We are dedicated admirers of the German Shepherd, located on the West Coast of the US, in a semi rural setting, perfect for raising this magnificent breed of dog. We have owned and loved German Shepherd Dogs for the last 30 years. Our first introduction to this breed was through a 3/4 GSD mix we called Timber. She was so awesome in her temperament, size, obedience and loyalty that we knew there would be no other breed for us than the GSD. Although Timber was spayed at an early age and never bred, our family of GSD's has grown. Since our first positive experience with this breed, our goal has been to produce the ultimate GSD, with temperament & health at the top of the list. We pride ourselves in having awesome size, temperament and health in all of our dogs. We breed for an oversized dog, with a straight back. Some of our females through the years have weighed up to and over 100 pounds! With an average being 80-90 pounds. Our males have topped that weight, and generally reach at least 100 lbs, but generally go over that. Although we pride ourselves with this large size, we never compromise the integrity of the structure and health of the dog. Their health and temperament are equally impressive. We produce a nice "pet" GSD, as the size of our dogs disqualifies them from the smaller conformation show dogs. We have been breeding GSD's for 25+ years. Our dogs are very versatile in their abilities. The majority of our pups have gone into pet homes where they live out long, wonderful lives being the ultimate family companion. Even though our GSD's are primarily pets, they have the capability to do just about anything that is asked of them. For instance, we have had quite a few of our pups go as search & rescue dogs, therapy dogs, & service utility dogs for the handicapped or physically impaired. Coupled with the eagerness to please & the easy going temperament that we strive for, as well as the large size that comes from our lines, they make the perfect dog for whatever the need be. My daughter, my husband & myself have comprised "Salhaus German Shepherds" for the past 25 + years. But we have a new addition to Salhaus & to our family. Our daughter was recently married to a wonderful young man. So now he & our daughter are "combining forces" to continue helping us produce the outstanding dogs we've become known for, all these years. See my beautiful kids below & also a picture of the "senior members" of Salhaus (my husband & myself.)

Our adoption process is designed to help you and the right dog find each other. Our goal is to place each dog into a permanent, safe, and loving home. To adopt a German Shepherd Dog from us, you must: 1. Live in Northern California. 2. Complete an Adoption Questionnaire, either online, or by mail. If you do not own your home, you must also have your landlord complete the Landlord Permission Agreement. 3. Be interviewed by an adoption counselor. 4. Allow a home visit by an adoption counselor. 5. Be approved for adoption. 6. Choose, and be chosen by, the right dog. 7. With our approval, sign our Adoption Agreement, and pay the associated fee. After we receive your online Adoption Questionnaire, we will call you to begin the adoption process. We encourage potential adopters to come to one or more Adoption Days, because that is the best way to meet several German Shepherds and to find your new companion. If you attend an Adoption Day and choose a dog, you may be able to adopt the same day, if all adoption requirements are met. If you cannot come to any Adoption Day, we can still assist you, this may take longer because the people who will help you are volunteers who usually have jobs, and scheduling meetings with dogs can be complex because our dogs live in many homes and kennels. Important Note About Dog Descriptions Please remember that the descriptions of dogs (of Dogs Available) have been written by GSRNC volunteers and are usually based only upon our observation of the dog since the time it was rescued. While we try to provide dog descriptions that are fair and accurate, the nature of our work involves contact with dogs whose background and history are unknown to us. GSRNC cannot warrant or guarantee any dog's future behavior. For example, if we say that a rescue dog gets along with children, cats, or other dogs, this statement is usually based upon the fact that one of our volunteers has observed the dog interacting with his or her own children or pets. While this information may be helpful, we cannot be certain of how a dog will do with the children or pets in your home. If you are considering adopting, we encourage you to come to one of our Adoption Days and meet our rescue dogs. Ultimately, only you can decide whether one of our dogs is right for you. Explanation of the Dog Levels 1 – "Fireplace dog" Couch potato, super easy, low energy and no issues. This level of dog would do well in any home regardless of owner experience. (We rarely come across this level of dog.) 2 – “Easy Large Breed Companion Dog” Low to moderate energy, needs some exercise but it is not a daily requirement. This dog will do well in most homes. The dog gets along with most other dogs, gets along with most other people and have been successfully been around children. The dog has no real behavioral issues that need to be managed or dealt with on a daily basis. This dog is an easy family dog. 3 –“Standard Large Breed Dog” Moderate energy, needs daily exercise of some sort to thrive and stay happy. This dog will do well in many types of homes, but some situations will not work for this dog. This dog may not get along with some types of dogs. This dog may be reactive to some other dogs while on leash. It may have too much energy to be around small children while unattended, and may have some behavioral issues that will require formal training or daily monitoring for the dog to successfully live happily in a family. These issues are normally minor such as fence climbing, prey drive, minor separation anxiety, nervousness in crowds, or other minor behavioral traits. A Potential Adopter for a level 3 dog must have prior, recent large breed dog experience and be able to demonstrate the ability to successfully deal with the level 3 dog that they wish to adopt. 4 – “Experienced Ownership Required” Moderate, high or very high energy/drive. Needs an experienced owner familiar with working breed behavior to provide direct leadership and proper management. Level 4 dogs typically have a challenging behavior, but are good dogs. These dogs might be dog-reactive with most other dogs or dog-aggressive, may have to be an only animal in the home, maybe have moderate separation anxiety. The dog normally needs daily physical and mental stimulation, etc. This level of dog is not an average pet. (We try to limit the number of level 4 dogs in our program.) A Potential Adopter for a level 4 dog must be able to demonstrate the experience and ability to safely manage and care for a level 4 dog. 5 – “Competitive or Working Dog” This is a dog that has an intense focus to ‘work’. It could be a dog that provides Search and Rescue services, could be a competitive Flyball or Agility dog, or has other working abilities. These dogs can be strong, pushy, dominant, and/or have extreme energy/drive. They need a professional handler or an owner who has the experience to provide a demonstrated commitment to the dog’s ‘working ability’. A Potential Adopter for a level 5 dog must be able to demonstrate the experience and ability to safely manage and care for a level 5 dog.

The National Police Dog Foundation promotes education and awareness, and raises funds for the purchase, training, and ongoing veterinary care for active and retired police K-9s. In 1998 the National Police Dog Foundation (formally known as the Ventura Police Dog Foundation) began as a local group helping to fund the K-9 program for the City of Ventura, CA. This local volunteer group quickly learned that the lack of resources that exists on a local level, also exists on a national level and that many K-9 agencies simply do not have the funds they need for their K-9 programs. This lack of funds effects both the ability for the K-9 units to protect their communities and the quality of life and health of these K-9 heroes. So the Foundation expanded to assist law enforcement agencies across the country and today is known as the National Police Dog Foundation. Click here to learn more or click on the specific fund below. We hope you’ll join us in this effort by supporting this noble cause. The National Police Dog Foundation assists law enforcement agencies with funding to purchase the very best K-9s. Currently, many K-9s for police service work, are imported from Europe which is the origin of most working breeds. However, after many years of importing excellent bloodlines from Europe, the United States now has the ability to produce dogs of equal quality. One of the many benefits of dogs bred in America is that they do not have to travel the many hours necessary to come to the US, saving them the stress of these long flights. The two most common breeds of K-9s are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. There are four main uses of police K-9s:— Sentry and Apprehension: These dogs are used to provide security in sensitive or controlled areas, and for locating and apprehension of a suspect — Search and Rescue (SAR): These dogs are used to locate suspects and missing people and objects — Detection OR Explosives: Dogs are used to detect illegal substances OR to detect explosives. Note it is either one or the other. — Arson: These dogs are used to detect if the possible cause of a fire was arson. The initial training of K-9s and related training equipment can be very expensive. Many many hours of hard work goes into training and preparing the K-9s for the many different scenarios they will face in active duty. The National Police Dog Foundation assists law enforcement agencies to ensure that the handlers and K-9s are receiving the very best training and equipment. Dogs used in law enforcement are trained to either be “single purpose” or “dual purpose.” Single purpose dogs are used primarily for backup, personal protection, and tracking. Dual purpose dogs do everything that single purpose dogs do and also detect either explosives or narcotics. The Active K-9 Medical Fund offers grants that assist Law Enforcement Agencies and Handlers with costs related to emergency medical expenses for active K-9s. The National Police Dog Foundation is committed to assisting law enforcement agencies with the ever-increasing medical care costs for K-9s, both during their years of service and retirement. Most law enforcement agencies do not have a budget for serious medical issues for the K-9s. The Foundation’s grants help keep the K-9s healthy and on-the-job, thereby reducing the long-term costs for the departments. The Foundation’s network of veterinarians, that includes some of the country’s most valued specialists in many varying areas of health care, give discounts to active and retired K-9s. The Retired K-9 Medical Fund offers grants that assist Law Enforcement Agencies and Handlers with costs related to emergency medical expenses for retired K-9s. Most K-9s after active service go home with their handlers to become household pets. The ongoing medical care for the retired K-9s can be very expensive. The National Police Dog Foundation commends these handlers for their dedication to the K-9s and is proud to assists in the costs of Medical Care for the retired K-9s. It important to provide medical care not only for active K-9 officers but also continued care for the dogs after they retire. Unfortunately, the K-9s do not receive a pension. The Foundation’s network of veterinarians, that includes some of the country’s most valued specialists in many varying areas of health care, give discounts to active and retired K-9s. In 2017 we launched our K-9 Health Insurance Fund, which was established from an initial donation by Petplan pet insurance. The fund is supported by designated gifts from the public to the National Police Dog Foundation and a $50 donation from Petplan for each new pet insurance policy booked by the public using the campaign code NPDF10 at https://nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/petplan/. Pet parents who use the code can also receive a 10% discount on their new policy. The purpose of the fund is to offer grants to law enforcement K-9 units, ensuring the continued well-being of the K-9s.

Your dog received all his puppy vaccinations, but what's next? The topic of revaccinating pets has sparked debate and we go over what you should think about. There are times when our dogs need vaccinations as well as pills or injections to keep them at their healthy best. But what happens after they receive this puppy vaccinations? Your dog has received all his necessary puppy vaccinations. Then a year or so later, you receive a reminder from your veterinary clinic to book an appointment for your dog to receive booster shots. If you question if these revaccinations do more harm than good, you’re not alone. Just like in children, the topic of revaccinating pets has sparked debate. Allergic reactions to booster shots have occurred in pets, as in people. They can cause swelling at the point of injection as well as diarrhea or vomiting and other symptoms. In response, the American Animal Hospital Association revamped vaccination guidelines after research suggests that core vaccines provide more than a year of immunity. However, the rabies vaccine, often given every three years, is mandatory by law. What’s your alternative to booster shots? The titer test. This blood-drawn test measures the concentration of disease-fighting antibodies in the blood, an indicator of the protective immunity status for your dog. Discuss this option with your veterinarian. (For rabies, some states won’t allow this test instead of the vaccine. See rabies challengefund.com for information on research into rabies vaccinations frequency concerns.) The bottom line: Discuss your dog’s lifestyle, age and health with your veterinarian as well as the pros and cons of each of these vaccines. Simply skipping booster shots without weighing all the options with your veterinarian can put your dog at undue risk for preventable diseases like parvovirus, distemper and adenovirus. Check out this lifestyle-based vaccine calculator Not sure which puppy vaccines to get? Certainly discuss your dog’s health, travel and activities with your veterinarian. But to assist you even more, the American Animal Hospital Association created a nifty program called the lifestyle-based vaccine calculator. Just go to this link: aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines/vaccine_calculator.aspx, and respond to a series of questions about your dog’s age and lifestyle habits. Thumbnail: Photography ©Evgeny Sofrygin | Getty Images. Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you!