Meet Sullivan. He goes by Sully and responds to it pretty well for an adolescent German Shepherd. VGSR received a call from a man saying he wanted to surrender his dog, but we were unable to get in touch with him to accept the dog. Two weeks later, a woman brought a young German Shepherd to the Virginia Beach SPCA, saying he had been left behind when someone moved out of a neighboring apartment. Sully did not enjoy the shelter, as he was not well-socialized with strangers and other dogs. He had no leash manners, reacted anxiously to strangers and other dogs, and was fearful.

He is doing much better now, even after just a few days in the rescue. He is learning to walk well on leash and is even learning to heel quite well with a training collar. He still reacts and hackles up when he sees other dogs, but that is also improving by the day.

At heart, he is a very sweet dog who is eager to please, but like any adolescent, he has a great deal to learn about the world and being a good citizen. He will sit, wait, and likes to play, but he can be mouthy at times. He is healthy but is coping with some kind of allergies, either fleas or food. He is on grain free food with fish which is greatly improving his coat.

Sully needs a strong leader who will set boundaries for him and teach him how to be a good family or working dog. Kids who are not dog savvy make him nervous, and he will bark at them. However, I think calm, confident children who know how to respect a dog's boundaries would do well with him. He has much to learn but will make a great companion for the right person.