Khyla

Khyla is a 10-month-old German Shepherd, she came into the care of the RSPCA alongside her siblings; sadly, all of the pups are significantly undersized after experiencing poor nutrition from a young age and regularly missing meals; they weigh less than 15kgs. We conducted a DNA test, and Khyla is 95% German Shepherd, with the other 5% being a mix of medium and large breeds, her small size is due the ongoing neglect. Don’t let her size fool you, Khyla is a little girl with a big personality! She is full of beans and has the same physical and mental enrichment needs as a full-sized German Shepherd. Khyla is looking for an active home that will include her in family adventures, outings and activities. Khyla and her siblings missed out on some early socialisation, so she can initially be shy when meeting new people or experiencing unfamiliar environments; she does warm up quickly but will need ongoing support to build her confidence. As a teenager, Khyla is also entering another fear period, so continuing her socialisation and working proactively on any fear or reactivity will be important. We strongly recommend working with a professional rewards focused trainer. Khyla is clever, eager to learn and responds well to training, she will thrive with an owner who is committed to her ongoing education, with short daily training sessions and plenty of mental enrichment. Khyla picks things up quickly, including toilet and crate training, but will need continued guidance, boundaries and consistency as she grows. Training, confidence building challenges, food puzzles, scent games, hide and seek are just some of the activities to help keep Khyla busy, because if she is bored, she’ll happily find her own entertainment! Khyla is not suited to a first-time dog owner, her ideal person will have experience with German Shepherds or other working breeds and understand the importance of continued training, socialisation, and confidence-building. Whilst she looks like a cute, small pup; she is a teenage German Shepherd and will need lots of patience and consistent effort to ensure she grows into a well-rounded adult dog. Khyla would suit a home with a consistent routine; she becomes easily over-aroused and would do well in a home where everyone is over the age of 5 who can be calm when she is feeling anxious or unsure. Khyla is an affectionate girl, a typical German Shadow, she would love to have someone home more often than not. Khyla has been exposed to confident cats whilst in her foster home and did well, she may be able to live with cats again in her new home with a slow, gradual introduction. Like most dogs, if a cat runs, she will likely chase them. Khyla enjoys the company of other dogs, she can start out shy at first but warms up and then loves to play and hang out. Khyla is looking for a home with an older doggy brother who can be her role model and mentor, helping to teach her about all the things she missed out on early in life. A dog who is young enough to play, but old enough and confident to set their own boundaries would be perfect for Khyla. This little pocket rocket is ready to start her next chapter… forever! Khyla may be small, but she is mighty and is looking for her perfect family that will set her up for success by putting in all of the effort she needs. This little girl hasn’t had the best start; but in the right environment, combined with her eagerness to learn and sweet nature, her future is very bright.