View more
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 (.heartlandgsrescue) "Is a HUGS Dog Right for You?" for additional information.
Armani was surrendered to rescue when her previous owners discovered she had Mega-Esophagus, which is a condition that requires her to eat her meals & sit in a chair (known as a Bailey Chair) for 15-20 min. Armani is incredibly smart even by German Shepherd standards. Her foster dad built her a Bailey chair the same day she was rescued, and by her third meal in it, she had started jumping in her chair when she saw her foster mama making her food!
The first few days with Armani, she was fairly low energy and restrained, likely from lack of nutrition. She began perking up quickly, and is definitely the life of the party now, acting every bit a "normal" puppy! Shoes and socks were not safe around her for months, but she has recently discovered how tasty kitchen towels can be! Armani is very much a typical puppy - full of energy, always ready to play (even after a 4 mile hike!!), and wildly curious about the world around her.
Armani has excelled at training, knowing sit, stay, how to get into her chair at mealtime, and great leash manners for her age. She's been well socialized thanks to her foster brother and two foster sisters, and has learned how to read and respect other dog personalities, everything from grumpy old man dog to crazy zoomie wrestling sister dogs. Armani recently earned her Canine Good Citizen title, and has a few tricks titles to her name. She's a smart cookie!
Regarding Armani's Mega-E diagnosis: Armani has congenital, generalized Mega-E. Her condition is well managed without medication. She only needs 15 minutes of upright time after meals. With time and patience (which sometimes involves trying different meals and handfeeding), Armani has continued to grow nicely and thrive. Armani typically eats a kibble or a 'mush' recipe, however, as she gets bored, foster mom will sometimes entice her by feeding her canned salmon or raw meatballs. Like any Mega-E pup, Armani will need patient pet parents with extra time on their hands as feeding time and meal prep takes longer, and she requires gelatinized chicken broth cubes, instead of water.
Armani is very much a pack dog - she first left her mom with her littermate, and has since grown up with a pack of three GSDs. She would love to have a friendly dog in her forever home to play with. Armani's far more timid when she goes somewhere alone, but will gain confidence if adopted as an only dog to someone who puts in the training time. She is incredibly bonded to her humans - if foster mom is working from home, she will happily spend the whole day perched on the arm of the couch next to mom's desk dropping toys on mom and breathing in mom's ear.
Like any of our dogs, this sweet, gorgeous girl would make a great addition to an active home that will provide the love, structure, good leadership, activity and mental stimulation that this breed needs. Because of that, Armani ideal owner will have prior GSD or other herding breed experience. Even if you exercise and play with your dog daily in your fenced yard, please remember that you MUST still take your dog out on daily walks and outings, in order to provide sufficient stimulation, ward off boredom, and work on leash skills, and manners.
Armani's adoption fee is $350, all of which goes back into offsetting our high-cost vetting expenses and rescuing more dogs. We are a 100% volunteer-run rescue group and rely on adoption fees and donations to continue saving lives. Adoption fees include spay/neuter, current on age-appropriate vaccinations, fecal, deworming, flea/tick and heartworm preventative, heartworm tested if old enough (and treated if positive), and microchipped. Please visit heartlandgsrescue.rescuegroups/info/adoption for more information about our adoption process and requirements, and to apply.
Please review the information in the "About Us", "Important Considerations" and "Adopt" sections on our website menu, as it contains useful information about the breed, adoption fees, the adoption process and our requirements, and how meeting the dogs works.