DIESEL is a young, stunning, what-me-worry German Shepherd boy.  At just 14 months old, he's already lived a heck of a life and is now searching for his FOREVER family where he will never again have to worry about anything! 

Diesel is eager to please and responds very well to commands.  He's a smart cookie and will be easily trained, though like any youngster he can be both goofy and stubborn!  He was in our program as a tiny puppy and was adopted out to a family who was recently forced to return him due to personal reversals.  Unfortunately, Diesel got minimal training and will need training and leadership to work with him on his very typical puppy behaviors:  jumping, digging, mouthing, etc.   Enrolling in leadership and obedience classed is a MUST!   Diesel would love a job to do and to be with someone who will work with him every day, rain or shine. He is a typical energetic young GSD puppy and needs plenty of daily excercise and LOTS of stimulation. Diesel can easily open gates and doors so having a secure and active home is a must!

Just within the past 6 months Diesel has gained almost 20 pounds! We estimate he will be around 95-100 pounds when fully grown. We are working on getting new pictures to capture his true size (pictures we have are from October 2012). Diesel has zero leash manners and can easily pull an adult to the ground. He will need someone who is strong and can handle his size and energy-level.

Diesel lived with two 5-year old kids and loved them!  He has the same issue any large, young, energetic dog would have in that he can easily knock over a small child by accident just with his size and exuberance!  Until he's fully trained and has learned how to gentle down his play, all interactions with smaller children must be supervised as they would be with any large, energetic dog.  He also still has a lot to learn about appropriate protectionism of his family - he was returned to us recently after he took one child's leg and tried to drag him away from the "dangerous" trampoline!  The child had been screaming and Diesel thought the trampoline was hurting him!  Poor Diesel is protective of his family and loved the kids, but wasn't given the guidance he needed to understand what is and isn't appropriate protective behavior.  So Diesel is looking for a family who understands German Shepherds and will give him the guidance he needs and wants.  When he gets that, he's going to be one heck of a fabulous dog! 

Because of Diesel's background as a small puppy (see his story below), he still has lingering bouts of food aggression around other dogs.   This has lessened considerably over time and with continued supervision should eventually disappear.  His new family simply needs to be aware of this and willing to work with it.

Diesel lived with his sister Daisy (who was from the same litter of starving drug bust puppies) and was clearly the more dominant of the two.  However, when tested with other dogs outside the home, Diesel simply ignored them and showed no particular dominance.  He can easily be an only dog, or he can live with another dog.  He is somewhat indifferent to other dogs. 

OTHER DOGS:   yes.  Would be fine with or without another doggie companion. 
CATS:  unknown, would have to be tested
KIDS:   yes, WITH PROPER SUPERVISION AND CONTINUED TRAINING.  He still needs to understand that he doesn't need to "protect" his kids from the trampoline or other play equipment where they're squealing and screaming!
IDEAL HOME:   An active, loving home with people who are willing to provide the extensive daily excercise, appropriate training, excellent leadership, and the socialization and structure Diesel needs as a "lunkheaded" young German Shepherd boy!

If you're looking for a young, active German Shepherd
and are willing to provide training, leadership and excercise,
DIESEL may be your dream dog!!

DIESEL'S STORY:  FROM HELL TO SAFETY
Imagine 7 tiny newborns born outdoors with no shelter in early March.
Imagine 7 puppies with no food other than their own feces and their mother's milk
Imagine 7 six-week old German Shepherd puppies, literally dying of starvation and worms. 

Diesel and his littermates were confiscated during a drug raid in which the police killed e parents.  They lived in a filthy outdoor pen their entire lives - officers said the pen was covered in feces and urine.  The owners, who were well known to local officials, were drug dealers who also bred German Shepherds and English Bulldogs to make a few extra bucks.  ALL THE PUPPIES WERE LITERALLY STARVED.  THE LARGEST PUP, AT 6 WEEKS OLD, ONLY WEIGHED 6 LBS.  THE SMALLEST WEIGHED A MERE 4.2 LBS.  Normal 6 week old GSD puppies weigh 2 to 3 times that much. 

All the pups suffered from extreme malnutrition and massive worm infestations.  We treated them all immediately for worms and started them on a carefully balanced diet.   The smallest boy struggled and, despite a blood transfusion, he died in our arms a few days later. We were devastated and angy.  

We then focused all our attention on the remaining 6 pups, determined that no one else be lost. It was a massive challenge. All the puppies expelled massive mounds of wriggling worms - 6 lb puppies with hundreds of worms up to 6" long.  In all our years of rescue we've never seen such an infestation!  Even the vet found it sickening and infuriating.  The puppies had never been dewormed, had survived on feces and vomit, were filthy, stunk, were missing fur, and had coats like brillo pads. 

Our biggest challenge aside from getting rid of the worms and getting weight on the pups, was to stop them from devouring their own poop and spit up!  We were dumbfounded to watch them literally pounce on any piece of poop or vomit that one of their siblings expelled - it was literally like a bunch of pirannahs at feeding time.  One pup only had to stoop to poop, and the others were already there waiting to eat what he expelled!  It made us cry to realize as we watched that this was how they had survived!  That the "owners" had never fed them one scrap of food, never given them puppy shots, never dewormed them, never touched them, held them, loved them. 

Our next biggest challenge was touch.  None of the pups were used to being held and at just 6 weeks old all were suspicious of any human touch!  They desperately fought to get away whenever we tried to hold them.   They clearly did not know what a kind human hand was.  When we walked into their midst in the gated kitchen, they hid in corners, terror in their eyes and bodies hunched in anticipation of a beating.  Normal puppies will crawl all over you asking for attention.  These pups ran the other way in fear. 

Imagine dealing with not one pup like this, but SIX!  Our dedicated foster parents literally worked around the clock to save these pups and get them socialized. 

It's clear the pups never knew love, never had food, never got vet care, were not socialized.  Yet they were to be sold on Craig's List to make a few extra bucks. 

After 3 more solid weeks of round-the-clock work and correction, the pups started to slowly come around and want human attention.  Even the shyest pup eventually asked for attention.  The worms were finally gone in 4 weeks.   Then we had to work on food aggression -- they all had it to some degree -- and after several more weeks of nonstop work, they were mostly past that.  The work of the dedicated, faithful foster parents was incredible!  They literally worked with the pups 24/7, correcting and guiding and loving them.  Most of the pups finally gave kisses to their foster family, tho they were still shy of strangers.  Diesel and his siblings were all eventually adopted into loving homes who understood the vital need to continue their "rehab" by providing nonstop love, kindness and gentle guidance.

DIESEL's ADOPTION FEE: $350
This fee covers only part what we spend on vet and boarding costs for the dogs we save.  At minimum it 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 DIESEL?
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