Clyde is a great dog for an active owner. They said he is a senior, but he still acts like a youngster in many ways.. He has begun some obedience training, and like most dogs, he needs to know where his place is in his pack.

He is fine with children (the youngest we have had him with is 5) - he ignores them more than interacts with them.  He is very interested in cats, and will need a feline free zone.  If the cats stay still he will investigate, but he gets very excited and wants to chase them once they move. He is good about stopping when he is told NO! He responds to come, sit, down, bed, ok (for releasing from commands),  and heel.

Clyde loves to play with squeaky toys, however, stuffed toys don't stand a chance! He loves car rides (rides well) and loves walks - they don't have to be long, but he LOVES them. He is house-trained, and is a polite dog in the house.

He is a very sweet dog who has a lot of love to give. Clyde needs someone who is willing to continue on basic obedience with him as he enjoys training, and it gives him the direction that he needs. Clyde wants to finally belong and become a meaningful part of the family. He deserves that much and more!

***Videos of Clyde can be seen on request.***

We were told he is senior, but we've found he has the energy of a 5 or 6 year old! He LOVES to run and is definitely no couch potato!

Clyde has come into our care severely emaciated. He was at least 25lbs underweight. It will be a long road back to health for this special boy. 

Clyde suffers from Pemphigus Erythematosus.  There are several related immune mediated skin disorders called pemphigus complex. These have a common mechanism of action in which the body produces antibodies against the outer layer of the skin. This is what you see on Clyde's nose in these pictures. Diagnosis of pemphigus is best done by skin biopsy, which has been done at our vet. When treatment is recommended, the conditions can often be managed with topical corticosteroids, sun avoidance, and/or low to medium dosages of prednisone.  The more severe forms of pemphigus usually require lifetime treatment and monitoring.

We have started Clyde on treatment and this condition, while not curable is certainly manageable. For dogs that have lost pigment in the nose, such as Clyde has, protection against the sun is very important to prevent further flare-ups of the condition.  Clyde should be kept out of the sun between 10:00 and 3:00 and/or use sunscreens on the nose with SPF of 15 or higher. 

October Update from Clyde's foster home ~

Clyde joined us for the weekend on DeCourcy Island, and had a great time! We discovered that he REALLY likes Scooby Snacks and will do almost anything for one.

Clyde discovered that a trip to DeCourcy means he gets to spend most of his outdoor time off leash, and there were lots of interesting things smells to explore! He loves the ocean and went swimming several times.

Clyde's adventure included spending the weekend with Shiloh - a much smaller female lab cross. He did try to bully Shiloh so, I didn't give them a chance to finish working out the pecking order.  While this meant keeping a close eye on them, Clyde managed to control his interest in her fairly well.

Clyde is very energetic and agile.  We practiced heeling off leash and he did quite well but he is easily distracted. He responds very well to being whistled for, and once we discovered his love for Scooby Snacks, we used them as positive reinforcement for everything.  Now we use them occasionally as a reminder. 

Clyde loves to be outside with his human and needs a active home.

Clyde is coming along very well. His nose is almost completely healed up and he continues to put on weight.  His training is coming along well and he is eager to respond and please in most areas. 

However, as Clyde's health is improving and he is feeling better, he is also becoming of a handful where the cats are concerned. He is not mellowing towards him and his foster has now had to keep her cats upstairs and away from Clyde for their safety. 

His foster home feels that she can no longer keep Clyde in her home and would like us to find a new placement for him. If it were not for the cat issue, she would be happy to keep Clyde, however safety for her cats must come first. 

Ideally, someone will see Clyde and want to permanently add him to their family. In the meantime, Clyde needs another foster home immediately. All medical will be covered by GSRBC. Please contact us for further information on fostering Clyde, or see our fostering page for more information. 

December Update ~

Clyde has been moved over to Victoria for fostering during the holiday season.  His temporary foster home has this to say about Clyde:

"What a sweet love, what a beautiful GSD. A little walk down the street showed he had training, and I gave him some cues to slow and his heel becomes almost perfect. His walk on leash is so dainty, even if he pulls a bit.  No problem with sits, waits-gets it most of the time, down is a bit slow. He really wants to listen, and has given me some kisses already.

He sure seems like a soulful dog to me. A very special boy.  He's more sensitive than I thought he would be."

January Update~

Clyde is continuing to improve and gain weight. His new foster home is having a wonderful time with Clyde as a house guest. There are though, times that Clyde is still reactive to other dogs on the street. In the coming weeks he will enter into "growl class" to learn new skills in order to get along better with others. 

Clyde's weight is not a whopping 91.5lbs! A far cry from the 39lbs he originally came in at. Great news!

Another lovely thing about Clyde is he is so open to care. He sits and easily takes his antibiotics without a fuss. He takes the eye ointment as well with no fuss at all and ditto for the nose drops. He's even pretty good with the ointment for the ear scratch, and he is great with having his teeth brushed too!

March Update ~

Clyde's nose is looking a bit better, the vet measured the pink patch today so we have a way of tracking clearly how it is healing. Things are looking good that way and Clyde is now a whopping 98lbs!

July 2007 ~

Clyde has been with us almost a year now.  Still, he waits for a home of his own. We can't understand why... He is a beautiful boy, so eager to please and so devoted to his person. Surely, a minor skin problem is not keeping this boy from finding his forever home??

Clyde has been attending obedience classes, and has been very responsive to training. He is now going for his level two. Clyde loves some stimulating games and enjoys training. He loves to play with his toys, but he also loves new training games that his foster sets up.  He loves those more than retrieving the ball from a throw, where he sometimes get distracted by the chase and then wants to keep the ball etc.  He LOVES to play hide and seek!

His nose has been responding to the protopic ointment, no doubt about it, the pink patch is getting smaller though it is a slow process. His weight was 95.4 pounds at the vet last week, which is his ideal weight.

Clyde is comfortable and well loved in his foster home, but like all the rest, he deserves a home of his own, where he will not have to move ever again.  Please consider opening your heart and home to Clyde. 

August 2007 ~

Wonderful news!!! Clyde's foster home has welcomed Clyde into his life on a permanent basis. What a great match :)

All of us here at GSRBC are on cloud nine. We wish these two special fellows a lifetime of love and joy together.

Abby would be proud. 

Special thanks to all of Clyde's sponsors:

Elizabeth R. ~ October '06

Sharon B. ~ In memory of Kona

Liz. H ~ Oct. '06

Oct '06 ~ An anonymous donation has been made in loving memory of Addie, a very special gift, who is greatly missed.

Elita S. ~ In recognition of my good friend Rachelle, who recently adopted a senior GSD named Casey. We would like to honor Casey.

Renate Bohringer - April '07

Mike Ranfft

We are a registered non-profit Charity as of April 1st 2005