Exciting announcement!
We are very specific about the way dogs are trained and believe in a holistic approach. dedicated to providing fear-free, ethical dog training and behaviour modification. GSDWF believe in relationship-centred training and only promote the use of fear-free methods.
Do you have questions about your own dogs behaviour? Would you like to be able to ask questions about changing it in a safe, non-judgmental place with like-minded people?
Recent research has shown that dog guardians who experience behavioural issues may indicate not only poor dog welfare but also poor dog guardian well-being (Barcelos, A.M., Kargas, N., Assheton, P. et al. Dog owner mental health is associated with dog behavioural problems, dog care and dog-facilitated social interaction: a prospective cohort study. Sci Rep 13, 21734 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48731-z.
With this in mind, we have created a private Facebook group called Canine Behaviour and Welfare Zone. If you would like to join this exclusive group where you can upload videos, ask questions, discuss your own dogs unwanted behaviour, learn new information and techniques and also have access to a incredibly discounted zoom session with our behaviourist for only £35.00 drop us an email to [email protected] to set up a standing order of £3 per month.
If you are already a Friends member, monthly subscription is £1 and if you are already a member of Murphy’s Paw it is £2 per month. For anyone else, you can gain access for only £3 per month.
We will also be having private exclusive zoom discussions on various topics of dog behaviour and training which you can access free of charge. These zoom discussions will only be open to members of the Canine behaviour and welfare zone members.
Our goal is to empower dog guardians with effective management and skills, ensuring a positive and rewarding experience for both the dog and the guardian.
Becoming a Friend of GSD Welfare not only helps support us in our mission to rescue, care for, and rehome vulnerable German Shepherds - it also unlocks a wealth of exclusive content and access.
For only £3 per month you’ll receive the following perks*:
- Exclusive access to the Friends of GSD Welfare Facebook group
- Monthly Q&A session with Lisa Hird, our resident behavioural expert
- Special monthly guest speakers
- Regular Hot Potato topics discussing GSD Welfare Fund and beyond
Join now by setting up your £3 (more is always welcome!) monthly subscription via your bank or PayPal (use this link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L3XVV7ZC87XPC) – please include your Facebook alias so we can provide your new access.
Annual access can also be purchased on our online store:
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/friends-of-gsd-welfare-membership-1-year/
Guest speakers so far have included amongst others:
- Do No Harm with Roman Gottfriend
- Zoopharmacognosy with Victoria Dorman
- Dog Trauma Live Session with Rachel Leather
- Dr Conor Brady - Gastric Torsion
We try to record the sessions for subscribers who can't attend, or simply want to review what was said.
* Supporters who already send a monthly donation equal, or greater than the subscription cost will automatically receive Friends of GSD Welfare membership for no additional cost
You can stop your subscription at any time by emailing [email protected].
Rodney is a glamorous long haired male German Shepherd. He is 3 years old and came into our care after a bite incident. His caregivers were distraught at having to part with him but did so for his own and everyone else’s safety. Because of this Rodney is a permanent resident.
He has been with us for over a year now. He doesn’t like to be touched so even everyday things like grooming and putting a lead on create a difficult situation. We try to respect what Rodney tells us and have arranged his living arrangements so we can get him into a secure field from his kennel without having to put a lead on him. He is a happy boy and enjoys life (not as much as he enjoys his food though😂).
You can help support our welfare residents and their lifelong care by sponsoring one or more of them for only £20 each per year.
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/
Ernie is a handsome 2 year old, black and tan, male German Shepherd. He came to us after a disagreement with his previous owner. Even after this occurred, Ernie remained very loving with everyone else around him. We assessed him closely after he joined us and we found him to be a happy, fun-loving, and loving boy. He enjoys playing ball games and will bring you his ball all day long if allowed to.
We have seen no signs of any aggression with people he knows or strangers. He greets everyone like a long-lost friend. He can react to other dogs but we feel this is more out of excitement. However, we did try to re-home Ernie and discovered that he couldn't cope at all so he returned to us. We have now made the decision not to re-home him.
Ernie is kept under our permanent care, please consider sponsoring our resident dogs to help pay for their lifelong upkeep.
http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/
For the penultimate post in our 100 Days with 100 Dogs series we meet newcomer Ace who's only just joined us and is still under assessment but we hope will be ready for his new home soon.
Ace is a youngster at 9 months old and as you can imagine is very energetic! He's come to us because his previous home was unsuitable and her's currently enjoying some new space to play in. Unfortunately, he's had little training so will need some work to help settle properly.
He's not been fully tested yet so we're not sure how he'll be with other dogs - especially males. He's very boisterous so unlikely to be suitable for a home with young children under 10 years old.
Ace is currently located in Stamford, Lincolnshire. He's currently too young to be neutered but he is microchipped and vaccinated.
If you can offer Ace a home then please get in touch via the adoption query form here:
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/
100 Days with100 Dogs
Join us for the latest news
Happy New Year to Everyone for 2023!
2022 proved to be a challenging year but with the dedication of our volunteers and kennels combined with the amazing generosity of our supporters, we are still here protecting vulnerable German Shepherds and finding them loving homes. We are eternally grateful to everyone involved and are dedicated to making 2023 a successful year for our mission.
We also hope that everyone enjoys a good year to come.
Please enjoy this message from our chairman Debbie Hill.
Day 87 of our 100 Day journey is one of heartfelt thanks. On behalf of all the dogs in our care, we'd like to thank everyone for their generous donations which meant they all received a Christmas gift. As you can see from just a few we recorded they were gratefully received and as always we're humbled by everyone's generosity - thank you so much!
Elda's First Christmas With Us
Day 85 of our journey through 100 Days with 100 Dogs and whilst you should never wish time away there are some exciting developments coming next year that we're ultra excited to share with you.
In the meantime let's reconnect with Elda. If you've not met her before poor Elda (her name was changed after joining us) spent two years in Police Custody thanks to her owner not doing as he was told. As you can imagine those two years weren't a pleasant experience for her but thankfully a judge released her to us rather than let her be put down. She is under a strict court order and so is under our chairman Debbie Hill's care.
Here's Debbie's latest update:
Saturday and Sunday were spent pretty much the same with me tossing treats into her run every time I passed. (Gaining her trust is happening at her pace. Attempting to force or shortcut the process will just make things worse. The damage to her took a long time and so does the rehabilitation). Lots of enrichment is available in her run. Most of the time now, she has changed from barking at me to a low, sad cry. Body language is still quite stiff and fearful. When I let her into her run this morning, she gave the “sad cry” but went straight to her snuffle mat that auntie Mary sent.
This will be her first Christmas with us.
Even with the progress Elda is making, it is extremely unlikely she'll ever be suitable for general rehoming. Even so, she still gets to enjoy some of her life in a way she never could before just like the 30 or so other permanent residents we provide life long care for.
If you'd like to help dogs like Elda that we look after then please consider sponsoring one or more of them here:
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/
Ned loves to play with a stick
Day 77 of our 100 Days with 100 Dogs series sees Tom and Jerry having fun in the mud. I can't help but wonder what's buried there!
The ever-energetic Tom is still looking for his forever home. If you can provide a loving home for him and continue with his training then get in you via the form here:
http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/
After yesterday's video showing the scope of our current undertaking, we want to remember the positive side of what we do. So for Day 76 in the 100 Days with 100 Dogs we see how Elda is progressing since joining us after being rescued from Police custody - a battle that took two years to win.
Elda Settling In
The lovely Elda continues from strength to strength. Given all that she has been through, she's adapted amazingly well. Her character is starting to reveal itself and she is full of mischief.
Elda loves to interact, in fact, she almost demands it because she still doesn't feel secure enough to be touched. Naturally, we'll continue to let her determine the pace of progress. It's not something to be rushed. She will snuggle up next to me on the sofa as long as I don't try to touch her.
Her whole look has changed. She is such a sweet character that it doesn't bear thinking about how frightened she must have been to get her in the situation she was in. She is now enjoying life and I don't think I've ever met a GSD that uses their nose as much, but after two years in a cell who can blame her?
Elda is currently one of our resident dogs and one who's been through court procedures so we have additional responsibilities for her care. Like other dogs that will never be suitable for re-homing we don't punish them for it, but instead, provide them with a life they can enjoy.
If you'd like to support their lifelong care then you can sponsor resident dogs here:
http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/
Bella Almost Ready For Her New Home
100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 53 - Bella's Almost Ready
25 days ago we launched an urgent appeal to help fund the rescue and care of Bella and her five pups from horrendous conditions. The response from our supporters was simply amazing and the appeal has reached well over the halfway point.
The dogs have also responded well to their new conditions, although they took considerable cleaning up at first! Three of the pups have found their new homes and we're pleased to announce that Bella will very soon be ready for hers.
If you are able to contribute to the appeal then please do so here, every donation - no matter how large or small helps:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-appeal-for-bella-and-her-five-pups
Meet Bella
This gorgeous girl is Bella. She is approximately 3 years old. We rescued her along with her 5 puppies (who were 9 months old) from dreadful conditions.
They were living in their own filth, so badly that washing alone couldn't remove it and we had to clip them. Some of the puppies were emaciated with bad development through lack of nutrition.
Bella has the sweetest temperament and will be an asset to any family. She won't be ready for a few more weeks, but please get in touch if you'd like to offer her a home. She is not neutered at present but we will probably have her spayed before going to her new home so she can never be in this situation again.
We would prefer Bella to be an only dog. She's not tested with cats and is currently located in Clacton, Essex.
If you can offer her a new home to settle in and enjoy the rest of her life in then please contact us here:
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/
Meet Hugo 2 - Looking for His New Home
100 Days with 100 Dogs: Day 52 - Meet Hugo 2
Day 52 of 100 Days with 100 Dogs is also the third day of our month-long Halloween Horror and today's item is a signed novel by a possibly familiar name :-)
https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/halloween-horror-auction.html
We also meet Hugo 2, a lovely dog looking for his forever home.
Hugo is a 3 year old black entire male German Shepherd. He is on the small side for an adult. Sadly he came into Welfare due to a change in his domestic situation.
He is a happy, lively boy and he's lived with children. Hugo should be the only dog as his previous carer said he can be hit and miss with other dogs.
Hugo is the kind of dog that makes you feel good being around him. He hasn't put a paw wrong since being with us.
He's currently located in Sleaford.
If you can offer Hugo 2 a home then please contact us via the form here:
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/
Meet Kaiser
On Day 51 of the 100 Days with 100 Dogs series, we not only meet a lovely young lad looking for his new home, but we also see the start of the month-long Halloween Horror Auction. New items will be added throughout the month ranging the terrifying to the impossibly cute - there's something for everyone preparing for the spookiest night of the year.
https://gsdwelfare.blogspot.com/p/halloween-horror-auction.html
Meet Kaiser
Kaiser is about 2 years old. He is a black and tan short-coated entire German Shepherd He was found abandoned along with a female GSD in a wooded area.
They were taken to a local vet who then contacted us in desperation after the big rescues had refused to help. If we couldn't take them then euthanasia was the only remaining option.
Kaiser is a lovely friendly boy and he's lived with another dog so he should be okay with a female. He's not been tested with cats or children.
He's currently located in Sleaford, Lincolnshire and if you can offer a home for him then please get in touch here:
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/
Meet Murphy
And so we reach the halfway point in our 100 Days with 100 Dogs and along the way we've introduced many lovely logs, and a few of them have found homes - which is always wonderful news. In terms of direct impact, adopting is the most significant. It's our primary mission and also reduces our operating costs and/or allows the freed-up space and resources to be used to rescue another dog. This is a very big deal and even if you're not able to adopt liking and sharing our posts helps us to reach the right person for particular dogs.
Today's dog isn't quite ready for homing yet, but he does illustrate the harm that can be caused by engaging the wrong person for key services such as Training. Unfortunately, there are some 'experts' that lack appropriate qualifications or use outdated methods. Always make sure to research the person you are looking to use, and talk to them about how they will address your requirements.
Meet Murphy
Murphy is a 2 year old long coated male German Shepherd. His previous carers had taken him on when he was just a year old. He had major issues then but they thought they could help Murphy overcome them.
They enlisted the help of a behaviourist for a year and her approach saw no improvements made. They couldn't go out and leave him but they couldn't take him out either. They ended up as prisoners in their own home.
Since joining us he's come on in leaps and bounds. As you can see in the video he's not exploding at the dog in the next paddock. He isn't up for adoption yet but we are hoping it won't be too long before he's ready. We'll make an announcement when he is.
You will find more dogs looking for new homes on our website:
https://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/dogslist/
Find Your Perfect Companion
Looking for your perfect companion?
Sometimes four legs are better than two!
Adopt a rescued German Shepherd dog and discover a loving lifelong bond.
http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/
Ace is Ace
For the 46th day of our 100 Days with 100 Dogs series we meet one of our very special resident dogs. Sadly not all of the dogs that come to us are suitable for rehoming, and this can be for many reasons. They might have complicated health conditions, or intractable behavioural issues or on their last strike with a Police order (one more violation and they are executed). If the dog is still capable of enjoying life then we don't put them to sleep, but instead them to live their lives in peace. Even dogs so traumatised they can't live in a normal home deserve a life worth living.
Ace is Ace
Ace came into our care when he was 9 months old having already lived in four different homes. Sadly, something had happened in his original home before he was 7 months old that had obviously terrified him. We believe an electric collar was used on him.
He was rescued but at each home, it didn't work out for him so he was moved on. In the fourth household he lunged at a member of the family so they brought him into Welfare.
When he came it was difficult to get near him. He wasn't vicious, he was terrified. We did a lot of rehabilitation work with him and he came on in leaps and bounds but he still reacted to young men (his original home where the trauma had been caused) so it would be difficult to re-home him. On top of all this, the poor boy is now almost blind. The chances of him finding a suitable home were extremely, so we took the decision to keep him in our care.
Ace is one of 30 dogs in our lifelong care, you can help provide for their upkeep here: http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-dog/
