Breagh was put up for adoption by GSD Rescue Scotland when she was just 8 months old. She was being re-homed because her family worked long hours and weren't able to spend quality time with her.

She was very nervous and reactive to people and dogs and at that typical "chewy " stage that many adolescent dogs go through (particularly intelligent, high-energy dogs like GSD) if they do not get enough stimulation and exercise.
She had had basic training, but had not been socialised. Such a shame, as socialising older dogs can be difficult - it's so easy to do whilst they're puppies.
Being removed from home and family is traumatic, as is being in kennels and being introduced to a new home. Fortunately, she took to us quite quickly and we were delighted to be able to give her her forever home. For the first few weeks she was very subdued, but gradually with encouragement and patience she settled in and became more trusting and affectionate and we were able to bond with her.
We introduced regular routines and set basic boundaries, undertook further training and ensured that she got plenty of exercise and stimulation, varying walks and playing games. She responded quickly; she's very bright, quick to learn, eager to please and excellent at picking up non-verbal triggers from us. We only have to think of doing something and she's on it!
We also worked on improving her social skills by managed introductions to calm "volunteer" dogs on neutral ground and managing visits to the house by friends keen to help. We also used a local behaviourist (ably assisted by his dog) to help with aspects of the socialisation.
Separation anxiety was an issue in the early days, but we worked on that by slowly building up the length of time she was left alone and focussing on calm departures and returns and positive reinforcement.
When we moved out of town into the countryside, the "prey drive" became more of an issue. It is particularly strong, not just in hunting breeds, but also in the herding instinct in GSDs. We were surrounded by livestock and wildlife!
Over time we managed introductions to the local sheep, cattle and horses - but always from the other side of the fence. She is a little wary of horses and cattle, but is fascinated by sheep and loves the lambs - she spends hours lying watching them and they often call to her and touch noses with her through the fence. Of course, without the fence in between I don't think she would be able to resist the chase when they run around and jump about!

As for the local wildlife, the badgers, hares and pheasants that visit the garden know her well and make themselves scarce when she appears. Deer are a different matter, as they are rarely seen or heard until they break cover without warning at full tilt, so the only way to manage that is to keep her on a long lead when walking in the forest.
So, now she has just turned 10 years old. She is just as beautiful and affectionate as ever and bright as a button (she understands what you say and I swear one day she will speak!). She is still powerful and has bags of stamina. She's much less reactive now, but she has to be managed in confined spaces and she is not comfortable in crowded places, but she has come such a long way.
Trotting all this out in a few paragraphs makes it sound like hard work, but it's not - just small steps at a time with a little tlc and patience. She is such a good girl and the best companion one could wish for. She is sweet natured, sensitive and has great character. Rarely does a day go by when she doesn't make us smile. So even if it had been hard work, the results would have made it all worthwhile.
We are so proud of her and love her to bits.