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Molly is fine with other dogs, though she is quite reactive towards them when on leash or in a car. She did great w/ the dogs she met at GSRSV's rescue ranch. (Click here for video.) Molly does have a strong play drive and she did try "herding" one of the GSRSV dogs who is particularly hyper, so it's possible she may not be good with small, barky dogs.

We don't know how Molly is with cats, so we'll only consider a home without cats for her.

Molly is housetrained and is non-destructive inside. Her owners keep her inside when they're gone and there have been no problems leaving her alone for 4 hours or more.

Molly obeys basic commands such as "sit, lie and come", and is quick to learn new commands. She is very treat-motivated, which is a big plus in training. Molly is OK on leash except when she sees other dogs, so she will need work in this area.

Molly loves to play fetch and will do so until you tire out. She also enjoys playing in sprinklers and dipping her paws in the water bucket. She did jump into the pond at GSRSV's rescue ranch, but she didn't realize it was water she was jumping into!

Molly was picked up as a stray (with a slight wound to her rear end) in May and brought to the Front St Shelter in Sacramento. Molly's owners fostered her for over a month until she was adopted in June. The adoption only lasted two days as Molly reportedly played too rough with their young children. [I'm betting that this was due to lack of control over Molly by the parents.] Several days later, the mother and son who originally fostered Molly adopted her. They are now seeking a new home for Molly because the son is taking on a new job in Texas where he won't be able to house Molly.

GSRSV has evaluated Molly and is placing her as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Molly through its adoption program while her owners continue to care for her.

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"Otis" is a 72-lb, 20-month old (born Nov 7, 2016) neutered male Great Pyrenees/GSD who is loving, obedient and protective. Otis is fine with strangers off his home turf, and quite friendly with visitors at home once properly introduced. However, he is territorial at his house and bit a friend of his owners who came into their house unannounced. He also bit the UPS man when their son let him slip out the front door. Neither bite was serious.

Otis is great with other dogs and is a regular visitor to doggy daycare, where he is a staff favorite. Otis is good with little dogs and is gentle with the two that he lives with: an 11-yo male ShiTzu mix and a 6-yo female Chihuahua mix. However, Otis sees many other dogs--small or large-- as a threat when he is on leash or near his home and will lunge and bark. He is much better off leash – at the dog park, on trail, etc., when he is away from his home turf.

Otis did fine with the dogs he met at GSRSV's rescue ranch. He was actually on the timid side, keeping near his people except when the other dogs quieted down a bit. (Click here for a video.)

Otis does very well with the cat that he lives with--at least when it's just him and the cat. When one of the little dogs decides to harass the cat, Otis can't resist joining in.

Otis is housetrained and is inside most of the time. He is accustomed to being with the other two dogs, and will bark when left alone. So, ideally we would like to see Otis go to a home with another dog--preferably one that he can play with.

Otis has received quite a bit of formal obedience training and responds well to basic commands. He walks well on leash, but can be reactive towards other dog or sometimes towards people if they have an awkward gait or stare at him. Otis enjoys going for car rides but does whine a fair amount.

Otis enjoys swimming and playing tug-of-war and fetch--though he's not great about returning the ball.

Otis' owners have had him since he was seven weeks old. They were initially fostering Otis and his four brothers and ended up keeping him. They are seeking a new home for Otis because his protective nature does not mesh well with their family's active, suburban lifestyle. They have two young teenagers who have many friends coming in and out of their house and there are lots of dogs who walk by their house--factors that present many opportunities for a mishap.

GSRSV has evaluated Otis and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Otis through its adoption program while his owners continue to care for him.

Otis is located in San Anselmo (Marin County). His adoption fee is $210.

Posted 8-3-18.

Update: Oso rescued, now in
foster home!

"Oso" is a 120-lb, 4½-yo neutered male GSD who is a "gentle giant" personified. Oso is a Black Lab in a Black GSD's body--friendly with everyone, gentle with children, just plain mellow. Like many Labs, he's also on the heavy side--his optimal weight is 90-100 lbs. Oso is large-boned, sloped-back and clearly of German lineage.

Oso is fine with other dogs--impressive given that he's been raised as an only dog and has not been around many other dogs during his life. When at GSRSV's rescue ranch, Oso was rather timid of the other dogs there, constantly seeking the security of the people he came with. (Click here for a video of Oso around the other typically boisterous dogs at the pond.) Eventually, Oso relaxed when the other dogs did as well. Though intimidated, he never so much as curled his lip. 

Oso has never been around cats, so we will only consider a home without cats for him.

Oso is housetrained and has been a housedog since he was a pup. His owner keeps him inside when he's gone for the most part and Oso does fine.

Oso received obedience training when he was about 8 months. He responds well to basic commands. Oso walks fine on leash, though he does pull initially out of eagerness. He does become excited and vocal when he sees other dogs due to his desire to go meet them.

Oso's owner James purchased him from a breeder when Oso was 3 months old. James and his girlfriend had to move and could not find a place that allowed dogs as large as Oso.  James' brother allowed them to keep Oso at his house in Stockton until July 31; when that date came and nobody had adopted Oso, GSRSV took Oso in. 

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Athena is very friendly with people, including strangers. She is great with children and was fine with a 5-yr old child hugging her.

Athena is good with medium and large dogs, and is good buddies with the male GSD she lives with. She was great w/ the several GSDs she met at GSRSV's rescue ranch. (Click here for a video of Athena with those dogs.)  However, Athena is NOT good with small dogs; she will go after them like they are rabbits.

Athena is also not good with cats or livestock.

Athena is housetrained, but spends most of her time outside with her male GSD friend. She has received some basic obedience training and responds to basic commands in German. When it's time for walks, Athena does pull strongly at first, but settles down quickly. She is excitable and will jump up on you out of affection if you're not firm with her.

Athena loves to play fetch and is good about bringing the ball back. She also loves water and to swim.

Athena's owners Glenda & Todd purchased her from a private party in Chico about two years ago. Athena has been a valued member of their family, but they have always had to keep her separate from their little dogs. Recently, Athena was able to get to Glenda's Chihuahua and attacked it (fortunately, the wounds weren't bad). Fearing a similar incident, they've sought GSRSV's assistance in rehoming her.

GSRSV has evaluated Athena and is placing her as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Athena through its adoption program while her owners continue to care for her.

Athena is located in Oakdale. Her adoption fee is $210.

Posted 3-13-18

"Buddy" is a 3½-yo neutered male GSD mix who is well-tempered, affectionate and playful. Buddy is friendly with everyone he meets. He loves attention and to receive belly rubs. He likes being around kids and is gentle with young children, as shown in the 2nd picture from top at left.

Buddy is good with other dogs. He presently lives with two male GSDs (Thor & Roscoe) who he gets along with great. Buddy likes to emulate what Thor and Roscoe do. If they get up and go outside he will follow. When he is with them on their routine romps at the creek he will not run off to the water until one of the others does. (Click here for a video.)

Buddy is not good with cats.

Buddy is housetrained and exceptionally well-behaved inside. He has been inside for up to 12 hours with no accidents!

Buddy walks well on leash and has good recall off-leash. He is very good in crowds and around strangers.

Buddy rides well in a car and gets very excited when it comes time for a trip. He enjoys splashing in water, but I never saw him swim when he was at GSRSV's rescue ranch.

GSRSV rescued Buddy from the Stanislaus County Shelter on March 3, 2017.

Buddy's adoption fee is $210. He is presently in a foster home in Elk Grove.

Posted 4-28-18; updated 5-4-18.

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Owner Recently had Heart Bypass Surgery--
Can No Longer Properly Care for His GSD!

"Cooper" is a friendly, easy-going 9-yo (born 10-2-09) neutered male GSD with a great temperament. Cooper is about as chill a GSD as I've ever met--just tail wags and smiles. He didn't even object to me rubbing off the dirt from his belly with a towel before he left--something even some of my own dogs would squirm away from.

Cooper is good with people of all ages, and he especially enjoys playing with children.

Cooper is great with other dogs, as can be seen from the photos of him and the resident GSRSV dogs.  (Click here for a video.) Cooper has always been an only dog, but his owner Thomas clearly socialized him well. Though 9-yrs old, Cooper tried to engage Buddy in play!

Cooper is NOT good with cats.

Cooper is housetrained, but spends most of his time outdoors, including at night. In cold and rainy weather, Thomas brings him inside. It would be nice for Cooper to spend his golden years in the comforts of a house!

Cooper is well trained, but no obedience command star. He walks fine on leash, unless he sees a cat--then he's off to the races.

Cooper is in good health, with one caveat: he is seriously overweight--approx 25-30 lbs overweight in my opinion. (I'm guessing he weighs about 110 lbs.) He walks OK, but just the 30 minutes or so of walking around at GSRSV's rescue ranch wore him out. He is not able to jump into the back of Thomas' Chrysler Pacifica; he can get his front paws up, but then Thomas needs to lift him the rest of the way--no easy feat.

I can't emphasize how important for Cooper's longevity it will be for whoever adopts Cooper to work off his excess weight and build up his stamina. It will take diligence and discipline, as Cooper does like to eat!

Thomas raised Cooper from a little pup. He is only seeking a new home for Cooper because he had heart bypass surgery two weeks ago and does not have the strength now to properly exercise Cooper.

GSRSV has evaluated Cooper and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Cooper through its adoption program while his owner continues to care for him.

Cooper is located in Lincoln. His adoption fee is $160.

Posted 6-15-18

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Koda is a "mixed bag" with other dogs. On the one hand, he was a great playmate with a female Pit Bull for a few years and did OK w/ most of the greeting dogs at GSRSV's rescue ranch most of the time he was there to be evaluated. (Click here for a video of Koda walking harmoniously w/ some of those dogs.) On the other hand, Koda displayed aggression to a few of the GSRSV greeting dogs and is generally reactive towards other dogs when on leash. It's my strong belief that Koda's aggressive behavior was out of protectiveness of his owner Nicole. I was able to call off Koda each time he tried to stir things up w/ one of my dogs, but I don’t think that Nicole or her husband have established clear authority w/ Koda to be able to do this. 

It's clear that Koda lacks socialization towards other dogs, which in turn is mostly due to his owners' hesitancy to take him to dog parks and similar canine social settings. It's my belief that Koda just needs some firm guidance and redirection w/ other dogs, but it will definitely entail some work.  

Koda chases cats and other small animals, so we will only consider a home without cats for him.   

Koda is fully housetrained and never a problem inside the house. He received three months of formal training in a resident training kennel to try to address his nipping issues, on-leash reactions to other dogs and improve his response to commands; the training was somewhat successful, but there was little follow-up. 

Koda pulls somewhat when on leash, so his owners use a choke collar. Koda would probably do much better on leash with an authoritative handler. He likes to go for car rides and is a good passenger.  

Koda loves to chase after balls, but does not always return them to you. He also loves "stuffies."

Koda's owners adopted him from a family that was fostering him for some people who found him abandoned in a campground in Arnold when he was about 1 yr old. While Koda's owners are attached to him, they didn't think he would do well with their expectant baby due to his food and object possessiveness. Nicole brought Koda to her parents' house in Rancho Murietta about 1½ yrs ago, just before she had her baby. It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, so now Nicole is seeking a new, permanent home for Koda.

GSRSV has evaluated Koda and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Koda through its adoption program while his caregiver continues to care for him.

Koda is located in Rancho Murietta. His adoption fee is $210.

Posted 2-27-17

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Leise is fine with other dogs. She doesn't really interact much, but is completely non-aggressive. She lives inside with two Labradoodles (one male, one female) and gets along well with both of them. When I evaluated Leise at GSRSV's rescue ranch, she was perfectly comfortable around the rowdy, boisterous dogs--maintaining her calm demeanor the entire time. (Click here for video.)

We haven't observed Leise around cats, but it's quite possible she'll be OK with them. I'll consider a home with cats for Leise.

Leise is housetrained and non-destructive inside. Her caregivers leave her free inside with their two other dogs routinely for 3-4 hrs with no problems whatsoever.

Leise is great on leash--she does not pull and is non-reactive towards other dogs. She is good off-leash as well; her caregiver routinely has her in front of his garage in the morning without her running off. Leise also rides well in a vehicle.

Leise has quite the unusual story. The daughter of Leise's caregiver (Travis) found her in Antelope on July 10. Travis brought her to a vet where she was scanned for a microchip, but none was found. The vet staff recognized the dog; she had been brought in about two weeks prior by another person who had found her running loose! That person left her at the vet hospital for Sac County Animal Control to pick up. Hearing this story, Travis brought Leise to the Sac County shelter hoping that they could match her with her owner. However, without a microchip or ID tag, they were unable to identify the owner. So, Travis held on to Leise in hopes of finding her owner through online notices--which never happened. Thus, Travis sought GSRSV's assistance in finding Leise a permanent home.

Leise has clearly given birth to puppies previously--likely as recent as this year, and probably more than once. My hunch is that Leise was used for breeding and though not abused, didn't receive much attention.

GSRSV has evaluated Leise and is placing her as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Leise through its adoption program while her caregiver continues to care for her.

Posted 7-29-18

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"Luci" is a large (about 85 lbs), 5-yo (born 11-16-12) spayed female GSD/Lab who is friendly, energetic, and somewhat hard-headed. Luci's father was a purebred  GSD and her mother a purebred Labrador Retriever. Luci is great with people, though she does alarm bark appropriately when people come to the door. Luci is great with kids, and grew up w/ a 1-yo girl (now 6) as well as two other children now 11 & 9.

Luci is great with other dogs for the most part, and lives harmoniously with a 14-yo female Lab. She was also excellent with several dogs at GSRSV's rescue ranch. (Click here to see a video of her running among the other dogs.) However, Luci is very protective of her territory towards other dogs, and will charge at--and in some cases fight with--dogs near her house if she gets out.   

Luci is not good with cats.

Luci is housetrained and well-behaved in the house for the most part, but she will get up on counters if there is food within reach and she is not supervised. Luci received obedience training when she was 1 yr old, and obeys basic commands. However, she could use some off-leash training to improve her recall.

Luci pulls fairly hard on leash--nothing that the 11-yo and 9-yo kids can't handle, but she's far too strong for the 6-yo.

Luci enjoys going for car rides and travels well. She likes to swim and play fetch.

Luci's owners have had her since she was a puppy. Though they are very attached to her, Luci's propensity for dashing out the door when given the opportunity (especially by their 6-yo daughter) has created too many "situations" and her owners are worried that she might hurt another dog or get hit by a car. Reluctantly, they are seeking a new home for her through GSRSV.

[Note from GSRSV: with proper training and firm leadership, I'm certain that Luci's "door dashing" would be resolved.]

GSRSV has evaluated Lucy and is placing her as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Luci through its adoption program while her owners continue to care for her.

Poe wants to play with other dogs, but his approach ("Here I come!") and typical GSD rough style of play can make some dogs defensive, leading to squabbles. He is good with a small (under 20 lb) female dog who he has play-dates with every so often.

I met Poe at GSRSV's rescue ranch, and for the most part he did great with the other dogs there. Occasionally he would growl when he was standing next to his owner Britne and another dog approached her, but he was very quick to respond to a verbal rebuke. Poe interacted with the other dogs for about an hour with no squabbles and the longer he was there, the more relaxed he became. Click here for a video of Poe romping and splashing with the other dogs.

Poe will need continued socialization with other dogs to learn a more proper introduction and to tune his style of play to that of the other dogs. This will require an experienced GSD owner (no first-timers for Poe) who knows how to keep an overly-exuberant 80-lb dog in check.

Poe is housetrained and is inside with his family when they are home. When they are gone, he generally stays outside--(he has access to the garage via a dog door). He is fine when left inside on his own, though.

Poe walks easily on leash when he is wearing a harness. However, he is very reactive towards other dogs--he will bark and carry on out of his desire to meet the other dog. Clearly, Poe will need additional training if he is to overcome his on-leash reactiveness.

Poe loves to go for car rides and is an excellent, calm passenger. He loves to chase after tennis balls and will occasionally bring them back (he prefers to chew them up)! Poe also loves to swim (see the video above).

Poe does exhibit some OCD behaviors that are not uncommon in GSDs: he loves searching for and chasing reflections and shadows (e.g., of birds flying overhead) and he is constantly on patrol in the backyard, forming paths along the fenceline.

As mentioned, Poe is protective of his people--sometimes a little too protective. Recently, Poe's owners' had their 16-yo nephew and some friends over and they were all gathered around Poe. For some reason, Poe bit the hand of one of the nephew's friends when he reached out to pet him. The bite barely broke the skin, but it shook the foundation of trust that his owners have in Poe. Previously, Poe had snapped at a friend of Britne's (without making contact), so the incident with the boy raised concerns about possible future incidents. Though Poe is an integral member of their family, Poe's owners have decided it would be best if they find him a more appropriate home.  

My read on Poe is that he's not aggressive at all but rather a little headstrong. I believe that he simply needs a stronger correction response from his owners to show him "who's boss" and to convey to him that they do not need him to protect them from their own friends!

GSRSV has evaluated Poe and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Poe through its adoption program while his owners continue to care for him.

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Rio is great with other dogs, as he demonstrated at GSRSV's rescue ranch. (Click here for a video.) He's actually on the timid side, so would be fine paired with either a submissive or dominant dog.

Rio has never been around cats, but he's a gentle soul. My gut feeling is that he would be OK w/ a cat, so I will consider a home w/ a cat or cats that have been around big dogs before.

Rio's owners have kept him as an outdoor dog his entire life with them so they can't say with certainty whether or not Rio is housetrained. However, dogs Rio's age generally learn house manners quickly. 

Outdoors, Rio does like to dig , but his past behavior is not a fair assessment because he hasn't been provided with enough exercise and interaction with his owners to keep him from getting bored and into trouble.

Rio received some initial training as a 3-mos old pup at Petco. The training lasted for about 3 months but his owners didn't put in enough time with his follow-up training at home. They found it difficult to control him on walks, to make him not jump on them and other people, and not to scratch the screens outside their house windows. (Clearly he wanted to be inside with them!) So, they gave up on training him at home and on his walks too soon.

Rio pulls rather strongly on leash, so he needs a person who is both strong and willing to work with him on his leash skills. Rio rides fine in a vehicle and enjoys going for rides.

Rio loves to play fetch with tennis balls or Frisbees. He also loves all things water, and took right to the pond at GSRSV's rescue ranch. (Click here for video of Rio fetching a tennis ball in the pond.)

Rio's owners purchased him as a very young puppy (approx 4-5 wks old). Though Rio's male owner Edwin has spent lots of time playing with and walking Rio, his wife and daughter are unable to handle Rio's size and energy. Recently, Rio's owners had their backyard redone and don't spend enough time with him to keep him from ruining the new  landscaping. Therefore, they have decided to put him up for adoption.

GSRSV has evaluated Rio and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Rio through its adoption program while his owners continue to care for him.

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Updated: Available for Adoption Again!

"Snoopy" is a 70-lb, 1-yo neutered male GSD mix who is happy, loveable and a little goofy. I'm not sure what Snoopy is mixed with, but maybe it's Panda Bear--he's awfully mellow for such a young dog! Snoopy is friendly with everyone and I don't expect him to be much of a watchdog--though he's still going to go through some developmental changes. I KNOW that Snoopy will be great with young children; he met two kids (ages & 10) and was literally melting in their arms.

Snoopy gets along fine with other dogs, but he does have a prey drive and doesn't seem to know what little dog is; therefore, I am seeking a home with no small dogs. (I'm confident that once he realized that little dogs are indeed dogs, he'd be fine with them.) Snoopy doesn't like playing rough like most purebred GSDs do but does enjoy canine companionship. He prefers to receive attention from humans more so than from other dogs, but will be fine with most any dog other than one that a really small one or one that wants to dominate him.

I have not seen Snoopy around cats, but since he went after a Chihuahua mix like it was a rabbit, I can't consider a home with cats for him.

Snoopy is housetrained, never had an accident in the house he's in, and so far has been completely non-destructive inside. He responds well to the "sit" and "lie down" commands, so apparently he's received some obedience training in his young life. He's been around other dogs ever since I rescued him, so I'm not sure how he'll do alone. If he ends up with a one-dog family, he'll likely require at least a few days adjusting.

Snoopy walks very well on leash and rides calmly in a vehicle. He apparently enjoys water, as he took to the pond at GSRSV's rescue ranch fairly quickly.

Snoopy gets his name from his long snout and the somewhat comical overbite in his muzzle. I'm not sure if his overbite originates from another canine breed (Collie?) but it does not affect his ability to eat normally.

GSRSV rescued Snoopy from the Stanislaus County Shelter on 6-23-18. He had been at the shelter since May 12; I imagine that he was a staff favorite at the shelter. Nonetheless, his time had run out and he was going to be euthanized so GSRSV appealed for donations to board Snoopy until he could be transferred to a no-kill shelter out of state. Three women came forward with donations to cover his boarding expense. (Thank you Danielle Blount, Diana Cheung and Alicia Navarro!) When I discovered what a sweet dog Snoopy is, I searched for and was able to find a foster home for him so that he wouldn't have to go back to a shelter.

Snoopy is located in Sacramento. His adoption fee is $210.

Posted 7-18-18; updated 8-5-18

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Sparky does great with other dogs and is a regular visitor to the local dog park, where he seeks the dogs who like to play and chase. He was easy-going w/ the dogs he met at GSRSV's rescue ranch right from the start. (Click here for a video of Sparky romping around w/ the other dogs.)

Sparky is NOT good with cats.

Sparky is housetrained but his people keep him outdoors primarily; they let him inside when they're home, but generally not for very long. Sparky sleeps outside for the most part, but his owner admits Sparky would prefer to be inside on his bed if he let him.

Sparky is well-behaved and apparently received basic obedience training in his former home. He responds to the commands "sit, stay, shake, lie down and come."  Sparky loves to go for walks; he does pull somewhat on the leash but he's still learning to walk "nice." Sparky is not overly-reactive towards other dogs he sees on walks.

Sparky loves car rides and jumps right in. He likes to run after a ball, but is not much into bringing it back. Sparky does not appear to have been around swimming holes before, as he was cautious of the pond at GSRSV's rescue ranch--though it appeared like he wanted to go in.

Sparky's people adopted him from the Stanislaus County Shelter in Modesto on March 31, 2018. Though Sparky has been a great dog for his family, they were not allowed to have dogs at their rental property and a neighbor (also a tenant of the same landlord) complained. The landlord has since told them to find another home for Sparky.

GSRSV has evaluated Sparky and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Sparky through its adoption program while his owners continue to care for him. (We're not sure how much time their landlord is going to give them, though.)

Sparky is located in Modesto. His adoption fee is $210.

Posted 6-3-18

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Tessa is fine with other dogs, both large and small, and does well at dog parks. (Click here for a short video of Tessa on leash encountering two other dogs at a park.) Tessa has always been an only dog, however, and has never met a dog on her own turf. However, since her new home will not be her own turf at first, I don't foresee any problems with Tessa in a home w/ another dog.

Tessa has never been around cats, so we will only consider homes without cats for her.

Tessa is fully housetrained and remains inside during the day when her present owner is away at work. She sleeps on a dog bed in her owner's bedroom.

Tessa is good on leash and does not get overly excited when she sees other dogs--maybe a slight pull on the leash, but she immediately responds to verbal correction. She never received formal obedience training, but is responsive to multiple commands.

Tessa loves to play catch, to swim, and to go for car rides.

Tessa is reportedly in good health, but her owner Michelle states that she walks slowly, has more or less become a couch potato, and needs a ramp to get in the car. Michelle also states that Tessa weighs approx 110 lbs--which is WAY overweight and likely accounts for Tessa's lack of vitality. I have seen this with many, many German Shepherds--especially the old ones. If Tessa weighed about 80 lbs, she would be a completely different dog. Imagine walking around all day with a 30-lb backpack! Whoever adopts Tessa must be serious about reducing Tessa's weight considerably--and to not give in to those begging eyes! 

Michelle purchased Tessa from a breeder in Illinois when she was a young pup. She is going through a divorce after ten years, and has been unable to find affordable rental housing suitable for her and her two kids that will accept Tessa. Michelle will likely have to be out of her house by early November.

GSRSV has evaluated Tessa and is placing her as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Tessa through its adoption program while her owner continues to care for her.

Tessa is located in Sparks, NV.  Her adoption fee is $110.

Posted 9-26-17

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Vader is great with large and medium-size dogs, but not so good with small dogs. He used to be a regular visitor to the dog park, but took to chasing the smaller dogs so his owner quit taking him. Vader lives with a female Husky/Jack Russell Terrier who he gets along well with. Vader did great with the other dogs at GSRSV's rescue ranch, and kept trying to get one dog to chase him. Click here for a video of Vader with the GSRSV dogs.

Vader is not good with cats.

Vader is housetrained and is inside most of the time. His owner keeps Vader and her other dog in her house when she's gone without worry of any mischief.

Vader walks fairly well on leash, but his owner primarily exercises him by running him alongside her bicycle, which he does well. Vader is a strong, energetic dog and loves to run. Vader also loves to splash in kiddie pools and took fairly quickly to the pond at the rescue ranch. Vader also likes to play fetch and is good about returning the ball. 

Vader's owner adopted him from the Sac City Shelter in August 2016. She is seeking a new home for Vader primarily because she works extra-long shifts, leaving precious little time to spend with Vader at home. Also, she has some physical limitations that make handling a dog of Vader's size and strength a challenge.

GSRSV has evaluated Vader and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Vader through its adoption program while his owner continues to care for him.

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OK with Cats!
"Zoe" is a loveable, energetic, 60 lb 5-yo spayed female Terrier/GSD mix with lots of personality. Zoe is friendly with strangers, but is also a good watchdog. (She barks at people who enter the home, but does not approach them aggressively.) Zoe is fine with children, but nervous around toddlers, so no kids under 4 yrs for Zoe.

Zoe is great with other dogs for the most part, but can be somewhat bossy with alpha female dogs, so it's best that Zoe be paired with a male dog. She is presently living with a male Pit Bull mix that she plays with constantly--and plays hard! Zoe is good with small dogs and spent a good amount of time in the same house as a small dog who she let boss her around. Zoe is good at the dog park.

Contrary to Zoe's previous Web profile, she is OK with cats! She was in a foster home with cats for three weeks early 2016 while she was recovering from knee surgery, and her foster caretaker at the time often had Zoe around her cats without a problem. Now, Zoe is back at her regular foster home, where Zoe does fine around the two resident cats when they are inside. Once the cats go outside, it’s a different story: Zoe will corner them and bark at them, though that is the extent of her harassment. Regina, Zoe's foster caretaker, thinks she would do fine with a dog savvy indoor cat. Though Zoe might be somewhat annoying to a cat, she has given us no reason to believe that she'd hurt one.

On the other hand, Zoe does has a very strong prey drive and loves to chase after squirrels, birds, and other outdoor critters. 

Zoe is great in the house and exhibits no separation anxiety when left alone. (She was previously an only dog in an apartment, in which she was left for several hours each day by herself.) She is fine on leash, but does pull hard when she sees a cat or squirrel.

Zoe is a quick learner and obeys numerous commands. She is even trained to relieve herself on command! She has good recall off-leash, unless she's spotted a small critter to chase. 

Zoe loves to play fetch w/ a ball or Frisbee and to play chase in an open field. More than anything, she loves to swim and to snap at the water stream from a hose. (Click here for a video of Zoe swimming in the pond at GSRSV's rescue ranch.) 

GSRSV originally rescued Zoe in April 2012 from a woman who could no longer keep her due to a forced move from her home. Zoe was adopted by a young couple in Nov 2013. The couple had to return Zoe in Nov 2015 due to a death in the family and a subsequent move into the house of one of the parents. 

Zoe is presently in a foster home in East Sacramento. Her adoption fee is $175, which includes a microchip.

Posted 12-7-15; updated 7-11-16

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"Zorro" is a 3 1/2-yr old (born 10-11-14) neutered male Malamute or Siberian Husky/GSD who is very outgoing, friendly and playful. Zorro loves human attention. He does fine with the 8-yr old girl he lives with, who says he's a "great, fun dog." Zorro gets very mouthy and physical when he gets excited, so he might overwhelm younger children. However, it's likely these rough habits of his can be trained to softer behaviors over time. He does have a soft side to him, as he loves cuddles and kisses!

Zorro gets along well with the two large female dogs he lives with and rough houses with one of them constantly. (Click here for a video.) Zorro spent over a year at GSRSV's rescue ranch, and was always good w/ the other dogs there.

Zorro responds well to basic commands and correction. He is eager to please and lives for praise, so he's highly trainable. However, he does have the some of the stubbornness and lack of focus of Malamutes and Huskies. He is very vocal and barks/howls when excited, concerned, or just feels like talking; this is also typical of the Nordic breeds. 

Zorro is quite playful and athletic, and will do best in a home in which he receives lots of exercise and training reinforcement.

GSRSV took Zorro in on Jan 31, 2016, from a family who adopted Zorro from some friends of theirs but couldn't keep him due to his mouthiness. (Zorro was still quite the puppy at that time.)

Zorro is in a foster home in Oakdale. His adoption fee is $210.

Posted 4-28-18; updated 5-5-18

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Adopted 7-26-18!

"Benny" is an 85-lb, 6¾-yo (born 8-29-11) neutered male GSD who is loving, energetic and protective. Benny is friendly with people both off his turf and once properly introduced in his home. He is gentle and tolerant of the 17-mos-old boy he lives with; the toddler can take food out of his bowl or take toys from him with absolutely no problem. He is also good w/ other youngsters who come visit.

Benny is fine with other dogs--he is usually indifferent, but he can be playful with them. Benny did very well w/ the dogs he met at GSRSV's rescue ranch once he realized they were not going to gang up on him. One dog in particular wanted to play with Benny, and he responded in kind.

Benny is not good with cats.

Benny is housetrained and spends most of his time indoors. He is completely trustworthy when left alone inside.

Benny received considerable obedience training when he was a puppy, and still responds well to basic commands. He walks well on a leash, though his owners do use a prong collar to maintain control. He is not overly-reactive when he sees other dogs.

Benny likes to go for car rides, but does whine--often for extended periods of time--while in the car. It's as if he's overly-eager to get to the destination. He does not get car-sick, however.

Benny loves to swim and play fetch. Click here to see a video of Benny in action doing both.

Posted 6-25-18

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Adopted 7-15-18!

"Apollo L" is a handsome, 80-lb, 2-yo neutered male GSD who is very sociable and playful. Apollo loves human companionship and is friendly with everyone he meets. He has not been around really young children that we know of, but I have every reason to believe the he'll be very good with them.

Apollo is great with other dogs. He was perfectly behaved around several other dogs at GSRSV's rescue ranch. (Click here for video.)

Apollo is NOT good with cats, so we will only consider a home without cats for him.

Apollo is housetrained and spent his first year as a house dog. He has been kept outdoors over the past year due to allergies suffered by one of his caretakers. I'm not sure how Apollo is on leash as his caretakers do not walk him but rather let him roam on their three acres. Apollo is not great about responding to basic commands, but is surely out of practice. Apollo rides well in a car and likes to go for rides.

Apollo loves to play fetch and is good about bringing the ball back. He apparently likes to swim, as he went right into the pond at GSRSV's rescue ranch (see video).

Matthew, the son of Apollo's caretakers, adopted him from a friend at about 3-4 months when the friend was told by his parents that he could not have a dog after bringing him home. Matthew began attending dental school in Southern California about a year ago and left Apollo with his parents. Though they are both fond of Apollo they do not have time to devote to him and again, one of them is allergic to dogs.

Because Apollo is left outside, he's become quite bored and has found a way to get off the property. Though he simply goes to the first person he finds, it has created a difficult situation for his caretakers and so they have sought GSRSV's assistance in rehoming him.

GSRSV has evaluated Apollo and is placing him as a "Program Dog." This means that GSRSV is placing Apollo through its adoption program while his guardians continue to care for him. (Note: GSRSV originally posted Apoillo for adoption on 6-30-17 but removed him on 10-24-17 when Apollo's caretaker asked me to. He has since requested that I re-post him.)

Apollo is located in Elk Grove. His adoption fee is $260.

Re-posted 1-21-18