Dogs Available through Owner Placement

Sometimes unforeseen circumstances force German Shepherd owners to seek a new home for their dog(s). This page serves to link such individuals with potential new owners--and to help prevent the tragedy of owners surrendering their pets to a shelter.

GSRSV is not involved in the adoption process of dogs listed on this page. Individuals interested in adopting a dog listed below should contact the owner directly at the phone number or e-mail listed. Because GSRSV is has not evaluated the dogs listed here, I cannot take responsibility for their temperament or health.

If you are an owner interested in listing your German Shepherd Dog(s) here, please see How to Place a Dog Through GSRSV.

This picture indicates that a dog has proven itself to be OK with cats.

Last updated 11/28/2021

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"Boston" is a 1½-yo, approx 65-lb spayed female GSD/ Cattle Dog/Pitbull mix who is high-drive, loving, and fearful of strangers—at least when on leash. Boston is very affectionate with her own people and loves to snuggle.

Boston does fine with people when she is off leash, such as at dog parks. However, when on leash she will she will bark, lunge, and snap at those she feels nervous around. Boston is not comfortable around children so a home without kids is in order for her.

Boston loves playing with other dogs and has excellent dog social skills. (Click here for a short video of her playing w/ other dogs at the beach.) She goes to off-leash dog parks every day and has a great time! Boston’s ideal home would include another playful dog for her to interact with, but this is not a requirement for adoption.

Boston is not a fan of cats so a home WITHOUT CATS is in order.

Boston has received considerable training, both for helping with her fear of strangers as well as for general obedience. UC Davis Veterinary School’s “Behavioral Team” prescribed two medications to help Boston w/ her fear aggression: gabapentin (3 X day) and sertraline hydrochloride ("Zoloft"—once/day). The medications have been a helpful tool in Boston’s training, but her people feel pretty confident (and GSRSV agrees) that if she lived somewhere quieter and with enough land for exercise so she didn’t have to encounter strangers she could be tapered off of it. Boston still receives both medications; together they cost about $25/month.

Tug Dogs’ work with Boston has helped reduce her aggression towards strangers but has not eliminated the behavior. Boston is a high-drive dog who thrives on “work” and learning new skills; her people often use a toy as a reward for her completing a series of commands.

Boston walks great on leash in the absence of human or “critter” (cats, squirrels) distractions. Further, her reactions to people are much less pronounced once she’s had plenty of exercise.

Boston is fully housetrained but her people do keep her crated when they are gone (usually with a treat-stuffed toy for her to work on). She sleeps either on their bed or in her crate.

Boston has yet to try a game she doesn't like. Favorites include fetch (with balls, sticks, Frisbees, etc), tug, "find it," and she enjoys obedience training. Boston does well riding in the car, but she is very reactive towards people who come near the vehicle when it’s parked. Boston likes to wade in water but has not yet gone for a full swim.

Boston’s people (Lisa & Chelsea) adopted her at 7 wks old in May 2020 from a rescue in Chico. They live in Oakland—a busy, urban environment that leads too often to the encounters with strangers that set Boston off. They are now seeking a new home for her in a more rural, private outdoor space environment with active people who can continue to give Boston the off-leash training and play that she thrives on.

Boston is located in Sacramento. Please contact Lisa or Chelsea at homeforboston@gmail.com or
510-499-7143.

Posted 11-17-21

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"Khloe" is a 60-lb, 4-yo spayed female GSD who is affectionate, energetic and “alpha” (at least with other female dogs).

Khloe is fine with visitors inside the house as long as they are accompanied by a person she is familiar with. She iis friendly w/ strangers outside the house. Her current person (Zach) has not had her around young children but believes that she’d be fine with them.

Khloe has lived w/ a 4-yo male Pitbull for the last 1½ years and done well with him. However, she has NOT done well w/ the female dogs that she presently lives with so Zach is seeking a home for her with either no other dogs or just a male dog. She is good with most dogs on neutral ground but can be possessive of toys. She seems to do better with small dogs than large dogs.

Khloe has not been around cats since she was adopted, so a home WITHOUT CATS is recommended.

Khloe is in good health but her rabies and distemper/parvo vaccinations have expired so will need to be boosted upon adoption.

Khloe is housetrained and can be left inside for eight hours without any problems. Though she has not received any formal obedience training in the 1½ years Zach has had her, she is well-behaved and obeys several commands, including sit, lie down, come, shake, and heel.

Khloe walks well on leash without distractions (she does pull a bit), but becomes very reactive when she sees other large dogs. She does have good recall when off-leash.

Khloe loves car rides and is very calm and obedient when riding in a car. She loves to play fetch and enjoys just about any toy, but especially Frisbee-shaped toys.

Khloe likes water and sometimes will put her paws in her water bowl.

Zach adopted Khloe from the animal shelter in Spokane, WA, 1½ yrs ago. Recently he had to move in w/ his parents in Lodi, CA. They already had three female dogs, and Khloe has not done well with them so Zach is seeking a new home for her.

Khloe is located in Lodi, CA. Her adoption fee is $100.

Please contact Zach Rohauer at rohauerz@gmail.com or 510-230-6766.

Posted 11-6-21

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Adopted in Late November!

"Copper" is a 95-lb, 21-month old (born 1-1-20) neutered male GSD mix who is loyal, playful and paternal. Copper’s secondary breeds are Boxer, American Staffordshire Terrier and White GSD.

Copper is in good health and his rabies and DHPP vaccinations are up-to-date.

Copper is friendly with people he meets, both inside the house and outside. He is also gentle with young children.

Copper is a mixed bag with other dogs. He is fine with the female Lab he lives with, but not so good with the male Chihuahua he lives with. He prefers not to associate with the Chi; If anything, he makes Copper nervous.

Copper is reactive towards other dogs that he encounters on walks (barks, pulls on the leash). He does not have much experience with other dogs on neutral grounds like a dog park. [Note: it’s GSRSV’s opinion that Copper could overcome his reactiveness towards other dogs w/ the proper training.]

Copper is NOT good with cats.

Copper is housetrained and sleeps inside uncrated. His people keep him outside when they are gone for any length of time. Copper has not received any formal obedience training with his present family.

Copper likes to be out front when walking on a leash. He pulls somewhat but this has improved over time. However, as mentioned, he becomes very agitated when he sees another dog. Copper’s off-leash recall has not been tested.

Copper likes to go for car rides, though he’s quite tall so he needs a little more room than most GSDs. He likes to be chased with an object in his mouth. Copper is not a fan of swimming.

Copper’s people adopted him one year ago from a friend who had Copper’s parents and siblings. They are now seeking a new home for him because Copper does not get along well with their Chihuahua and three cats. Also, they are not able to give Copper the attention that he deserves.

Copper is located in Sacramento. He has a rehoming fee of $100, per GSRSV’s policy.

Please contact Heather Cantrell at wnhcantrell@yahoo.com or 916-812-2901.

Posted 10-4-21

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"Kuzco" is a 6-month old, approx 35-lb neutered male GSD/Cattle Dog mix who is very affectionate, loyal and also very stubborn!

Kuzco is healthy and UTD on vaccinations (not due until 6-16-22).

Kuzco is friendly with people both in the house (with a proper introduction) and outside. He has not been around children since he was adopted in June of this year.

Kuzco does not do well sharing a house with other dogs. He is very possessive of his toys and food and wants to be the dominant dog..When he meets another dog on neutral ground, however, he is does fine and is excited to play.

Kuzco has a strong prey drive and does NOT do well with cats.

Kuzco is housetrained and is kept confined to his crate when his person is gone. He also sleeps in his crate. He has yet to receive any formal obedience training but does obey several basic commands.

Kuzco walks well on leash without distractions. When he sees other dogs or people, he does pull to get closer to them. Kuzco loves to ride in the car and is a good passenger.

Kuzco loves to play fetch and brings the fetch object back nearly all of the time. He also loves to swim, so a home where Kuzco’s new person can bring him to a lake or river for fetch sessions would be ideal.

Kuzco’s person Hannah Griffin adopted him from a Craigslist ad in June of this year. She is now seeking a new home for him because there are other pets in Hannah’s home that Kuzco does not get along with—at least when there are toys or food involved.

Kuzco is located in Fair Oaks. A $100 rehoming fee is required for Kuzco (per GSRSV's requirement).

Please contact Hannah Griffin at hthegriffin@icloud.com or 845-663-7115.

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"Reno" is a 55-60 lb, approx 2-yo spayed female GSD mix who is energetic, fearful/anxious and affectionate. She loves nothing more than a good belly rub! She's healthy and up-to-date on her vaccinations.

Reno is very shy with people she's never met before. When a visitor comes into the house, she will hide in another room and bark loudly. When out on walks, she will avoid people. Reno has not been around young children since she was adopted; given her timidness around adults, it’s hard to say how she’ll do with youngsters.

Reno appears to be good with other dogs. She has played regularly with a male Weimaraner at a sporting dog kennel where she is receiving both canine and human socialization and training.

Reno has a strong prey drive and is NOT good with cats.

Reno is housetrained and non-destructive in the house. She has never chewed up anything but her toys. Her people keep her in a crate when they are gone for more than an hour; she hates being by herself and cries for long periods when let alone. Her people also keep her crated at night to allow their cats a chance to roam the house freely.

Reno has received some obedience training and obeys commands such as “down” and “stay.” She is a fast learner and very treat-motivated, which has helped speed her training. She walks OK on leash, but can become a little too playful and start nipping at her handler’s heels. If she is startled by another dog she sometimes reaches a state of anxiety where she will bark at her handler in a seemingly aggressive manner.

Reno rides calmly in the car, but appears nervous while doing so.

Reno loves playing fetch and tug, as well as chewing on stuffed toys.

Reno has many behavioral issues that she needs help overcoming. She is fearful of not only new people but most new environments. She gets overly-excited in certain situations, such as when greeting her people in the morning; it’s as if she hasn’t seen them in ages and she becomes very mouthy. She demands attention and it can be difficult to bring her down when she is worked up.

Reno is definitely a “project dog”, but she has many good traits which outshine her drawbacks. She is a loving dog who will continue to make progress in the right hands and reward her people with love and loyalty.

Reno's people adopted her from the municipal animal shelter in Joshua Tree (Southern California desert) in May 2021. Reno is a bit too large of a training project than they are capable of handling, and they also know Reno can't coexist with their cats.

Reno is located in Los Angeles. No rehoming fee is requested.

Please contact Emma Kemp at 323-536-6714 or emmakemp88@hotmail.com.

Posted 8-26-21; updated 8-30-21

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"Rocky" is a stunning 110-lb, 8-yo (born early Feb 2013) neutered male GSD who is energetic, protective and adventurous.

Rocky Is protective (barks) when first meeting strangers in the house. After a newcomer has spent more time in the house he warms up to them. He does not have issues with people who return after their first visit.

Rocky has been well-socialized with people throughout his life and has always been fine with people in neutral settings such as campgrounds. However, over the last year he has become increasingly reactive towards strangers. For example, this year he charged at a woman who came into the campground where his family was camping. He was on a lead and nothing became of it, but this kind of behavior used to be unusual for Rocky; now it’s the norm.

Rocky grew up with children and likes them, but not in groups. He can become nervous and growl if surrounded or closed in by large groups of kids.

Rocky does great with other dogs, both large and small. He’s a veteran of dog parks and enjoys playing with other dogs.

Rocky is NOT good with cats.

Rocky is housetrained but has been primarily an outdoor dog his entire life. He is brought inside when it is extremely hot or cold but otherwise remains outdoors.

Rocky never received any formal obedience training but is responsive to his people. He walks well on leash with a prong collar but pulls strong without it. Rocky is non-reactive to other dogs that he sees when on walks.

Rocky loves riding in a vehicle and is a good passenger. He enjoys playing fetch with sticks and toys but prefers to play keep-away rather than bring them back to you. Rocky loves water, whether it’s swimming or being sprayed by the hose.

Rocky’s people purchased him from a breeder when he was a young puppy. They are now reluctantly seeking a new home for him because Rocky has become overly-protective during the past year and they are concerned that he might bite somebody. Further, they are now uncomfortable bringing him to places with people around where Rocky used to be fine, such as dog parks. He is a loyal, good-natured dog who has developed some troubling behaviors mid-life--behaviors that shouldn't pose a problem in a different environment.

Rocky is located in Yuba City. Per GSRSV’s policy a $100 rehoming fee is required to adopt Rocky.

Contact Daniel Underwood at danielwayneunderwood@gmail.com or 530-300-0142.

Posted 7-24-21

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