Ziego, a German shepherd

Here, the Animal Control Officer that encountered this at large dog recognized the collar he was wearing, and from it she knew he may obey a command given to him in German. Also note that this dog's separation was theorized to have been caused by a meter reader having left a gate open. This is a fairly common cause for lost dogs when they are left outside in their yards unattended.

German Shepherd Reunited With Owners In Riverside
'Ziego' Responded When An Animal Control Officer Spoke To Him In German
Jan 30, 2009 12:52 pm

Ziego, 6, responded when an animal services officer spoke to the dog in German

RIVERSIDE A lost German shepherd that a Riverside County animal control officer rescued by shouting German commands for the dog to heel was back with his owner Friday.

Ziego, a 6-year-old German shepherd found wandering in traffic Tuesday, was reunited Thursday night with his owner, Brooke Hebenton, a 19-year-old UC Riverside student.

"He's like a little kid. He acts like a puppy," Hebenton remarked shortly after the reunion. She said relief washed over her when she saw Ziego waiting at the shelter.

"It melted my heart. This is my first dog," she said. According to Riverside County Animal Services spokesman John Welsh, the canine might have gotten loose Tuesday after a meter reader inadvertently left a gate open at the Riverside home Hebenton shares with her mother.

Welsh said the dog owner agreed to have Ziego microchipped in case he gets loose again. Microchipping entails placing a device the size of a rice granule under the skin, which can be scanned for identifying information. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors recently passed an ordinance -- which takes effect at the end of next month -- requiring that all pets in unincorporated areas of the county be microchipped.

Around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, UC Riverside police spotted Ziego darting in and out of after-work traffic along Canyon Crest Drive, prompting officers to contact the county Department of Animal Services for assistance. Officer Tiffany Fuller, who previously trained search dogs and owns a 9-year-old German shepherd herself, responded.

"(Fuller) recognized a distinctive pinch collar on the male dog -- a telltale sign that the animal was likely a highly-trained imported dog from Germany," Welsh said earlier this week. Fuller switched to speaking German, yelling at the dog to "Platz!" meaning "Freeze!", at which point the shepherd lay down. The animal control officer then ordered the dog to "Bleib!" or Stay, at which point the German shepherd obediently waited for Fuller to place a leash around his neck.

"He lowered his head as if he had done something wrong, or as if he thought he was in trouble," Fuller said.

She drove to the Riverside Animal Shelter on Wilderness Avenue Thursday night to see Ziego returned to his owner.

"We always love when we can save a life," the animal control officer said. "It's even more exciting to see an animal get reunited with its loving family." According to Welsh, Hebenton provided documents that proved Ziego was hers, and when the dog first saw his owner at the shelter, "he jumped and circled excitedly."

Source: http://cbs2.com/pets/German.Shepherd.Dog.2.922614.html