# How far to go to adopt rescue



## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

You all know how I've been looking for an adult V to adopt (I've posted about it enough). I'd like to get some feedback on the process I'm using.

First, I contacted the breeder of my 1st V to let her know that I'm looking. She has gotten in touch with her many contacts. I've emailed a few breeders to let them know if they get an adult returned, to keep me in mind. I've sent applications to VCCNE & CVVC. I frequently check PetFinder, VCCNE, CVVC, VCLI websites. As well as various FaceBook groups.

One of the limitations that I've created is that I don't want to go too far. My feeling is that I won't know for sure about a rescue until I've seen him/her. By then if I've made a big-ish investment in driving a long ways, I might pressure myself to take a dog that I had reservations about. And I am more likely to have reservations given that I'll likely not know who the dog's breeder was, or what kind of a life it has had. A puppy doesn't have the uncertainty that an adult rescue has - you know the breeder & the puppy isn't carrying any baggage.

A returned adult would be ideal & I'd go pretty far for one. But that would be a long wait.

Comments?

Bob


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## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

Bob - where are you located? Bristol's (our v's) sister was returned to our breeder. They have someone looking at her on Friday, but if that falls thru, I can certainly let you know. She is 2 and just a sweety. Unfortunately, she has been kenneled most of her life so is a bit unsure yet, but oh, so loveable. I am in ND. I do have a feeling that this couple will take her - they already have a v from Bristol's litter, and the "mom" quit her high-paying job to be a stay-at-home dog mom. We would take her, but our hands are quite full right now. If you are interested, I can keep you posted.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

I do not know where in the world you are ...
I am in the LA area of CA... but I do know that my pups mother "Luna" 6 yrs. may be in the re homing process, she is retiring her. I would have had her instead of her singleton pup, if it had not been for the fact that she is not " tolerant" of other dogs... we had Pearl.

It seems out here in CA, there is no problem finding a pup. Re homed dogs may be another matter ???

I had to do an update... Fergy's mom Luna is expecting pups April 1, (aprox) the sire is Judah, Fergy's sire.
I am surprised... Luna was to be retired in early 2013. She is a beautiful sweet little mama, and I pray for her, with all my heart.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

I found Willie on Petfinder.com. He was in the dog pound of a neighboring county. My drive to go get him was 70 miles (round trip), and just about an hour-and-a-half in drive time. I got lucky.

My nephew went with me, because he was familiar with the area. I sent him into the pound, with money in hand, to adopt Willie. I have a hard time going into those places because I find them so heartbreaking. 

So anyhow, the first time I saw Willie, I had already adopted him. It was in the parking lot of the dog pound. Prior to that, I had only seen him in the photo posted on Petfinder. He was quite emaciated. I knew nothing at all about his breeder, his history, or his temperament. I got to know him over the next few weeks, and was constantly delighted! Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

You might want to follow the FB pages of some of the specific breeders in your area. I follow a few and pretty much every one has had a "returned" dog posted at one time in the past year or shared one from another nearby breeder. Some also have retired dogs that aren't being bred anymore available to a new home.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

MeandMy3 said:


> Bob - where are you located? ... I am in ND. ...


I'm in MA - NW of Boston. ND would be a bit far, but thanks anyway. Bob


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

tknafox2 said:


> I do not know where in the world you are ...
> ...
> Personally for me... I could never ..ever .. give up my dog... when she had outlived her usefulness... (HONORABLE TERM)
> But when the Bitch has out served her purpose... " not making money" and she isn't friendly with the new Bitch...
> ...


Massachusetts

It is sad that a breeder can discard a dog like a worn out machine.

Puppies are definitely more available. And the channels are better established & well known.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

mswhipple said:


> I found Willie on Petfinder.com. ...
> ...
> So anyhow, the first time I saw Willie, I had already adopted him. ...
> Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet.


Wow - good for you! Maybe I'm over-thinking it and am being too cautious. I'm going to keep your story in mind.

Thanks,
Bob


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

dextersmom said:


> You might want to follow the FB pages of some of the specific breeders in your area. I follow a few and pretty much every one has had a "returned" dog posted at one time in the past year or shared one from another nearby breeder. Some also have retired dogs that aren't being bred anymore available to a new home.


Good idea! Thank you. I've emailed a few breeders, but emails are easily lost or forgotten whereas I can monitor FB pages.

There are a number of breeders around and returned dogs have a known history that most rescues don't.

Bob


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Bob, I wouldn't give up on a dog just because you have limited time with it. My coworker adopted a German shepherd at one year after spending an hour with it and he's a doll. Dogs are easy to read and you will know (I believe it!)


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Bob - you might think about any sightseeing you have ever wanted to do and not quite gotten around to doing. For instance, if you haven't made it down to DC to see the WWII memorial or over to Niagra Falls you could expand your search area and check out the sights on the same trip for checking out the dog. That way even if the dog doesn't work out for some reason, your big-ish investment has still been worthwhile and the pressure to ignore any reservations should be less. Just a thought...


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I'm sure I'm not the only member that would be willing to visit a potential dog and give you some good feedback. If you do find a contender far away, just let us know. If there is any major behavioral or health issue we can let you know before you drive half way across the country.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

jld640 said:


> Bob - you might think about any sightseeing you have ever wanted to do and not quite gotten around to doing. For instance, if you haven't made it down to DC to see the WWII memorial or over to Niagra Falls you could expand your search area and check out the sights on the same trip for checking out the dog. That way even if the dog doesn't work out for some reason, your big-ish investment has still been worthwhile and the pressure to ignore any reservations should be less. Just a thought...


That's a nice idea -thanks. My wife wants us to go to DC and that area seems to be good for V's. 

In fact, there's one in Richmond VA that started my thinking about how far to go. The dog sounds great except she has "a SERIOUS problem with men." It would be a 9 hour drive, except if we were in DC, it would be less than 2.

Bob


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

einspänner said:


> I'm sure I'm not the only member that would be willing to visit a potential dog and give you some good feedback. If you do find a contender far away, just let us know. ...


Another good idea! This forum is great. I'll try that. Thanks, Bob


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Bob said:


> That's a nice idea -thanks. My wife wants us to go to DC and that area seems to be good for V's.
> 
> In fact, there's one in Richmond VA that started my thinking about how far to go. The dog sounds great except she has "a SERIOUS problem with men." It would be a 9 hour drive, except if we were in DC, it would be less than 2.
> 
> Bob


I'll be passing through Richmond next Friday and again Sunday. Give me the info on this dog and I'll see if it's conceivable to stop and visit. Being a lady I won't be able to evaluate her aversion to men, but I could give you other hopefully helpful feedback.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Young female in Fl. http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/pet/4352373575.html


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

einspänner said:


> Bob said:
> 
> 
> > ... In fact, there's one in Richmond VA ...
> ...


einspänner - thanks. My wife and I talked about it and decided against it. I'm confident that I could bring the V to be OK with me, but we'd want to be able to walk her off lead without worrying about every encounter with a strange man.

I need to keep reminding myself to be patient.

Thanks,
Bob


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## KB87 (Jan 30, 2012)

Bob, I'm not sure how far from you she would be, but there is a 6 year old female in Rowayton, CT. That's a heck of a lot closer than DC  I would call the shelter to make sure no rescues have stepped in before you make a drive down. Let them know you're interested in adopting directly and have had Vs before so that the rescues don't scoop her up while you're driving out.

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/28846337/


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

KB87 said:


> Bob, I'm not sure how far from you she would be, but there is a 6 year old female in Rowayton, CT. ...


This dog was also announced on the CVVC Facebook page. I had already submitted an application to them, so I let them know that we were interested in this V, Sophie.

Well, we were pretty far down their list. They had a "group" of potential adopters scheduled to meet her today and if she wasn't taken, we were in the 2nd group. It was no surprise to hear that she was taken today.

Sophie was the first CVVC rescue since we put our application in 2 months ago & we haven't seen any at VCCNE in those 2 months. At that rate & length of their lists, we could have a long wait. We are going to be reconsidering our approach. Maybe a puppy.

Bob


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## Chaos911 (Oct 30, 2013)

Our little guy (5 mos)has been a dream Bob. Give a look at Busch Vizslas. Best of luck no matter your choice. We took a long time after our GSP passed.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

I understand that distance is a factor, but sometimes you are missing out on some very nice dogs when you limit yourself with distance. I live in Kansas, And have had people drive from New Mexico, Texas, Minnesota among other states. But I do understand that driving across the country is a massive undertaking however... Especially with today's fuel prices!


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

V-John said:


> I understand that distance is a factor, but sometimes you are missing out on some very nice dogs when you limit yourself with distance. ...


I hear you. The "... reconsidering our approach" included the possibility of longer drives.

The puppy option has always had the advantage of knowing that you are getting a dog from a reputable breeder. If the breeder is important when adopting a puppy, shouldn't it be when adopting a rescue? Yet a rescue's breeder is likely unknown, or not-so-reputable. A returned dog is looking better for that reason. I am going to expand the area where I've contacted breeders about returned dogs.

Bob


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Bob there are a lot of people that want a vizsla ,but I think you fit into the category of people that need a vizsla. You are missing the part of your life that a vizsla filled. I also think you might be a little worried that a rescue V may have problems, and that will keep it from fulfilling the missing link in your life. I hope your are able to let down your guard some, and give one of these dogs a chance.
They need a home that understands Vs, and you need a V. In the right home a good many of them turn into the dogs they were always meant to be.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

TexasRed said:


> Bob there are a lot of people that want a vizsla ,but I think you fit into the category of people that need a vizsla. You are missing the part of your life that a vizsla filled. I also think you might be a little worried that a rescue V may have problems, and that will keep it from fulfilling the missing link in your life. I hope your are able to let down your guard some, and give one of these dogs a chance.
> They need a home that understands Vs, and you need a V. In the right home a good many of them turn into the dogs they were always meant to be.


What you say makes a lot of sense. I do need a V and I do need to be less demanding about the qualities of the V that I consider. The V's that we had weren't perfect and to some extent you do mould the V (and he you <G>).

Thanks,
Bob


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## VictoriaW (Mar 16, 2011)

Bob,

I am not entirely sure that an adult dog guarantees less work. Perhaps a different kind of work?

But more to the point, you don't need to decide a priori whether you want a puppy or an adult. The bottom line is that you seem to care a great deal about getting a well-bred V. Run with that. Befriend the excellent breeders within easy driving distance. Get to know them, make sure that they know you and that you need a V. Then, when someone has a puppy or unexpectedly has a dog returned, they will think of you!

Get (back?) in touch with Patsy, Carol, and others. See if you can visit them or meet them out for a long walk and a heart to heart. There is a dog show in Springfield over the long Easter weekend -- check the entry to make sure that the holiday does not hold down numbers, but if it is high then drive out and talk with people about their dogs. Tell everyone how much you need a Vizsla! Maybe just the right one will fall into your lap -- puppy OR dog. Either way, having relationships in place and having demonstrated strong interest will help you.

Just my 2 cents... 

Victoria


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

VictoriaW said:


> Bob,
> 
> I am not entirely sure that an adult dog guarantees less work. Perhaps a different kind of work?
> 
> ...


When we decided to get another V, I thought it was going to be easy: we'd put our names in with a rescue org and when they got a dog, we would adopt it. HAHAHAHA!

We started about 3 months ago. I have sent in applications to 3 or 4 or 5 rescues; I've contacted 6 or 8 breeders about returned dogs; every day I check Petfinder and the Vizsla Facebook groups. A few dogs have come up: one returned due to divorce was un-returned so they could fight over who got it; another we had no chance for because there was a long line ahead of us; a third one we applied for and the group never replied. Some shelters only do local adoptions. VCCNE rescues about 12 V's a year & have none in the last 3 months.

I must say that I have been very impressed with the efforts people make for the dogs, and for us. I'm not blaming or criticizing anyone (well, maybe the no-reply'ers).

3 months isn't such a long time - I know many here have taken much longer to find their V. I know that there will be a V, or two, for us.

Victoria: As to the Springfield dog show: I can't find anything about it. There was one in March - were you thinking of it, perhaps?

Bob


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## VictoriaW (Mar 16, 2011)

Does this link work? It is a list of upcoming dog shows in MA from Infodog. Click on the particular show (you want one that has "AB" in the type column, for All Breed) to reach more information.

For example, Pioneer Valley Kennel Club is hosting the show in W Springfield on Saturday, April 19th. Click over to their page and you will find in the left-hand column the judging program --25 Vizslas are due in ring 5 at 9:45AM. 

http://www.infodog.com/panels/ma.htm

Three months is such a short time. You will find the right V for you. Hang in there!

Victoria


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## KB87 (Jan 30, 2012)

Bob, hang in there. A few months is a very short period of time. Send applications to nearby rescues (ACCNE, New Hope, etc) and hang tight. There really aren't a lot of Vs in rescue in the north east and many of the rescues don't even post a good portion of their dogs because they have applications already on file for someone that would match with the dog. I know a house without a V is a lonely home, but a V in a shelter is a lonely dog. One day soon you'll both connect and you'll have a happy V home and they will have a happy life.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

VictoriaW said:


> Does this link work? It is a list of upcoming dog shows in MA from Infodog. Click on the particular show (you want one that has "AB" in the type column, for All Breed) to reach more information.
> 
> For example, Pioneer Valley Kennel Club is hosting the show in W Springfield on Saturday, April 19th. Click over to their page and you will find in the left-hand column the judging program --25 Vizslas are due in ring 5 at 9:45AM.
> 
> http://www.infodog.com/panels/ma.htm


OK, I got it. I guess that I was just not clicking the right buttons. There are shows Fri - Sun, we should be able to make one of them.



VictoriaW said:


> Three months is such a short time. You will find the right V for you. Hang in there!


I know ... I am impatient. Three months sounds short, but it feels long.

Thanks,
Bob


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