Tristan is a German Shepherd mix we are fostering for Austin German Shepherd Rescue:

( http://www.austingermanshepherdrescue.org

He is estimated to be three years old and at just under 70 pounds is underweight right now.

Tristan likes people and seems to have a very even temperament.

Tristan is eating well and we hope that soon he will start to look a little better. He will sit for treats and is doing well with crate training. I am not sure he knows the command but he does seem to respond to "stay" at times. He will offer a paw to shake but not always on command. He is a friendly boy that would love to have more individual attention. He seems to want to be an inside dog -- although he enjoys being outside he is eager to come back in with the people. He is alert and watchful and already beginning to take some responsibility for looking out for "his" yard.

We are working getting him healthy and hope to have his problem tooth removed next week and have him neutered at the same time. He has been microchipped and had all of his shots. He has also been wormed. We have him on Heartguard but he will need treatment for a positive heartworm test. We are deferring that at present because we want to avoid repeating the treatment if developing parasites are not caught. The vet recommends treating him after six months on Heartguard.

Update 12-14-06: Tristan was having some upper respitatory issues which hurt his appetite, but we changed his antibiotics and he is eating like a horse again. I like to think he has started filling out a bit but it may be wishful thinking. The warmer weather let us give him a bath and his coat is shiny and soft now. He is getting a bit of house time and is being pretty good, but he does seems to be fascinated by socks! He has been clean in his crate and acts like a house dog, but we cannot say for sure yet that he is housebroken. With some treats for encouragement he will sit and shake on command and we are working on hand signals for that. He seems to comprehend "stay" but it is not something he feels is mandatory!

Update 1-10-07: We delayed Tristan's surgery while he put on some weight and shook off an upper respiratory infection. Today his bad tooth was removed and he was neutered. He now weighs 80.8 pounds and looks much better, although he could still stand to put on a few more pounds.

Update 1-27-07: Tristan was placed in his new home today -- I will miss him but he is in a good home where he will get a lot of attention.