Description:
Tara came from a high kill shelter. She is a beautiful Malinois/German Shepherd blend.
Tara is wonderful, loving, and playful.  She is showing some over excitement around other dogs, so she should be an only dog, or with a dog close to her size to play with.  NO CATS OR SMALL DOGS.  She is healthy and ready for her forever home! 

Staff Update 9/21/13: Wow, what a difference just a couple of weeks has made! Everyone who walks through our front door has commented how gorgeous she is, and they are shocked to hear how she came to us sick and starved. She is great on the leash and is good with people. She is NOT good with cats. We are working on socializing her with other dogs. 

Staff Update 11/4/13: Tara was in a foster home for 3 weeks, where she had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, her foster was moving out of state so Tara came back to us. She gets the special distinction of living in Judy's office. She seems much happier out of the crate. Her foster said Tara was well behaved and didn't jump up on things. She still isn't crazy about other dogs.

Report when she first came in  8/30  -  She is very thin and has a very bad lung infection. We are feeding her a nutritious diet--her favourite is shaved turkey--and giving her medicine. She likes to go for walks, although right now we're keeping them short because she's so congested and can't breathe very well. As you can see, life has not been kind to Tara. But she is ready to be kind to you. She is very loving and will lean her head against you. She's pushed down the gate several times and come looking for us. We know when she is healthy, she will be a beautiful looking dog.




***The Malinois, also called the Belgian Shepherd Dog, is a medium-sized, square proportioned dog. Males typically weigh between 64-75 pounds, and females average about 55-65 pounds. Well-raised and trained Malinois are usually active, friendly, protective, and hard-working. Belgian Malinois exhibit energy levels that are among the highest of all dog breeds. A typical Malinois will have puppy-like energy until the age of 3, though it is not uncommon for them to exhibit this energy level until the age of five. Some may be excessively exuberant or playful, especially when young. They can be destructive or develop neurotic behaviors if not provided enough stimulation and exercise. This often causes problems for owners who are unfamiliar with the breed and are not prepared to provide the exercise they require or a job for them to do. They are medium sized, strong dogs that require consistent obedience training, and enjoy being challenged with new tasks. They are known as being very easy to train, due to their high drive for rewards. The Malinois has excelled in the fields of detection, police work, search and rescue, and "sport work," a type of competition where handlers show their dogs' defensive and protective skills. They are devoted to their home and their family. The average life span of the Malinois is 12-14 years.