Ladies and Gentlehumans, my name is Optimus and I’m a self proclaimed distinguished gentleman. I’m a 75 pound male German Shepherd who’s approximately 7 years young. What makes a distinguished gentleman you ask? He (me) is the kind of pup that exudes excellence the moment he walks in a room. Not only does he have to be well-mannered (foster mom says I give the PERFECT greetings to all dogs and humans), but he also has to be well-informed (I’m such a smart goofy boy), well-dressed (have you SEEN how gorgeous I am?!), and well-established (I have the best best demeanor).  In addition to these distinguishable traits, foster mom wants everyone to know that I’m truly the sweetest boy ever. At my foster house, I have two shepherd foster siblings that I get along great with, and 2 human foster siblings that are 1.5 and 3 years old so I definitely know how to be around the littles. I’ve learned really quick which toys are mine to chew (except that Mickey Mouse guy, he looks extra chewable) and foster mom says I have the patience of a saint with the kids. I especially love hanging out under their highchair when they drop scraps, haha!  I am crate trained and I love going in for a mid day snooze- but if you’re home, I love being with my humans! I’m also a collector of fine things and love bringing random objects into my crate, foster mom says I’m a complete goof.  I am an almost-near perfect specimen apart from these ol’ hips. Sadly X-rays have revealed my hips are in tough shape and the only thing that prevents me from is going up any stairs. The max number of steps I can do is about 2 BUT I can do a hill or a ramp like nobody’s business. Foster mom’s house is on a basement lot and flyyyyy up the 18’ hill on the side of the house, I beat foster mom every time, she’s slow.. lol I love galloping through the backyard and I LOVEEE walks!! I actually have amazing leash manners too! So while my hips are unfortunate, it truly doesn’t stop me from much. Plus, foster mom says an added benefit is I never counter surf for food, I don’t jump on people when greeting them and I don’t take up all the space on furniture! Foster mom can tell I’m new to the indoor dog life and she keeps trying to convince me that dog beds are comfy but I love a solid piece of floor to lounge on. I’m also still working on being house trained but I’ve made amazing improvement and I’m getting so close!! Foster mom also thanks me EVERYDAY for shedding 1/5th the amount of a normal sheppie. My foster shepherd siblings shed a ton and I’m over here with a gorgeous shiny coat barely shedding, winning over mom in the process!  I am being fostered near Wilmington, NC. If you would like to add me to your family, please reach out to your adoption coordinator. If you don't have an adoption coordinator, please complete an adoption application at www.freedomgermanshepherdrescue.org