Having originally come to us through the aid of Rescue Angel and subsequently being adopted into a loving home, Rejoice has come back to us after less than a year. On rare occasion, a dog will not be a good fit for the home and family that adopts it, and that seems to have been the case in this instance. Issues centered on the increasingly challenging interactions between the new dog and the previous-resident dog, and after trying to make things work for nearly a year, the owner decided that the best thing to do was to return her for placement in a home that is a better match.

Her former mom says that “She is sweet, loving, affectionate, playful, very active, and super intelligent; she is quite a character and can be funny.”She also told us that Rejoice went to daycare once a week and was good with dogs of all sizes there. In her time with us, we have found her to also be friendly with the other residents of Elijah’s House.

Observations from our volunteers since she has been back with us:
“My time with Rejoice was spent in the corral, where I found her to be pretty laid back and affectionate. While other dogs were barking and running around, she stayed close to me and never barked at what was going on around us. She seemed to like being close, getting her ears rubbed, and every so often looking up at me and giving me kisses. It started to rain pretty hard, so I got up to get one of the other Dobes and put him back inside. As soon as I started to return to her, she wagged her tail and let me know she was happy to see me. I was happy to see her again, too!”

“I spent most of my time with Rejoice in the corral. She’s pretty laid back and likes to stay close until something piques her curiosity. Once she checks out whatever it was the grabbed her attention, she’ll almost immediately come right back for ear rubs and kisses. She has a great personality and seems to adapt to whatever the setting is.”

“Rejoice is a lady...with a will. When we met today, she was excited but calmed herself quickly. She brought over a ball and obviously wanted me to toss it. I was surprised that she retrieved the ball and brought it back every time – so often dogs like to keep the toy and run. She didn’t drop the ball but held it firmly in her mouth while allowing me to play with it with my hands, in the mildest form of keep away – such a soft mouth. After a few minutes of play, the most amazing thing happened. I had left the leash on the bench. She walked over, picked up the leash, brought it to me and waited patiently to have it put on. She was very clearly saying that she was ready to go inside now. Wow! Just so you won’t think she’s perfect, the walk was mixed. To start, she walked so nicely beside me; I was impressed. Then she saw something she wanted - let me tell you, this girl could pull your car out of a ditch! That’s why I call her a lady with a will. They’re always impressive.”

And Carol adds that she is “very good, listens well, and comes when called. She’s also strong on leash.”

From everything I can see about this dog, she’s a loving, intelligent, interactive companion that may need a bit of additional focused training on a point or two to bring her to her full potential. If you think she may be a match for your home, follow the unvarying sequence: apply, acceptance, appointment, arrive, acquaint, away. I think she’s going to make the matching family very happy.

REJOICE