German Shepherd Rescue Texas: DFW German Shepherd Rescue
If you looking for Texas German Shepherd Rescues and are located in North Texas, you may be interested in checking out DFW German Shepherd Rescue. This non-profit, ran by a volunteer organization strives to save and re-home homeless or abused German Shepherds across Texas. A lot of their dogs have endured unfortunate life circumstances are come to this Rescue from dog shelters, from unsuitable homes, or even from the streets. A lot of the dogs rescued are in dire need of nutrition and medical attention. At the Rescue, they get properly checked by a vet and otherwise fully prepared before they begin “looking” for their new parents.
This rescue works hard on matching each dog with the best possible home for that dog. Besides taking great care to learn everything about each of the dogs, the center also carefully screens the potential new owners. You will need to fill in an application, as well as several references, to be considered as a potential new owner for one of the dogs. This thorough check-up ensures that each dog is placed into a forever home to the benefit of both the dog and their new family.
This rescue is located in Bowie, TX. You can check out their website here.
All donations go straight to the Rescue you are donating to. This website (allrescue.org) does not collect any donations.
Good Shepherd Rescue of Texas
This is another German Shepherd Rescue in Texas, located in Dallas/Fort Worth Area. As they say on their website, this Rescue does not have a kennel: instead, all of the dogs are fostered by volunteers, living in their homes. This allows the center workers (volunteers) to learn as much as possible about the dog, as well as help them overcome some initial behavior issues that the dog may have. They provide medical support to their dogs as well: every German Shepherd in this rescue is vaccinated, dewormed and tested for heartworm and other diseases.
All donations go straight to the Rescue you are donating to. This website (allrescue.org) does not collect any donations.
Another German Shepherd Rescue in Texas: Greater Houston German Shepherd Rescue
If you are looking for a German Shepherd Rescue in Texas and are located in or near Houston, you may want to check out this Rescue. This is a non-profit organization specializing on rescuing German Shepherds from bad situations, such as other shelters, the dogs that are scheduled to be euthanized or bad homes.
To adopt from this Shelter, you will need to send in an application. A waiting period may be required while the Rescue checks your references. You will also need to go through a home visit for the workers of the Rescue to make sure you are a suitable home. The rescue strives to place the dog in the most suitable home and pays lots of attention to the personality and needs of the dog as well as the personality and needs of the potential adopters. The adoption fee is around $350. You do have to live in the Greater Houston Metropolitan area to adopt a dog from this Rescue.
Apart from adopting, you can also help out this Rescue and learn more about the breed by fostering! This is a great opportunity to give back by helping out the organization and these wonderful dogs while they are looking for a new home.
If you happen to be a German Shepherd owner who needs to rehome their dog, this Rescue can help with that as well.
Visit their website to learn more.
All donations go straight to the Rescue you are donating to. This website (allrescue.org) does not collect any donations.
Austin German Shepherd dog rescue
This Texas German Shepherd Rescue is located in Austin, TX. If you are in or near Austin, this could be a great Rescue to check out. You will have to fill in an application before you see any of the dogs since all the dogs live in foster homes and not in a Kennel. You can adopt a dog from this Rescue, or you can get exposure and learn more about German Shepherds by volunteering or fostering. They also accept surrendered dogs if you are in a situation where you need to give your German Shepherd up to a rescue.
Visit their website to learn more about this Rescue.
All donations go straight to the Rescue you are donating to. This website (allrescue.org) does not collect any donations.
Before you adopt: German Shepherd Owner stories and reviews
My German Shepherd Heidi is not my first dog: I have owned quite a few dogs throughout my life. Heidi is almost 7 years old now, she is a wonderful dog, we love her deeply. She has good pedigree as we have gotten her from a good breeder. I could talk for hours about her great qualities and how much we love her. However in this review I wanted to touch some less shiny points just in case I can forewarn someone else. Getting a dog is a difficult decision and caring for one for the rest of the dog’s life is quite a responsibility which may even turn into a challenge if you weren’t quite ready, or if the dog is not what you expected. Your love for them will be undoubtable yet there are other things you need to take in mind and that may bother you no matter how much you love them.
All German Shepherds can be split into two groups: working German Shepherds and Show German Shepherds. Working German Shepherds are usually extremely smart and have a very strong working drive. They need something to do, preferably all the time. If you don’t give them something to do, they can and will cause trouble.
Show German Shepherds are generally better pets as they don’t have such a strong working drive and are more relaxed. You can leave this dog alone for a day while you are at work and it won’t destroy your house because it got bored. Show dogs excel at shows as best examples of their breed (if you have got one from a good breeder) but may be not as intelligent and motivated as Working dogs.
This is why, when choosing a German Shepherd (especially if you adopt from a breeder and not shelter), you should really ask yourself why you need the dog. Will you have things for the dog to do, or will you prefer a more relaxed pet?
This is where I think I got it a little wrong. I am not sure I would have loved a full-blown working German Shepherd. My Heidi is definitely more of a Show dog: she is gorgeous and a great example of the breed. But she has some personality traits that bother me slightly. She is a bit of a coward and I doubt she would really protect me if anything was to happen. Yes, she is a German Shepherd. No, she is not fearless. We might have missed something in her training, but I honestly think that’s just part of her personality. She’s also been a bit of a fear biter since she was very young. She just doesn’t trust other dogs much. Believe me, I did all the socialization I could possibly provide her with. I know how to raise dogs.
She is also quite a barker. I’d say she barks a bit more than I would like. It’s a little funny, because I know she would probably retreat if the stranger she barks at actually attacked her. I would say her personality isn’t as stable as I’d like it to be, and that’s not always great in such a big dog. I love her to death and will never part her, but I just think it’s good to know about potential downsides. I don’t know if this applies to the breed as a whole, to the lineage that our Heidi is from, or to my dog only.
Michael, owner of Heidi
What can I say about German Shepherds being a happy owner of this wonderful breed? First and foremost, this is a wonderful guard dog. If you want a dog to guard your home or property (or yourself), a German Shepherd is a great choice. They are very smart, easily trained and learn new commands so quickly it’s hard to believe.
They are also excellent life partners. They are always happy and excited and up for anything, especially anything active. They love fun and games even way into their older years. They can be very goofy despite their reputation and their intimidating looks. Our dog is like the youngest family member, she is loved so much and gives us so much love in return. I couldn’t imagine living without her. Vacations are pretty tough now because we have to leave her at the relatives’ place and it’s hard to imagine staying away from her for even a couple weeks. She also suffers when we are away. She’ll be restless and moody and sad for at least a few days.
One downside to owning a German Shepherd, for some people, could be that this is a very active dog. Don’t get a German Shepherd if you are more of a “couch potato”. This dog loves being outdoors. Long hikes, days at the beach, games at the park – those are all excellent activities that this dog needs to stay happy and content. I would say you will need two or more hours a day at the least to spend with your dog actively – playing, jogging, hiking, etc. If you don’t have that sort of time, a German Shepherd may not be the best choice.
One other potential downside is a definite doggy smell that German Shepherds tend to have no matter how much you wash them. That’s just the truth of life with a dog,e specially such big and “hairy” dog as a German Shepherd. They also shed a ton and you have to be ready to clean a whole lot more than you may be used to once you adopt your German Shepherd. For us dog lovers it’s all worth it of course.
Jamie, owner of Kelly