Duke Shepherd Mix Arlington, VA

Meet Duke! Duke was rescued by Good Samaritan who saw a social media post from his owner threatening to shoot him if someone didn't come get him because he had eaten one of their chickens. When they went to retrieve Duke they found him being kept in a tiny crate, emaciated, with inflamed skin and large patches of his coat missing. On intake, Duke weighed only 38lbs and was miserable from his skin infections. Now, his gorgeous, unique coat is growing back in and he weighs over 60lbs!

Duke has been in his foster home for two months, living with a foster mom and dad, another dog, and two cats. He's acclimated well to home life and has excellent house manners. He's crate trained, housetrained (not had a single accident), and has learned the joy of soft surfaces, fluffy dog beds, and toys. He seems very happy now and loves being part of a family. He's also learned multiple basic commands: 'wait' when he's being fed, 'sit,' 'lay down,' and 'stay,' and has been training to improve his leash skills.

We checked in with his foster mom, Nancy, for an update:

"Duke has had a major improvement in his spirit and his looks! He now enjoys toys and likes to drag all the toys out of the toybox to survey his treasures and will toss a toy around to chase. Occasionally he and Maggie will play tug and you can often find them napping together. His joys in life are eating, going for walks, snuggling on the couch with his humans, playing with his toys, and, of course, a good long nap on a comfy couch or bed. We've been taking him to a local pond to romp around and this is when he's most happy.

Duke has gotten more comfortable with our cats and has always done well with our dog, Maggie. He has met several of our friends and has been great. His personality is very sweet, and he's a big cuddler!! He loves getting attention from anyone who's around. Duke's energy level is medium, occasionally medium-high. He still paces around the house a little when he first comes in, but is way more relaxed inside. Although he's no longer starved, he is always looking for food! It's impossible to go in the kitchen without him - our little sous chef! He likes to be part of what you are doing. If we're watching TV he goes to both of us for pets, especially those face rubs!

Duke started formal training sessions a few weeks ago and has made some great strides. We've been going to busier areas and local parks for our training sessions to get Duke more exposure and the training has made such a difference! He no longer pulls me down the stairs when we go out the front door. He's learning to pay attention to us when we walk him instead of other distractions (dogs, squirrels, other people). He's much better with the sit command and we can even get him to lie down when we're out in public (most of the time:). We no longer crate him overnight. He has the run of the downstairs and just quietly crashes on a dog bed."

Good boy, Duke!

This handsome, resilient boy has made a remarkable transition to family life as an indoor dog and is ready to go home. We think a calm home and community and a loving family with the time to spend with this precious pup are the best fit for him.

Apply today!

BREED ESTIMATE: Shepherd Mix
GENDER: Male
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: 60 lbs
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 5 years old
COAT TYPE: Medium coat
ADOPTION FEE: $425
OTHER INFO: utd on shots/neutered/microchipped
LOCATION: Frederick, MD

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application.

You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application.

Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.