Evaluating Shelter GSD?

[Trotter]

Thanks for your good work - I assume you have a job in addition to your rescue effort and your gumption is impressive. I appreciate that the rescue wants to match the dog to the adopter, but telling the adopter in advance that you'll essentially pick his/her adult dog for him/her when s/he's interested in a particular dog is off-putting to some would-be adopters who may, per posts below, have to make application to several rescues over many months. From the posts below you can see that some rescues enforce this rule or that rule more than others, and some rescues may not approve an adopter, so keep trying until you find one that does, etc. From the other thread you saw that the process can take 5 months even when the adopter finds a rescue who deems him qualified. That prospect is off-putting to busy people looking for a solid dog. I raised the issue to express my concern that this process's impact on dogs in the system might be negative, at odds with the purpose which is to get them into good homes. I'm told that's not the case and that's great.

Finding a good home for two Mexican Hairless? Amazing! I hope the new owner gets them some little jackets straightaway, though.

Originally Posted by msvette2u

I'm REALLY tired - just got back from dropping two Mexican Hairless off to the airport where they met their adopter and she's flying back to MI with them!
So - if this was said already, I apologize.
But, the reason many rescues (us included) have adopters fill out an app is to try to match a dog to the adopter, not just because they like this or that dog, another dog may be a better fit than the dog they desire.

Anyway - I know there's a few rescues close to you that specialize in GSDs, and we do get occasional GSDs ourselves. Don't rule out Oregon Humane, either! Or Clackamas Co.

Are you searching for M or F dogs? Preferred colors? Age?

[Trotter]

Originally Posted by RebelGSD

Aha, the OP expects others to deal with hips, something he is not willing to do?

Again, sorry for any confusion. If it's my dog, I fix its hips. If it's a dog I'm fostering for the owner, I don't. That's why I check hips before I adopt a dog and that's why I asked the shelter about the x-rays for a dog I'd considered adopting. If the x-rays showed a problem, I would not adopt that dog.

[Trotter]

Originally Posted by RebelGSD

I think that an experienced person will know what they are dealing with when they meet a dog.

I agree. What I'd like to see in lieu of a 6 pg checklist is an experienced person who knows when they're dealing with a "dog person" when they meet him/her.

[RebelGSD]

Originally Posted by Trotter

Again, sorry for any confusion. If it's my dog, I fix its hips. If it's a dog I'm fostering for the owner, I don't. That's why I check hips before I adopt a dog and that's why I asked the shelter about the x-rays for a dog I'd considered adopting. If the x-rays showed a problem, I would not adopt that dog.

I understand, you would not adopt a dog with bad hips. You will foster them and have other people adopt them and deal with the problem. It is a very practical approach.

[RebelGSD]

Originally Posted by Trotter

I agree. What I'd like to see in lieu of a 6 pg checklist is an experienced person who knows when they're dealing with a "dog person" when they meet him/her.

I think it is perfectly ok not to want to deal with rescue. Btw explaining it 5 times here takes much more time than filling out a 6 page application - for an extremely busy person.

[Magwart]

Originally Posted by shepherdmom

They do not ask for social security numbers or long invasive questions on philosophies of raising a puppy.

Social security numbers are in a different category than philosophies about raising a puppy--radically different categories. Rescues and shelters don't need to do credit checks. They do, however, need to know you'll provide a good, loving home. Why is asking about your philosophy of raising a puppy intrusive?

For example, if someone has a dominance-based theory of raising a puppy, I would have concerns about sending a tender-souled, shy foster of mine to that home.

If someone plans to hit the dog when it pees in the house, I wouldn't send any foster of mine to that home. I've seen that example actually listed in an application asking about preferred methods of correction and training! I can think of little information as important as that for me to know to evaluate a prospective adopter than that the adopter plans to hit the dog whose shattered psyche I've been working on healing. If that's the kind of question about raising a dog that is intrusive, I'm all about being intrusive--and unapologetic about it.

I know here at least we aren't looking to get into philosophical debates over whether clickers or treats should be used in training to raise a puppy -- we're using it to get a sense of whether you'll provide a good, loving home, and you've put some thought into the work actually required to raise a puppy so that you'll be able to hang in when the puppy is, well, a puppy. Since we aren't psychic and don't know you, the only we we can know the answer to that is through the information you provide.

Believe me, we don't get into your personal lives for our own amusement. Most of us who volunteer to do rescue work have actual day-jobs, often requiring us to work 40+ hours, and we still make time for the dogs. None of us would have the emotional strength to continue to do this work if we had to worry that a dog we once cared deeply about was on the end of a chain, being mistreated, or suffering because we'd made a bad adoption decision and not asked enough questions.

We also consider the app a demonstration of commitment. If you can't be bothered to spend 15 minutes filling out a form, we have no reason to believe you'll be committed in any other way to the dog. Remember, we don't know you. We don't have time to meet every person who is too secretive to fill out a simple application (I know of few shelters or rescues that will let you meet dogs without filling out an app). Seriously, it's not that hard.

BTW, I'd have never traded a single minute of the glorious ten years I've spent with the rescue dog I have -- even though his hips are imperfect, and they are giving him trouble as a senior. His elder care is my great privilege to provide, in gratitude for the enormous gift of friendship he's given me. And yes, I had to fill out a long application to get him. I'd fill out a 100-page application for a friend like this, and still consider it well worth the trouble.

[msvette2u]

From the other thread you saw that the process can take 5 months

For that rescue.
Our process, maybe 2 days (average) and up to a week at most. 5mos. to process an app and give an adopter a dog seems ludicrous to me, but I'm not that rescue.

As for the hairless...adopter is a current Xolo owner, the dogs haven't been without sweaters since they arrived, and the owner brought not one, but 2 sweaters each, so that's not a concern

As for the rest, well, your assumption a rescue would "pick" the dog for them isn't quite accurate - for instance you state you have no fenced yard - if the dog for which you applied was a runner, would you not want to be told that in advance and directed to a dog more suitable to your lifestyle? How about if a dog had a mild hip issue and you are a jogger??

Also I find your distaste of a rescue "picking" a dog for you rather ironic since many good breeders actually match up puppies to the new owner's lifestyle as well - they, too, like LIFElong, successful adoptions and not unhappy adopters!!

But by all means, skip rescue (since you seem to have a dim view of it all) and go with a shelter dog.
Good luck!

[Trotter]

My concern about the rescue process was not restricted to the actual filling out of the application - that was presented as merely an example of the differences between my area rescues and my local shelter. Rather than re-state them, I'll refer you to my earlier posts for the entirety of my concerns about the process, overall.

Originally Posted by RebelGSD

I think it is perfectly ok not to want to deal with rescue. Btw explaining it 5 times here takes much more time than filling out a 6 page application - for an extremely busy person.

[RebelGSD]

Originally Posted by Trotter

My concern about the rescue process was not restricted to the actual filling out of the application - that was presented as merely an example of the differences between my area rescues and my local shelter. Rather than re-state them, I'll refer you to my earlier posts for the entirety of my concerns about the process, overall.

Based on the entirety of your re-stated (lengthy) posts (rants), overall, it seems that rescuers agree with your assessment not to go with rescue. You made a good decision. Good luck!

[Trotter]

I don't want a "runner." I want a stable dog that wants a stable home. Tell me in the description the dog's a runner and I'll skip it. My yard is partially fenced. I mentioned it because of some rescue's insistence on 100% fencing to get a dog, and that ridigity's potential chilling effect on some adopters. I'm told below it's a flexible requirement, which is good to know. I wouldn't inquire about a dog with a disclosed hip issue. Fixing hips is usually $2K/side.
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I understand breeders will match a puppy to the purchaser, and I think that's a great idea - that's a large part of what I'm paying for, after all. That's why I capitalized the word "adult" in my post below. Per the site of one of my local GSD rescues: "In order to determine the best possible match for our rescue dogs and your family, we need some information about you. * * * Information that you provide on the application will help us to determine which dog will fit best in your household." Either I'm right for the dog I inquired about, or I'm not.
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I wouldn't agree my view of rescue is "dim," only that rescue as I've described it is possibly a flawed model in the eyes of some potential targets of the rescue effort. Sharing that concern with informed persons on this board might generate discussion and result in possible streamlining or other change to the process, to the dogs' benefit. Keeping it to myself might save some feelings, but wouldn't accomplish much else. I opted for open discussion.
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The same site referenced above has the following process for adopting a GSD: No GSD to houses w/<20 lb dogs and no females to homes with other female dogs. No GSD <2 yrs old to anyone without previous GSD experience. Fill out and submit application. A volunteer will review and may request additional information. Once the application is deemed complete, the "application will then be assigned to an adoption counselor who will contact you for a phone interview" that will take 10-25 minutes. Based on the phone interview, "you may or may not be put in touch with a foster home [do they tell you then? do you just wait and wait? Why not just tell you "no dice" "look elsewhere"?]. If you are put in touch with a foster home, you will be able to direct specific questions to the foster family about the dog that you are interested in. You will then be able to make an appointment to meet the foster dog." If you are deemed worthy of an appointment, it's travel time and "you will be asked to bring all members of your family, including your other dogs, if you have them (interactions between the dogs needs to be observed) to the home of the foster family." Imagine even a well-balanced dog trying to handle this gathering of nervous/strange people/animals on his/her new home turf - a good temperament test, I suppose, but hardly fair to the dog. "You should plan on spending approximately one hour with the dog. Please come prepared with questions and items to bring the dog home, if you have already had an approved home visit." The particulars of the "home visit" (when, who present, etc.) are not stated. "If you decide to adopt the dog and the foster family approves of the adoption, you will be asked to complete an adoption contract and to pay an adoption fee prior to taking the dog home." The foster family (all members?) have to approve the adoption. What if the foster family is like many I've met - well-meaning, but overly emotional and relatively inexperienced? This series of travel/visits, phone calls, resource verification, application, etc. etc. comes down to the yay or nay of the foster family? That's a fragile bough on which to rest a lot of work and time, only to have to start over with another dog or rescue operation, if the foster family doesn't deem the applicant worthy.
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So, not a "dim" view of, or a "distaste of," but certainly I'm concerned about the process as described when contrasted with the relatively reasonable shelter process to accomplish the same goal.