Sitting with a scared German Shepherd that's been at the shelter for over 365 days

hi it's okay

hi hi bud can I come in and sit down

with you hi you're so

pretty you so

pretty you still have such sad

eyes such concern in those eyebrows

huh hi buddy hi

I'm going to I don't want to be between

him and his

bed I'm going to set that right there

from I'm thank you bud this kennel is

bigger than a lot of the kennels I

usually sit in and so it makes him seem

really small but I'm he's a big German

Shepherd I haven't looked at him

directly but I'm guessing he's 80 lb

he's a big guy

I'm closer to the camera and I'm B so it

also makes him look small I think you

could see on the in this angle and look

at his paws look how big his paws

are he's got those very alert German

Shepherd

eyes sometimes when I'm in a kennel like

the smaller the kennel is it's better

because it just to some extent forces

the dog to put up with me in a bigger

kenel like this you don't always see the

dog come to me and I am a little

worried about this guy cuz there is one

thing that I know about him and uh

Alexis is actually here at this shelter

with me it's a shelter we haven't we

haven't done a video at for a long time

sanro Valley Humane Society in Los

Angeles County in St Gabriel Valley but

I do know that he has been here for a

year I think I'm going to we're going I

find out his full story here in a minute

and for a dog to be in this state after

being in a shelter for a year is so

heartbreaking surprisingly though not

uncommon dogs can kind of spiral down in

the situation even if they came in

Friendly just because of the pressure

and the noise of a shelter earlier when

I first met him he was in the yard in

one of the outside kennels for cleaning

and for feeding and it was it's

interesting because when I approach the

kennel you can see he just immediately

goes to the back he's in this state I

saw one of the team members Valerie go

up to him and he came right up to her

which is great he's a good you can tell

but he's he's good dog but the problem

is when potential adopters come to the

shelter they see him in he cowers in the

back of the kennel that big guy be scary

concerning so just nobody doubts

him the days turn into weeks and the

weeks months

years this is no lik is this is a

shelter like no life for a living being

I think the thing that if you look

closely at him that's striking is not

only just his eyes and his eyebrows and

how concerned he is but his stance where

he's

just like his poor little paws at chest

he doesn't rest I'm going to try a

tree boy

but that's good I'm going go and sit

down with

that big dogs like him I really care for

when I'm in a kennel because I don't

want to ever put too much stress or

pressure on him where he feels like he

has to react in a negative way and I

don't see any signs of

that oh that's good that's really good

say hey he took a treat there was a

gesture friendship it's okay maybe this

guy isn't as bad as I

thought or or more so there's no alarm

here I go ahead and sit down and relax

and that's really good that's really

good I don't think he's interested in

his bed I think it's a new bed and I

think where I thought it would actually

be inviting for him I think it's

actually putting a divide between so I'm

going to I'm going to move this over in

the corner over here it's like it's C

all closer to him I'm going just close

the gap a little bit here he's so pretty

though right right he's

like there's something about big German

Shepherds that just they're so beautiful

German Shepherds are one of the more

pretty dogs right like it's hard to not

look at a German shepherd and go wow

that is a beautiful creature and he is

one of those and it is interesting

because with confidence you start to see

that beauty it sometimes it's harder to

see when when they're cowering and

they're scared and up bit when he has a

confidence and he stands up straight and

mighty like a German Shepherd oh he is

so

beautiful that's good that's really good

okay I didn't know if we were going to

be able to get anywhere because he's

been here for a year but I'll tell you

what with that one treat right there the

second treat he's taken now I am Hur

I'll bet in the time that we sit here

together we could have a friendship

before I leave and I always say like

there are no goals in these interactions

with the dogs like I don't have an

agenda or a

goal most of the time in this situation

what I'm trying to achieve is if we can

get him out of his shell and we can

show his little personality and you see

this and someone sees this and says I

can give this guy a chance he's okay and

we show him in a different light than

how everyone sees him when they come to

the shelter and the back of the kennel

scare sced and that helps weak to him

getting a

home

success let's see if he'll take one out

of by hand and and here in a minute then

we're going to get his story cuz I feel

like there's a story here especially if

he's been at the shelter for a

year he did the German Shepherd thing

too if you have a German Shepherd you

ever work with German Shepherds maybe

they're the worst tree takers Maybe

there's another fre you know I'm

generalizing for sure but German

Shepherds are

just what they take treats they just

take your knuckles off but that's really

good I want to go straight to an open

hand treat but I'm Let's do let's do one

more

hand look let's go let's go to an open

hand we're making such good progress the

open hand and by experience when you're

dealing with shut down dogs is a much

bigger uh ask because of look what's

coming at you here right

and the big old hand versus this is a

little less intimidating so I'm asking a

little bit more getting a little

closer that's really

good I'm very happy about this I think

it's I took video of it I think it's

just that initial approach where he's so

scared he just hasn't been reassured

that it's okay if someone approaches him

it's that initial approach when someone

is coming right up to him they call

causes him to cower and again this this

is likely kennel you know it's not

kennel reactivity I mean it is he's not

reacting towards the kennel he's

reacting away from it and it's likely

something he developed at the shelter

and that probably not something he came

in with that's why I try to highlight

dogs when they first come into the

shelter and try to get them out of his

State because the longer they're here

typically the longer they're here a lot

of shelters Across the Nation they can't

keep dogs around and when they're out of

space it's the end a dog and so

I try to catch him right when they come

in thank goodness Sayang Val Humane

Society has been able to care for him

this long which is expensive but they

believe in him the staff believes in him

and I'm so glad they pointed him out to

me what Alexis what's his name Wang Wang

you know your name of course you do cuz

you've been here a year

Wang Wayne do you want a

treat good boy

Wayne Good Boy Does really good what do

uh does Wayne mean something what's

Wayne mean yeah uh actually I believe in

h Chinese Mandarin it means like a king

or a royal king what a fitting name a

name that you can grow into for

sure you will have the confidence of the

king now that we got you

buddy Wang I like it I like

it he he's looking at me now this is

good I want to go in for the touch I

don't know if we're ready yet but I feel

like we try that before we get his

story peeking at him right now cuz

someone walked in here so he distracted

but yeah he's kind of pretty tail pretty

cold he's really healthy they obviously

they've taken good care of him he you

can tell he's had some some bats he's F

he almost like a human face oh

sorry it almost has like human face

doesn't he get in treats I want to try

the Paw Touch where I give him a treat

and touch his paw but his Paw's so

over I think H not ready for that

yet I might I think I'll just try a side

touch as I'm giving him a treat the goal

is to associate touch with uh

positive I think we're going to be

buddies but I I think we need to learn a

little bit more about his story to just

know where he's coming from Alexis were

you able to talk to the team to get his

story yeah uh they told me how Wang came

into the shelter how old is he Wang is

just a little over four years old four

you that's like by the way Wayne

everybody four is the ideal age to adopt

a dog Ione says I want a puppy I want a

puppy you don't want a puppy there's so

much work four is great because like

they're still young agile they can go to

the park they can go on runs if you

exercise that their all of their

personality character is there but

they're not going to have puppy

accidents they're not going to have that

Bounce off-the-wall

Energy you hear that you just that

you're okay with that bird he's hanging

out I'll show you the new shelter space

Rand right now at sang Val main society

there are birds hanging out here it's

kind of indoor outdoor to some extent

and uh and he's fine with that and the

reason I mentioned that is like a lot of

dogs would be so fixated all that

especially prey driven German Shepherds

so I only pointed out he's just a

testament to his personality well he's

fing up a little bit now with that

bird in all fairness the bird's like

right in front of him taunting and he's

still

okay it kind of sounds like a squeaky

toy doesn't it buddy here let's let's

take your mind off that okay okay I'm

sorry Alex I got distracted with the

birds okay all right so four years old

um uh came in with a microchip or no yes

I believe so okay all right what's

what's his story team told me that Wang

was an owner Turnin okay and he was

separated from his sibling or his you

know his partner in crime okay um and

they are guessing that he was likely

like the less dominant one of the pair

because of how he acts I could see that

um that he's directionless now all right

so he lost his buddy yes and uh they

also think that he was probably just a

backyard dog his whole life until

getting here anything else um well just

notes from the team uh they write a

little bio on the dogs here oh okay so

uh his bio says I'm still a very shy boy

so it will take some time for me to get

comfortable with you but once I get past

my nerves I'm a big cuddle bug overall

I'm just a very sweet and lovable boy I

love getting treats and being called

good

boy then I think it's perfect time for

affirmations and look at this he let me

just hit him on the

head oh okay yeah positive affirmation

and I and I have something way I have

something very important to tell you I

think that you need is out first Wayne

you are a good boy did you know that

you're a good boy and I know you

probably lost your best friend I don't

know if it was a sibling or your best

buddy you it seems like maybe you were a

bonded pair and I got to tell you it's

not your fault it's not anything you did

you you deserve more yes I need to I got

to I got to pay the

tax you're a good dog and you deserve

more and one day you are going to be

back with someone who really loves you

and you're going to have your best buddy

and your life mate and your soulmate

okay I know it's been a long time and

it's just been a holding period but I

got to tell you from here on out buddy

we're going to work to find you a home

okay so your time here is not going to

be much longer you've been through the

hard part you're a good boy you deserve

more you're a good dog none of this is

your fault okay it's like it's like he

he feels it you know I'm sure he's

thinking everything I've been through

like this is just what it is this is at

this point this is what life is what

you'll find out is a dog like this will

give you their all I mean dogs are great

and they're loyal and they're kind and

they're loving but a dog that comes from

this state when they're treated to a

home to just the simple luxuries of

getting to be a dog be on the couch play

fetch go on

walks a burger at the drive-thru when

they get those things they're so

grateful like they just there's

something about them where they just

know where they came from and where

they're at now and I got to tell you if

you take a dog like way into your family

everyone wants a good dog and a lot of

times people think they want the dog

that is front of the pth a dog like Wang

that will listen to commands that will

follow your lead if if you show him a

little bit of confidence but he's not an

aggressor or

hyperactive I mean you just couldn't ask

for a better situation I just think he

would be a perfect

dog yeah let's see if you can break out

of your sh right Des that's a good boy

that's a good boy boy Wayne that's a

good boy right

here it's like itching over here right

here you didn't do

it oh yeah I love that he treat r that

helps so much here you go Bud here I so

boy here is a good there some more okay

yeah those dang eat it good boy man yeah

yeah look at that come to the front of

the kennel what's going on

buddy wait here you go

here good boy good boy yeah does that

feel good yeah can you some more some

more don't worry about that oh hey it's

always tough when you're at the shelter

and you're working with a dog and

everything's calm and the BS right and

the stress kicks back up and you s

r hell hey come here hey it's okay

that's just that just somebody else

don't want being

he the good thing is about a big guy

like this is like we can give him plenty

of treats it's going to be he can handle

it so I'll just keep keep me in the

treat machine and I'll keep B his love

with

treats look at these

buddy look look wa Wing don't go back

there

bud that's the heartbreaking part right

you made a little bit of that progress

and then you see that fear set back in

and the thing is is he just needs a home

but the great thing is if you're

watching this video we as a community

can his voice and can help him fire that

helmet and that's what's really awesome

it's like sometimes you see this and you

go oh that's so sad I don't know if I'm

that doesn't feel good good what I do in

these situations is I don't think about

him in this moment in this state this

beautiful courageous German Shepherd

that is is currently shut down what I do

think about is what he's going to look

like months from now with his new family

and his new F you know and whether it be

other dogs in his path or kids or his

best friend that takes him running all

the time you can just see him happy and

relaxed ing laying down and watching TV

after a fun day at the park that's the

way the Canaan that we want to Envision

because when you do that too when you're

around these dogs and and you envision

where they will be not in their

situation that they're in currently that

confidence and that Spirit definitely

translate to them right it it helps them

feel that like they know they feel right

dogs are so much more conscious of your

body movements and your emotions and

your feelings because they don't

understand the words that you

say I guess I talk to Kobe by dog like

he does understand oh but but like for

example bear on my chirt here now named

Shadow Moon adopted living with his dad

the best life ever he was in this state

and now he is a confident and happy and

loved dog we should you know what to uh

Alexis we should work on turning Wang

into a t-shirt like wouldn't he be

pretty as this shirt yeah beautiful you

know what I will work really hard to put

the art together and I would I will put

his shirt on you can get this one of

bear and the sitting with dog shirts but

I will also make a special edition in

honor of him and for every shirt we move

we'll give a dollar to sangro Valley

Humane Society because the cost of

caring for him for so long most shelters

wouldn't do this guys and so we'll also

give those funds over the next month to

St gber Valley main society all right my

team and I were able to pull it off

which just is unbelievable this was a

matter of days we designed it we ordered

all of the inventory but here's the deal

when we sell out we sell out and it'll

probably be pretty quick it has my with

dogs writing in there because life is

better with dogs so just click on the

products right on the screen to get

yourself a wang the king limited edition

highquality shirt right now and when you

get it it also goes to the animal

shelter and supports their efforts and

if you're watching this down the line

and they're all gone no problem you can

still get a sitting with dogs classic

shirt I'll put all the details down

below or you can just go to uh this link

I'll put right here on the screen and if

it helps raise more awareness for him

we'll do it and I think I think we

should give him a whole stick cuz he's

relaxing again let's let's reward that

hey go

bud that's a good bite look at that

Chopper good

boy that makes me really happy that

makes you so happy I think I think it's

too because I make these treats and I

know like there's a lot of love that's

baked into

them you're a good boy that's a good Bo

yeah you're a good boy Wayne you're a

good boy she feels good yeah a white

you're a good boy way you the tree you

on tree buddy here come here come here

there you go there you go good boy good

boy yeah there you go here go okay I

call this the uh the

Pacman so I make a lot of treats here

let see if I get don't

forward see how far look Let's See How

Far That

go he's looking at the big treat stick

like I thought are we not still doing

that go ahead buddy right here it's like

just that willingness to move forward

even if it's in small little treat

spikes like that that is where he gets

his his name from That's Where It's So

fitty with King come on buddy you got it

it start small here but it'll be big

Leaps and Bounds where he's running

through the

trail you you can stand up too you you

don't have to crawl over this go that's

go I'm sorry good I know you been

through it my man and I'm sorry right

does that feel good here we go from the

treats to getting some love you are a

cuddle thing you are a good cuddle bir

yeah it's a good boy yeah here

so he so

that's the spot he h the spot right

there but you like this right there go

what's that you get no poop the phone

well that's a different dog right there

huh you can feel that in his brain right

there I feel so good A lot of times you

guys see me at animal friends of The

Valleys in wildemar California I started

working there more because they've got a

pretty large intake it's somewhat close

to my house but I worked with shelters

Across the Nation and in that time I've

done a fair amount of work at sang yo

Valley main society and the team here is

really awesome and they're often

overlooked because they're in Los

Angeles County but they're not Los

Angeles County and that's that's good

and bad in some ways Los Angeles county

is really well ever all show K are

really Str right now it's the highest

amount of pets that I've ever seen since

I've been doing wol and uh there's so

many factors as to why but when I

reached out to Cindy their director I

just said I want to I want to figure out

how to help more and she said we we have

a dog bang that we would really love

help with because everyone loves him

he's a staff

favorite I want to try to uh come to

more shelters and highlight some of the

amazing things we're they're doing Wayne

it's going to be okay buddy you may not

know this but we have a lot of people

watching and if you if you're thinking

well I want to help but I can't get a

shirt you could also become a member and

it's a small monthly amount you get to

be the first to know when dogs get

adopted like when Wayne gets adopted we

let people know their first because a

safe space cuz sometimes dogs get a doet

they get the next day so I

don't want to go wide with the

information how sir but we also do pup

dates so everyone knows another way to

help it cost nothing is just to share

because that has been the biggest effect

of getting dogs adopted is when people

share a video and someone else sees it

if you see me out in public and you come

up to me I thank you I love it because I

love meeting fellow dog W like we are a

community but people come to me and go

I'm sorry I never knew about you and

then I saw the dog of the video of this

dog and I adopted that dog and I fine

you don't need to know about me you need

to know about Wang if I can disappear

tomorrow fine as long as the dogs keep

getting highlighted you know yeah oh

he's so he's so good he's like he's

slowly starting to lean into me is there

anything we should know about him that

we would that people would know like I

mean I think he's very loyal loyal yeah

I feel like if I'm walking him and he

sees anyone else he like quickly just

comes to me you know that's good

reassures me kind of a velcro dog sort

of thing that's good he's super sweet

definitely a cutle bug yeah I'm starting

to see that he's starting to lean into

me I bet within a day I'd have him in my

lap yeah look how his face lit up though

when you came by like what a different

look at that Paws out happy face oh yeah

he definitely loves you um he's good

with grooming yeah yeah he is that's

good yeah he's already cleared like four

treat six of me so if he tries to tell

you later he didn't get any treats in

here do not listen

to look at that what will look what a

different face huh as soon as she comes

up look at that you're doing a good J

relaxed oh yeah he's doing great awesome

he asked everyone on the channel to

subscribe

already see what I did there

okay thank you have a good life yeah he

he he loves her it's so great because

you can see he is a great dog he just

doesn't he just doesn't show well right

like imagine you're in your house and at

any given time anybody can just walk by

the window and look in at you would you

also not be a little concerned about

that and be a little off-put by everyone

coming by hi we get it buddy we get it

but that doesn't mean that's who he is

and and that's the whole point of

watching his video is you know you

really get to see his true voice like

what a different dog now just just from

that that was that was kind of the

turning point right there hey

he let me cat your PS a

Bo hi oh you oh you want more pets I'm

going to put the image of him when we

first came in here next to this right

here and just look at the difference of

a dog watch he's going to ask for more

pets watch

you looking for more pets yeah okay okay

there we go yes a good boy wow you have

a big head too I didn't I realize till

you put the full weight of your head on

me your head is like 12 lb

good here let's do this we'll feed you

treats while you just sit here and get

pet you deserve that after a year of

being at the Shel do this