How do I post a request to buy? - Page 1

Sorry, I tried to figure it out but couldn't do it. I see the "request to buy" section, but how do I post there? Here is what I'm looking for: Male Younger than 24 months Sable - I love the amber/blond with black saddle look found in the German Show lines Great family companion Great with small children Okay with a cat Would love tracking, possible Search And Rescue candidate Loves to play fetch If you know of any dogs that meet these qualifications or if you know how to post in the "request to buy" section, and help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Rick P.S. As for me, the dog would be going to a great home. I work from home so would be with the dog every day.

D'oh, of course I finally figured it out after posting for help. Still, let me know if you know any prospects!

Well, I take that back. I tried to place an ad, but the link appears to be broken?

If you are looking for a "possible" SAR candidate, it would be very good if you were on a team first; not sure where you are but many teams in the states do not let new handlers bring a dog until it is sure the hander will work our regardless of whether or not the dog will. The dog is simply a tool and only a part of the work. Sometimes that wait may be a year or so. Also, many breeders have some sort of vision of what is required from a SAR prospect that is far from reality. Primarily, they do not understand the need for courage and strong nerves as well as a robust structure that can actually trot all day long and the dog must be agile. People on a team may be better suited to help you selection test that prospect. Many people prefer the smaller size range of GSDs because they are easier to carry if they get hurt and tend to be more agile. While you become very attached to your partner, injury and death are real possibilities, so you consider that if you want this dog to also become the family pet and attached to your small children. Coloration should be the last of your concerns - I think you are describing a faded show dog - a working dog is better to come from working lines and with good strong pigment, JMO. You should really get a handle on the SAR thing first, or just get a good pet and if you get into it and then find a second working dog. Experience with sports tracking would be a real plus, even though it is not entirely like trailing. A dog with the drives to actually do search and rescue work is not necessarily the ideal family pet unless you are willing to dedicate much time to its excercise and mental stimulation. It can be done though. For a young adult, you should also specify x-rays of the elbows, hips, and back for review by a OFA or a veterinary orthopedist.

Nancy, thanks so much for your reply. That was really helpful. I have done a bit of research on my local team, and they require three visits to dog training meetings without the dog before being allowed to apply. At that point I can apply, then I'm expected to go through a lot of training without the dog (for navigation, cpr, etc) and then then can train my dog if it meets their requirements. The truth is, I'm most interested in having a pet, and I plan to do some tracking work on top of that just for fun because I think it looks like fun. I just want to have the prospect of being able to do SAR if it progresses that far (I'm getting a sense of the time commitment, wow) but it wouldn't be the end of the world for me if it didn't progress that far, so long as I have my loving pet who likes to track for fun. In your opinion, does one need a hyper active dog for SAR work? Is hyper active associated with "strong drive"? Is it possible to have a dog who likes to relax at home and lay around but can get out there and work hard at SAR when it is time, or are those things conflicting? Thanks!

To be honest, I don't know. I think most dogs that have the drive needed to work for hours on end have a higher activity level and need to be doing something than a typical pet. That does not mean they cannot make nice house dogs - these are often referred to as dogs with an "off switch", unlike the prototypical malinois that is pacing if it is not working, but they are still only off for so long and need high levels of play and excercise to be happy. They also need to be kept conditioned for hard work. But for a pet and some recreational tracking you still may not want a dog that has the drives for search work as most of these dogs tend to have a lot of prey drive ... or you could get a bloodhound......that is hardwired to trail (not even going into the discussion on prey/hunt). If you google "PAWS" and "Brownell Marsolais" you will see some of the selection test for a search dog prospect. http://www.avalanche.org/~doghouse/3%20SELECTING%20Dog/xSelect%20Older%20Dog/Canine%20Screening.htm http://www.searchdogsne.org/reference/The%20PAWS%20Evaluation.pdf It sounds like your first need is for a pet then I would go there since you understand that just because it can be a tracking companion may not mean it has the requisite drives to search for long periods of time trying to find a trail (or airscent). You may or may not want a ball crazy dog with young kids as the dog will be attracted to motion. You can always add another dog if you get into it and discover you have to be a dog handler. Make you mistakes on the pet first.....you could learn a lot that way. Search teams REALLY need trained people who are not actively working their own dog to flank the dog handler on a search and they always need training subjects to hide for them.

If you're looking at SAR as something that would be fun, you might want to go to the training for a few months to see if you still think so. It can be tedious, painstaking and repitious. Rewarding and enjoyable at times. We've had a lot of people who have come into the group for a couple months and realize that it definately was NOT what they expected. Think about the distressing outcomes of searches as well as the "returning the lost child to parents" from a search as well. Here in the desert it is more often the former because of the timing of when we are called in. It sounds like you are family oriented and want a more enjoyable experience/undertaking with your dog. Please do try with SAR but maybe also consider AKC tracking competitions. Good luck with either and please heed the above advice to seek guidance when buying a pup. Dawgs

Thanks you guys, you have been fantastic!

Buffettjr, where are you located? Chris

Austin, TX (though currently in London until Christmas)