If you are interested in adopting a Gentle Giant or a Little Giant from us, please complete the following Adoption Application. Please answer each question completely, then select 'Submit' at the end of the Adoption Application.
You will receive a response within one week, indicating whether (1) you are approved; (2) we have a question or problem with one or more of your answers; or (3) you are denied. We reserve the right to approve or not to approve any application for any reason.
Sometimes, we are overwhelmed with Adoption Applications, so if you do not hear from us within 7 days, please contact us by email at adoptions@gentlegiantsrescue.com to make sure that we have received your application.
If there is a problem with your Adoption Application, we may give you a conditional approval, subject to you resolving an issue that conflicts with our minimum adoption requirements.
ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS
We adopt to our gentle giants and little giants into safe, loving homes where the adopters are able to provide love, affection, stability, safety, and the financial ability to provide medical care as and when their adopted dog needs it.
We adopt to people who live all across America, including Hawaii (but not to Alaska), and we adopt to people who live in Canada, but you MUST come here to
We adopt our dogs to live with their adopters in single family homes with fenced yards, and in condos, townhouses, apartments, and mobile homes without fenced yards.
Borzoi, Scottish Deerhounds,
Saluki and Silken Windhounds
are special breeds that are only available for adoption to people who
have previously adopted a dog from us.
We must be able to contact you in case of an emergency. You will need to furnish us with your home telephone number, your work telephone number, your cell telephone number (if you have one), and a separate emergency telephone number. If you only furnish us with a cell telephone number in your Adoption Application, we will not be able to approve your Adoption Application.
Our Gentle Giants and Little Giants are the ultimate "COMPANION" dogs - incredibly loving, affectionate, and exceptionally well behaved. They are quiet, patient, and so human-like that you will be amazed.
Our Gentle Giants and Little Giants live for their family (you), and they are wonderfully loving and very gentle with children of all ages and with all other animals.
Our Gentle Giants and Little Giants want to spend as much time with you as you have available for them. They are very emotional and will miss you very much when you are away from them. If you are away from your home more than nine (9) hours a day, we cannot adopt a dog to you.
Our Gentle Giants do not require much exercise or much space, they eat just a little bit more than smaller dogs, and they are the #1 apartment dogs in most cities.
| Adoption Fees: We are a charitable, non-profit corporation. Our adoption fees range from $490.00 to $990.00 based upon our costs involved with each dog for the neuter/spay, shots, temperament testing, training, care up until the dog is adopted, transportation costs bringing the dog in, special surgical procedures, and our overall cost of operation. There are very few dogs, if any, whose adoption fee is $490.00, and there are very few dogs, if any, whose adoption fee is $990.00. Almost all of our adoption fees are somewhere in between. |
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Longevity: Our Physical And Emotional Care Has Doubled The Average Length Of Our Dogs Lives! Because we have been enormously successful in prolonging the healthy, happy lives of our Gentle Giants, we have strict adoption requirements so that our adopters can hopefully enjoy the same amazing success that we have had. Everyone wants their dog to live the longest, healthiest, happiest life, and if you agree to comply with our requirements, you will have the opportunity to love and enjoy a Gentle Giant from us and have your loving canine family member be with you nearly twice as long as you would have otherwise. Our Gentle Giants and Little Giants are house dogs, not outside dogs. And, they are not garage dogs, laundry room dogs, barn dogs, shed dogs or patio dogs. They must live inside your home in the main living area as a member of your family, day and night, and go outside only to eat, to go to the bathroom, for short periods of play, and to be with you and your family whenever you are outside. At all other times, they must be inside the main living area of your home. Many people have traditionally left their dogs outside during the day, and brought their dogs in only at night. Their dogs usually live short lives (in the case of Gentle Giants, usually 7 to 9 years). Some people leave their dogs outside day and night, and their dogs usually live even shorter lives. We cater to the physical and emotional needs of our dogs and they live a lot longer. For example, we allow our dogs the freedom to go outside whenever they want to, and conversely, the freedom to come back inside whenever they want to. These are the same freedoms that a human has. So, it does take a little extra effort to pay attention to what your dog is trying to communicate to you. And by doing this, your dog feels that he or she has some say so in their life and they don't give up and resign themselves that they are either “cooped up” outside or “cooped up” inside. This freedom we give them enriches their emotional needs and their spirit, and they are happier. Happier dogs live longer. Our dogs go outside every few hours (or sooner if they want to). Yes, they frolic and play in between feeding times. You can see that in the many photos on our website. But, after about 15 to 20 minutes, they've had enough and that frolic and play gets old for them and they want to come back into their "den" (figuratively speaking), which is their house (and if you adopt from us, your house). Our dogs are house dogs, and they must be allowed to stay in your house, or more pointedly, they must be left in your house and not left outside, whether you are home or not. When we started rescuing Great Danes 11 years ago, our dogs were living an average of 7 to 9 years. Now, along with the many other Gentle Giant breeds that we rescue, we have them living an average of 14 to 18 years. A significant attribute of our success in doubling the length of their lives is to nurture their needs and instincts, and living inside has shown itself time and again . . . in fact, thousands of times with the giant breed dogs that we've had living here during the last 11 years, to be a key ingredient, if not the most important ingredient, in lengthening their lives. Spaying And Neutering All of our Gentle Giants and Little Giants are spayed or neutered at six months of age or as soon as we get them after six months of age. Spaying (females) and neutering (males) does not only prevent excessive breeding, which, if left unspayed and unneutered, results in so many millions of unwanted dogs that end up in animal shelters each year, but, spaying and neutering your dog at an early age (the optimum age is six months) is critical to extend and prolong your dog's life. We Do Not Adopt Our Dogs As Working Dogs Or To Dog Breeders Our dogs are adopted only as personal companion pets, and are not adopted to provide any form of work. In addition, we do not adopt our dogs to people who breed dogs. We Do Not Allow Our Dogs To Be Kept In Crates Or Kennels! Our dogs are crated trained, but we only use crates when our youngest puppies are learning to be housebroken. When our puppies are housebroken, usually at four to six months of age, we stop using crates. If a puppy is still in the chewing stage, we will "baby gate" them in our kitchen when we can't watch them. Giant breed dogs are not comfortable in crates, and they are not happy in kennels, so we don't use either after four to six months of age. Keeping Your Gentle Giant Out Of The Sun And Out Of The Heat Other breeds of dogs have a short, thick inner coat of fur that protects them from the sun. Because most giant breeds do not have a short, thick inner coat of fur, they should not be allowed to lie out in the sun at all. Giant breed dogs also need to stay out of the heat. Their bodies do not dissipate heat well, and they can get heat stroke, which can cripple them or kill them. Our Successful Feeding And Care Procedures Our care and feeding program has worked magnificently for the thousands of giant breed dogs and many small breed dogs in the last 11 years here where we could see and experience and tabulate the results first hand. No one else in the country that we know of who cares for dogs has accomplished this or anywhere near this to our knowledge. It is our love for these dogs and our total commitment to saving, enriching and lengthening their lives that has provided us with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these magnificient animals. That is why we do what we do and why we have (what may seem strict to some people) the requirements that we have. In the end, the dogs we adopt have proven to be living longer, happier lives in their new adopted homes, and that has made their adopters happier because their loving canine companion is with them longer. You can read this first hand in the many emails that we have posted on our website. And, you can see a loving, healthy 16 year old Great Dane named "Princess Leah" that we adopted (please see photo and emails above ). Our Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine We have our dogs living far longer than is traditional for our giant breeds. Our program for increased longevity combines early spay and neuter, special feeding and care, and our high nutrition, low protein, low fat dog food. Because our dog food is so nutritious, our dogs can obtain all the nutrition they need by eating less food than with other dog food formulas. This provides your adopted dog with increased protection against bloat and torsion, a major killer of giant breed dogs. Gentle Giants Rescue And Adoptions
The Bonding Process
All adults and children living in the same home must attend the adoption appointment. A comment from a potential adopter: “Our granddaughter will be 18 years of age in four months and will be moving out of the household. We can bring her along if you wish, but it will probably have no bearing on the matter.” Our response: "Yes, it will have a bearing on the bonding process with your newly adopted dog. The reason that we want your granddaughter here if she is presently living in your home is not to have a bearing on your selection of your dog, but because we require all our adopters to take their newly adopted dog that they adopt from us directly home and NOT introduce it to anyone (other than to the members of their family who were here at the adoption appointment) for two weeks. This is to cement the bonding process. If, during the first two weeks that your newly adopted dog is at your home, someone comes to your house, we want you to put your newly adopted dog in another room where it will not meet or see anyone other than you and your wife, and your granddaughter. After two weeks, your newly adopted dog will have properly bonded with you and your family, and you may then introduce it to the world. Leaving your granddaughter at home while she is still living there would foil the intent and success of the bonding process. That is why she must come."
Balanced Complete Nutrition In Our Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine
Our "Gentle Giants Total Wellness Program"
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PRE-ADOPTION APPLICATION QUESTIONAIRRE
You must answer each of the 19 questions below
BEFORE selecting "Proceed to Adoption Application."
If you have a Problem completing this page or accessing our Adoption Application,
please describe the problem in an email to adoptions@gentlegiantsrescue.com and
we will assist you in accessing and completing our Adoption Application. Thank you.