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Dogs Available for Adoption |
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Donations Needed!
How to Adopt a Dog from GSRSV/Adoption
Fees
What's New on the GSRSV Website?
Dogs Available for Adoption through GSRSV
Dogs Available for Adoption from Other Area Rescue Groups and Individuals
Dogs Available for Adoption through Owner Placement
How to Place a Dog through GSRSV
In
Memoriam
Is a German Shepherd the Right Breed for You?
Other German Shepherd Rescue Web Sites &
Resources
The following dogs are
available for adoption through GSRSV. Some are at the rescue ranch, some
are in foster homes and some are with their owners or caretakers working with
GSRSV. For further information
about these dogs, please call Brian Foran at
916-655-3125
or e-mail him at bab43@msn.com.
(Note: dogs that were recently adopted will be moved to the very
bottom of this page and will have an "Adopted" banner above their
profiles.) For information about the adoption process and
fees, please see How to
Adopt a Dog from GSRSV/Adoption Fees.
This page was last modified
May 02, 2025.
This
picture appears next to dogs who have proven themselves to be
cat-friendly. 
The flag appears above the pictures of
dogs that GSRSV is placing for military families who are
forced to find new homes for their dogs due to deployments.
Please show your support for our service men and women by adopting or
fostering their dogs!
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Because I am in the (long)
process of moving to Central Oregon, I am rescuing very few dogs these
days--thus the lack of adoptable dogs on this page. Please check out the two other pages on this Website that list adoptable dogs from other rescue groups, shelters, caretakers and owners: Dogs Available for Adoption from Other Area Rescue Groups and Individuals Dogs Available for Adoption through Owner Placement
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"Max" is a 2-yo, approx 75-lb neutered male GSD mix who is friendly, playful and affectionate. Max is healthy, neutered, and up-to-date on core vaccinations. Max is friendly with people both at home and beyond. He can be a bit overly-enthusiastic when meeting new people but his foster caretaker (Lisa) is working with him on his greeting manners. Max appears to be great with other dogs. He lives with another male GSD (Cody), and they immediately hit it off and play like crazy! When Cody first met Max, Cody’s hair came up a little and he growled at Max, but Max remained friendly and he won Cody over right away! Max was also polite with other dogs he saw at the groomer. Max has yet to meet any cats since we rescued him, but it’s possible he’d be OK with a dog-savvy cat. Max has met Lisa’s horses and he just wags his tail when he sees them. Max appears to be housetrained but Lisa has yet to allow Max to remain in her house uncrated when she’s gone. She also keeps Max crated at night. Max has no problem staying in a crate and goes right in on command. Max is mostly good on leash. (Click here for a short video.) When he starts on a leash walk, he pulls a little out of exuberance but settles down quickly. When there are no distractions he is nice and light on the leash. He also will change direction on command to go whichever direction his handler is going. Max loves car rides and jumps right in without encouragement. Max likes to catch a Frisbee and play fetch with a ball. Max is a super sweet boy who wants to please. He is smart and is a fast learner. He will be easy to train for anyone who knows how to teach basic obedience. Max was brought to the Stanislaus County Animal Shelter as a stray on 3-7-25. He was nearing his euthanasia date when GSRSV rescued him on 4-7-25. Max is in a foster home in Woodside, CA. His adoption fee is $300. Posted 5-2-25 |
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"Gretchen"
is a beautiful, 50-lb, 3-yo spayed female Norwegian Elkhound/GSD who is
super-energetic, super-affectionate, and--typical of the Elkhound
breed--somewhat stubborn. Gretchen is smaller than a typical GSD, but
she's stocky and strong.
Gretchen loves everyone she meets. She's wiggly and cuddly and sometimes gets a little too physical--like jumping up on people when she first meets them. She would likely be fine with young children, though she'd have to improve on her ability to "settle down" when she gets all fired up. Gretchen is great with other large dogs, and very playful. She loves to play hard, so if paired with another dog, it should be one who also likes to play hard. A larger dog would be fine, as she fits right in with the GSDs at GSRSV's rescue facility. Gretchen would likely not do well with small dogs. Gretchen has a tremendously strong prey drive (always hunting for rodents), so a home without cats is a must for her. Gretchen is fully housetrained and has yet to have an "accident" inside. She has not destroyed anything in the house, but she is somewhat mischievous and likes to grab some loose items and take them outside. Gretchen makes a real fuss when crated. Gretchen does not appear to have received much obedience training. I have not had her on leash much, but she does have fairly good off-leash recall. Again, Gretchen is somewhat stubborn--much more independent-thinking than a GSD. It would serve one well to read up on the Norwegian Elkhound breed before considering adopting Gretchen. Gretchen LOVES to run and play. She would really do well with a very active person or at least with somebody who has a very active dog. She loves all forms of water, including biting the water stream from a hose. She enjoys car rides and rides well in a vehicle. GSRSV rescued Gretchen from the East County Shelter in Dublin, CA, on 1-18-25. At the time, Gretchen had a soft cast on her right front leg, which suffered a minor fracture when she was hit by a car. She had already been in a cast for several weeks when I rescued her. Gretchen's right front leg has healed well, but occasionally she still has a slight limp on the leg. However, this in no way hinders her mobility as she plays constantly and runs at full speed often at GSRSV's rescue ranch. Gretchen is located in Pleasant Grove. Her adoption fee is $300. Posted 3-15-25 |
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"Hazelnut"
is a beautiful, approx 65-lb, 4-yo spayed female GSD who is super affectionate,
energetic, loyal and full of personality. Hazelnut LOVES to cuddle, and
will bury her head in your chest on the bed given a chance. She is
definitely partial to women, though she does not have a fear of men. She
loves to be petted, but is very sensitive about being touched near her
behind or on her groin; she will not bite, but will quickly move away if
she's feeling uncomfortable. Hazelnut is healthy, up-to-date on core
vaccinations and microchipped. Hazelnut is friendly with strangers once she's been properly introduced. She will initially bark at strangers and will certainly be a protective dog requiring experienced handling once she is in a home she calls her own. (She is presently at GSRSV's rescue ranch, sharing a home with several other dogs, where she's not so protective.) I have not had Hazelnut around children since I rescued her in September 2023, but I am confident she'll be OK with older kids. She does like to mouth hands in play, which would likely be too much for younger kids. Hazelnut is an enigma when it comes to other dogs. Overall, she gets along fine with the other dogs at GSRSV's rescue ranch. She is especially good when up on the bed, showing no jealous behavior when other dogs try to squeeze between her and me. She also plays very well with certain dogs. However, she has a troublesome habit of play-fighting with other dogs in a very challenging manner in which she circles the other dog with her hackles up, barking and lunging (but not biting). Hazelnut thinks this is great fun, but most of the other dogs don't share her amusement and will eventually lash out at her. At this time, Hazelnut does not fight but rather yelps out as if she's been attacked, retreats, and then moves in for more! I have waited nearly a year to list Hazelnut for adoption in hopes that her annoying playing style would mellow out, but it hasn't. When I command Hazelnut to disengage from her "faux attacks", she obeys me but then will usually go right back to it. At this point, I either ignore her or, depending on the intensity of her play, put her in a crate. She readily obeys my "crate" command and behaves very well in the crate. I believe that Hazelnut could overcome her annoying style of play in the hands of an experienced GSD person willing to put in the time. However, I don't think that Hazelnut will ever be dog park material and I'm pretty sure that she will be reactive towards other dogs when on a leash--at least without any training. With this said, I think that Hazelnut would make a great companion for a large, active, confident male dog. I have not observed Hazelnut around cats and will NOT consider her for a home with cats. Hazelnut is completely housetrained and never had an accident in my house (with dog door access to outside). She is super-mellow inside and likes to lay next to me on my bed and even follows me into the bathroom. I imagine that she'll be what is referred to as a "Velcro" dog once in a regular home. Hazelnut walks well on a leash, but will likely need time to refresh her leash-walking skills, as I hardly ever have her on a leach here at the ranch. Again, I fully expect that Hazelnut will be reactive towards other dogs she sees on walks and so will likely need work on this behavior. Hazelnut loves to go for car rides and is a polite passenger Hazelnut loves to swim and to bite the water stream from a hose (click here to see video--Hazelnut is wearing the pink collar). She also likes to play with stuffy toys, play keep-away, and play tug-of-war. Hazelnut was brought to the Tracy city animal shelter on 6-18-22 as a stray. She immediately showed a great deal of fear towards strangers and was very reactive towards other dogs. Soon, though, she became very friendly with several of the shelter staff and animal control officers--all women. However, when prospective adopters or rescuers came to see her, she would charge the front of the kennel or retreat with fearful barks and growls. After over a year at the shelter, Hazelnut's time was just about up--even though she had made many friends with shelter staff and ACOs. The shelter contacted GSRSV to see if I'd be willing to meet and possibly rescue Hazel. I like these kinds of challenges, so on 9-10-23 I gave it a shot. It took me about 45 minutes with lots of treats and coaxing with toys, but I finally gained her trust and walked out of the play area with Hazelnut on a leash. Hazelnut is located in Pleasant Grove. Her adoption fee is $250. Posted 8-26-24 |
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 Buster Boy--now
neutered!Ready for the cutest dog in the world? "Buster" is an 80-lb (and growing), 1-yr old (born 4-29-23) neutered male GSD mix who is playful, super-affectionate and well-mannered for such a young dog. Buster is wonderful with everyone he meets, though he can be a little rambunctious with enthusiasm when he first greets some people. Buster is great with young children. He was raised with five kids, ages 3-7 yrs. His youthful exuberance might pose a little hazard for really young kids, but I'm confident that Buster would quickly tone down his energy for toddlers. Buster is fantastic with other dogs. He loves to play (click here for video) and has displayed zero aggression towards any of the other dogs at GSRSV's rescue ranch. I will give strong preference to prospective adopters of Buster who have a large, young, playful dog for him to play with! I don't know how Buster is with cats, but I imagine he'd be OK w/ a very dog-savvy cat. However, I will only consider giving him a try in a home w/ a cat if there is a already a dog present that he can play with and expend his energy on. Buster is housetrained and has not had a single "accident" inside at GSRSV's rescue ranch, where he has access to a dog door. He has chewed on a phone power cord and has done a little counter-surfing, but otherwise is very well-behaved inside. He has received very little training but is a very fast learner; he learned to sit for treats in just a few minutes. He definitely needs leash-training. Buster LOVES to go for car rides and is a very calm passenger. This dog is ready-made for adventures! Buster loves to swim in the pond at GSRSV's rescue ranch. Buster was adopted as a young pup by a family in Vacaville. They recently moved into a rental house in which they were not allowed to keep large dogs. His person (Paige) then resorted to keeping Buster in her car for awhile, letting him out several times throughout the day. Paige's husband contacted GSRSV back in December letting us know of Buster's plight and so we took him in in late December. Buster is located in Pleasant Grove, CA. His adoption fee is $300. Posted 1-18-24; updated 1-22-24; updated 3-18-24; updated 5-9-24. |
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"Milo"
is an approx 70-lb, 2-yo neutered male GSD mix who is very
affectionate, playful and submissive.
Milo is friendly with everyone he meets, both inside the house and beyond. He loves to be held and petted. At times, he seems overly-needy of affection, but then he does have to compete for affection with several other dogs at the GSRSV rescue ranch. I have not observed Milo with children but I think he'll be great with kids. Milo is great with other dogs. He's very playful with dogs who are somewhat submissive like he is. He gets scared of those dogs who play really rough. Milo's only drawback w/ other dogs is that sometimes he gets possessive around food. This behavior has subsided considerably since I took Milo in, and I can now feed him biscuits with dogs right next to him without him showing any aggression at all. However, if he has a "special treat", like a bone, he will become possessive over it. I have not had Milo around cats but I imagine he'd do OK w/ them. I will consider a home for Milo w/ a dog-savvy cat or two, but only if there is already a dog in the home. Milo is completely housetrained and has never had an accident in the house since I rescued him. He is crate-trained as well. Milo appears to walk well on a leash, though I haven't had him on leash much at all. He seems to know some basic commands. Milo is a dog who would love to have somebody around most of the time to give him love and attention. He really craves affection. GSRSV rescued Milo from the Stanislaus County Shelter in Modesto on 6-1-23. He had been found as a stray on 4-4-23. Milo is located in Pleasant Grove, CA. His adoption fee is $300. Posted 10-8-23 |
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Leo was OK meeting people in his previous home as long as he was properly introduced; otherwise, he sometimes acted aggressively. He is a very good watchdog. Outside of his previous house, Leo was fine with strangers. Here at GSRSV's rescue ranch (where he's been since June of this year), Leo is great with visitors! Leo has been around young children and has done well with them. However, he is a very large dog and sometimes does not realize his own size so he might knock over a youngster in his exuberance. Leo is fine with other dogs, including small dogs. However, in his previous home he was very reactive towards other dogs that he saw when on walks. Now that Leo has had considerable canine socialization at GSRSV's rescue ranch, my hunch is that he won't be nearly as reactive on leash when he sees other dogs. However, Leo is a large, strong dog, so if he still does display reactive behavior towarfs other dogs he will need a strong person—both physically and otherwise—to control him and teach him not to be reactive. Leo might also be OK w/ cats. He has been around a cat and was just curious of it. However, it’s not a certainty that he’ll be good with cats so caution will need to be exercised in introducing him to a cat. Leo is housetrained and non-destructive inside. His former guardian left him inside when she was gone, though she did have a neighbor let him out to relieve himself when she planned to be gone for more than four hours. Leo presently sleeps on my bed, but slept on a dog bed inside in his previous home. Leo is OK on leash except, as previously mentioned, when he saw other dogs. He has fairly good off-leash recall. Leo loves car rides and is a polite passenger. Leo LOVES to play ball. He is a fetchin' fool, and an extremely skilled one at that! He would do well in an active home where he gets lots of play time and exercise. Leo is not fond of water. Amparo—Leo’s former person—and her husband adopted Leo from a rescue organization in 2020. Amparo’s husband was Leo’s primary handler. Since then, Leo has grown considerably and sadly Amparo’s husband died of cancer. On top of that, Amparo broke one of her arms earlier this year and so was unable to even walk Leo. GSRSV took Leo in to its rescue facility in June. Leo is located in Pleasant Grove. His adoption fee is $250. Posted 6-24-23; updated 12-10-23 |
"Leo"
is a large (approx 85 lbs), 4-yo neutered male GSD/Belgian Malinois/??? mix who is
friendly, protective and very active. Leo came to me overweight but
has lost about 20 lbs and now looks great! [NOTE: the pictures of Leo here
were taken back in June, when he was over 100 lbs.] He
is microchipped and is up to date on core vaccinations.