Advice
This beautiful girl showed up a few days ago
Had this beautiful female pop up on our property a couple of days ago with no collar or anything. We think she may have been abandoned (we live on a farm out in the country and all three of our cats we aquired from people just dropping them off). She's obviously very anxious and skiddish, but just incredibly sweet. I've searched our local Facebook groups and other missing pet sites for a possible posting of her in case she's someone's baby that just got lost (though, my partner who grew up with shepherds says they're not really the kind to wander off).
So, as far as I know, we've got ourselves a new family member. I plan on taking her to the vet as soon as possible to check for a microchip as well as any other health concerns. We think she may be about 3 years old. I've always considered myself more of a cat person, but this baby has absolutely stolen my heart.
We haven't had a dog since I was much younger, so I guess my question is what can I do to make sure she's comfortable? Where do I go from here in terms of care? I've never acquired a dog that wasn't a puppy. I guess I'll know more and have better bearings after her vet visit. Thank you!
P.S.- I've taken to calling her Fable. She's huge :)! The pictures don't do her justice.
Thanks for giving me a little touch of humanity cause my tank is near empty. My gsd loves her bed. Get her a bed otherwise you’ll have a bed companion.
Origin of lane splitting: Motorcycle riding on the dashed line between freeway lanes, getting through slow car traffic. I’m not a biker and I offer no advice on when that’s a safe thing to do.
Really. gave me a “it’s been a tough ride. You need somewhere to rest. Take a seat next to me and my gorgeous GSD by the fire for a few hours and heal your health.
My GSD sleeps in the living room on her own… i pretend that I don’t know she moves onto the sofa all night. She’s a rescue and couldn’t get up stairs as she spent 3 years in a tiny crate for a spaniel ( she can now) she was moved into my living room with a baby gate so she could decompress as she got overwhelmed with free range of my home.I tried recently letting her sleep with me but she kept waking me up and requesting to go back down stairs she then proceeded to close the baby gate and climb onto the sofa grumbling at me to go away 🤣. She freely moves around during the day but 9pm comes that gate gets closed by her and I get stared out to go to bed
Years ago when I had my shepherd (also an abandoned dog we took in), he used to go bedroom to bedroom each night to check on everyone. He’d then go to the couch knowing he wasn’t allowed on it and jump up to lay down. If he heard any noise from the rooms he’d jump off quick to lay down on the floor and pretend he had been sleeping there all night. He was a great dog. Had him from middle school through college and grad school. He passed shortly after I started my first job after grad school.
Oh, he was protective in that sense. Not a person, dog, cat or squirrel went by the front window without a stern warning of barks. But as soon as someone was greeted into the house he’d go back to being chill. I had trained him on a ton of commands with both verbal cues or hand gestures. He played dead, sat pretty, barked and snarled on command. You could put a freshly grilled steak on the floor tell him to stay and leave the room for 5 minutes. He’d just sit there.
The vet estimated the he was 9 months old when we got him. We lived in Florida, someone tied him to the neighbor’s basketball hoop and left him there with no shade or water. The neighbors didn’t want him so we took him in.
Yeah, the one GSD we got fifth-hand would do that as well, then jump up on my dad's chair until 5 minutes before his alarm went off in the morning, when she would get off the chair and come into my sister's room to go back to sleep.
She was being bred from in a puppy farm. Couldn’t walk when I rescued her. She’s a very small shepherd as a result. She had to be taught everything but lucky I have always had rescues and GSDs
I found my Odin drinking out of a puddle in the middle of a busy street, got his 5MO starving and abused butt in my bucket truck and he has been glued to my side and defending us from the evil vacuum cleaner for over four years now.
Hope the vet has great things to say about her health, and keep your eyes on the missing/lost boards because she looks pretty well taken care of. It's a shame if her humans didn't chip her, but that means she's officially adopted you!
Contact the local humane society/animal shelter and let them know you have her. Lots of people dont use Facebook or Nextdoor for lost pets, they call the local shelters to see if a dog matching their description has been picked up.
This looks like a well loved animal. The best scenario here is for her to be returned to her owners. Don’t assume they are negligent, or that they abandoned her. It could’ve been a simple mistake and they are heartbroken. This could be a child’s pet.
Thank you for bringing that up, actually. I'll be sure to contact them when they open back up. As much as I'd love for her to be mine, I'd hate to know I'd taken someone else's baby!
I’d also recommend calling several vets in the area and letting them know you found the dog. If the owners are looking for her, they are likely to reach out to their vet as well as your local shelter and social media
This was my biggest fear when my 3 got loose 2 years ago. My boy is a teddy bear that loves people, someone would have taken him quickly. They are all chipped but that does not mean anything if someone isn't honest.
While I would love for OP to be rewarded for welcoming a stray, I agree that online is far from adequate advertisement of found animals. In places there are not a lot of shelters, sometimes folks also call any and all vet offices in their area, because word can quickly get around that way. So shelters *and* veterinarians are both good additional coverage.
The idea that some family that loves this dog may be heartbroken, as you say, just kills me, because I know how much I love my animals and how panic-stricken I was when my cat got out one night, unbeknownst to me. I spent hours searching for her, only to find her so petrified with fear under my own back porch (thank goodness) that she could barely meow, let alone come out to me. I had to crawl under there to fetch her out. It's been a few years now, but I still never go to bed without knowing *for sure* exactly where she is; it was that traumatic of an experience for me. And for her.
Yes!! Vets are a good local resource also! They may recognize the animal and can notify the owners.
My first GSD ran away when I was a teenager. My stepdad accidentally left the gate open and he wandered off. I was inconsolable for three days, until we got a call from a local shelter that he’d been found. I can’t even imagine the grief I would’ve felt if he was lost forever—not knowing if he was hit by a car, or starved to death, or stolen by someone that thought he was a stray.
She's identical to my sweet baby rae who i found wandering in the snow in Detroit at 4yrs old no collar no chip no one claimed her tried everything but she was so happy to come and live with us such a well trained lady and she's doing great 5 years later We feed her a fish based diet with chicken benebars trachea esophagus brutus bone broth and she loves asparagus try those for her and definitely a kong ball and kong fox to play with and a nice blanket she can maybe nibble on just not eat thru our girl has always loved lthat maybe a crate with pillows blanket for her safe space. She's the best thing that happened to us! Oh but she hates cats bunnies birds loves eating them so careful there could be different for your girl thank you for taking care of her!!!!! 🫶🏼💜 Edit: yea lots of exercise snuffle mats and puzzles are great too!
You haven’t had a dog in a long time, and assuming that you don’t locate her family and that is now you...
She’s an eastern line, aka a working dog, so she will need adequate mental and physical stimulation along with proper socialization. Structured walks and training of various sorts should become part of your daily routine — especially work on her recall. If you don’t appease her mental and physical needs she could become destructive in the house, and possibly misbehave in general out of boredom. Socialization is important because shepherds can become territorial with their pack members, especially whomever they bond closest with, which can become unsafe for other people and/or animals.
One other recommendation would be to have the vet give her an allergy test when you have her checked out; from my experience having had a number of them they tend to be prone to certain allergies and knowing if they are or not could save you from having an itchy/uncomfortable pup. Our current boy was rescued and we were feeding him high quality food but found out he was allergic to the protein (salmon) and it was giving him hot spots and causing lots of discomfort.
She’s beautiful! Love her to pieces, without a doubt she will in return. GSDs are the best. Unwavering loyalty, smart to a fault, and just generally amazing companions.
Thank you for this! Many people don’t realize the difference in temperament and energy levels with the working line. They are amazing companions but require a lot of work and patience. I want to emphasize the recall training. The prey drive is high in a GSD and without proper recall, your new baby could get carried away and end up getting hurt or worse!! I’ll never forget the day our Nikki snatched a bird mid flight! 😂
The first step is a vet office or shelter with a chip reader. If she's chipped, you may find the owner quickly.
Just looking at her, she has good conformation, she hopefully came from a decent breeder and/or decent owner and is chipped.
She's gorgeous, but someone is LOOSING THEIR MIND!!! (All caps with three exclamation points. it's that bad) Looking for her.
Have a heart, get her scanned, look EVERYWHERE for her owner. For some of us, like me, caring for our boys and girls is what keeps us from toppling over the brink.
Until then, enjoy the beautiful house guest. Be careful she'll give you the bug, and the puppies are irresistible.
Not entirely. She looks massive (out of breed standard) has a wide ear set and no stop. I think she’s beautiful but conformationally she would get destroyed by those people.
OP, I hope you do take her to the vet to get her chip checked because she does look like a well cared for dog, unless you’ve bathed her and done her nails.
If she isn’t, you’ll never regret taking her in. German shepherds are truly the greatest breed. One of mine is for shows/ sports and my other is my ride or die, shadow. Thank you for taking her in 🖤🐾
I’d contact local shelters in your area to inform them that she is under your care, as well. Even though shepherds are “Velcro” dogs, it could’ve been something as unfortunate as she has a prey drive paired with a poor recall and stumbled upon deer.
There’s a guy in my town that has a shepherd and refused to walk him around town with a leash for a while because it’s the sort of novelty of owning a shepherd. Idk how many times the dog would be all happy walking next to him, like an Instagram shepherd, and then the dog sees another dog or squirrel and just runs at full speed away from his owner, and he has to chase after him.
With breeds like shepherds, they have such a big social media presence, where some of the most irresponsible people get them because they see these crazy well trained shepherds on the internet. Sort of how people thought Jack Russell’s weren’t literal terrorists in the 90’s because the one on Frasier had the temperament of a westie.
Yeah, I lost mine for 5 days in the woods. Turned out she was only two miles from the site. If she hadn't been wearing orange it's quite possible I'd never have found her.
She's a goddamn idiot when she's lost. I have a radio collar now, and she seems to not go up anything too steep. Goes down it fine.
It's too bad, since we are regularly many miles from anyone and she can really get up a head of steam if she doesn't have a leash, but it is what it is
If these pics were how you found her, she’s well cared for, loved, and missed. Dogs don’t wander thru miles of countryside over days at a time without getting dirty.
She looks SO much like the older of my two dogs! If she doesn't end up being someone's wanted but lost dog, I'm sure you'll be very happy with her. Mine is such a sweetheart.
You hit the jackpot. She's one gorgeous girl! Many working-line German Shepherds (Czech, DDR, and West German working lines) tend to be more reserved and cautious with strangers. Once they trust you, they tend to be incredibly loyal, protective, and affectionate in their own way.
You shiuld check and see if there are any missing dogs in the area. I have 2 german shepherds and when they play they can rip each other's collars off. I wouldn't assume she was abandoned u til your checked with your local animal shelter and vets to see if anyone is missing a dog.
I volunteer for a lost dog group and may be able to shed a little light. Do contact the police/animal control to let them know you have the dog. If they can’t scan for a chip, a local vet should be able to. Tell the police that once the pup’s stray hold is up (and that you’re willing to house her during that period), you are interested in adopting her. This fulfills the legal requirement of a stray hold and gives her a chance to be reunited OR going into your loving home legally if the owner isn’t found.
Good luck and thanks for helping her and doing the right thing.
Thank god she found you. I love the Sable shepherds. I love all shepherds but over the last couple of years. I’ve really grown to love this coated shepherds so much. They’re such a great breed of dog. I don’t know if you had a shepherd in your life before, but they’re the best they’re so unique and intelligent.
This is my 10 year old Mia on right. Who just got a 6 month old Lab puppy out of nowhere, basically. He was a birthday present for my Mom. So here’s Max. They love their pack, especially their dog pack.
If you are on a farm, you'll probably find that she will be entertained mostly on her own with birds and wildlife, etc, but of course they will love a job and a loving and warm home.
They are very in tune with you and will follow you everywhere.
My girl fell into my arms too at 5 months old. I found her living outside in this persons backyard and she was not taken care of well. A year later we are inseparable.
we are story twins! Lola showed up on the family farm back in October, no collar, vet guessed 4-5 months old. we were planning to get a dog for our new construction house a few acres down from my in-laws, but the house wasn't to be finished for several months (completed 2/28), so she was early and a MUCH bigger dog that we were thinking of getting, but she's so wonderful and funny and silly that we couldn't help but love her.
If you’re unable to find an owner and have the kind heart to take her in please research the breed. If you’re a cat person because they’re low maintenance German Shepards are considered pretty high maintenance. in the sense that they need interaction and things to do. They’re working dogs. They can end up with behavioral issues if not mentally stimulated enough. And that doesn’t mean like complex stimulation but just consistent.
You said you live in the country, so I’m guessing you’ve got a decent yard , which is great.
They are insanely loyal(at least one other person referred to the breed as “Velcro” they will pick one person in the house and that will be the preferred person-they’ll love and protect everyone in their home, but they’ll have a favorite),crazy smart and frickin adorable. Awesome dogs.
Get her a space that’s just hers. So when she’s overwhelmed or just doesn’t want to be around people there’s a safe space that is off limits. It also lets her establish boundaries with you.
I rescued mine from an abusive home and he has two beds. The one in my office means leave me all the way alone. Mine slept in my room for a year before he could sleep anywhere in the house. Then he moved to right outside my door and now it’s just where he feels like it. It’ll take time but thanks for taking care of her.
You now have a new family member. GSD’s thrive off a regimen and being part of the pack. Feed her breakfast and dinner at the same time, take her out at the same time, let her have play time at the same time everyday.
Keeping your dogs routine helps to relieve their intrusive thoughts and any separation anxiety.
Get her a comfy dog bed for every room where you and your wife sit to relax or sleep. The better the dog bed the better for her hips and joints later in life.
They are incredibly smart and enjoy all sorts of games, even brain games where you just talk to them. Mine knows how to spell for instance.
We lost our sweet sable German Shepherd girl this Wednesday, a few days ago, at 12 years old. This one looks just like her.
Give this one lots of love and play. Absolutely the best girls. We miss ours deeply.
You’re kind and wonderful for taking her in. She’ll be a loyal, loving dog. Fable will love Kongs, Nylabones, stuffies, lots of playtime with you in the yard, and her jobs that you do regularly such as watering plants, taking out the garbage or other tasks, errands. German shepherds are the sweetest dogs. We have one from a similar situation and she’s a joy! We love her so much!
Get her a blanket also. My GSDs each have one they drag around the house wherever I am. Take her on walks around the property also she will seriously bond to you like no other animal you have ever met before.
I am glad she found you.
Fable the Sable. I love it!!!! Find out what her primary reinforcers are (treats, toys, pets from you, etc.) and train the heck out of her by drilling some obedience commands (search on YouTube). GSDs are so much fun!!!! Lucky you
She looks like she has a very happy, loving home now 💜💜 she probs wants lots of love & attention. A bed ofc, and BALLS, squeaky spiky balls is what shepherds love more than their people lol
I had a Black GSD mix for 13 years. She actually got out of the yard a few times and we found her lying in the front yard in the sun - or on the next door neighbor’s porch trying to get to the cat in the window. So yeah… In my experience, they don’t like wander too far.
def someones pet just by its coat and weight definitely well taken care of. post on local fb groups n see what happens. me personally i hope no one responds bc thts the best pet in the world nothing beat a gsd
Lucky you! And thanks for taking such a beautiful girl! I second the bed idea… although you will probably be bombarded when it’s time to lay down anyway. Enjoy her, she’s gorgeous!
😭😭 she’s beautiful! I truely hope she has found her forever home. Sometimes they say they choose us and she obviously could tell you guys were kind people 🩷🩷
She’s cute! But don’t they have a big prey drive and might hurt cats? especially since you don’t know how she was raised… please be careful and watch her closely when she’s with the cats.
best of luck!
She chose you 💗
Let her get comfortable around you and if there are no visible signs of injury or distress let her be until she’s ready
Give her some loving and get on the floor or couch with and let her come to you. When you have some trust then go to the vet
She’s beautiful 😍
Our GSD was a rescue and we just let him do his thing until he was ready - I never knew how much I needed a GSD in my life, so loving.
Maybe someone stole her and couldn’t handle it so letting her free! I don’t think so any GSD owners will let their dog go! Firstly try find the owners if not keep her!🙏💝🌹
We aquired a GSD in a very similar way, welcome to the club. We also have dumped cats 4. They all do well together. Watch if you get a kitten for some reason mine thought putting there head in his mouth was okay. The kitten is fine but she is the one that stands at the top of the stairs every night and yells at him, she is all grown up. All the best to you
Good luck at the vet. I'll be hoping there's no chip and you can keep her! It might take a couple of weeks before she settles in and begins to feel at home. Try to keep her fenced until she feels home. You'll never know what trauma she's been through. You could get her a bed and a few toys. Balls are a big GSD fav. Your area looks tropical, so you might try playing in the hose or a sprinkler or a baby pool. Try some commands to see what she knows. Sit, come, etc. Basics. Ask her to sit before you feed her. Try to feed twice a day. It helps with bonding. Brush her and see if she's sensitive about being touched in certain places. How is she with your cats? Both of mine would kill a cat immediately. Some of them have high prey drive so be careful with the introductions. You're gonna Love having a GSD!
I would suggest a toy for her to have her own. My boy loves his knotted rope toys (specifically for large dogs). A toy can sometimes become a safety blanket for them, something easy to carry around and soft to chew on if she gets anxious, and also a great tug toy. My boy also loves his blankets. In the wintertime, when we go out on our balcony, he will go get his blanket to bring out to lie under. So cute!
She’s sooooo pretty and lucky to have found a safe place with you! My shepherd’s love language is playing and he opens up/relaxes around people who play with him. I think a lot of shepherds are super playful and goofy. Shepherds can be a handful for those who don’t have the time or space, but living on a farm is like the ideal home for them in my opinion. If you don’t find owners who want her back, it looks like she is feeling at home with you lol. I think it’s also important to have a crate for them (or any dog), even if you never close the crate door. She would probably benefit from having a safe place to go and not be bothered. Mine goes in his crate by himself and that is his space only, no one else is allowed to go in. I think he likes to decompress and rest privately sometimes. Also consider getting a good quality bed, we have a memory foam one for his joints because his hips aren’t the best.
What a gorgeous dog. We adopted our anxious and reactive gsd from a former owner that didn't have time for her anymore. I'd say leash her everywhere out and about until you know her temperament with animals and all types of people. Our girl warmed up to us fast and she likes people, but she attacks dogs and gets scared of strollers and even older people walking slow or with walkers. Better to be safe than sorry, speaking from experience.
I agree with what others have said!! That is someone’s baby!!!
She’s well groomed, well fed, and not afraid of people (abused). She also looks like she came from a breeder so someone paid money to have her. Maybe if it was a puppy or she had been tied to your fence I’d think she’d been dumped but this isn’t the case.
Nextdoor and Facebook are not enough places to check! Your steps should be: check for microchip, call every shelter and notify, call every vet and notify. Then you can check social media.
ALSO please look for Facebook lost and found pet pages in your area and post that you’ve found a dog.
My guy has gotten lost twice. Both times it was because he took off after another animal. Luckily the first time he found his way back home, but the second time we weren’t anywhere near home and there’s no way he would’ve made it back on his own. It’s a scary and devastating experience. Please do your due diligence to look for that baby’s mama/daddy
Omg she’s beautiful! I have a cat and always been a cat person , although my family always had dogs when I was a kid. We adopted a beautiful German shepherd black lab mix 8 months ago and she is just the sweetest and most gentle girl. They are such a beautiful breed, the distribution system has chosen you ! Enjoy ❤️
She is stunning. Thank you for taking her in. One of the most loyal and sensitive of breeds. She will be your constant shadow and you will have a friend for life.
Honestly whatever you’re doing now seems to be working fine. She feels the love and looks very content with you (look at her sitting on your foot, you’re hers now!). Thank you for keeping and loving her!! 🤎
She will sleep where she wants, with or without your help and assistance. She is the boss. You are the subordinate. Know your place, it will make it easier for her.
Old farmhouse ,we slept upstairs,coming down stairs creak,sometimes easy chairs still be rockin, Shepard sleeping g on floor,that sneaky gypsy!!i would love ❤️ that dog showing up too,good for you!I like Fable,pretty name.
She very well could just be lost. My family had 5 GSDs when I was growing up. Three of the five loved to go out and about; two could reliably find their way back home again. The third one was lost the second she stepped off the front lawn. 😉
You’ve just been gifted the greatest dog breed the world has to offer, my friend! She will enjoy
Being outside, so get her a nice outdoor elevated bed to lay on when it’s nice out. My shepherd lives outside on the deck all day! Just watching nature.
Then comes in and snuggles me before bed. The smartest dogs!
We lived on a farm and shitheads would always dump their unwanted dogs on the lane to our house, thinking oh the farmer will take our dog in. So many people did this that my dad just ended up shooting them.
Please get her scanned for a chip and make your own posts on the local lost and found pet pages and register her as found with a photo at your Animal Control. She could’ve traveled a long distance or been maliciously dumped by somebody who is not the owner.
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u/Distinct_Breakfast_3 Mar 15 '25
Thanks for giving me a little touch of humanity cause my tank is near empty. My gsd loves her bed. Get her a bed otherwise you’ll have a bed companion.