Looking to get a German Shepard... Pet shelter Recommendations

Asphyxia

Hey my boyfriend and I are looking to get a German Shepard preferably a pup. I was wondering if anyone could suggest any good shelters in Ireland as we would prefer to donate a couple of hundred to a shelter rather than just buy one from someone (at least we know our money will be used to help other animals )

All info is well appreciated

Officer Giggles

irishanimals.ie have a section on it for german shepards

barbiegirl

Www.dogsindistress.ie they have a lovely 10 month old Jayden looking for a home. We adeted our puppy Fargo from them two weeks ago and found them to be thorough, professional and quick. Best of luck

suziwalsh

I would also recommend contacting http://www.biggsd.com/ who are amazing and take a huge amount of shepherd over to the UK for homing....definately good to contact if you can help a shepherd here directly.

Asphyxia

Wow fantastic sites so far

Keep them coming I'm getting really excited now :rolleyes:

suziwalsh

Also www.dogstrust.ie amazing centre!!!! but would recommend going up rather then look online.

also www.petsireland.invisionzone.com always have shepherds up in urgent action section you could offer to foster a dog there for a rescue and take it from there which gives you great security.

Also if you are looking for a pup I would put my name down with animal rescue ireland who ofter get in shepherd pups but who are not really online

suziwalsh

O and huge thumbs up for getting a rescue you wont regret it!!!

The Sweeper

Does anyone know a specific shepherd rescue in Ireland?

I ask because shepherds are large, powerful (and most excellent ) dogs. With any such dog in a rescue situation, it will be better if you can find a rescue where the dog has been fostered for a while, temperament tested by someone who knows what they're doing, so on.

Alternatively if you have a lot of experience with large, boisterous, intelligent dogs yourself, obviously you can source one anywhere because you'll have the toolkit to work with whatever you're given, but if you can find one from a shelter who've started the work on rehabilitating the dog, all the better.

CreedonsDogDayc

@the sweeper, does it have to be a pure bred?

I am fostering two GSD x pups at the mo, Rosie and Jim. They were dumped at about 6 or 7 weeks, and spent a couple of weeks in the pound. They were skin and bone when I picked them up, but they're turning into little tubbies now! they're amazing little dogs and deserve fantastic loving homes.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CreedonsDoggieDaycar#p/u/3/Irtyt5iLMuo

Angelmangle

There is a lovely GS bitch in the DSPCA at the moment, she is really lovely. She is called Heidi and you can see her on their website. Best of luck finding a doggie and well done again for choosing to rescue

RubyGirl

EGAR had a GSD coming in last week. Saw it on her face book page.

mymo

Inistioge puppy rescue (co. Kilkenny) have a bitch GSD x Lab, house trained neutered and used to kids, think she's 2 or so.

cjf

The Sweeper wrote: »

Does anyone know a specific shepherd rescue in Ireland?

I ask because shepherds are large, powerful (and most excellent ) dogs. With any such dog in a rescue situation, it will be better if you can find a rescue where the dog has been fostered for a while, temperament tested by someone who knows what they're doing, so on.

Alternatively if you have a lot of experience with large, boisterous, intelligent dogs yourself, obviously you can source one anywhere because you'll have the toolkit to work with whatever you're given, but if you can find one from a shelter who've started the work on rehabilitating the dog, all the better.

I know that dogs in distress dont have a shelter and all the dogs and pups are in foster in real family situations so the foster family get to know the ins and outs of the dog and from there the right type of home can be found.

Well done on going the rescue route OP especially with this bigger breed! If you get the feelers out with different rescues they will get in touch if something suitable crosses their path. Many rescues so full at the minute they may have dogs on the wait list which are not listed on their sites.

Asphyxia

Thank you for all the help I've rang a few places and going to be visiting them at the end of the week

Really exited

RubyGirl

Pocketfizz wrote: »

Thank you for all the help I've rang a few places and going to be visiting them at the end of the week

Really exited

Excellent, let us know how ye get on.

sotisme

Pounds these days are absoloutely loaded with them! GSD's and staffies, theyre definitely the most popular breeds at lots of pounds.
"A dogs life" is a charity helping the pound dogs. They post up pictures of the dogs needing homes often on their facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328529&id=270131087473
Well done for getting a rescue

RubyGirl

barbiegirl wrote: »

Www.dogsindistress.ie they have a lovely 10 month old Jayden looking for a home. We adeted our puppy Fargo from them two weeks ago and found them to be thorough, professional and quick. Best of luck

I see he's reserved :cool:

iheartthailand

Theres quite a few GSD up in the DSPCA at the moment, ive walked shannon and she's an absolute sweetheart, very good on the lead and absolutely stunnig looking http://www.dspca.ie/cat_animals_need_homes_detail.jsp?itemID=1312&n=0&p=0

theres quite a few GSD's up there at the moment, they arent all over in the re-homing centre yet but that might just be because its full at the moment so maybe ask.

Sittingpretty

Fantastic that you are going to look at rescues, well done! I cannot fathom how, well any dogs end up in the pound but so many German Shepherds? I just don't get it.

I have a 4 year old rescued GSD and I can honestly say you won't ever regret rescuing a GSD, they are absolutely fantastic dogs in the right hands.

Best of luck with your search and PLEASE post some pics when you get your dogster

McNulty32

I doubt many of the shelters and pounds would have purebred German Shepard pups, young purebred GSDs are an expensive dog after all. you might get lucky

You most likely will come across older GSD crosses but I wouldnt recommend taking one, not knowing its background,

Be honest when it comes to German Shepards Id strongly recommend getting one off a reputable dealer
German Shepards have been probably the worst hit for poor dog breeding, poorly bred GSDs are prone to unchangeable temperament problems and a magnitude of serious health problems when they reach adulthood

So Id strongly suggest going to breeder of good reputation and forking out the 400-500 euro for a properly bred GSD pub
Be worth it in the long run and these dogs need to be bred right again

ISDW

McNulty32 wrote: »

I doubt many of the shelters and pounds would have purebred German Shepard pups, young purebred GSDs are an expensive dog after all.

You may come across older GSD crosses but I wouldnt recommend taking one, not knowing its background

Be honest when it comes to German Shepards Id strongly recommend getting one off a reputable dealer
German Shepards have been probably the worst hit for poor dog breeding, poorly bred GSDs are prone to unchangeable temperament problems and a magnitude of serious health problems when they reach adulthood

So Id strongly suggest going to breeder of good reputation and forking out the 400-500 euro for a properly bred GSD pub
Be worth it in the long run and these dogs need to be bred right again

I think you'd be very surprised at what ends up in pounds and shelters, a lot of young purebred dogs. I'd say the chances of finding very pups would be slim alright, but not unheard of.

McNulty32

ISDW wrote: »

I think you'd be very surprised at what ends up in pounds and shelters, a lot of young purebred dogs. I'd say the chances of finding very pups would be slim alright, but not unheard of.

Id agree I have come across the odd valuable dog in shelters, but very rarely.
Ive been told that in pounds and shelters, when a purebred or valuable dog comes in, they workers at the pounds or shelters, would sell the dog privately themselves
I cant prove that but I was told by someone who works for a pound.

But by and by, most dogs found in pounds are have reached adulthood and are crossbred,
Not saying they not good dogs, they just not what people are going for anymore.

In my estate, having a dog is like making a fashion statement or trying to be the coolest.

Everybody trying to outdo each other with their expensive or rare dogs, such as Akita's, Huskies, White German Shepards, Chow CHow's etc

Gone are the days of having a trusty Labrador or faithful mongrel.

Everywhere I go every 17 year old lad seems to own a putbull, and strange that most dogs being put down in pounds nowadays are pitbulls
Put two and two together

cjf

I second ISDW on that one you would be so surprised at the amount of 'expensive' breeds that are surrendered to shelters and rescue organisations. Typically they so tend to be around the 5/6 months, cute and small as puppies and then they grow and all of a sudden having a GSD wasnt the best idea and they surrender them to be rehomed or worse still try to sell them on. Got my doberman at 6 months and even though he was not exactly small he was still very much a puppy!! I had an idea of his background but did not know the ins and outs of his past but it was love at first sight and its the best decision I ever made!

ISDW

McNulty32 wrote: »

Id agree I have come across the odd valuable dog in shelters, but very rarely.
Ive been told that in pounds and shelters, when a purebred or valuable dog comes in, they workers at the pounds or shelters, would sell the dog privately themselves
I cant prove that but I was told by someone who works for a pound.

But by and by, most dogs found in pounds are have reached adulthood and are crossbred,
Not saying they not good dogs, they just not what people are going for anymore.

In my estate, having a dog is like making a fashion statement or trying to be the coolest.

Everybody trying to outdo each other with their expensive or rare dogs, such as Akita's, Huskies, White German Shepards, Chow CHow's etc

Gone are the days of having a trusty Labrador or faithful mongrel.

Everywhere I go every 17 year old lad seems to own a putbull, and strange that most dogs being put down in pounds nowadays are pitbulls
Put two and two together

I'm sorry, but you're wrong,there are a huge amount of pb dogs in pounds and shelters all around the country. There was even a 12-16 week old Dogue De Bordeux in a pound last year, went unclaimed.

I run a rescue for Siberian huskies and alaskan malamutes and have rehomed around 150 dogs in the 2 years and 3 months that I've been open, the vast majority of them have come out of Irish pounds around the country. Yes, some have been cross breeds, but most of them have been pedigree dogs, usually no older than 2 or 3. I had one sibe bitch in that was heavily in pup, so we then had pure bred sibe puppies available for rehoming. I guess I'm a shelter, and I do get dogs surrendered to me with their papers, showing their impressive pedigree:rolleyes:

I agree that there is a huge problem with status dogs, either a dog for someone to show how 'cool' they are, or how 'hard' they are, and this needs to be addressed, although I don't know how. I think its the poor old Staffy that is the one thats being pts the most, a lot of pounds won't even attempt to rehome dogs on the RB list:(

McNulty32

cjf wrote: »

I second ISDW on that one you would be so surprised at the amount of 'expensive' breeds that are surrendered to shelters and rescue organisations. Typically they so tend to be around the 5/6 months, cute and small as puppies and then they grow and all of a sudden having a GSD wasnt the best idea and they surrender them to be rehomed or worse still try to sell them on. Got my doberman at 6 months and even though he was not exactly small he was still very much a puppy!! I had an idea of his background but did not know the ins and outs of his past but it was love at first sight and its the best decision I ever made!

Well I recently got Doberman pub myself, and Ive fell in love with her,

All my previous dogs have been from pounds and shelters, but this is the first dog I have bought privately

She is worth every penny, absolutely amazing loving and obidient yet alert when she needs to be.

Only problem is my son is scared of her, but he getting better

suziwalsh

I wish you were right but you are very wrong....I get handed in whole litters with IKC papers.....so you definately have not looked in the right places....

Pretty much no matter what the dog or pedigree they can be found in pounds and shelters....pups and adults... my own dog included who I got from a pound but who was bred by the club secretary for the breed.

Every week we get a huge variety of dogs looking for homes, last week it was a pedigree great dane 4 months old the family bought but never asked landlords permission.

There are loads of St Bernards at the moment, chihuahuas, shepherds, boxers, bichons, yorkies, beagles, cockers....the more popular the breed the more common in rescue...I have hundreds of photos of pups I have helped rehome to show that fact.

Sad but very true

ISDW

suziwalsh wrote: »

I wish you were right but you are very wrong....I get handed in whole litters with IKC papers.....so you definately have not looked in the right places....

Pretty much no matter what the dog or pedigree they can be found in pounds and shelters....pups and adults... my own dog included who I got from a pound but who was bred by the club secretary for the breed.

Every week we get a huge variety of dogs looking for homes, last week it was a pedigree great dane 4 months old the family bought but never asked landlords permission.

There are loads of St Bernards at the moment, chihuahuas, shepherds, boxers, bichons, yorkies, beagles, cockers....the more popular the breed the more common in rescue...I have hundreds of photos of pups I have helped rehome to show that fact.

Sad but very true

We're all just banging our heads against a wall really aren't we? Would the breeder not take the dog back?

suziwalsh

Yeah we are its mad!!!! I still cant understand why someone would pay for a dog....spend a day in rescue and just have a look at all the amazing pets ....for free !!!

Breeders.....take back a dog....ha ha as if......they all say that but when it comes to the crunch....eh no! I suppose I am the other extreme as in I do not believe there is a responsible breeder out there and would always go to a rescue.

ISDW

suziwalsh wrote: »

Yeah we are its mad!!!! I still cant understand why someone would pay for a dog....spend a day in rescue and just have a look at all the amazing pets ....for free !!!

Breeders.....take back a dog....ha ha as if......they all say that but when it comes to the crunch....eh no! I suppose I am the other extreme as in I do not believe there is a responsible breeder out there and would always go to a rescue.

I guess you're right, I had one of my own dogs came from a very reputable breeder that didn't go back to them when he needed rehoming - there was a reason, but you know.

However, I do know a breeder that got a call from a vet, a dog had been handed in there, and they'd been contacted, I think they'd kept their details on the chip as the second contact. They wanted the dog back if the owner didn't turn up, the dog was going to the pound. The pound refused, I even rang them and vouched for the breeder, but no go, it was given to the person who had found it. So, even if you have someone willing to do the right things, sometimes they're not allowed to. I know they're still heartbroken about not knowing where that dog is now. The person they'd sold the dog to has moved, so they can't contact him, they have tried.

suziwalsh

Ok....well thats good to hear

Mostly when I contact them they basically say not there problem but I suppose people will be....well people unfortunately

Discodog

suziwalsh wrote: »

Yeah we are its mad!!!! I still cant understand why someone would pay for a dog....spend a day in rescue and just have a look at all the amazing pets ....for free !!!

Breeders.....take back a dog....ha ha as if......they all say that but when it comes to the crunch....eh no! I suppose I am the other extreme as in I do not believe there is a responsible breeder out there and would always go to a rescue.

Totally agree but I am wondering how you are finding the time to post here. I hope that you are not reducing your "hours" .

Nice to know that I am not the only "extremist" !