Some Of The Successful Adoptions Of 2011

Beau

Ranger

Nutmeg



Luke (on left)



Luke (on left)

Captain

From Captain's Adopters "He’s a real pleasure to have and be around. He used the doggie door right off, no hesitation, seems to know his new name and comes when called. We’re working on “stay” ( we may be on that one for a while) and “sit” – he does that one pretty well.
Thanks for all your efforts on our part and on Moses’ part. Ya’ll have a well-run operation and it was a pleasure to do business with you."

Aries
From Aries' Adopters "Just wanted to let everyone know Aries is a definite success story!! She is in intermidiate training class now and she still outshines everyone.(That's not just a proud mom speaking either!)She is super social,well mannered,has a fantastic temperment, etc...I don't even have words to do her justice. A friend of mine who's not crazy about dogs said if he could find one like Aries he'd definitley change his mind.Everybody is always so captivated by her.


She loves to swim,hike,bike,walk and as I call it hop run...she hops as she runs.She is also beautiful..has kept her same coloring,black mask and tail,with those deep dark loving brown eyes.She weighs 28lbs and comes a little above my knee height wise.(I'm 5ft). The vet says that's as big as she'll get.She is my miniture German Shepherd.Anyway,will send updated pictures soon..just wanted to update you.

Again..we love her soooo much!!

Charger

Kurley



Addi



Redford-Before

 

Redford-After



Bosco

From Bosco's adopters, "Bosco is a blessing , this was his first day at the Comal river! He was the show of the day! The most well behaved dog, he was enjoying the day :)."

Redford's Ready To Be Neutered!

I can’t believe it has been a whole MONTH since Mr. Redford has been with us! He amazes me everyday with his kindness.

He is a big, clumsy guy but with the sweetest heart. He could easily be bitter and untrusting from all the bad things he survived, but he is neither. He is happy for even a small head pat. He comes running if you mention his name. And if you think you can get away with ignoring him, he’ll make sure you know he’s there.

He is fully settled in at his foster home. He gets along with all of his foster siblings, and knows the daily routine like the back of his paw. Red is convinced that he’s a lap dog, and has to be reminded that only his head is lap-sized! He loves to chew up every toy he can find.

His favorite things to chew are tennis balls, or balls that make squeaky noises. Red still loves treats and knows where we keep the cookie jar; he makes sure that he gets some cookies before bed every night.

His fur is looking better every day, and he’s got lot of hair coming in on his once bare tummy, it almost seems like it appears overnight! The steroids worked wonders and his skin is no longer inflamed and irritated.

He loves having fresh water around all the time! He does this little hop-skip run when he’s happy, especially when he’s getting ready for dinner. He wags his tail all the time, because he’s so happy!

Sometimes I have to be careful around him because he’ll whip me with his tail! Red has such a funny sense of humor. He wants to play and be in my lap and just be close to people and his four-legged foster siblings.

Red is such a sweet, intelligent dog. He just wants to play and have his yummy food. He’s a beautiful dog on the inside, and it won’t be long until everyone can see it on the outside!

5 Tips To Improve Your Pet Photography

Other than baby photos, pictures of pets are among the most popular in any household. Unfortunately, they also tend to suffer the most from poor quality or, as we term it in the trade, snapshot-itis. You may have this problem if friends start walking away fast when you mention the latest photos of your cat or if your dog’s loving brown eyes end up glowing green like some malevolent demon in every shot you take.

Well, here are 5 surefire tips to help avoid snapshot-itis:

1) Change angles
Most pet photos are taken from the perspective of a human being looking down while the pet looks up. Bor-rinnnnnng! Try something different and get down at their level or, if they’re moving, pan with them as you take the shot.

2) Stick with natural light. Turn off or cover the on-camera flash

On-camera flashes are evil. They flatten everything out, cast harsh shadows and are the source of the infamous glowing green pet eyes. If you have to use a flash go with an off-camera one and bounce the light off a ceiling or wall.

3) Stay out of direct sun and shoot in the morning or late afternoon

Contrary to popular belief, bright sunlight is not a photographers friend. It wreaks havoc with your exposure and you typically end up with lots of nasty shadows in places you don’t want them. I avoid photographing subjects outside in direct light except first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon before sunset when the light is angled low.

4) Don’t wait for the perfect moment and don’t be afraid to take lots of shots but…

Most of us are shooting digital these days so you can essentially take as many pictures as you want. With pets, unpredictability is the rule of law. You never know how a shoot is going to go. All you can do is be there and hope you catch the moment. This requires taking a lot of shots in quick sequence and culling through them later for the best one.

5) …make sure you edit yourself

Some of the most important work happens after you shoot. It sounds cliche but less is more. It’s easy to become enamored of the 100 pictures you took of Spot playing with his new ball but chances are your friends won’t feel the same way. Limit what you show people to only the very best.

From Dogster: Mark Rogers is a San Francisco-based professional pet photographer. His most recent work can be seen on his Smile Like a Dog blog and you can also follow him on twitter.

Eleven Reasons To Foster A Dog

1. You increase that dog’s chance of being adopted.
By fostering I am a link between [them] and potential homes. I can spread the word about what a good dog [they] are, how they love people and how they walk nicely on a leash. By living with me, [they] had the chance to learn behavior that will make [them] more appealing to other families. If you foster a dog, you have the ability to transform that barking, out of control mutt at the shelter to a dog someone would be honored to live with.

2. Your own dog will learn more social skills.

[My dogs] get along with all animals, but it’s still important for [them] to be around a variety of dogs.

3. It’s a good way to see if you are ready for an additional dog.
It’s not always clear whether a second or third dog would fit in with your family. Sometimes an additional dog is a disaster. Other times it couldn’t be better. With fostering, you have a chance to see whether or not another dog is right for your family. Maybe providing temporary care is better for you.
4. You help the rescue learn about the dog’s personality.
[snip] It’s hard to know much about a dog when [they] are living in a shelter environment with 15 other dogs. Placing dogs in foster homes help rescues learn if the dogs like children, beg at the table, chase cats, bark when crated, know basic commands or have high or low energy. The possibilities of what a foster family will learn about a dog are unlimited.

5. You will appreciate your own dog’s good behavior.
Or maybe you will realize the foster dog is better behaved than your own dog!

6. You are saving a dog’s life.
Many rescues are full to their limits and cannot take in more dogs until additional foster homes open up. The rescues can save money on their boarding fees and use it to save another homeless dog.

7. Many animal shelters can’t function without foster homes.
If it weren’t for all the generous foster families, [many] program would not be functioning.

8. You might end up with a new family member.
Many foster families realize the dog they are fostering is a perfect fit for their family. This is a happy ending for both the dog and humans. If you don’t foster a dog, then you will never know what you are missing. You might never meet that special dog that could add to your life.

9. The dog gets to live with your family rather than at a shelter. Dogs get stressed from shelter conditions. Shelters are noisy with limited one-on-one interaction. The dogs don’t get enough exercise, training or socialization. With time, many dogs develop psychological issues as pent-up energy, frustration, aggression or boredom builds.

10. Any volunteering makes a person feel good.
Fostering a dog is a way to give back to your community. If you love animals, there is nothing more rewarding than helping a homeless dog.

11. It’s a way to help without spending money.
If you don’t have the money to donate to animal shelters, you can donate your time by fostering. Some programs require foster families to cover all the expenses of the dog’s supplies. Other rescue organizations cover everything for you, providing food, a crate, bowls and veterinary care.

~Courtesy of That Mutt Blog

New Photos & New Dogs

Banjo is between 1 1/2 -2 years old. He is neutered, has shots and is micro chipped. He is very sweet, loving and gentle. The folks who found him said he is okay with cats, other dogs and kids. I know he has done well with other dogs at my house. He is very cooperative and wants to please. Very nice boy.

If you are interested in adopting Banjo, please go to our website, copy, paste and complete our adoption application and email it to gsdrescuectx@yahoo.com.

Serena is 1 1/2 yrs old and is new to our group so we'll know more about her soon. She's up-to-date on your shots, spayed, micro chipped, HW negative (yea!), and sweet as can be.

If you are interested in adopting Serena, please go to our website, copy, paste and complete our adoption application and email it to gsdrescuectx@yahoo.com.

We Could Use Your Help!

Our director could use your help! Beverly needs some help!! The German Shepherd Rescue Central Texas main property needs some spring cleaning

Do it for Thelma!

If you or someone you know, loves dogs, enjoys helping a non-profit, enjoys yard work, giving a little to the cause, fence mending, or just doesn't have a problem scooping poop, we could use their help.

Or Louise!

When: Saturday, May 9, 2009
Where: Dripping Springs (directions available)
Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

There will be: hot dogs, drinks, some games of fetch, socializing & perhaps a little sweat.

Please contact Cici Ely at cely3@austin.rr.com for more information, and thank you for considering helping.