Kaiser has a play date

On Saturday afternoon I took Kaiser to meet a couple who have adopted shepherds from me in the past, three of them actually. We met at Mint Spring park near Crozet for a short hike and then went out for a couple beers at Pro Re Nada brewery in Crozet. 

Their current dog, Rocco, was adopted in February, 2017. His original name was Simba and he had been seized by animal control officers from an owner who kept him on the balcony of a high rise apartment building in northern Virginia. Simba was a good looking but scrawny, underdeveloped dog, but Rocco is now filled out, solid, and very handsome. The two shepherds met without any problem so we headed up one of the many trails at Mint Spring. 

We encountered other people and other dogs, some on leash and some not. Rocco is very well socialized and gets along well with others. I didn't really know how Kaiser would be, but he was great! He did pull quite a bit, but that's really a matter of training and using the right equipment on him, I think. He really enjoyed the hike and wasn't anxious to hop back into the crate in my van when we finished.

We had a couple beers sitting outside at the brewery and again, both dogs were great. Kaiser sat next to me but he sought out attention and petting from other people, even complete strangers. It was a good experience for him and a good afternoon for me. He was tired when we left and slept all the way home. I got home in time to feed all the dogs before dark, but I found I still had a few hours of work I had to do Saturday evening. It was good to get Kaiser out in public and interacting with other dogs today. I think he will be a very good dog for whoever adopts him.