family and not locked up in a kennel. It does best given ample time, attention, training and companionship. If this breed is ignored, it will find ways to entertain itself, often at the owner's expense. This breed has a lot of energy and needs a job to do. Working lines can have particularly high drive. Belgian Sheepdogs tends to bond strongly with one or two people. Take care when introducing this dog with small non-canine pets. Generally this Sheepdog gets along well with children, but they can be rather dominant toward other dogs. Provided they are correctly socialized with cats and other pets, they should not present any problems. Belgian Sheepdogs may instinctively display herding behavior such as chasing and circling, moving effortlessly for hours and nipping at people's heels. Good for working and competitive obedience. This is a very demanding dog. It needs an experienced owner. It can easily be difficult to control unless the owner knows how to handle him. There can be wide differences in temperament and aggressiveness. Talk to someone experienced with the breed before you buy your dog. Although these dogs are often impressive, don't base your purchase solely on achievement records and appearances. Animals displaying excessive aggression or fearfulness should be avoided. The Belgian Tervuren, named for the Belgian village of Tervuren, is one of the four varieties of Belgian Sheepdogs. In most parts of the world the four varieties: the Tervuren (fawn-mahogany, shades of gray are acceptable in some registries, long coat with black mask and overlay, pronounced Terv-yer-en), the Groenendael (black, long coat, pronounced Grow-en-en-doll), Malinois (fawn-mahogany, short coat with black marks and overlay, pronounced Mal-in-wah), and the Laekenois (fawn, rough coat, pronounced Lak-in-wah), are all considered one breed. However in America, since 1959, the AKC has recognized the Groenendael, Malinois and Tervuren as separate breeds, but has not recognized the Laekenois at all. A less well-known, but growing U.S. registry, the UKC, does recognize