RYDER is a stunning German Shepherd boy who was confiscated for cruelty.  He and his sister Tracy were confined to an outdoor pen their entire lives -- and what's more, they were even chained to the sides of the pen.  The only contact they had was basically touching noses.  Ryder was in the worse shape of the two:  starved to a bone so his hips and ribs literally jutted out, missing fur on his back end, heartworm positive.  After a month with us, he's put on 10 lbs and needs to gain another 10 lbs or so.  He's been treated for heartworm and is doing great.  His fur is coming back in, with good nutrition and coconut oil applied nightly.  He's going to be a 100 lb dog - tall, imposing and regal!  

We're thrilled that the bad old days of starvation, illness and cruelty are all in the past, and Ryder (and his sister) are happily recovering!

TEMPERAMENT
Ryder loves attention and loves people.  We take our standard precautions when introducing him to new people, simply because he's a big dog and still getting used to the notion of "love", so we introduce people and animals to him slowly.  But he recently was around a family of 5 children, ages 3 to 14 yrs, and after a few hours kids and dog were all over each other.  Both seemed to love it.  So we believe he will be good with children, though we still highly recommend supervision due to his size and the relative newness of living in a house. 

He's a food hound and loves treats.  He's extremely smart and has already picked up on many of the "rules of the house".  He's working on not jumping on people and other dogs.  He's gotten much better about not "mouthing" - a GSD puppy behavior that he was never trained out of since he was thrown outdoors and chained inside a pen. 

He's adjusted to being an indoor, loved dog very quickly, and he adores it!  He's good in his crate and is almost completely house trained.  He still loves to mark everything outdoors but has learned that's not acceptable indoors.

Ryder has one tendency that's pretty funny:  he thinks he's a lap dog!  At 90 lbs and counting, that's a LOT of lap dog!  But if allowed, he'd be in your lap, on your couch, in your bed.  We don't permit that, and he's being corrected when he tries it.  But he is a real cuddlebug and eats up your affection.  If the other dogs are getting attention, he's over there in a flash wanting it too.  We're thrilled to see how forgiving he is of humans, considering the treatment he's had up to this point in his life -- his forgiveness is amazing, his love seems boundless.  In many ways he's like a giant puppy -- exploring the good things of life for the first time! 

He lived a very sad and isolated life up until now but he's emerging as a loving, loveable giant who just needs some continued guidance to understand all the rules of living in a loving household.

OTHER ANIMALS
Ryder is doing well with the other German Shepherds in his foster home.  His first instinct is to jump on other animals in play, but he's learning not to do that.   Because he was never taught how to interact with other dogs, and never allowed to, he just needs time and continued guidance to learn.  He's already well on his way, and his new family simply need to continue this training.  We actually think he'd love to have another big dog as a playmate.  We still highly recommend proper, gradual introductions to all other animals -- he's larger than virtually all of them and can be overwhelming.  We have not yet seen him around small dogs and cats, both of which would need to be tested.

MEDICAL
Ryder came into MOGS 20-30 lbs underweight, missing fur, a terrible coat, flea dermatitis, and heartworm positive.  He was full of fleas and missing most of the fur from the middle of his back to his tail.  With good food and plenty of it fed in multiple small meals a day, he rapidly gained weight and just needs about 10 more lbs. His coat is improving daily, has become soft, and the fur is coming back in!  He has been treated for heartworm and will officially be considered free of activity restrictions at the end of December. 

If you're looking for a breath-taking, loving giant
who just needs some time and patience to understand the rules,
RYDER's your man!

RYDER'S ADOPTION FEE:   $300
This fee covers only part of what we spend to vet, board and rehab the dogs we save. On average we spend over $450 on each dog. We made a decision to keep our adoption fee at the 2005 level even though vet prices have doubled and tripled since then. We are constantly fundraising to cover the deficit. At minimum, your adoption fee includes the dog's spay/neuter, heartworm test, heartworm treatment if needed, rabies shot, distemper/parvo shot, bordatella shot, deworming, monthly heartworm and flea preventives, and microchip. In many cases it also includes surgery and various types of vet treatment for standard issues such as hot spots, ear infections and so on.


INTERESTED IN ADOPTING RYDER?
Complete an Adoption Application Now!

STOP!! READ THIS BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER!

1. We're picky about our adopters. 
2. Are you sure you're up to having a GSD?  They're not for everyone.  They take a lot of time, effort, training.  They shed year round.  They're big.  They scare lots of people.  They "mouth" and herd.  They're usually strong-willed and stubborn.  You have to have references and a home visit.  If you're not willing or able to deal with any of this, please don't waste your time or ours applying.  
   
3. Will the dog be an inside family pet? We do not adopt to outdoor-only homes. All dogs must be indoor dogs.
4. Do you leave your dog outdoors when you're not home?   We do not adopt to homes that leave their animals outside when they're gone.  You must put your dogs indoors when you're gone.  A 3 yr old adopted MOGS dog died when the owners went to run errands, left her outdoors, the gate was somehow opened, and she was hit by a car.  Tragic and 100% preventable. Even privacy fences get broken into.  Gates are opened.  Thieves steal dogs. Never leave your dog outdoors when you're not home!!
   
5. What's your plan for unexpected events and major changes?  New baby? Divorce?  Moving?   How you will provide for your dog if your family breaks up? 
   
6. Will you make a lifetime commitment?  It's your responsibility to keep your dog safe, loved and cared for FOR LIFE.
7.  Do you understand we expect you to keep that lifetime commitment?  It's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to stick by your family member -- no matter what.
8. Are you unable or unwilling to make a lifetime commitment? Do not apply.

Have Questions? Email us at mogsrescue@gmail.com