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.

Winston is a 6-month-old white GSD puppy who is a total sweetheart. This boy came to us from a cruelty case in Oklahoma City, and was very underweight when he first arrived into rescue. He spent a few weeks at the vet receiving fluids and additional care as he arrived sick with an upper respiratory infection and his poor physical condition made it more difficult for him to recover. However, he was a fighter and made a full recovery (plus gained quite a bit of weight). Although he had a rough start in life, you would never be able to tell as he is the happiest boy ever and incredibly sweet!

Winston absolutely adores his people and follows his foster parents everywhere. He is very excited to see his foster parents every morning when he wakes up, and doesn’t want to start his breakfast routine until he has had the chance to say hello to everyone in the household! He is very affectionate and a huge snuggler. Winston also gets along great with other dogs and currently lives in a foster home with two other large dogs. While he enjoys romping around the yard with the other dogs, he is also very good at entertaining himself with toys and respecting the older dogs' space, when they are tired of playing with him. Winston likes to runs around the house squeaking his toy pig, and pushing around his noise-making wobble-wag giggle ball, which is hilarious! Winston is sweet but shy about meeting new people (he looks to foster mom for reassurance) and needs slow introductions to new people. Because of that, he would do best in home without a lot of new people going in and out all the time. Winston is great with dogs of all sizes and does well with cats too. This sweet boy is extremely eager to please and learns very quickly. He picked up basic commands within days of arriving into rescue. Winston is crate-trained. He is almost completely house-broken. While Winston is very well-behaved, he will still need supervision and additional positive reinforcement training, as he is still a puppy, and still in training! If you’re looking for a new family member that will brighten your days with his adorable smile and enthusiasm, apply today! Winston is incredibly sweet and warms up quickly, but because he is just a little little bit shy in the beginning, he will need a pet parent who will not rush him, and who will give him sufficient space while he adjusts. 

Winston's adoption fee is $395 all of which goes back into offseting our high-cost vetting expenses and rescuing more dogs.  We are a 100% volunteer-run rescue group and rely on adoption fees and donations to continue saving lives. Adoption fees include spay/neuter, current on age-appropriate vaccinations, fecal, deworming, flea/tick and heartworm preventative, heartworm tested if old enough (and 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.