Niels is Adopted!

We are very happy to say that Niels is adopted! His foster family, Andrea, Dan and Paige, have decided he is right where he belongs and made him an official member of their family this past weekend. They have fostered more dogs than we can count, and the decision to make Niels a permanent member of their home did not come easy to them. They've helped some "easy" dogs and some dogs with issues in the past. Although it was never easy to give them up, they were always happy to find a loving and permanent home for their fosters and move on to the next dog that needed a good foster home to succeed.And then came Niels, who had led a wonderful life with the couple who brought him home as a puppy. He was well-trained, well-loved and a dog they could take anywhere. He was big, beautiful, wonderful Niels. Unfortunately, when the couple split up, Niels went through a series of changes and new homes, and he began to show a protective and unpredictable side. His owner was unable to help Niels and gave him up. All of us at the rescue just adored this dog - and in a kennel setting he didn't show the protective side. Andrea, Dan and Paige decided to take him home, give him some stability and hope to help him find that inner-easy-going-GSP again. With them, their family and friends, he was just the most fabulous of dogs. With strangers, he needed a lot of work. They had made some good progress and soon a family who was willing to continue the training came along and adopted him. Unfortunately, that didn't work out and Niels was back at the Rescue.They wanted to foster him again, but knew they needed a different kind of training. The rescue agreed and found a Veterinary Behaviorist, Dr. Patrick Melese. Many times, this devoted foster family, including foster Grandma Lois, drove the 3 hours to meet with Dr. Melese. They diligently followed his advice and practiced the training. Sometimes the progress was slow, and sometimes miraculous moments occurred. Never did they give up. Never did California GSP Rescue give up. Niels improved to the point we felt comfortable adopting him again. His foster family wanted to make sure that they did what was best for Niels, however, and felt that it would be best for him to not be moved again. Since it seemed so much change and upheaval in his life contributed to his behavior problems, they wanted to give him the stability he craves for the rest of his days.Going forward, this amazing family said that they will help us use some of the skills they've learned with Niels to help other dogs.  As for big, beautiful, wonderful Niels, he will stay right where he is, right in the place he considers home.