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.

Tripp is one of Dakota’s five puppies.  Dakota is a sweet, gorgeous girl. Prior to rescue, Dakota (who was heavily pregnant) had been at the shelter. Luckily, we were able to get her out before she had a litter of puppies on March 19, 2021. Dakota is incredibly sweet and she was immediately grateful and relieved to get to safety. Dakota had her babies in a loving foster home and she loved them very much. Unfortunately, there were some complications, as this young mom was very inexperienced. Additionally, she developed an acute case of mastitis that required her to be hospitalized, and lose her milk. 3 of her newborn babies did not survive, but we were able to raise the remaining five in an incubator by bottle feeding them. They have been thriving, have grown strong, healthy, and gorgeous. We are now taking applications for Dakota's puppies!

Tripp is a 5 week old male German Shepherd mix. He has the most luscious coat of fur you'll ever see! He is a chunky boy and is sure to grow to a large size. He is tolerant of the bathing process but definitely complains from beginning to end- he is a big talker in general! Somehow his fur is always the cleanest out of the litter though... we're not sure how he does it! He has beautiful blue eyes and is one of the more photogenic puppies in his litter, as he stays still just a teensy bit longer than they do. Sometimes we catch him just sitting and watching everything going on around him, he's quite the contemplative puppy! He can be a little dramatic and prefers to have company at all times- we think he has FOMO and needs to be included in everything. He is a big lovebug and full of entertainment!

The adoption fee for Dakota’s puppies is $425, 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. Like any of our dogs,  puppies would make a great addition to an active home that will provide the love, structure, good leadership, activity and mental stimulation that her breed needs. Because of that, Dakota’s puppies’ ideal owners will have prior GSD, or other herding breed experience. Even if you exercise and play with your dog daily in your fenced yard, please remember that you MUST still take your dog out on daily walks and outings, in order to provide sufficient stimulation, ward off boredom, and work on leash skills, and manners.