Northeast Wyoming German Shepherd Rescue
Before adopting a German Shepherd, please consider the following:
German Shepherds Must Have:1. Exercise for their minds (some kind of training)
2. Exercise for their bodies--at least 30 minutes vigorous exercise daily on a schedule regular enough that they can depend on it
3. Sustained contact with their people, to whom they bond deeply and to whom they want to be close
This is an active, highly intelligent breed, bred to work, and many GSD's have too much energy and ambition to fit well in relatively sedentary homes. Often people just don't understand the German Shepherd's need for mental and physical exercise. They find it too much work to take care of their dog's need to have a "job" or purpose in life; they don't keep their German Shepherd mentally active and learning. German Shepherds NEED to learn. They NEED a job; if not given one, they invent one (often one undesirable to people). They also NEED to spend most of their time with people. They don't do well left out in the back yard, or even more devastating, tied.
The German Shepherd is the premier working dog in the world. Some breeds are specialist, starring in one type of work, but the GSD is a generalist, able to do a great variety of kinds of work well. German Shepherds serve as Search & Rescue dogs, herding dogs, police dogs, Service Dogs and drug dogs--all occupations requiring a great deal of energy and concentration. They excel in Schutzhund and tracking. They make great Therapy Dogs. The list is almost endless. They are NOT couch potatoes.
They also NEED at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise daily, whether it be hiking, retrieving a ball, whatever. A sedate walk around the block on leash is not sufficient! Their exercise MUST be on a regular schedule. If they don't have a regular schedule to look forward to, don't find a regular outlet for all that energy and need to be busy, they will satisfy their longing by digging, barking, fence-running, etc.
Reasons GSD's Find Themselves in Need of Rescue:
1. Bad habits resulting from frustrations when the above needs are not met.
2. Owners' lack of knowledge of the breed: Maybe the owners didn't do their homework before buying a GSD and weren't expecting the constant light shedding plus the yearly Great Spring Shed that comes with these double-coated dogs (often called German Shedders by their loving owners). Or a family member turns out to be allergic to dog hair.
German Shepherd puppies are the cutest things imaginable, but they soon lose that puppy charm and become very large and busy. Perhaps the people didn't realize that GSD males typically weigh 80 - 100 pounds while females tip the scales at 65 - 80. Both sexes are very strong and can be hard to handle if they haven't been trained and/or taught manners, and expected to consistently do as told. Obedience classes should be a given for all GSD's.
Or perhaps their genetic temperament is faulty and they are either too aggressive and "pushy", or else fearful of much in life, sometimes to the point of developing separation anxiety or becoming fear-biters. Sometimes the problem is the high prey drive and energy level that makes them too much dog for the people to handle but would have made them superb working dogs, given a chance.
Whatever the problem, too many owners in this throw-away society of ours just get rid of the dog, often for reasons which are not in any way the dog's fault.
3. Changes in the family situation: divorce, family illness or death, job loss, a move to housing that doesn't allow pets.
4. Abuse or neglect. God forbid, but it does happen all too frequently.
If you are interested in adopting a German Shepherd rescue, please contact us at CELHAUS@FIBERPIPE.NET or BDADDYLL@WYOMING.COM
All potential adopters much fill out an application and have a home visit done. Adoption fees are generally $100-$125, but may vary if the dog has required special medical attention. All of our dogs are spayed or neutered before placement and are up to date on shots.
Time is of the essence when rescuing dogs, so if you are actively looking for a GSD but do not see one on our site that fits your needs, please contact us and let us know what type of dog you are looking for. We are often able to locate other available GSDs in other rescues we work with, or have a dog that we are aware of, but have not yet listed on this site.
