Rehoming guide
How to rehome your German Shepherd
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
Rehoming a German Shepherd is a big decision, and the breed rescues say they understand it: German Shepherd Rescue South notes that "circumstances change through life". The German Shepherd rescues we checked were busy, and one was full, so expect a waiting list and plan to keep your dog at home for a while. The more honestly you describe your dog's exercise needs, behaviour and health, the better your chance of finding a home that lasts.
List your pet for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Why German Shepherds end up needing a new home
German Shepherd Rescue Elite says it is "especially inundated at present with dogs that people have purchased without proper consideration or research meaning many young dogs are coming in with socialisation and behaviour issues".
The breed asks a lot. The Royal Kennel Club lists the German Shepherd as a large dog needing more than two hours of exercise a day, suited to a large house with a large garden. Dogs Trust calls German Shepherds typically high-energy dogs that need daily walks, training and enrichment, and says their thick coats shed a lot.
None of this makes your dog a problem, or you a bad owner. It usually means the match didn’t fit, and a careful rehoming fixes exactly that.
What to tell adopters about your German Shepherd
Exercise and training. Say how much exercise and training your dog gets now. The Royal Kennel Club's guide is more than two hours a day, and Dogs Trust adds training and daily enrichment to walks and play. If your dog knows commands or has done any training classes, include that too.
Behaviour with people and dogs. The breed standard asks for a dog that is "never nervous, over-aggressive or shy", and the Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch lists nervous temperament as a point of concern. Describe your own dog honestly: how it is with visitors, strangers on walks, other dogs and children, and anything that worries or excites it.
Hips, back legs and vet history. The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to have hips and elbows scored and recommends a DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM), an inherited condition, and its Breed Watch lists poor rear movement. Share your vet records, any hip or elbow scores and any treatment, and say how your dog moves and manages stairs.
Size, coat and home. This is a large dog that sheds a lot; Dogs Trust says you will typically need to brush it a few times a week. Tell adopters about the home your dog is used to, including the garden, and whether it has lived in a flat or with other pets.
German Shepherd rescues that take owners’ dogs
Some German Shepherd rescues are full. When we checked, Central German Shepherd Rescue said "We are currently full", and German Shepherd Rescue Elite warns owners to "be prepared for a long wait", so contact more than one and list your dog with us at the same time.
German Shepherd Rescue South (GSRS)dogs · Based in Fareham, Hampshire
Complete its online "Rehoming Your Dog" form and a member of the team will call you to discuss the options; have vaccination and microchip records ready. It says every German Shepherd is first assessed in its own home by an experienced volunteer.
German Shepherd Rescue Elite (GSRE)dogs · National, using foster homes and approved kennels around the country
Fill in its rehoming request form; it first asks whether the reason is something it could help with. A place isn't guaranteed: it prioritises dogs in council kennels at risk of euthanasia, and says "it is your responsibility to keep your dog safe until a home can be found". It also takes Malinois and Dutch Herders.
Central German Shepherd Rescue (CGSR)dogs · Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire
Use its online rehoming form once you have made your decision; it promises to treat that decision "with the utmost respect and be non judgemental". It has no rescue centre and uses foster homes and boarding kennels, and in October 2026 it was full, adding new dogs to a waiting list.
National charities that take any breed
Dogs Trustdogs
Two routes: Homestay, where your dog stays with you while Dogs Trust finds a new home (it says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"), or a kennel or foster place, which "could take a few weeks". Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free, and it aims to reply within 72 hours. Start with a call on 0300 303 2188 or its online form.
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Should you charge a rehoming fee?
You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.
How listing your German Shepherd on LocalPetFinder works
- Fill in the free listing form. Photos, age, health, how your dog is with children and other animals, and an honest description. It takes about ten minutes, and your dog stays at home with you.
- A person checks it, usually within a day, before it goes live.
- Your German Shepherd appears next to rescue dogs on the German Shepherds pages for your city (Ashford, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Chippenham, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dover, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Folkestone, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hartlepool, Hayle, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kendal, Kidderminster, Kingston upon Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Lowestoft, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Newquay, North East Lincolnshire, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Penrith, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Sleaford, Solihull, Southampton, Southport, Spalding, St. Helens, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Torbay, Truro, Wakefield, Walsall, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Wrexham, York), marked as listed by the owner.
- You choose. Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email and phone number stay private. You decide who to meet and who takes your dog, and you hand over in person.
We take listings from owners anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the new owner needs a dog licence before they take a dog, so ask to see it before the handover.
Ready to find your German Shepherd a good home?
List your dog free. Every listing is checked by a person, and you stay in control of who adopts.
Start your free listing →Before the handover: the must-dos
The microchip has to be transferred
In England, Scotland and Wales a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database (England, Scotland, Wales); in Scotland the keeper's own details must also be correct before the handover. In England the same applies to cats, while in Scotland and Wales chipping a cat is optional. Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers
Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.
Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all
It's against the law in England, Scotland and Wales to give away a banned dog. In England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, Scottish guidance says it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully" (gov.scot), and since 1 August 2024 it has been an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, don't list it.
Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest
Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.
Rehoming your German Shepherd: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Will a German Shepherd rescue take my dog quickly?
Usually not. German Shepherd Rescue Elite says it will "always prioritise space for dogs in council kennels at risk of euthanasia over dogs in their homes", and Central German Shepherd Rescue was full with a waiting list in October 2026. Apply early, keep your dog safe at home and list it yourself while you wait.
My German Shepherd has behaviour problems. Can I still rehome them?
Often, yes, if you are open about it. German Shepherd Rescue Elite says many young dogs reach it with socialisation and behaviour issues, and asks first whether the reason is something it could help with. German Shepherd Rescue South assesses each dog in its own home before taking it on, so describe the problem in full.
My German Shepherd has bad hips. Will anyone take them?
Yes, with the full vet history. The Royal Kennel Club asks German Shepherd breeders to have hips and elbows scored, and its Breed Watch lists poor rear movement as a concern, so rescues know the breed's joint problems. Give adopters the diagnosis, any treatment and how your dog copes day to day.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: German Shepherd Dog · The Royal Kennel Club: German Shepherd Dog breed standard · The Royal Kennel Club: Breed Watch, German Shepherd Dog · Dogs Trust: German Shepherd · German Shepherd Rescue South: Rehoming your dog · German Shepherd Rescue South: Dogs looking for homes · German Shepherd Rescue Elite: Rehoming · Central German Shepherd Rescue: Rehoming form · Central German Shepherd Rescue: homepage