German Shepherd dogs, as well as the other herding breeds that we have in rescue, are highly active, energetic, working breeds. They require considerable vetting, exercise, socialization, training, leadership and mental stimuli in order to be well-adjusted, well-balanced, and well-mannered dogs. Even if you exercise and play with your dog daily in your fenced yard, you MUST still take your dog out on daily walks and outings in order to work on his/her leash skills, manners, and social skills. These breeds make great additions to active families who will pamper them, but who will also work with them, as they are smart dogs who need leadership, structure, plenty of activity and mental stimulation. 

If you are new to German Shepherds (and other herding breeds), please research the breed to make sure this is the dog for you. We ask that you consider the time and financial commitment that your German Shepherd (or other herding breed) dog will require before applying for one. Please review the section on our website (www.heartlandgsrescue.org) "Is a HUGS Dog Right for You?" for additional information.

We went to pull an urgent GSD from the shelter and saw poor Winter there: sweet, gorgeous, and also out of time. Winter is approximately 2 yo and around 60lbs. She was picked up as a stray, with her coat shaved in some places, and no one came for her. As if that wasn't sad enough, she appeared to be mid-to-late term pregnant. One of our fabulous foster couples who greatly loves both GSDs and Huskies, agreed to foster Winter so that we could rescue her. Winter is a fantastic girl with a super fun personality, and she is great with all the dogs in her foster home. A month after she arrived in her foster home, Winter gave birth to 5 adorable puppies: Brownie, Cookie, Krispie, Pie, and Pudding. We are currently accepting applications for Winter's puppies!

Cookie is the smallest of the litter and the best-behaved one in the bunch! He is an observer and likes to puppy/people watch. He has his energy spurts, plays well with the others, but he is also pretty confident and not afraid of new experiences! Cookie is extremely smart and sociable, and not shy to make his needs known (he is the most vocal in his litter). At only 6 weeks, he already knows "sit" and "down". He is a very playful, interactive, and sociable little guy! He loves attention, cudding with his humans, and playing and cuddling with the other dogs in his foster home (we'd love for Cookie to have a dog buddy in his adoptive home!) Fun fact: He is a really smart cookie (pun intended!). He figured out how to use the potty pad before any of the other puppies, and went on to become king of the potty pad!

Cookie's adoption fee is $425, all of which goes back into offsetting our high-cost vetting expenses and rescuing more dogs.  Adoption fees include spay/neuter, current on age-appropriate vaccinations, fecal, deworming, flea/tick and heartworm preventative, heartworm tested if old enough (treated if positive), and microchipped. Please visit http://heartlandgsrescue.rescuegroups.org/info/adoption for more information about our adoption process and requirements, and to apply.