Adopting a German Shepherd in Exeter: rescues, costs and the law

The count under the short answer is live: every German Shepherd and German Shepherd cross listed with us within about 25 miles of Exeter, on our Exeter German Shepherd page. Our guide to Exeter dog rescues compares the two rescues we list near the city.

German Shepherd Rescue says it treats each application individually, but sets out the homes it generally does not rehome to. Check them before you apply:

• Flats. It doesn't rehome to applicants living in flats, saying communal gardens and stairways don't suit the breed's protective, territorial nature.
• Front doors onto the street. It doesn't rehome to homes with no front garden, where the front door opens straight onto a public area. If your front door opens straight onto the pavement, this rule applies to you.
• No secure garden. It won't rehome where there is no secure garden for the dog, or where the dog would live outside in a kennel and run.
• Long days alone. No dog that would be left for longer than 4 to 5 hours on a daily basis.
• Young children. No homes with children under 7, unless the family is used to large dogs.
• Age and fitness. It doesn't rehome younger dogs to people over 70 unless they can show they are physically fit or have land to exercise the dog.
• Guarding or breeding. No dog to be used for guarding, and no breeding.

German Shepherd Rescue warns on its adoption page that this is a working breed that can be "difficult" for people new to it: it needs a lot of exercise, basic training and company, can be very vocal, is naturally protective of its family and home, and a bored, lonely German Shepherd can be very destructive.

ARC's about page describes the wider picture in East Devon: many of its dogs were bought online with false or misleading descriptions and their owners couldn't cope, more are handed in because of money worries and vet costs, and some arrive unsocialised or with untreated health problems. Animals in Distress says every dog it rehomes has been fully assessed by its animal welfare staff and its vet, with a training plan where needed.

German Shepherd Rescue's donation of £150 to £500 is not a purchase price: it says the money pays for kennelling or vet care for the dogs that need its help. It isn't in a financial position to neuter before adoption, so you sign an agreement to have the dog neutered as soon as feasible and show evidence that it was done, and it asks every new owner to insure the dog straight away. At Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) the £325 fee covers vaccination, microchipping, neutering, worming, flea treatment and a vet check.

Buy a puppy and you pay the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross quotes, then the set-up costs: PDSA puts those at £560 for a large dog, vaccinations and neutering among them, and at least £116 a month after that.

UK breed sources point to the hips, the elbows and the back legs. Ask what a vet has found, and watch how the dog moves when you meet it.

• Hips and elbows. The Royal Kennel Club sets hip and elbow tests under the BVA/KC schemes as the minimum for German Shepherd breeders, saying "evidence indicates these conditions are a significant concern in the breed".
• Spine and eyes. For best practice it adds eye testing and a DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM), a disease of the spinal cord.
• Hind legs and nerves. The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch asks show judges to look out for incorrect hind conformation, poor rear movement and a nervous temperament.

The breed standard has two coats: a short one, straight, hard and close-lying with a thick undercoat, and a longer one with tufts at the ears and feathering on the legs. The Royal Kennel Club notes "a marked division of breed type", so two German Shepherds can look quite different. A German Shepherd cross can look and behave quite differently again, depending on the other breed in it.

Ask the rescue what it knows of the cross, and judge the individual dog, not the label on its card.

The Royal Kennel Club lists the German Shepherd as a large breed needing more than two hours of exercise a day, best suited to a large house with a large garden. Dogs Trust calls German Shepherds typically high-energy dogs that need daily walks, time to explore and play, and training.

The coat needs work all year. Dogs Trust says German Shepherds have thick coats and shed a lot, so expect to brush a short or long-haired dog a few times a week.

A rescue dog is adopted, not sold: you apply, the rescue or charity matches a dog to your home, and you pay its fee or donation. Most rescue German Shepherds are adults or young adults; Animals in Distress charges £490 for a puppy under 6 months if it has one. Every dog on our Exeter German Shepherd page is adopted through its rescue.

If you decide to buy, The Royal Kennel Club lists litters on its "Find a puppy" service; ask to see the hip and elbow scores of both parents. Blue Cross says to see a puppy with its mother and littermates, and to walk away from excuses about meeting the mother or offers to hand a puppy over in a public place. If an advert looks like a scam, tell Report Fraud, the service that replaced Action Fraud.