Sheltered Souls Rescue

Sheltered Souls Rescue We are a small foster based rescue located in South West Sydney dedicated to the care and rehoming of German Shepherds, Rottweilers and their crosses.

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Sheltered Souls Rescue
Bsb 067 873
Account 1035 6397

We start toilet training on a lead for a reason 👏Using a lead during toilet training isn’t just about stopping puppies f...
29/05/2026

We start toilet training on a lead for a reason 👏

Using a lead during toilet training isn’t just about stopping puppies from running off and getting distracted 🤣 it’s part of our early training routine.

We do this with all pups in our care from the start because it helps build important foundations early on, creates a consistent toilet routine and means they’re already trained on lead before they’re even fully vaccinated and allowed out into the real world 🙌

Puppies learn:
🐾 leash pressure is normal
🐾 to stay close to you
🐾 calm behaviour outdoors
🐾 focus and routine

It can also help reduce the “wild alligator on a lead” stage later on 🤣

Early training doesn’t need to be complicated — small habits build confident dogs 💛

This beautiful girl is Mercy and she's taking a little longer to warm up to me compared to her brother Max 💜We're not qu...
27/05/2026

This beautiful girl is Mercy and she's taking a little longer to warm up to me compared to her brother Max 💜

We're not quite at the tail wag stage yet, but she's starting to realise I'm not so scary. Every day she's getting a little more comfortable and a little more confident 🐾

Mercy is a 10 week old German Shepherd x Staffy. She is not ready for adoption yet.

This clever little cookie is Max and he's getting more comfortable around me every day 🙌I'd say we're friends now, altho...
26/05/2026

This clever little cookie is Max and he's getting more comfortable around me every day 🙌

I'd say we're friends now, although we're not quite bestie level yet but I'll take the win 🤣 I'm getting more tail wags now though, and he's starting to seek me out a little more instead of keeping his distance 💙

Beautiful Max is a 10 week old German Shepherd x Staffy. He is not ready for adoption yet.

Did you know littermate syndrome doesn’t just affect related pups?Littermate syndrome doesn’t only happen between puppie...
24/05/2026

Did you know littermate syndrome doesn’t just affect related pups?

Littermate syndrome doesn’t only happen between puppies from the same litter. It can develop between any two young dogs of a similar age living in the same home. Even if they didn’t come in together, they can become overly dependent on each other.

It doesn’t always affect both dogs equally. One can become dependent and clingy, while the other can be completely fine on their own.

When dogs bond more strongly with each other than with their humans, you can start to see things like:
• Separation anxiety when they’re apart
• They lose confidence and independence
• Training becomes a struggle
• New environments feel overwhelming
• Reactivity towards other dogs or people

The goal isn’t to stop dogs from bonding, it’s to make sure they also learn how to function confidently as individuals 💛

That means separate training sessions, one on one outings, independent crate time, and individual experiences. All of it matters when you’re raising multiple young dogs.

This is also why we take the time to properly train and prepare our dogs before they’re adopted out. Setting them up for success is our priority 🐾

Our beautiful boy Frank has been adopted 🥰
22/05/2026

Our beautiful boy Frank has been adopted 🥰

For the most part I’ve kept everything in the house very predictable and the same for Mercy and Max while they settle in...
20/05/2026

For the most part I’ve kept everything in the house very predictable and the same for Mercy and Max while they settle in, but the last 24 hours have really shown just how scary normal everyday things are for these two 😞

A broken down cardboard box, the green bin outside and even the sound of a treat packet had them terrified.

Yesterday they met my groomer while he was here washing two of my own dogs. He’s a really patient, gentle guy and normally wins nervous dogs over pretty quickly....these two were that scared they bolted to the front door and practically tried to sit on top of each other to get away from him.

I’m kinda glad there’s two of them and not just one on their own here, because for now they’re able to help each other through these big scary moments.

It’s gonna take some time with these two, so I’ll just keep showing up for them every day and we’ll get through it 💛

18/05/2026

It might just look like two pups playing, but for us this is a big moment.

Mercy & Max are starting to relax enough to play around me, and that shows real progress 🙌

They still aren’t “best friends” with me yet but they’re getting better each day with handling and learning that I’m safe.

Mercy and Max had their vaccinations and microchips done today 🐾They were unsure about the whole thing, but both did rea...
17/05/2026

Mercy and Max had their vaccinations and microchips done today 🐾

They were unsure about the whole thing, but both did really well and cooperated with the vet.

You can tell everything is still new and scary for them, but they’re getting braver little by little 💛

I haven’t had to do a late night dash in a while, but yesterday I found myself heading out to collect Mercy and MaxThese...
15/05/2026

I haven’t had to do a late night dash in a while, but yesterday I found myself heading out to collect Mercy and Max

These two are approximately 9 week old German Shepherd x Staffy pups and are absolutely terrified. Left to their own devices, stuck outside with little to no human handling, they are not happy little campers right now 😞

They haven’t been vet checked yet. So of course no microchips or vaccinations, or any basic health history on them 🤦‍♀️ I will be getting that all sorted asap.

It’s these kinds of rescues that sit heavy with me. They’re so young and innocent, but right now they have no idea that humans aren’t scary and that they’re actually safe.

Can we start acknowledging how many bad habits in dogs are actually created by people?Dogs are constantly blamed for beh...
12/05/2026

Can we start acknowledging how many bad habits in dogs are actually created by people?

Dogs are constantly blamed for behaviours humans have allowed, encouraged or ignored from the beginning.

No boundaries becomes “they’re needy”

No training becomes “they’re uncontrollable”

Never leaving the dog home alone becomes “they have separation anxiety”

Never being taught how to act around food becomes “they’re food aggressive”

Barking at people or other dogs becomes “they’re reactive”

These are just some of the excuses I’ve seen this week for people rehoming their dogs.

Did you ever actually leave your dog at home so they learned it’s okay to be alone?

Did you set clear rules around food, or let them practise going into other dogs bowls thinking that was normal?

Did you actually put in the work around people and other dogs on walks, or did you just let it slide and now it’s escalated?

People want well behaved dogs without putting in the work it takes to create one. Dogs don’t come pre programmed to fit into human life — everything they learn is shaped by what we teach, allow and correct along the way.

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Moorebank, NSW
2170

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