You must be an ISR approved adopter to request and receive further information on our GSPs. The process includes an application review, Veterinarian check, and home visit. Please understand there may be approved adopters already going through various stages of our adoption process; candidates who submitted their applications before those still in the review process, or those who are in the home visit stages.

Expressing an interest for a particular dog already in our rescue does not guarantee that specific dog will be available when you’ve completed the approval process. Also, we must ensure the needs of the dog of interest is a good match to an applicant’s specific circumstances. Completing an application and going through the approval process will add your information to our network. A current approval with your information in our database offers you the greatest opportunity to be matched up with the perfect GSP; a great match for your entire family. To start the application process, please follow the instructions found on this page.

PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Piper gets along well with other dogs, but probably not good with cats due to high prey-drive.  High energy and will need fenced yard to encourage outside activities.  Hasn’t spent time with children as an ISR rescue; however, foster parents feel she would do well with older children.

PIPER’S STORY:  

NEW Information for Piper added July 12th:

Now that Piper’s foster family has had a bit more time to become acquainted with Piper and Piper’s likes and dislikes, they’ve learned she absolutely LOVES the lake and swimming.  Her foster mom commented she’s never had a GSP that likes to swim and so seeing Piper having so much fun swimming around was a true wonder to watch!  Also, while on that same lake trip, a friend of the family went running several mornings and decided to take Piper with her.  Low and behold!  Piper also loves to run!  She’ll still need a bit of work with running along with her people, but she went on a couple of 2 mile runs and did great!  So, if you’re interested in Piper and you’re also an active, “outdoorsy” family, then this little girl may just be the perfect new pet for you!

After such an active few days, Piper’s foster mom sent us this updated note:  “ A tired Piper is a happy Piper.  After 5 days of constant activity and adventures, she spent the better part of the last two days at home sleeping. I know there’s a family out there that’s the perfect match for this darling little girl!”

Earlier story information:

Piper is a 45 lb. female GSP weighing about 45 pounds.  She’s mostly white with a liver head and liver spots.  She’s as cute as a button and absolutely LOVES people!  She gets along well with 2 GSP females that she lives with and has learned how to play through example as they chase one another around the yard.

Piper suffers from anxiety and is currently on medication to treat it.  Her foster mom says it has made a world of difference in such a positive way for Piper.  In her words, she told us, “the medication has been life-changing for her!”  Piper’s progress with patience, exercise, and mental stimulation has been amazing. She will need to continue her medication after she’s adopted; however, the changes and the happiness she exhibits will make it all worthwhile for her and her new family.

If you’re looking for a more sedentary, quiet GSP, then you’ll have to pass on adopting our sweet little Piper.  She is very high energy.  Her foster mom says, “Piper has a lot of energy and loves to Go, Go, Go!”  Part of Piper’s daily regimen currently includes vigorous exercise and mental stimulation.  This regimen not only helps Piper release a lot of energy, but also helps with her anxiety issues, too.  It’s a win-win routine for everybody.

Piper adores people and makes friends wherever she goes.  She’s a true Velcro GSP and can usually be found close to one of her foster family members.  One of her favorite indoor pastimes is helping in the kitchen.  She’ll sit nicely while her foster mom is preparing meals.  Piper especially loves it when she gets to share the veggies and fruit that are on the menu.  They’re some of her favorite snacks!

Activities Piper looks forward to include long leash walks, chasing tennis balls, and running and exploring in the yard.  Piper’s foster family spends time every night playing fetch with her to help her settle in for the night.  Her new family will want to consider continuing this routine to help ensure a nice quiet night for all.  Additionally, Piper’s foster mom believes with proper training, Piper may make a great running buddy for a jogging family.  With her high energy and her love of being on leash walks, it’s a possibility.  An active family will be well suited to have Piper in their family.

Piper will chase a Kong Wubba for hours and she loves chew toys…especially Kongs stuffed with peanut butter.  Stuffed animals are also favorites; however, they don’t last long because she seems to think they’re solely for the purpose of wreaking havoc upon!  It’s not long before pieces of stuffing and cloth will be scattered everywhere.

Piper doesn’t know a lot of commands yet, but she does know “sit”.  She’s working on “stay” and will sit nicely before eating and when she wants to go outside.  In her enthusiasm to show people how much she likes them she’ll often jump on them, a habit her foster parents are trying to correct by using the “off” command.  She is extremely food motivated which may be very helpful for further training.  Crate training has been encouraged with Piper; however, only short periods of time have been attempted thus far.  She goes into a crate, but much prefers being out and near her people.  As with most of our rescues, we recommend Piper attend obedience/behavior classes to support and reinforce appropriate behaviors.  She’s a very smart little girl but can also be quite stubborn when she wants to be.

Piper’s foster mom’s feels Piper is ready and deserving of her perfect forever family.  The ideal family will need to be patient, enjoy an active lifestyle, and have lots of room in their heart to add this sweet little GSP to their family.  Piper’s foster mom summed up Piper and her ideal family in a short paragraph to us:

“Piper is a sweet, loving and sensitive girl.  She would do best in a home with someone who works from home or is away from home for only short periods of time.  She will need an active family with patience and a willingness to continue to help her work through her anxiety.  She would love a family that makes her part of all of their activities.  With training, patience, and lots of love, she will make a great family dog.”

If you think you and your family are the perfect match for our little Piper, please complete our online adoption application. It’s the quickest and best way for us to learn of your interest.

• Piper is up to date with routine shots and is house trained.

• Piper is altered.

        Sponsor Piper     Adopt Piper

NOTE:  Griff has been with professional trainers for a few weeks now and much of his story and placement requirements are changed as of this writing (5/28/20).  As is often the case with our rescues, some of our stories are first written based upon only a few days of having a rescue in a foster home.  In Griff’s case, ISR was very fortunate to be able to offer him additional training in a professional setting.  Because of this, Griff’s true sweetness and personality have been determined and he is even more ready now for his forever family.  Please read the updates on Griff below.

PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Good with older children and adults.  Good with other dogs but has high prey-drive so probably not cats. Griff is a high energy GSP and will need a fully fenced yard and lots of exercise. He has been working with a professional trainer to redirect his tendencies toward resource guarding and has become an A+ student; learning his lessons well.

GRIFF’S STORY:  (Updated May 28, 2020)

Griff is a handsome 5-year-old male with a sweet disposition and lots of love to give to his people. His previous life was in a home with older children, so he’s used to their energy.

Griff is very loving and at 5 years old he is full of high energy and will require plenty of exercise to keep him calm and happy when it’s time for relaxation. A big fenced yard would be ideal. He likes playing with sticks, playing chase with his people, and peanut butter stuffed Kongs.

He already knows several commands including, “come”, “sit”, and “down, and he’s currently working on the “drop” command. Griff is crate-trained and willingly sleeps in one at night, but if there are activities going on around him, he wants to be part of the fun, too!

The following comments are directly from his trainers and show the progress Griff has made.  He is truly ready for his forever family.

“Griff is playful, athletic, sweet, occupies himself well when inside and runs endlessly outside. For such an athlete you would expect he doesn’t settle inside, but he grabs his Nylabone and settles right down after a wiggly greeting. He has excellent recall outside; however, he has high prey-drive and will chase small non-dog animals.

He could care less about other dogs so he would do well in a home with a doggy brother and/or sister.  Even if another dog barks at him he minds his own business and isn’t stressed by their attention.

The trainers keep all toys he can chew and swallow away from him because he is a chewer and may accidentally swallow something that will hurt him.  He doesn’t bother blankets or furniture, just tennis balls and stuffed animals; would be best if he is denied stuffed animal access as he shreds them and may swallow pieces of the stuffing or the outside of them.

He has met other trainers here and is friendly to everyone; but he seems especially sweet with the women he meets.  We rarely have such friendly, carefree dogs at our facility so it’s a real treat for our trainers to have a dog that likes strangers.

He is fast and he’s beautiful to watch run out in the open.  We are thinking of trying him as a joring dog. Joring dogs run and pull you by harness like a sled dog. It’s a nice job for working dogs. GSPs are starting to be used more in these races because of their spirit, endurance, dog team compatibility and athletic ability.

We have trained him to help him resolve his resource guarding tendencies and he’s very safe now.  He doesn’t show any negative behaviors and/or concerns around his toys or food.  Even a “green” (non-trained professional) owner will be able to maintain this healthy behavior.  We haven’t noticed guarding since the first week he was with us.  He still runs away with his toys but will trade a toy for another and looks happy when we reach for the toy he already has.

As Griff has opened up and built his trust with us, his sweet, loving personality has become more apparent.  He plays more, brings us more toys, and trusts people more.  He’s lovey and athletic and happily slows down for a good rest when it’s time.”

As you can see, Griff is going to make an active family a fantastic pet and companion.  If you think you and your family can offer him the home and love he has earned, please complete our online adoption application. It’s the quickest and best way for us to learn of your interest.

• Griff is up to date with routine shots and is house trained.

• Griff is altered.

        Sponsor Griff     Adopt Griff