The Highlander

Highland was formerly known as Heiland, different spelling, same pronunciation.  The German Heiland means god or savior and I would have been forever explaining that and spelling it for people, so I just changed the spelling to conform to the English pronunciation.  He's the dog I took in a couple weeks ago from a man whose health didn't permit him to properly care for the dog.  I was cautious with him at first because he was described as being "protective" but he's been fine with me from the beginning.  I put him into the kennel with Gypsy Jr. and moved Sparky into the space by himself that Highland had occupied the first week he was here.  Gypsy has gone after him a few times, but he doesn't retaliate, just tries to defend himself by shaking her off.  (She's a bitch.)  He's big enough, and his fur is thick enough that she hasn't been able to hurt him.  I'm going to try him with Trooper next, because Trooper will play with fosters and he's always been good with them.


Highland would clearly like to be back indoors.  He had lived as a housedog, never crated.  When I brought him over the dog yard yesterday, he went into the shed and seemed to want to settle in there as his new indoor space.  He also met a new person yesterday and was fine with her, even from the beginning.  Maybe I'm still being overcautious with him, but I'd still prefer to place him with someone who has some experience, a fenced yard, and no young children.
 

Highland plays fetch!, or at least he retrieves whatever you throw, and he sort of brought it back and would consider giving it up.  He did that with his tire when I first went to visit him.  He also knows "sit" and he shakes hands with his paw. 


No one has ever treated him badly and I think he's a good dog.  Now I need to find him a good home.