# 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....


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## 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!


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## TrickyShepherd

BowWowMeow said:


> 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?


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## 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.


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## 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 

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...


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## sitstay

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


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## shepherdmom

amaris said:


> 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
> 
> 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.


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## TrickyShepherd

Rott-n-GSDs said:


> 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.



I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> 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. 




sit said:


> 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.



BowWowMeow said:


> 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.


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## RebelGSD

I am sorry, but Zira is a year old and she is pretty much full grown. She may fill in some. If she is 60 lbs at a year old, the only way to get her to 100lbs is to make her totally obese.


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## Rott-n-GSDs

TrickyShepherd said:


> 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.


I honestly don't think you're going to tell any more from two meetings than you would from one... and a good rescue should be able to match you and Zira up with a good dog.

We brought Luna with when we adopted Apollo, and introduced them before we made our final decision.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO

Take a look at Chopper or Ranger. K9 Services GSD rescue posts videos of each dog
Adoptable Dogs

From Tampa Bay GSD rescue:
Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Riverview, FL | Apollo
Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Riverview, FL | Sal

And Heidi's Legacy has a ton! 
Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | SARG
Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | Baron
Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | BEAR
Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | MAX - GORGEOUS!

They are always pulling GSDs. If you have Facebook, I highly recommend friending these rescues so you can keep up with what they take in. Do you have approved apps with all of these rescues I named?


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## TrickyShepherd

RebelGSD said:


> I am sorry, but Zira is a year old and she is pretty much full grown. She may fill in some. If she is 60 lbs at a year old, the only way to get her to 100lbs is to make her totally obese.


Actually, I agree to disagree with you there. She is 65lbs underweight at a year old. She has digestive issues and we are still figuring her out with some things along with our vet. Currently, she is supposed to be 80lbs-85lbs for a healthy young GSD with poor breed american show lines. She is already way over standard at 28" (which was measured about 3 months ago, she had another growth spurt since then, so she may be above that.) Like I said, she is from a BYB, and they bred for large GSDs. Her mother and father were 110lb and 120lb. Since she was a rescue, I had no say in this, but I do have to deal with what landed in my lap. As most dogs, and every one I've ever owned and worked with (including the GSDs)... they are not 100% full grown at 1 years old. That is still a puppy. Around 2 is when they fill in and start reaching adulthood.

So 90-100lbs would not be obese for her when she gets to a healthy weight and fills in with age and maturity. I understand this is not the standard, however, Zira is not the standard and never will be.



Rott-n-GSDs said:


> I honestly don't think you're going to tell any more from two meetings than you would from one... and a good rescue should be able to match you and Zira up with a good dog.
> 
> We brought Luna with when we adopted Apollo, and introduced them before we made our final decision.


I understand that, but I want the option there. I never said I would absolutely not look further then the Central FL rescues, however, I am hoping to not have to. The car the dogs are allowed in wouldn't make it too far anyways, regardless one trip or 5. 2.5hrs is as far as I venture out with that car. 

There are rescues here, it's just not common for GSDs to end up there. Or at least, not during the time I've been looking. Maybe that will change soon, I hope so.


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## TrickyShepherd

I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> Take a look at Chopper or Ranger. K9 Services GSD rescue posts videos of each dog
> Adoptable Dogs
> 
> From Tampa Bay GSD rescue:
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Riverview, FL | Apollo
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Riverview, FL | Sal
> 
> And Heidi's Legacy has a ton!
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | SARG
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | Baron
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | BEAR
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | MAX - GORGEOUS!
> 
> They are always pulling GSDs. If you have Facebook, I highly recommend friending these rescues so you can keep up with what they take in. Do you have approved apps with all of these rescues I named?


Taking a look at all of them! Thank you so much!  Some of them I think I did see, but I'll take a look again! 

And I will look for them on FB. I don't know why I didn't think of that before.....


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## RebelGSD

I have yet to see a healthy weight GSD that has doubled her weight from the weight at age one. And yet to see a female at 120 lbs that is not obese. I dealt with hundreds in rescue, many BYB. Even the males that I saw at 100+ lbs are usually overweight. As to the BYB, many of the breeders that brag about the size of their dogs show overweight dogs on their web pages. And I have yet to see someone with an overweight dog who will admit it, they all say that their dog does not have a gram of fat. BTW, when I walk my 80lbs male, people tell me "he must weight at least 120lbs".


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## TrickyShepherd

I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | MAX - GORGEOUS!


I was actually looking at him last night and doing an app on him tonight! He is beautiful, such a sweet face!

And I have apps in for Central FL GSD rescue, but not Heidi's Legacy, or Tampa GSD rescue. I was going to do Tampa's app tonight, and I guess I will be doing Heidi's legacy's app too.


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## TrickyShepherd

RebelGSD said:


> I have yet to see a healthy weight GSD that has doubled her weight from the weight at age one. And yet to see a female at 120 lbs that is not obese. I dealt with hundreds in rescue, many BYB. Even the males that I saw at 100+ lbs are usually overweight. As to the BYB, many of the breeders that brag about the size of their dogs show overweight dogs on their web pages. And I have yet to see someone with an overweight dog who will admit it, they all say that their dog does not have a gram of fat. BTW, when I walk my 80lbs male, people tell me "he must weight at least 120lbs".


Her parents were not overweight, just way too large for a GSD. If there is one thing I can give them, they didn't have obese dogs (the two I saw pictures of when I looked them up online). Otherwise, they were horrible and doing a terrible injustice to the breed. However, that is besides the point. I know my dog, my vet knows her, and I have also spoken to breeders and GSD trainers here in FL. I have seen GSDs (poorly bred) at 100lbs and some above that were not obese at all. My friend owns one of them. He's 108lbs, fully grown black male GSD rescue from Colorado. He's not obese, in fact, he is absolutely stunning (other then abnormal size).

Also, she would not be doubling her weight if she was at a healthy weight (80-85lbs... 10 or so pounds is not a lot to gain with another year of growth and filling in, she is estimated to be around 90-95lbs with 100lbs being possible). Since you are part of rescuing, you should understand this. Not only is she underweight, but she is still growing. I know this not just because it's normal for a dog at her age to still grow, but I also measure her every few months and weight her every two weeks. 

With that said, I want to make it clear: I am not proud of this and this is not my doing. I rescued her, I was not part of this breeding nor do I agree with it. I like to stick to the standards, which are much smaller.

However, The point of this post was not to ask anyone to judge, or critique, or even give an estimate of my dogs weight. The point was looking for a rescue in the Central FL area, or pointers on what other's did here in Central FL to rescue their GSD. When I mentioned her weight, I mentioned it to explain that what I was looking for was a male around 70-80lbs pounds (at standard for a male GSD) So that it would be a bit more even and they would be closer to size. Others may not agree with that, but that's our preference... a normal to standard size male GSD.


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## sitstay

I still think expanding your search "zone" would be beneficial. If you won't have a reliable car for a trip longer than 2 hours until summer (and you can't find an appropriate match within your current, fairly restricted zone) then wait until summer to start meeting potential adoptees. You can put in applications now and get your home visit done and out of the way now, so when you do start meeting dogs you'll be all set.
Sheilah


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO

TrickyShepherd said:


> I was actually looking at him last night and doing an app on him tonight! He is beautiful, such a sweet face!
> 
> And I have apps in for Central FL GSD rescue, but not Heidi's Legacy, or Tampa GSD rescue. I was going to do Tampa's app tonight, and I guess I will be doing Heidi's legacy's app too.



Great! Good luck in your search!


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## TrickyShepherd

I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> Great! Good luck in your search!


Thank you!! Hopefully we find someone soon, I know we are both very excited about adopting a second GSD!


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## TrickyShepherd

I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> Take a look at Chopper or Ranger. K9 Services GSD rescue posts videos of each dog
> Adoptable Dogs
> 
> From Tampa Bay GSD rescue:
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Riverview, FL | Apollo
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Riverview, FL | Sal
> 
> And Heidi's Legacy has a ton!
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | SARG
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | Baron
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | BEAR
> Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Lithia, FL | MAX - GORGEOUS!
> 
> They are always pulling GSDs. If you have Facebook, I highly recommend friending these rescues so you can keep up with what they take in. Do you have approved apps with all of these rescues I named?


Applications are in to Tampa Bay GSD, Central FL GSD, K-9 Services GSD, Heidi's Legacy Dog Rescue, and we've already been approved by Pet Rescue By Judy here in Orlando.

Now just time to wait to hear back from everyone. Hopefully from here, we can find the one. This search is all over FL... so, the area has been expanded. I am of course, still looking daily on petfinder.com... so if any other rescue comes up with a GSD that fits the bill... we will apply to them as well. The search continues!


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## sitstay

Good luck! You new addition is out there waiting for you!
Sheilah


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## TrickyShepherd

sit said:


> Good luck! You new addition is out there waiting for you!
> Sheilah


Thanks! We are searching like crazy and hopefully will now have a lot of others looking as well! I've put in a ton of apps to all sorts of rescues, so hopefully our match shows up!


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO

TrickyShepherd said:


> Applications are in to Tampa Bay GSD, Central FL GSD, K-9 Services GSD, Heidi's Legacy Dog Rescue, and we've already been approved by Pet Rescue By Judy here in Orlando.
> 
> Now just time to wait to hear back from everyone. Hopefully from here, we can find the one. This search is all over FL... so, the area has been expanded. I am of course, still looking daily on petfinder.com... so if any other rescue comes up with a GSD that fits the bill... we will apply to them as well. The search continues!


 
:thumbup:


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