100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 33 - Luna D

For Day 33 of 100 Days with 100 Dogs we meet Luna D. All too often dogs that come to us need an amount of rehabilitation before they can be ready for rehoming. It's something we're seeing more of - especially with the younger dogs being given up.

Meet Luna D

This beautiful girl.is Luna D (Luna appears to be a popular name and we have a few of them!).  She is a short coated sable female who is 14 months old. She is not neutered yet as she is too young.  Luna is great around people and other dogs, but has not been tested with cats. 

As lovely as Luna is she has a few bad habits that we need to guide her with. Even with this extra work, Luna will not be homed with children due to her overzealous play behaviour.

Luna is not ready for homing yet, and we don't hold waiting lists for specific dogs, so please don't enquire for her until we post again stating she's ready for re-homing.

If you're looking to adopt a rescue dog then this book is a recommended read. It's not only informative for less experienced owners, but can also provide a handy recap for the old hands too!

The ebook is available from  Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CLMxGf

 

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 32 - Pupdate from Tia

Day 32 of of our 100 Days with 100 Dogs series has definitely been a day of mixed emotions. On the positive side two of our dogs have found their forever homes, and we wish them and their new pawrents all the best for their futures together.

Sadly we've also had a particularly heartbreaking rescue today, with more dogs than we really have space for. We couldn't say no in this instance, and like all of us in tough times, we make do. The reason we're about to do so is in no small part thanks to our wonderful supports. Some have adopted dogs in need, others provide their time and expertise, and others donate the money we need to keep everything running. For that we thank each and every one of you.

To help restore our spirits Tia (one of our more famous dogs) has stepped in to provide one of her pupdates. We wouldn't at all suggest that she's missing the limelight a bit 😎 If you've noy met Tia before then you're in for a treat - she's quite the character!

Tia's Pupdate

Hello everypawdy. Tia here with a little pupdate. You will be pleased to hear that I am behaving myself, although I'm sure the hooman disagrees. Let her, she hasn't any sense of fun, or understanding of dog behaviour! 

Lately I've spent more time in the cabin I with the hooman. She tells me that this is so I still have some home comforts, and to see how I cope in a home environment. 🥰I love it in there! 🥰 There's a huge dog bed, but the hooman gives it a posh name. You know what hoomans are like - they have to name everything. I think she calls it a sofa. 

Then there are these big stuffed toys to play with. I know they're for me as they have pictures of German Shepherds on. These are great fun to throw about and try to tear apart. Again they have posh names too. She calls them cushions. I don't understand why she leaves these great toys out for me, but then tells me not to play with them.  It doesn't seem fair really.

I was a little bit upset with my Rodney. He keeps going to visit Maya and making whining noises. I am not too happy about it. Worse still, Maya encourages him and pushes her rear end to the fence near him. She is certainly no lady. 

The hooman makes excuses for her and says that she is in season. Maya needs to watch herself because the last time I saw the hooman season something she cooked it.   I'm hoping that I might get seasoned soon to win Rodney back. I'm pleased I chose Rodney though, because Tony has a new home to go to soon, and so he will be leaving me. I will miss him as we do play lots. I must go now I'm going to play with the big stuffed toys as long as the hooman doesn't ruin my fun. 

Bye for now. Love Tia 🐾 🐾 🐾

Tia somehow managed to secure her own social media channels, so you can follow her here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TiasPupdates

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiaspupdates/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/PupdateTia

If you're feeling extraordinarily courageous then you can always Ask Tia for the solution to any problem :-)

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 31 - Luna C

We return to dogs in our care for Day 31 of the 100 Days with 100 Dogs. There's rarely any happy tales for the dogs that come to us. There's usually at least some trauma to work through, but some do stand out, and sadly not in a way anyone would like.

Meet Luna C

This darling little girl is Luna C. (We have 3 Luna's at this kennel, and don't let the way it rolls off the tongue worry you!😀 )  She is just a baby at 9 months old, and yet she's already experienced more than she ever should.

She was bought as a puppy, but her typical puppy play behaviour proved too much for the resident dog and he attacked her. Trying to do the best for her, the owner re homed her. The new owner said all the right things and appeared to offer the perfect home. Two months later and Luna was returned to the original owner severely underweight (to the point we considered EPI (*) when we first met her) and with patches of fur missing.  

They used the excuse that she had bitten the child, although the original home had children and she was fine with them. Luna is not ready for homing yet, as we need to build her back up and assess her fully.  We will have to err on the side of caution and not allow her into a home with children. Considering her experiences it will also need to be a pet free home.  We will keep you updated on her progress.

We're busy putting together the latest edition of our newsletter, Dogsbody. This quarterly newsletter goes out to our members. You can join as a member to help support our dogs here - https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/gsd-welfare-fund-annual-membership/

(*)  Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is a stomach condition which makes digestion difficult.

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 30 - Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

When a dog comes into Welfare, for whatever reason, we promise them that their new life starts now. Whatever has haunted and tormented them in the past, will remain a thing of the past. We will do our best to ensure that life is better for them from then on. As hard as we try, sometimes it isn’t always possible and fate has other plans. You cannot imagine how difficult this is to cope with. We fight with all our might to save these dogs and the vets are told to do what they can to save them. Sometimes, even the vet’s expert intervention cannot work the miracle needed to save them.

Today is day 30 of our 100 dogs in 100 days theme. It is also Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, so we thought we would take this opportunity to remember some of the dogs that came to us but for whom we could not fulfil our promise. Today, we remember Wally, Skylar, Alec, Mel, Gino, Thor, Codie, Eddie, and the other amazing souls we loved and lost along the way. They will never be forgotten.

Our dogs bring so much into our life. Lets share some photos and memories of those amazing souls who we have said goodbye to.

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 29 - Meet Myla

Day 29 of our 100 Days with 100 Dogs feature sees the start of the Bank Holiday weekend, and also another young dog in our care eager to find their new pawrents.

 

Meet Myla

This beautiful baby is Myla who is just 9 months old. She was bought as a playmate for the resident dog, but unfortunately the resident dog did not take to her. Sadly many dogs in our care are here because of disagreements with the other dog, which is why we are quite particular about pairing them up. 

Myla is great with humans, and could probably live with children over 10 years old (purely because we wouldn't want her knocking toddlers over in her excitement)  She has not been tested with cats. 

Because of the reason she is with us we would not want to put her in that situation again even though it wasn't her fault.  Myla needs a home where her new family will have the time and patience for an adolescent dog and guide her using positive reinforcement.

Myla is currently too young to be neutered.

If Myla sounds like a good fit for your household, then please contact us via the form on this page - https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

 

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 28 - Meet Nala

As well as being the 28th day in the 100 Days with 100 Dogs series, today is also National Dog Day. Originally set up by Colleen Paige as a means to raise awareness of dogs in rescue shelters. And that segways nicely to today's dog looking for their forever home.

 

Meet Nala

The lovely Nala is a 2 ½/ year old white long haired female German Shepherd. She found herself in Welfare after getting out of the front door when a visitor arrived and grabbing them. Unfortunately for her the visitor was the landlord who demanded that she go. 

The first time I met Nala she gave me a wide berth, with her tail tucked tightly between her legs. She was such a worried girl. Since then Nala has gained confidence and now greets visitors and loves a fuss.  

She is more comfortable with women than men.  Nala would best suit a quiet child and pet free home. Once she bonds with you then you have a friend for life. She doesn't react to other dogs.

Nala is situated in Mildenhall, Suffolk.

Can you offer Nala a home she can feel safe and loved in? If so, get in touch with us via the adoption query form here - https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 27 - Meet Tara

In the 27th day of our 100 Days with 100 Dogs series and today we meet an energetic young lady looking for her forever home. Please like and share this post far and wide so we can find that for her.

 

Meet Tara

This beautiful girl is Tara. She is just under 2 years old. She is a short coated black and tan female German Shepherd. Tara's an absolute star around people and loves to make a huge fuss of everyone. 

Unfortunately she is reactive to dogs so would need a pet free home. She is very lively and loves her play time.  We can't see any reason why she couldn't live with children over 10 (she can be energetic and younger children may be knocked over by her).

Tara is currently located in Sleaford, South Lincolnshire.

If you can offer Tara a suitable home then please get in touch via the form here - https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

  

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 26 - Meet Harley

Day 26 brings us into the second quarter of our 100 Days with 100 Dogs feature, and today we meet an older lad looking for a peaceful and loving home.

Meet Harley

Harley is an 8 year old long haired male German Shepherd.   He came in to our care about a year ago due to a change in his owner's circumstances. We subsequently found him a new home and he was there for 8 months, but then his new carer moved home and couldn't take Harley with him. 

Harley is a nervous boy, but once he gets to know you he is very affectionate. His adopter reported that he is very reactive to other dogs. We had not experienced that before he left, and we believe this is probably down to being worried.  Harley will best suit a quiet home as the only pet. He is not neutered and neutering is not recommended for him. 

He is currently located near Sleaford in South Lincolnshire.

If you have a calm home suitable for Harley and willing to give him the love he needs then please get in touch with us via our adoption query form here: https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

  

Albas - Dog of the Month!

 

In yesterday's 100 Days with 100 Dogs feature we met young Albas who is our star Dog of the Month. Visit here to find out why - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/2022/08/100-days-with-100-dogs-day-25-albas.html With such amazing progress over such a short period of time, and even more so the renewed hope that he can enjoy a life he deserves.

His progression also means that we're looking for a special home he can call his forever home. His adopters will need to patient with him, and continue the work we've started under our guidance. If you're up to the challenge then please get in touch via our Adoption Query form here - https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 25 - Albas

Day 25 and we're a quarter of the way through the 100 Days with 100 Dogs series, and to mark the occasion we have a very special dog for everyone to meet. Albas is our star dog of the month and it's easy to see why...

Meet Albas

Albas found his way in to Welfare when he was just 11 months old. He's now 14 months old. His behaviour was so bad that his owners could not cope any longer. They had used the services of trainers and behaviourists to no avail. His behaviour continued to worsen.  

Once in our care he became even worse, which meant we weren't able to get him out of his kennel. This was obviously very worrying. We have several dogs in our care that are not safe to home, but they are happy with us. They have great quality of life, and have to varying extents put their torments behind them.  

Albas quality of life wasn't improving and we were concerned over his welfare. Still, we believed he could work his way through it, and that he deserved a chance. Fast forward 3 months, and there's a dramatic change in him. He's now the most affectionate boy, and even takes treats from strangers! ❤  You cannot realise how significant that is.  

Albas is all black and very handsome lad.  He will be looking for a pet and child free home with someone who would be prepared to come to visit him regular before adoption, and to learn about the methods we are using with him. 

Sincere thanks to Tony Dominy and Lisa Hird whose hard work has certainly paid off.

Albas will be quite a challenge to take on, but one we hope someone will accept. This lovely lad deserves his chance at something resembling a normal life. If you think that could provide the home and the special care he'll need then get in touch via the Adoption Query form here - https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 24 - Meet Lily

Day 24 in the Big Brother house and... Sorry wrong channel! Although Doggo TV sounds like a great idea. We're almost a quarter of the way into the 100 Days with 100 Dogs series, and today we have a familial connection with Kerrie, who featured two days ago.

Meet Lily

Lily is a 6 year old female, black and tan, short coated German Shepherd. She came in to Welfare as a cruelty case from the RSPCA with her mum (her mum is Kerrie, who we met two days ago in the series). When she arrived, she was absolutely terrified. 

Since the she's received behaviour adjustment training, and has been allowed to progress at a pace that suits her. There are very rarely any quick fixes with behaviour adjustment - no matter what an advert on Facebook might claim. The oldert, more authoritarian techniques could mask some behaviours if you were brutal enough, although it would never remove them, the dog would respond by hiding the problem deeper.

Sadly such trainers still exist, and so it is important to discuss the methods with any trainer or behaviorist that you intend to use.

For Lily we used patience, and positive reinforcement, as she slowly explores her new surroundings. Everything proceeds at her pace and we are thrilled with her progress. Lily will need many visits from her prospective adopter to build a bond with them. She will be best suited as an only pet in a child free, quiet home where she can continue to blossom. 

Lily is currently located in Holbeach, South Lincs.

If you think you can provide the calm and loving home Lily needs then please complete the Adoption Query form page -  - http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/ 

You'll find other dogs looking for homes on our website here -  http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/dogslist/  and in our Facebook Adoption group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/gsdwfadoptions

  

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 23 - Meet Resident Kolo

We meet Kolo in this latest post of the 100 Days with 100 Dogs series - he's an unfortunate example of the 'potential side effects' of some treatments and why you need to be aware of any treatments prescribed for your dog. It's good practice to be aware anyway, but in extreme cases it can prevent a more serious issue.

Meet Resident Kolo

This gorgeous boy is Kolo. He is a 2 year old long coated black and tan entire male German Shepherd. Poor Kolo came to us at 7 months after being neurologically damaged by nexgard flea treatment. The vet report clearly stated that he administered nexgard to a healthy pup with no issues then 2 days later kolo was presented again because of vomiting and had diarrhoea and also unable to walk. 

The vet wanted to euthanise, but as you can imagine his carer was devastated.  His walking is better now, but the nexgard left Kolo with behavioural issues. One minute he us the sweetest boy, and the next he's biting hard (it's so much more than play biting).  

Click to sponsor one of our resident care dogs

We feel Kolo has as much right to a chance as any other dog. It's not his fault he was let down by pharmaceutical companies and vets. In the wrong hands Kolo could become a problem. We are not prepared to gamble with his life, or others' safety. With these factors in mind, we made the decision to keep him in our care to keep him safe. We will reconsider if we see drastic improvements in his behaviour.

You can learn more about the potential dangers of Nexgard (and related products) in one of our health articles here - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/2022/04/health-topics-nexguard-and-bravecto.html

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 22 - Meet Kerrie

We've reached the 22nd day of the 100 Days with 100 Dogs and we still have many wonderful dogs needing forever homes to meet.

Meet Kerrie

This beautiful lady is Kerrie. She is about 8 years old, and is a short coated black and tan female. 

Kerrie came to us as a cruelty case from the RSPCA along with her daughter. She was in a dreadful state, both physically and mentally. It proved difficult to approach her, and we had to work patiently to bring her with us without causing further distress. 

We recently moved her to a different kennel where she has been undergoing some behaviour adjustment training at a pace she could cope with. Kerrie was allowed to make all the decisions and was not forced to do anything she didn't feel comfortable with. 

Space, time and patience are important factors in allowing such traumatised dogs to find themselves again. In this manner her confidence has grown and now she's happy to investigate people. 

Kerrie will need a quiet home with no other pets and an understanding carer who will follow the advice given and help Kerrie develop further.  She has so much love to give and believe me, to win Kerrie's love will be such a reward!  

She is currently located Holbeach,  South lincs.

If you'd like to offer Kerrie a home then review our adoption process and complete the adoption query form here - http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 21 - Meet Resident Bruce

With Day 21 of 100 Days with 100 Dogs  we meet Bruce. All of the dogs that come us have their stories - their own slice of trauma through many different causes from the death of their owners, those that have been abused, and those suffering terrible illnesses. All of them touch you in some way, but others are so grim that they can stain you indelibly, and yet the dogs can come out of the other side, and through their own strength and patient support find a life again.

Meet Resident Bruce

Bruce is a 2 year old black and tan,long coated entire male. At 7 months he started reacting to things when taken out on walks. We believe that he was going through his second fear period. 

Unfortunately his owners sent him away to board and train with a disreputable (for want a better description) trainer. During his stay with the training school they introduced him to a prong collar, spray bottle and rattle can (obviously this trainer had no idea of the science of how dogs learn). On the face of it, the training worked, but in reality such techniques will at best mask the original issue, and are also likely to create new ones.

How prong colours are still legal in this day and age is unconscionable.

Bruce returned home, and he wasn't so reactive on walks. and his owners naively thought the  that the training had worked. In reality the fear had sunk deeper, and taken on new forms.  He'd learned that seeing humans resulted in pain from the prong collar.    

When visitors came to the house he was terrified of humans, but didn't have the prong collar on. And so he tried to protect himself and bit. Poor Bruce now has two police records. 

Arriving at Welfare we recognised a terrified, and shut down boy. His eyes told such a story - one that  would make you cry. Once we'd taken him in, the police contacted us. If he hadn't been surrendered to us they would have issued a destruction order.   

Within weeks if being here, and by only working at a pace he could cope with we worked with him on problem solving. As gained confidence and proficiency, and as he did so, he transformed. He looked like he had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. 

Even with this we still have to be careful, and make sure not put him in situations he can't cope with. He is so loving, and just five minutes in his company would leave you wondering how on earth he found himself in that predicament. Sady the answer is all too simple - because people do not always listen to the advice given, or given bad advice and don't check. There will be no third chance for Bruce with the police, and so we made the decision to keep him safe in our care.

Bruce is one of twenty or so dogs in our permanent care. He's not one the dogs with a printed sponsor pack, but if you'd like to help us provide for his life long needs then you can still sponsor him by choosing other, and then entering his name in the text box provided - http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 20 - Meet Casey

Day 20 means that we're a fifth of the way, or looking at it another way. we have at least four times more dogs to show you that either need homes, or in our permanent. It's not all bleak though, we've received some positive communications and a few visits that will hopefully turn into new homes. Thank you all for your continuing support - even just liking and sharing a post could reach a prospective adopter.

Meet Casey

This beautiful girl is Casey.  She's a 2 year old black and tan long coated, entire female German Shepherd. Sadly she is with us due to health issues with her previous owner. 

She is proving to be an absolute sweetheart with the kennel staff, although dhe can be strong on lead. We've not seen any problems with other dogs, but has never lived with another one. Casey hasn't been tested with cats. We can see no reason why she couldn't be introduced to children. 

Currently Casey is located Sleaford, Lincolnshire.

If you'd like to adopt Casey, or one of our other dogs then you can read our process and contact us via our shiny new Adoption Query form - http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 19: Meet Resident Ernie

For the 19th dog in the 100 Days with 100 Dogs series we meet another of our dogs under our permanent care. We don't believe a dog should be put down simply because they couldn't be rehomed - all dogs should have a life they deserve, and not the ones that  some have suffered.

Meet Ernie

Ernie is a handsome 4 year old, male, un-neutered, black and tan German Shepherd. He's been with us for approximately 2 years now. 

He came to Welfare after biting his previous owner, who said training methods had caused the bite. Deeper investigation proved it to be for different reasons. 

Ernie spent about a year with us and we saw nothing but a loving boy. No sign whatsoever of any aggression. So we found him a wonderful home, but after 3 days we had to bring him back.  We made the decision to keep him in our care to save him any further stress. 

We have around 20 dogs in our care, and they can be sponsored to help with the cost of their life long upkeep. You can sponsor our dogs here -  http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/  

Learn more about the cost of caring for our rescued dogs here - https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-cost-of-caring.html

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 18 -- Meet Bear

We reached Day 18 of 100 Dogs in 100 Days series, and today we meet one of our more energetic dogs eager to find his forever home and loving pawrents - will that be with you?

Meet Bear

Bear is a 2 year old male black  short coated German Shepherd. He is a real fun character and absolutely loves playing with toys. The more the better. Bear will need an experienced owner purely because he can get over excited and playfully jump up which has to be handled carefully so he cannot make a game of it. 

When he is taken out for walks he really enjoys it and is much calmer than when he is on kennel property. He has so much potential. He loves to work for toys or treats. Because of Bears excitability he's probably best suited to a child and pet free home.

He's currently located in Mildenhall.

If you'd like to offer Bear, or any of our other dogs at home, then email us at gsdwelfarefund@gmail. You can view other dogs in our care on our website http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/dogslist/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 17 - Meet Resident Beau

We're almost a fifth of the way through our 100 Days with 100 Dogs series. Today we meet another of the dogs in our permanent care.

Meet Beau

This gorgeous girl is Beau (AKA Bobo)  she is a black short coated 5 year old neutered female German Shepherd. She has an amazing temperament, and is good with dogs, children and people. Sadly Bobo suffers from EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency), which means she needs special medication every time she eats to be able to digest her food.  

We did manage to put weight on her, and find her a home, but they didn't follow the advice given and so lost 5 kilos in 4 weeks. She had to come back to us. We have since struggled to keep weight on her.  All manner of different medications have been tried, but unfortunately the slightest thing can set her back. Because of this we made the decision to keep her in our permanent care.

Beau is one of around a fifth of the dogs currently in our care who cannot be homed. In her case it's quite a nasty medical issue, but severe behavioural problems can also necessitate the same decision. To help fund this life long care we have a sponsorship scheme -  http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/

100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 16 - Meet Millie

Day 16 in our 100 Days with 100 Dogs and we come to a young female who's not had the most settled start in life, and so needs a more tranquil loving home - can you help?

Meet Millie

This beautiful girl is Millie, and she's a short coated black and tan female German Shepherd. She was bought from the free ads, and then they quickly realised they couldn't cope with her, so homed her with a relation. Sadly within a few days of being with the relation, she fought with the resident dog. She was put out in the garden, and we took her in as an emergency. 

Millie is understandably nervous, and needs to gain confidence which she is doing very gradually. She needs time and space to continue that progress. After Millie's history, she needs to be the only dog and no other pets. We are told there were children in the relation's home, but we would prefer children over 10 so as not to overwhelm her.

We are unsure if she's neutered, and she's currently placed in Mildenhall. 

If you'd like to offer Millie her new home then email gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com.  Other dogs in our care can be found on our website - http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/dogslist/ and in our adoption Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/gsdwfadoptions