Great Plains Pointer Rescue

Nebraska and Iowa

As with most German Shorthair Pointers (GSP), Willie is full of energy and has a high prey drive. This dog wants/needs a job, and he is happiest when he is doing it.

He is very social with other dogs, we have not seen him act aggressively towards any other dog, big or small, male, or female. He is a bother to the resident mature lab as he is still a toddler and wants to constantly play. The mature lab does not. His foster dad takes him down the block to play with a similar aged yellow Labrador and they chase each other in circles and do zoomies, until they are both breathless. It is quite entertaining.

In the first two weeks Willie has only had a couple of accidents in the house.  His foster home is being very diligent about getting him outside every couple of hours and not letting him out of sight. He has been good about sleeping on a dog pillow in their bedroom every night.

Willie is currently working on leash training. He is making vast improvements in both at a rapid pace. When Willie arrived he did not know anything, including sitting. He is exceptionally good at sitting and learned in about 4 tries.  He is motivated by food and chewing treats. He was/is a hard puller on a leash, but with the help of a pinch collar, he has learned to walk very calmly on a leash. He loves to walk to a large park lake area on a leash, then go off leash to do some hunting and running to burn energy. He is learning to keep an eye on his human and come back when he gets out too far. He is eager to please and highly intelligent. Being highly intelligent comes with its share of issues. There is nothing this dog cannot outthink.

Willie is also working hard on crate training. When he arrived he would freak out if he were in a crate, clawing, barking, and whining. Today, he goes in on his own and relaxes in there. Willie gets to go to work with his human and when he does, he spends the day in the crate sleeping. He does not like to be confined, but he is learning to relax in space and doesn’t hate it as much as when he arrived. 

Obedience training is still a work in progress. He does not jump much or at all on people. He will jump and try to play with other dogs. Being his prey drive is so strong, we assume he would chase a cat or rabbit if given the chance.

Until he learns who his master is, he will need a fence in the back yard or to be closely monitored. Not because he wants to run away, but because he is so curious and wants to hunt. He just gets mobile and loses track of his surroundings.  He already watches for his human and returns to where he last saw him if he gets out of sight. He is becoming attached after only a handful of days.

Willie can be vocal when he is unsure of a new person or someone abruptly enters a house or a room, we are working on correcting that behavior. He likes to play catch or fetch a little bit, but like most puppies loses interest after a ½ dozen trips. Highly intelligent, predatory, and affectionate.  He is eager to please if you can keep him focused. Losing focus is his biggest detriment today, but that is mostly due to his age. He will improve with time.

 

Complete the adoption form here : ADOPT ME

 

*Please be sure to read the adoption info/FAQ tab on our main website before applying for a dog.