Wow... this is difficult!

[TrickyShepherd]

So, the last GSD we were looking at ended up being some guys dog that he'd been looking for, for over a month. I am thrilled that he was found, especially since I'd be a nervous wreck if Z ever went missing. So I am very happy for them two!

However, we are extremely disappointed. He would have been a lovely addition and was the only one on the list that matched us! We have been looking for weeks and there are no GSDs in the rescues here in Central FL. We found a few that are about 1.5hrs away but are not completely what we were looking for. The others that show up are either female or way too old.

I am getting a bit frustrated and starting to lose hope. As much as I want to just walk away from this idea and find a breeder.... I REALLY wanted to adopt one in need, and I know it's worth it. Just getting a bit put out by all this. I've done tons of application forms to different rescues, but no one has any that fit our home. I would just run by the shelter here every week or so, but there never seems to be any shepherds there either. Just pits and labs.

We are looking for a male anywhere from puppy-3 years old. I never knew this was so difficult. I am starting to understand why people start off with the intention of adopting a rescue and then just go find a breeder.

....on with the search....

[BowWowMeow]

Don't lose hope! I looked for months before I found Rafi...and he was 7 hours away. However, he was so worth the wait and the drive. He really was the perfect fit for my household.

Actually, all of my dogs have been rescues and I looked quite a long time before I found each of them.

I'm sure the right dog is out there for you!

[TrickyShepherd]

Originally Posted by BowWowMeow

Don't lose hope! I looked for months before I found Rafi...and he was 7 hours away. However, he was so worth the wait and the drive. He really was the perfect fit for my household.

Actually, all of my dogs have been rescues and I looked quite a long time before I found each of them.

I'm sure the right dog is out there for you!

I am trying not to!! I am glad to hear this isn't too unusual. I am hoping we find the 'one' soon. I am on petfinder.com about 4 times a day and all the local rescues/shelters sites daily. I am thinking we may have to travel, I really wanted to stay local... but, that may not be possible.

How did you know he was the right one for your home, especially with the 7hr distance? Did you do multiple trips to see him before bringing him home?

[BowWowMeow]

Rafi was a stray and luckily ended up in the yard of a really nice young guy who took him in and fostered him. He then listed him with the local gsd rescue and they posted him on petfinder. I went through the rescue and after an interview they put me in touch with his foster dad. His foster home had another dog and 4 cats so I knew he was good with dogs and cats. He had been exposed to all kinds of people and done fine (my last two had been fear aggressive to strangers) so I figured he might be a good fit.

However, since I was driving all the way down there I also applied with another rescue who had a nice young female gsd and was approved to meet her as well. What ended up happening is that I fell in love with Rafi and didn't end up even meeting the other dog. The funny thing is that if I had been told he was whole or even part malinois I never would have considered him and I would have missed out on the most wonderful companion!

I did end up meeting him several times and introducing him to Chama several times before I made my final decision but that was pretty unusual. Usually you meet the dog once or maybe twice and then decide. I was lucky enough to get to meet him in his foster home so I got to see how he was in an environment where he was comfortable but again, that's not the norm.

ETA: I really recommend working with a rescue. I used to foster for a gsd rescue and the rescue I volunteered for worked hard to make a good fit between the fosters and their adoptive homes.

[amaris]

I spent 6 mths working with rescues and going back SPCAs and checking petfinder...finally just gave up and decided to get on touch with some breeders...but i'm still looking for a rescue dog...so maybe instead of my first dog being a rescue, my 2nd one can be :P

As it is, i would still choose to rescue over buying from a breeder, but i would like to get my dog withint the mth...

[sit,stay]

Yes, it can take a while to find the right match. I think that is especially true when you are looking for a 2nd dog, since making a good match with your current dog is also a priority.

It is so difficult to be patient, but it is so worth the effort in the end. Extend your search area by just 30 minutes travel time and see if you can't increase the number of potential matches that way.
Sheilah

[I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO]

Just wondering where you are looking. I'm assuming Central Fl GSD Rescue. But, have you looked into K9 Services German Shepherd Rescue in Middleburg, Heidi's Legacy (I think they are near Tampa), and Tampa Bay GSD rescue? I'm "friends" with these rescues on Facebook and they always have new dogs. K9 Services just took in a dog that was going to be a service dog, but didn't make it through the training.

[Rott-n-GSDs]

Is there any reason you're concentrating your search to such a restricted area? We drove 9 hours to get our Rottweiler, and are VERY glad we did.

[shepherdmom]

Originally Posted by amaris

I spent 6 mths working with rescues and going back SPCAs and checking petfinder...finally just gave up and decided to get on touch with some breeders...but i'm still looking for a rescue dog...so maybe instead of my first dog being a rescue, my 2nd one can be :P

As it is, i would still choose to rescue over buying from a breeder, but i would like to get my dog withint the mth...

I never put a timeline on it. Finding the right family member can take time and sometimes a new family member comes around at the most inconvienent times and when you are least expecting it. It is really worth the wait.

[TrickyShepherd]

Originally Posted by Rott-n-GSDs

Is there any reason you're concentrating your search to such a restricted area? We drove 9 hours to get our Rottweiler, and are VERY glad we did.

Well, because we wanted to make sure we find the right match for not only us, but also Zira. She can be difficult at times, very hyper and still young. I don't want to bring a dog in that will be miserable with that. Just because they say good with dogs doesn't mean good with puppies/young dogs. Just trying my best to avoid any big problems. I wanted them to meet at least twice before we made out decision, and traveling hours to do so is a bit difficult for us to do. Especially since my car is the 'doggy' car, and it doesn't do well on trips over 2hrs. Working on getting a new car, but that's definitely going to wait until this summer.

Originally Posted by I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO

Just wondering where you are looking. I'm assuming Central Fl GSD Rescue. But, have you looked into K9 Services German Shepherd Rescue in Middleburg, Heidi's Legacy (I think they are near Tampa), and Tampa Bay GSD rescue? I'm "friends" with these rescues on Facebook and they always have new dogs. K9 Services just took in a dog that was going to be a service dog, but didn't make it through the training.

I've been looking through some of the dog rescues here in Orlando, some in Tampa, and a few others around Central FL. Central FL GSD rescue is one. Unfortunately, it's hard to find a rescue when you have to make a match to not only you, but also another dog. I am looking for a male, puppy-3 years old, and one that is not very small, I've seen some that are 60lbs and below. Zira is well above 60lbs (bad breeding, she will be around 100lbs when full grown), and I just want someone who can at least be close... like in the 70lb range. There was a male on there "sarge", who almost fit the bill, but he's only 63lbs.

Originally Posted by sit,stay

Yes, it can take a while to find the right match. I think that is especially true when you are looking for a 2nd dog, since making a good match with your current dog is also a priority.

It is so difficult to be patient, but it is so worth the effort in the end. Extend your search area by just 30 minutes travel time and see if you can't increase the number of potential matches that way.
Sheilah

It is very difficult because of that reason.... it's not just for us, but also for her. If it was just the SO and I, we would take whoever, even if they had an issue or two or were small... or maybe even female. But, with her.... we just can't do that. Our search is much more narrow.

Originally Posted by BowWowMeow

Rafi was a stray and luckily ended up in the yard of a really nice young guy who took him in and fostered him. He then listed him with the local gsd rescue and they posted him on petfinder. I went through the rescue and after an interview they put me in touch with his foster dad. His foster home had another dog and 4 cats so I knew he was good with dogs and cats. He had been exposed to all kinds of people and done fine (my last two had been fear aggressive to strangers) so I figured he might be a good fit.

However, since I was driving all the way down there I also applied with another rescue who had a nice young female gsd and was approved to meet her as well. What ended up happening is that I fell in love with Rafi and didn't end up even meeting the other dog. The funny thing is that if I had been told he was whole or even part malinois I never would have considered him and I would have missed out on the most wonderful companion!

I did end up meeting him several times and introducing him to Chama several times before I made my final decision but that was pretty unusual. Usually you meet the dog once or maybe twice and then decide. I was lucky enough to get to meet him in his foster home so I got to see how he was in an environment where he was comfortable but again, that's not the norm.

ETA: I really recommend working with a rescue. I used to foster for a gsd rescue and the rescue I volunteered for worked hard to make a good fit between the fosters and their adoptive homes.

Awww, he's a lucky pup! Yeah, I will be contacting all the rescues in the area, and shelters to see if anyone has shepherds and if they come across one, to let me know. I've been looking by myself for a while, but I think it may take a bit more then that.