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.

Larkspur is a gorgeous 3 month-old German Shepherd/Husky mix male puppy. He is all love and energy. He loves to play with the other household dogs for long periods of time, and then all of a sudden it will be quiet because they all exhausted themselves and fell asleep! Larkspur gets along well with all of of the cats, but especially foster kitty Blue. In true puppy fashion, he wants to be their friend, and would even love to play with the kitties, if they were willing! Larkspur is doing well with crate-training and potty-training. So far Larkspur knows "sit", "come," and is working on "down." He is very smart, learns very quickly and loves performing what he has learned. He is very sweet and sociable, and always greets everyone with tail wags and puppy licks. He is an adorable puppy who is an absolute joy to have around!

The adoption fee for the puppies in the Flower Litter 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. Like any of our dogs, these puppies would make a great addition to an active home that will provide the love, structure, good leadership, activity and mental stimulation that their breed needs. Because of that, their 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.