German Shepherd dogs, as well as the other herding breeds that we have in rescue, are highly active, energetic, working breeds. They require considerable vetting, exercise, socialization, training, leadership and mental stimuli in order to be well-adjusted, well-balanced, and well-mannered dogs. Even if you exercise and play with your dog daily in your fenced yard, you MUST still take your dog out on daily walks and outings in order to work on his/her leash skills, manners, and social skills. These breeds make great additions to active families who will pamper them, but who will also work with them, as they are smart dogs who need leadership, structure, plenty of activity and mental stimulation. 

If you are new to German Shepherds (and other herding breeds), please research the breed to make sure this is the dog for you. We ask that you consider the time and financial commitment that your German Shepherd (or other herding breed) dog will require before applying for one. Please review the section on our website (www.heartlandgsrescue.org) "Is a HUGS Dog Right for You?" for additional information.

Magnus is a young, sweet and playful Dutch Shepherd. Magnus landed at a shelter that was really full, so despite being a really nice dog, he was deemed unadoptable due to his poor physical condition, as he was severely malnourished and had significant hair loss. Thanks to an awesome HUGS foster who opened up their home to Magnus, we were able to safely get him out. Shortly after arriving, we noticed that one of his eyes seemed unusually cloudy. A visit to the specialist revealed that Magnus had a complete cataract in his right eye. We planned to do cataract surgery to restore vision to his right eye, unfortunately, pre-operative testing revealed that Magnus also had a detached retina.  It appears that Magnus was born with a cataract in his eye, but as it progressed and deteriorated over time, it resulted in a complete retinal detachment. Because of that, Magnus was not a candidate for cataract surgery. In the end, we opted to remove Magnus' damaged right (blind) eye as surgery couldn't restore vision, and it was the best way to avoid future complications. 

Young Magnus is a total love bug. He is a leaner who will do figures 8’s against your legs when being petted, in order to get even more love! He is potty-trained and crate-trained. Magnus has been taught to sit and wait to be released for his meal and he takes treats nicely. He loves being around people and does great on car rides. Magnus gets along well with the dogs in his foster home, and also loves getting extra attention from his humans. Even though Magnus only has 1 eye, he has no trouble at all getting around, and loves running around the yard.  He isn’t much of a ball player but enjoys chewing on hard rubber squeaky toys that squeak. Magnus knows sit, wait, shake and down. He walks well on a leash. Magnus enjoys sleeping in bed with his humans if allowed, with his head on your feet, but will also sleep on the floor on a dog bed. 

Magnus' adoption fee is $350, all of which goes back into offsetting our high-cost vetting expenses and rescuing more dogs.  Adoption fees include spay/neuter, current on age-appropriate vaccinations, fecal, deworming, flea/tick and heartworm preventative, heartworm tested if old enough (treated if positive), and microchipped. Please visit http://heartlandgsrescue.rescuegroups.org/info/adoption for more information about our adoption process and requirements, and to apply.