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Name:Davey Available Now
Age: 8 year(s)
male, neutered
View Photos
Help GSRNC pay for Davey's veterinary care, training, food costs, and more
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Adoption Process
Our adoption process is designed to help you and the right dog find each other. Our goal is to place each dog into a permanent, safe, and loving home.
To adopt a German Shepherd Dog from us, you must:
1. Live in Northern California.
2. Complete an Adoption Questionnaire, either online, or by mail. If you do not own your home, you must also have your landlord complete the Landlord Permission Agreement.
3. Be interviewed by an adoption counselor.
4. Allow a home visit by an adoption counselor.
5. Be approved for adoption.
6. Choose, and be chosen by, the right dog.
7. With our approval, sign our Adoption Agreement, and pay the associated fee.
After we receive your online Adoption Questionnaire, we will call you to begin the adoption process. We encourage potential adopters to come to one or more Adoption Days, because that is the best way to meet several German Shepherds and to find your new companion. If you attend an Adoption Day and choose a dog, you may be able to adopt the same day, if all adoption requirements are met.
If you cannot come to any Adoption Day, we can still assist you, this may take longer because the people who will help you are volunteers who usually have jobs, and scheduling meetings with dogs can be complex because our dogs live in many homes and kennels.
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Davey's Story:
Davey is a gorgeous cream and black, male between 8 and 9 years of age. He is on the smaller side for a male GSD and is now at a healthy weight of 65 pounds.
Nothing makes Davey happier than being with his person; 24x7 would suit him just fine. He likes going to the home office with his foster mom where he hangs out on the office dog bed for extended periods. He has access to the yard via a doggie dog but he prefers to stay close to his foster mom while she works at the computer or is on the phone. At night he likes to get up on the doggie couch and put his head in a lap to snuggle with a person reading a book or watching TV.
He is a very social dog. He likes meeting new people and going to new places. He will approach strangers, eager for them to pet him. Davey does not appear to have had a lot of world experience, but he quickly processes new experiences. He is not bothered by unusual street noises. The loud noises and unusual smells at Home Depot don't bother him. He handled the many firecrackers of New Years with interest, not fear.
Davey is house-trained and has mastered basic obedience commands. He will potty on command. He is very food motivated, so training has been easy. He knows "come", "sit", "down", "stay", "house", "walk", "heel", "car", "dinner", "take it" and "leave it". He's getting multiple mini-training sessions each day which he thinks of as play (or perhaps treat time), so his obedience advanced rapidly. He sleeps freely on a dog bed in the master bedroom and stays put all night. He has not marked in the house nor at any of the friends homes nor local stores he's visited.
He walks easily now on a loose leash. Some prey drive is emerging and he now wants to chase squirrels and cats while on a walk, but does respect "leave it". In an earlier foster home Davey lived with a cat. While he showed no aggression toward the cat, now that he's older living with a cat is an unknown.
He likes a short walk a couple hours after each meal and then at least one, usually two, long walks each day. One of our volunteers is a distance runner who has taken Davey out and reports that he would be a good running buddy with a little more experience.
Davey rides well in a car, free in the back seat of a sedan where he quickly settles and usually doesn't disrupt the driver. He's been left alone in the car during errands and shopping; he is not destructive and doesn't bark. Overall he's a very quiet dog, but on a couple occasions recently he provided a brief, loud, completely appropriate alarm bark which his foster appreciated. He has some separation anxiety, which is managed by crating him when he's left home alone. He initially protests the crating by whining but this stops when people leave the house.
A playful side of Davey is starting to emerge. He will now empty the doggie toy box to find a particular tug or plush toy. He is still a young dog and a couple times a week the "puppy zoom" kicks in when Davey must run laps at maximum speed around the yard.
Davey has been diagnosed with hemophilia, a genetic blood disorder involving a deficiency of the clotting factor necessary to stop bleeding. He leads a completely normal dog life, running, playing, and exploring. But if he were seriously injured or required surgery, he will need prompt access to appropriate care and his treatment will probably require transfusion of blood product containing clotting factors. (NOTE - There is another young GSD with hemophilia who was rescued and adopted in 2016 who is living a very active life in a family with another dog. That family is available to talk with potential adopters about their experience.)
Davey is a level 3 dog being fostered in the East Bay.
Photos
Important Note About Dog Descriptions
Please remember that the descriptions of dogs (of Dogs Available) have been written by GSRNC volunteers and are usually based only upon our observation of the dog since the time it was rescued. While we try to provide dog descriptions that are fair and accurate, the nature of our work involves contact with dogs whose background and history are unknown to us. GSRNC cannot warrant or guarantee any dog's future behavior. For example, if we say that a rescue dog gets along with children, cats, or other dogs, this statement is usually based upon the fact that one of our volunteers has observed the dog interacting with his or her own children or pets. While this information may be helpful, we cannot be certain of how a dog will do with the children or pets in your home. If you are considering adopting, we encourage you to come to one of our Adoption Days and meet our rescue dogs. Ultimately, only you can decide whether one of our dogs is right for you.
Explanation of the Dog Levels
1 – "Fireplace dog"
Couch potato, super easy, low energy and no issues. This level of dog would do well in any home regardless of owner experience. (We rarely come across this level of dog.)
2 – “Easy Large Breed Companion Dog”
Low to moderate energy, needs some exercise but it is not a daily requirement. This dog will do well in most homes. The dog gets along with most other dogs, gets along with most other people and have been successfully been around children. The dog has no real behavioral issues that need to be managed or dealt with on a daily basis. This dog is an easy family dog.
3 –“Standard Large Breed Dog”
Moderate energy, needs daily exercise of some sort to thrive and stay happy. This dog will do well in many types of homes, but some situations will not work for this dog. This dog may not get along with some types of dogs. This dog may be reactive to some other dogs while on leash. It may have too much energy to be around small children while unattended, and may have some behavioral issues that will require formal training or daily monitoring for the dog to successfully live happily in a family. These issues are normally minor such as fence climbing, prey drive, minor separation anxiety, nervousness in crowds, or other minor behavioral traits. A Potential Adopter for a level 3 dog must have prior, recent large breed dog experience and be able to demonstrate the ability to successfully deal with the level 3 dog that they wish to adopt.
4 – “Experienced Ownership Required”
Moderate, high or very high energy/drive. Needs an experienced owner familiar with working breed behavior to provide direct leadership and proper management. Level 4 dogs typically have a challenging behavior, but are good dogs. These dogs might be dog-reactive with most other dogs or dog-aggressive, may have to be an only animal in the home, maybe have moderate separation anxiety. The dog normally needs daily physical and mental stimulation, etc. This level of dog is not an average pet. (We try to limit the number of level 4 dogs in our program.) A Potential Adopter for a level 4 dog must be able to demonstrate the experience and ability to safely manage and care for a level 4 dog.
5 – “Competitive or Working Dog”
This is a dog that has an intense focus to ‘work’. It could be a dog that provides Search and Rescue services, could be a competitive Flyball or Agility dog, or has other working abilities. These dogs can be strong, pushy, dominant, and/or have extreme energy/drive. They need a professional handler or an owner who has the experience to provide a demonstrated commitment to the dog’s ‘working ability’. A Potential Adopter for a level 5 dog must be able to demonstrate the experience and ability to safely manage and care for a level 5 dog.
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