=SHEP=

Name:

Known as 'Shep' or Shepherd. She wasn't properly named by her owners.

Age:

Around 8 years.

Gender:

Female.

Breed:

'Purebred' German shepherd dog.

Rank:

Gamma.

Desired Rank:

Whatever, she would consider herself satisfied. Shep knows she doesn't have the strength to lead a pack, at least not physically. She's happy to sit back and assist as long as they do a good job of leading the pack to vengeance or victory. She can also influence and watch the younger members of the pack with her, making sure they will grow to be loyal and powerful dogs who can provide and protect the pack.

Appearance:

Shep is a large girl, at around 61cm at the shoulder and with strong front legs. She weighs around 30kg, so is around average weight - doing her best to maintain any muscle she has developed. Her ears have a variety of nicks and scratches but still stand proudly - perked straight up. They move often, signaling whether Shep is in a position to be approached or avoided under any circumstance.

She has the usual breed characteristics of a domed forehead, long necked with a long squared, black, muzzle. Her jaws are powerful and her teeth are somewhat healthy - a shiny enough white to be a warning of what they can do. Her muzzle rests closed - she feels it's a little puppy-like to have her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. She rarely vocalizes but when she does, Shep emits a clear, icily cold bark. Her growl is far less intimidating, more of a grumble than anything else. Otherwise she is mostly quiet.

This female has a thick double-coat of medium length, coloured in the usual tan. She has a splash of black fur on her back and along the back of her spine down her tail, that isn't quite a full saddle pattern, but close enough to it. Her fur is longest at the cheeks, neck and elbows, and often very messy. Not one to fuss over her appearance, her fur occasionally has leaves or mud caught in it. Her tail is also very bushy, curling slightly above her feet.

Her dark eyes are also intimidating, staring her opponent down. She likes to maintain eye contact, forcing the other dog to turn away; she finds it amusing. Other than a few black speckles on her ears and around her eyes, she doesn't have many markings. She does however have a deep scar on her muzzle, above her nose.

There is something that doesn't look quite GSD about her. Maybe her fur seems a little too long, or her gait is slightly off - but it can be assumed she isn't quite a pedigree as her owners once claimed. Her back slopes heavily and her hind legs are not as strong as her front legs, leading to a slight limp that is even just about noticeable when she walks normally. Don't let that fool you though - she can sprint if needed and has a strong bite force despite her older age.

Personality:

Cold || Intimidating || Stubborn || Irritable || Strict || Agressive || Judgemental || Protective || Insightful || Self-isolating || Intelligent || Dependable || Rational || Harsh

Strengths:

✓ Her jaws are unsurprisingly strong. With a powerful bite force, she is one to keep a safe distance from. Her first instinct in an emergency is to go for a bite, so never put her on edge. Once she's clinging on, it can be hard to get her back off - and can leave a lot of damage in it's wake.

✓ This female is very strategical in her thinking. She quickly considers a range of ideas or solutions and always has an ingenious answer for particularly frustrating problems. Appearing to act on impluse, often she has considered her options beforehand. Rarely does she ever act without thinking - only doing so if her temper has been flared.

✓ Shep is a loyal dog to those who deserve it. Her Alpha, Beta and the other leading members of the pack are of course those she'll defend, whether in words or in battle. She will also protect any young dogs without question, treasuring young lives above any other.

Weaknesses:

× Shep has terrible back issues which cause her to limp and drag her hind legs slightly on really bad days. This worsens with too much activity or on colder days. She can run but only for short distances until she begins to lag behind. The pain is bareable, but sometimes she has to pause and take a breather. Besides, she isn't getting any younger. It's only her stubborness that's keeping her from dropping her rank.

× She struggles with being emotionally vulnerable, shutting down any conversations that make her uncomfortable. She can get alone decently with almost anyone but as soon as the topic shifts she can't handle it. Shep tends to close herself off and refuses to interact with those who pry into her life. If Shep ever wanted to share, she would - but she certainly does not.

× Shep can act a little too standoffish, even when she doesn't mean to be. Her cold manner of speaking is not always meant to indicate anything. She genuinely enjoys talking to different dogs, especially younger dogs, but shyer dogs in particular can feel very deterred by her behaviour.

Crush:

Uninterested.

Mate:

Nope.

Pups:

Unknown. She doesn't like talking about it.

Kin:

If they're still around, she doesn't really know who or where they are.

Affiliations:

Open!!

Other: