Axel is a handsome 1-year-old, 75-lb. GSD with a beautiful sable coat and big light-brown eyes that radiate intelligence and curiousity about the world around him. Axel is very athletic, and one of his favorite activities is swimming and fetching sticks and balls thrown into Lake Frank and Rock Creek near his foster home in Rockville, MD. Axel is an exuberant rather than a graceful swimmer; he leaps into the water with great gusto, often sticking his head underwater and barreling along like a submarine to reach sticks thrown for him. Axel has been started on basic obedience commands, and he is looking for a person who is interested in dog training and taking a dog to school. Axel has great potential to be an outstanding competitive obedience and agility dog, and he would like to find a home that enjoys participating in these kinds of activities. Axel is house-trained and crate-trained, plays well with other dogs, loves cats and occasionally chases them and gives them a mouth massage, and adores people he knows. He can be a little shy with people he does not know, so he is looking for a person who will take him everywhere and socialize him with everyone in the great wide world. If strangers give him pieces of cheese or liver, Axel warms up quickly and is eager to play fetch, get a belly rub, or go for a hike. If you are an active, outdoorsy person with an interest in competing in various K-9 sports, this sweet boy may be the one for you! Please call Michelle at 301-460-8894 to meet Axel.

Although donations of all types are needed, our primary need is foster homes for our lovely dogs while they wait for their new family to find them. Fostering is an extremely rewarding experience. Vet care is paid for by our rescue, and we can even provide you with food. All YOU need to add is love and security.

The adoption process starts with the applicant filling out the adoption application. This can happen at any time during the process, before or after having met a GSD that might be the ideal companion. (It's an advantage to have a pre-approved application on file with VGSR. It should be stressed here that being pre-approved does not mean that any potential adopter can select any available dog at will and take that dog home immediately. VGSR will exercise its best judgement as to which GSD will be the best match for that specific adopter based on a number of qualifying criteria. Many GSDs that come to us are matched up with their new people very quickly because their people have been pre-approved.) The applicant then submits the application form with a non-refundable $10.00 processing fee. VGSR reviews the application, then schedules an interview and home visit during which a number of questions are asked and the home is reviewed to be sure there is a contained/safe yard, and to meet the family involved. Once the application is approved, the applicant is asked to submit a $200.00 donation to VGSR, and the adoption is completed.

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