# How do you acquire a washout?



## Emoore

I'm interested in buying/adopting a young adult working line dog with great pet temperament who "washed out" of a breeding or working program. I don't want to go through the tiny puppy stage and I'm not looking to buy a "fully trained" dog. But a solid and stable-nerved dog is important to me. I don't mind dealing with things like controllable hd or epi etc. Too soft to work; a wonky ear; not quite up to breeding standards--- perfect for me! Of course I'm also keeping an eye on rescues but dogs like that tend to go really quickly and have no problem getting adopted. 

How would I go about finding dogs like this?


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## Fodder

I've never looked into it father than knowing that they exist, but perhaps a "career change" dog from Fidelco would be a fit? there are other guide dog schools that use GSD in their program but it's either a small number or I'm unsure of their lines.


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## osito23

I know some local breeders that may be able to help you. Sending you a PM.


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## holland

I would just contact the breeders that you are interested in-and be patient-or who knows you might not need to be patient-lol


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## Jax08

Emoore said:


> I'm interested in buying/adopting a young adult working line dog with great pet temperament who "washed out" of a breeding or working program. I don't want to go through the tiny puppy stage and I'm not looking to buy a "fully trained" dog. But a solid and stable-nerved dog is important to me. I don't mind dealing with things like controllable hd or epi etc. Too soft to work; a wonky ear; not quite up to breeding standards--- perfect for me! Of course I'm also keeping an eye on rescues but dogs like that tend to go really quickly and have no problem getting adopted.
> 
> How would I go about finding dogs like this?



How about a military wash out or a dog needing a retirement home?


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## FG167

Check breeder pages, and there are several FB groups too. My husband doesn't keep his dogs if they can't do the work (IPO), so we have advertised on FB only and sold/placed them. My little brother has his last failure. He's spoiled rotten.


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## Vega-gurl

Former TSA Explosive Sniffing Dogs Are Now Available For Adoption - BarkPost

This was just posted for another thread, maybe you should check them out!


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## newlie

You might try the Petfinder website, that's where I found both my dogs. Max, the yellow lab, came from the Cincinnati Lab Rescue and lived to be almost fourteen. My current boy, Newlie, came from a rescue group in Kentucky called Let Them Live. I have had him almost three years so we think he is around five years old now. Newlie is good with people of any age and trustworthy with kids. He used to be reactive toward some dogs (if he felt they were challenging him) but I haven't even seen much of that lately. I don't know about whether he is working line or not, but he has been an absolute peach, as was Max. I am attaching a picture of him.

The website does allow you to filter your choices by a number of factors: distance, breed, age, sex, etc, plus usually gives you a little description of the dog.

Good luck with your search!


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## Stonevintage

If you are looking for a dog that was "washed out" by the military, there are some things you need to know. They are "kennel" dogs. They are not house trained in any way - if you do not want a puppy - you will be getting something harder to train than a puppy. They have not lived in a house - they have specific training up to the point where they were found to be not acceptable. They will urinate and defecate in your house. 

The last time I read the website (6 mos ago)- there was a 24 month waiting list for "washed out dogs".

Please rethink your desire for one of these dogs. Most are adopted by former military that knows what they're getting into. This type of dog comes with some problems fitting into a pet/family atmosphere. Dogs used in the service for actual patrol dogs (trained to attack) are put down and not made available for adoption because their training cannot be reversed enough to ever be trusted. Those who have military training but washed out at some point are normally because of costly health issues.

If you feel you want to take on the challenge of one of these dogs, and you have prior experience/training - just google "military dogs available for adoption - and sign up for the waiting list.


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## MishkasMom

There is retired military dogs you can adopt, here is a link from Cesar's website in case you are interested but I'm with Stone on that one, it's a huge responsibility to make them house pets

https://www.cesarsway.com/get-involved/rescue/Reward-a-veteran-dog-by-rescuing-them?utm_content=As+we+honor+human+soldiers+on+Veterans+Day%2C+we+shouldn%E2%80%99t+forget+that+many+dogs+have+also+bravely+served+our+country.+Here%E2%80%99s+how+you+can+honor+them+when+they+come+home%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cesarsway.com%2Fget-involved%2Frescue%2FReward-a-veteran-dog-by-rescuing-them&utm_campaign=&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=&utm_medium=1447293435


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## Jax08

Emily - are you looking for a female or a male?


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## Emoore

I actually never said anything about a military dog. Not sure why all the hand wringing about that.

Jax, I'd prefer a male. I really dig the boys.


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## Castlemaid

Are you open to having a pup shipped? I think if you contact Suzanne, she'd be able to help you or point you in the right direction: young prospects raised by handlers and other volunteers, but of course not all make the cut, so she should know of some dogs that would be just perfect for you:

German Shepherd Breeder | Police Dogs | Schutzhund | Washington USA | BC Canada 

A number of people I train with have dogs from her and know her, and have nothing but good things to say. The dogs from her that I have seen were exactly what people were looking for (or what they _thouht_ they were looking for, but didn't really know what to expect from a working line, though the dogs were just fine, just higher energy than what novice owners/trainers were willing to work with). 

My only dealings with Suzanne was email inquiries when I was first looking for a working line pup, and she always responded promptly with helpful info.


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## qbchottu

I would contact breeders you would like a dog from, and ask them to keep you in mind for a washout. If you can wait, I bet you can get a few nice offers.


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## Jax08

Emoore said:


> I actually never said anything about a military dog. Not sure why all the hand wringing about that.
> 
> Jax, I'd prefer a male. I really dig the boys.


I asked if you were interested in military dogs :rofl: Which I'm sure YOU could handle with little problems.

Since you are, or were, active in rescue I'm sure you are keeping tabs on that avenue.

I'll keep you in mind if I hear of any males. I think though, the dogs being washed out are going to be from higher level competitors. They don't generally sell the dogs cheaply because of the amount of training they have on them and a club level person will buy them.


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## Emoore

Yeah I actually help handle intake for one of the local rescues. Every German Shepherd in the state that needs rescued comes through me; or so it seems. The problem is that I've gotten addicted to a certain type of dog and they don't come through rescue very often. 

In my current situation, I really couldn't handle a military dog. 

I don't mind paying if the price is commensurate with what I'm getting. If someone has a dog with little to no training and not housebroken that's lived in a kennel run, I'll pay enough to neuter. If a dog has some training and socialization and housebreaking and good nerves and temperament I don't mind paying a few grand.


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## Jax08

Emoore said:


> The problem is that I've gotten addicted to a certain type of dog .


I have one of those at my feet :wub:

I'll keep an eye out for you if you don't mind shipping.


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## Magwart

Emoore said:


> Of course I'm also keeping an eye on rescues but dogs like that tend to go really quickly and have no problem getting adopted.


**falls off chair**

Quickly?! Where??? We could transport dogs like that pretty regularly to those rescues, whereever they are, if I knew who they were!

I honestly wish I knew where the good adopters for those dogs can be found. Local IPO people won't consider rescues (even though one of ours is rocking the IPO club nearby...but whatever). I actually sigh in sadness every time a shelter calls me with one of those kind of dogs, as I know they're going to sit in foster for a good long while, as they just aren't right for a lot of "average" busy families. I know I'm not alone as I talk to other rescuers in the region.

Keep an eye on rescues in Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. I see lots and lots of WL dogs turning up in this region, dumped in adolescence once the cute puppy grew up into a big untrained dog. It's kind of depressing what happens to some of these amazing dogs down here, to be honest. 

FWIW, we have the _hardest _time rehoming WL adolescent dogs. We also sometimes take on mals, and those drivey adolescent mals are even harder to place. The average adopter wants an nice 'beginner' dog that's easy to own and fits into a busy family. A lot of these dogs are just way "too much dog" for them.


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## Magwart

ETA: 

Texas Star Rescue (Longview, TX) pulls a lot of these kind of dogs out of Louisiana shelters. They aren't a breed rescue, but the people who run that rescue love WL GSDs, so they transport a lot of them to Texas.


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## Emoore

Magwart said:


> **falls off chair**
> 
> Quickly?! Where??? We could transport dogs like that pretty regularly to those rescues, whereever they are, if I knew who they were!
> 
> I honestly wish I knew where the good adopters for those dogs can be found.


Austin, Texas. Lots of single folks and DINKS who make their dogs their whole lives.


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## GatorDog

Contact the breeders who's dogs you are interested in. A lot of times they hold back puppies to try for themselves, or get puppies/young dogs returned to them, and when the right opportunity presents itself they will place a well started puppy in a home without even really "advertising."


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## Jax08

Emily! 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1462288403999239/permalink/1724464841114926/


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## newlie

Jax08 said:


> Emily!
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1462288403999239/permalink/1724464841114926/


What a beautiful boy! Smart and good with people too, he sounds like the whole package, Jax.


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## Emoore

newlie said:


> What a beautiful boy! Smart and good with people too, he sounds like the whole package, Jax.


If he's a Vom Kraftwerk why is he in a shelter? Has Kraftwerk been notified?


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## onyx'girl

Emoore said:


> If he's a Vom Kraftwerk why is he in a shelter? Has Kraftwerk been notified?


yes, they didn't seem to care. I still wonder who dumped this dog in a shelter, or why he wasn't redeemed if he was a 'stray'....


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## MustLoveGSDs

I'm sure you will be diligent about this but be sure to get the truth from the seller because a lot of times a working dog gets washed out because of nerve issues and instability in the temperament.


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## wolfstraum

Kraftwerk is a commercial business - they sell a commodity and are not longer concerned with it from all reports by people who have dealt with them, as well as a few former employees input.

I know where there is a nicely bred, lower drive nearly 2 year old - but she is not free as a "washout"

Lee


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## Emoore

wolfstraum said:


> Kraftwerk is a commercial business - they sell a commodity and are not longer concerned with it from all reports by people who have dealt with them, as well as a few former employees input.
> 
> I know where there is a nicely bred, lower drive nearly 2 year old - but she is not free as a "washout"
> 
> Lee


I said up thread that I don't mind paying to purchase or adopt. Certainly don't want anyone getting the impression I'm looking for a good dog free.


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## wolfstraum

Emoore said:


> I said up thread that I don't mind paying to purchase or adopt. Certainly don't want anyone getting the impression I'm looking for a good dog free.


Sorry - did not read that and in many instances "washouts" are free to good homes or nominal fees for spay....

I assumed you were looking more for a decently bred, non drivy working line dog who was not working out for the owner as a competition dog

Lee


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## Blitzkrieg1

Have a nice one that doesnt have the elbows for police work unfortunately, but has everything else. Unfortunately you are way to far.


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## Way Too Quiet

Does anyone know if Erko is still available for adoption? I have emailed Sue Ann, have not had a reply and I cannot comment to ask under the FB post as they still have not approved my request to join the page. Frustrating!


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## onyx'girl

I asked on the thread and it was posted that he's found a home.


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## Rangers_mom

Ranger is a "wash out" from the Seeing Eye and he perfectly meets the description of what you want. Seeing Eye dogs are raised in a family setting and carefully socialized throughout their puppyhood. They flunk out of the program for a variety of reasons - health issues, temperment issues - but the Seeing Eye will always be completely upfront about the reasons. We were raising Ranger when he flunked out so we got first dibs. Ranger was very fearful. His fear issues are fine for the average family (afraid of loud noises, afraid of strange objects) and have actually gotten much much better, but those fears made him unacceptable as a Seeing Eye dog. Seeing Eye puppy raisers get the dogs at 7 weeks and provide a great home environment for the first year to year and a half. Unfortunately the wash outs do not come cheap. Seeing Eye uses them for fundraising and charges $5,000 per dog (as a puppy raiser I did not pay that.) 

I believe the dogs are working line. Not sure of the breeding but I know it is carefully performed for health and temperment. Even though they don't breed for looks I did not see a single puppy in the program that did not have strong upright ears - usually by 10 weeks. I had never had a GSD before Ranger and had no idea that the ears could have problems standing up until I came to this board. I don't think I can post a picture as I have a free account but You could go to the Seeing Eye website and take a look for yourself ar some of the GSDs.


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## Way Too Quiet

Thank you, onyx'girl!


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## Rangers_mom

Emoore said:


> I'm interested in buying/adopting a young adult working line dog with great pet temperament who "washed out" of a breeding or working program. I don't want to go through the tiny puppy stage and I'm not looking to buy a "fully trained" dog. But a solid and stable-nerved dog is important to me. I don't mind dealing with things like controllable hd or epi etc. Too soft to work; a wonky ear; not quite up to breeding standards--- perfect for me! Of course I'm also keeping an eye on rescues but dogs like that tend to go really quickly and have no problem getting adopted.
> 
> How would I go about finding dogs like this?


I just noticed that this is an older thread so you may not have seen my post from earlier today. I posted about adopting "wash outs" from the Seeing Eye. (See my above post) i see now that you are in texas do there might be a similiar organization near you. The Seeng Eye is in NJ. Just google guide dogs. Unfortunately many of them no longer use GSDs as guide dogs. Even the Seeing Eye is mostly training labs. But a guide dog sounds like exactly what you are looking for - raised in a home, well socialized, carefully breeded for health and temperament.

Just wanted to make sure you saw this post.


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## Emoore

Thanks for the post, Ranger's Mom!


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## Rangers_mom

Emoore said:


> Thanks for the post, Ranger's Mom!


Your welcome. Feel free to ask me any questions.


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## holland

There is also Fidelco -they do use GSDs and Guiding eyes-who also use GSDs (and Rangers mom made a great suggestion)


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## onyx'girl

holland said:


> There is also Fidelco -they do use GSDs and Guiding eyes-who also use GSDs (and Rangers mom made a great suggestion)


I've heard Fidelco has gone through some changes...so I'd be careful at this time. I don't know details but have heard that it isn't what it use to be.


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## Emoore

Honestly, though, I'm looking for a working line. Prefer black, bi-color, or sable. I _think _the guide dog agencies use American line dogs.


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## Fodder

^ this is incorrect. although each school varies, the majority of the dogs are working line. that said, their goal is not purity of lines so if an American line was brought in for a particular reason or trait, then yes it may be used and a cross of lines would occur.

for some time, Fidelco dogs that proved to be too much for the guide dog program were donated to surrounding police departments.


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## onyx'girl

yes, I do know that the Fidelco is using working lines. Their fb page has many photo's posted, I seldome see the AM lines in any photo's.


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## Emoore

Update: I'm picking up a 5 year old sable boy from the Houston animal shelter, probably within the next week. He's being treated for heart worms and then we have to arrange transport. I'll be fostering him through AGSDR but with a strong eye towards adopting.


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## newlie

Wonderful news! Can't wait to see some pictures!


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## Fodder

Emoore, you know the rules, where's his photo!!?!!


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## GSDPERRO

Tarheel Canine has 2 young dogs right now. One a czech import female about 2 and one male about 18 months. Both VERY nice dogs that are more suited to family life than sport or police. They are both GREEN, female currently has NO obedience, and both can go for much lower than the price on the website if you take them without training. I have met both dogs and both could be great family pets.


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## Rangers_mom

Congratulations! 

Nine years ago we fostered a 5 yo male Australian shepherd and ended up adopting him. He was a big (90 lb), untrained, and a bit scary when we got him but he morphed into a sweet wonderful "dude" (and yes he did abide). It took a little work to get his real personality to show but when it did it was wonderful. We lost him this year and I miss him so much. Enjoy your "older" rescue dog. He will appreciate you in a way that you never could have imagined.


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