Description:

Hi. My name is Kya. I am a German Shepard Dog.

I don’t remember much about my life before, I was so young. I am beautiful, and sweet and sort of a dork. My first home away from the breeder wasn’t perfect for me. They couldn’t afford to feed me what I needed to grow and it turns out that I have really bad hip dysplasia. I didn’t get to go on walks. I didn’t get to meet things in the world, now lots of things are new and scary. My foster mom says it’s like a child being homeschooled and then abruptly dropped off at Senior Prom!

I have been with my foster family now for a few months and am learning so many new things! I know now that a vacuum cleaner will likely not eat me or chase me around the house. This is exciting to me, but I still don’t completely trust the things. Fortunately, I do trust my foster mom when she introduces me to things like this. I will come and check them out with her. I do not do well with small children or small dogs but my foster family includes three big boy dogs – I love them all! They play with me, even though I am still kind of bad at being fair and do occasionally leave (small) bite marks on the Shar-Pitt.

The worst thing in my life right now is my hips. I was taken to Oregon State University, where they did a bunch of testing on me and recommend at least one hip. The estimate is $7,500 for one hip. That is for the before-care, the surgery and the after-care. Oh, I also have a heart murmur. My foster mom says that my purebred breeding must include inbreeding. So, I am on a wonderful diet of excellent food and supplements and yogurt and bananas and carrots and a mild pain med. We are trying hard to let me grow at a nice rate, and keep me as lean as possible because of my hips. I am allowed to run and play as much as I want, sometimes I need more pain meds because I overdid.

I enjoy laying on a lap with a human on the couch and I like hanging out wherever they are. If the family is in the yard, that’s where I will be! I think I would be a snuggler once I learn to trust and learn to control the excited wiggles, just because I am being loved instead of smacked on. I am learning to allow my toenails to be trimmed and to let baths happen. I always take my treats gently. I am crate-trained and am allowed to go into my crate if I feel the need for a time-out, sometimes I get sent to “my room” but it’s not for punishment anymore or because no one has time for me.