The Elevator Pitch
Mom is writing a new "elevator pitch" about me to put on the San Francisco Bay Area German shepherd Rescue website. I think she should just state that "Sam is the best dog in the whole wide world" but she says that's not enough in terms of details. Elsa, Buffy and Pumpkin objected too and she took their input seriously.
Here's what the website says now:
Ams
10 year-old male
Ams is a lovely old gentleman....calm, quiet, gentle, has lived with 11 year old kids, and he is fine with other dogs. He had been an outside dog, and was surrendered when his family moved and the landlord would not allow a big dog. Now he is an inside dog, which he appreciates! Ams has acquired basic good house manners, and is easy to be with in the home. He is a big boy, and has some arthritis, but is doing well on glucosamine supplements. Fostered in Saratoga.
As you are no doubt a regular reader of my blog, clearly that description, written a month ago, does not properly describe ME, Sam, "the best dog in the whole wide world".
Here's Mom's draft, feedback is welcomed (as long as it confirms that I am "the best dog in the whole wide world").
Draft of Sam's New Elevator Pitch
Ams (a.k.a. Sam or Sammy) is a lively, adaptable, clever, and personable 10-year old all-black GSD. Sam has lived with 11 year old kids, and he is fine with other dogs. He had been an outside dog, and was surrendered when his family moved and the landlord would not allow a big dog. Now he is an inside dog, which he appreciates! Sam has acquired basic good house manners, and is easy to be with in the home. He is a big boy (94lbs), and may have some arthritis, but does not show any obvious symptoms.
Sam gets along famously with his 3 doggy siblings, whose ages are 4, 7, and 14 yrs and are also various sizes - 17, 23, and 80 lbs. The older, larger dog (Elsa) is a female GSD and Sam allows her to dominate the household. Since Elsa needs to be the boss, Sam has been a great inspiration for her to give up her couch-potato ways and become more active. Sam and Elsa interact in a very playful way and when necessary, Elsa puts Sam in his place. Sam also interacts with the smaller dogs appropriately but he is particularly fond of Elsa. There is an aviary in the back yard and Sam would clearly not be good with small parrots. There are also two cats in a separate enclosed area. Sam regularly touches noses with them thru the wire mesh but it is not clear what his behavior would be without the barrier.
Sam is an outgoing, happy-go-lucky dog with a strong urge to be useful. His chores include housekeeping (counter-surfing, putting loose items in a pile), alarm clock services (a big wet nose in the face at 6am), fence border patrol (2 territorial Shelties live next door), and playing catch (he's very good at this). He is not a chewer or destructive, but anything left around will no doubt end up in his hoarding pile, or if it is at all edible, in his stomach. Sam is not a barker, and is very calm on a leash even when strange dogs and people are nearby.
Sam is extremely intelligent -- he figured out how to open the gate in a week (now tied with bungee cords), was housebroken in two days (he had been outside all his life previously), and started using the doggy door in less than 24 hours. He knows that nothing really good (e.g. dinner or a treat) will happen unless he sits, and he doesn't jump up (although he does make little leaps of joy when mealtime is near). He is not possessive about anything, including his food dish, and does not attempt to eat out of another dog's bowl.
Sam is a strikingly beautiful dog with a shiny black coat and a sunny personality. Despite his age, he is very energetic and needs daily physical activity. Sam is a bit mouthy and would benefit from (and no doubt love) a basic training class. For more about this wonderful dog, please visit Sam's blog.
Fostered in Saratoga.
posted by Sam the black GSD @ 8:25 PM
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