Adopting a GSD

[WVGSD]

When I adopted Max just before Christmas, all that I knew was that he was a German Shepherd, had been neglected/abandoned and that he had good temperament. That was basically it since he came from a shelter. With a rescue group, you will know more about temperament than I did and will get much more information than a shelter rescue/pull adoption. If the dog has been in foster care, the foster parents can provide much more information than a shelter as they have had the dog in their home and have lived with it for several weeks to months.

With regard to hip dysplasia, that would be my last worry with an adoption. I have lived with a non-GSD medium sized (55 pound) dog with bilateral severe hip dysplasia and she had a good and comfortable life for 13 years. Her hip dysplasia was diagnosed when I OFA'd her hips after she completed her AKC championship. I kept her weight under control and gave her joint support supplements for most of her life and she was able to live without hip replacments or other surgery.

I have also lived with several other breeds and hip dysplasia is quite manageable in many cases with moderate exercise, diet and supplements. Nearly all breeds can get hip dysplasia and German Shepherds have a host of other issues that they can be predisposed to, so I would not worry excessively about hip dysplasia. If the dog that you are interested in is with a rescue group, the chances are good that the group can tell you if the dog is having any mobility issues. If not, that is a decent indication that this is not going to be an immediate issue for you to deal with after adoption.

One of my AKC champions of the past was rated as having good hips by the OFA when she was two years old. At ten years old, she began to have some mobility issues and I had her re-x-rayed. She was quite arthritic and my vet used the term "dysplastic" at that age. Some hip issues can be age related as this case shows.

I hope this helps. This board has a wealth of information from people who are very skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to all things German Shepherd.

Shannon

[RebelGSD]

I am not aware of any rescue or shelter that provides hip guarantees/warranites for adopted dogs. And I have yet to meet a breeder that will allow a potential buyer to take the pup/dog to their own vet for evaluation prior to purchase.

I have volunteered for 4 rescues and the only time they allow x-rays done by applicants is when the dog goes into a working situation that requires perfect hips. A dog can be a prefect pet with less than perfect hips. Also what is to happen with the dog that the applicant discards for less than perfect hips? It is not that rescues have waitlists for dogs that have potantially bad hips. Should the rescue kill the dog? Should the applicant kill the dog?

The idea behind adopting a rescue dog is giving an animal that ended up in a bad situation a fair second chance. A fair chance means being willing and able to deal with health or behavior issues that might arise. Less than perfect hips are not the worst or the most expensive health problem. And most dogs, even those with perfect hips, will develop arthritis as they age - as do people.

We refer people who want perfect hips/elbows to breeders that sell dogs with such health certificates and other warranties. Producing animals that are in top health is costly, and it is only fair that people who don't want any risk and want the best pay for what it costs to produce it.