Adopt a German Shepherd Dog (medium coat)

AMBER ~1 year old.  Good with dogs.  Cats TBD.  Not good with children. Needs a companion animal.

GSRA adopts to residents of VA, NC, and SC only

Greetings, my name is Amber, and I am a petite little Shepherd in search of a very special home. As you can see from my pictures, I am very pretty. I am also very petite. I am approximately 1 year old, and I only weigh about 30 to 35 pounds. I'm a pocket sized GSD!

I was picked up as a stray, and ended up in a rural shelter. Nothing is known about my past, but it is very evident that I was not well socialized.

I am terrified of people and very fearful and I do not like to be touched. My foster mom is working on this, and we are making slow progress. It is very hard for me to trust people. I am easily startled by the slightest movement, I must be kept on a leash. I am trying to be brave, and will make eye contact, but a lot of times if the eye contact stays for more than a few seconds I will start barking at you.

I do really like other dogs, and I feel much more confident around them. I will follow the other dogs around and try to follow their lead.

I'm a sweet dog with a lot of potential, but I'm going to need a very patient owner with considerable experience in dealing with fearful dogs.

From foster mom:

Amber is a sweet dog with a lot of potential, but she is definitely a project all due to her total lack of socialization. I think she wants to trust and be engaged with her people, but is totally terrified. She does not like to be restrained or approached. She has been making progress, and if you kind of ignore her she will come up and nudge you or sniff you. We are making progress with small amount of contact, she will allow a little bit of petting if she comes up to you and you do not make eye contact.

Amber is going to need a home with a securely fenced yard, with privacy fence. She will also need a home with another confident dog that will engage with her. Amber cannot be left out unattended, and will probably need to be on a leash for at least the first month even with in a secure a backyard. She is a flight risk, and is a very proficient digger if she wants to escape. Once she is a little more comfortable with you, she will come in and out of the house following the lead of the resident dogs, but I still would not trust her outside without supervision.

Due to her very fearful nature, and the fact that she is a flight risk, she will not be placed in a home with children.

Amber has the potential to be a very sweet and loving dog, unfortunately it will probably take a good bit of time for her to achieve that level of confidence. She does seem reasonably treat motivated, and that has helped with getting her to engage a little bit.

She's a beautiful little dog, and I'm sure she will be a wonderful companion with someone who is willing to give her the time and patience needed to work through her insecurities.  AMBER IS A WORK IN PROGRESS and will not be placed in a new home until her issues are fully addressed.  If you are looking for a quick adoption then Amber is not the dog for you.