This might be a dumb question, but are there any age restrictions on these types of training? The reason I'm asking is because I had a good friend recently pass away, leaving his GSD behind. The dog was found on a highway 5 years ago, at about 8mos of age. He isn't going to be homeless, as he's living with my friend's father, but he's almost 70, and doesn't feel sitting at home with him is the best thing for this dog. He's hoping to "get him a job". The dog is absolutely lost now, and seems to have nervous energy he needs to work off. The thing about the dog is that he's amazing at finding objects thrown long distances, that he didn't see. It's like he'd been trained to do it. He makes a very mathematical grid pattern in a very organized way until he finds what he's looking for. His ball drive is awesome, too. We were thinking search and rescue, but he's had surgery on both hips, so he probably does have some physical limitation, though you'd never know it. Awesome temperament, too. I know he's almost 6, but it seems a shame to just let him sit idle. My friend's father was wondering if there are any organizations near us (Chicago area) that could use him. Any input would be appreciated. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />I'm afraid if he doesn't have something to occupy his time, he'll kind of wither away gradually. He was extremely attached to my friend, and is already getting somewhat lethargic. Thanks.

There is not really an "age restriction" per se, so long as the dog has the aptitude to do the work. It is more a matter of whether or not it is worth it to put in the time and effort necessary to train a dog for one of those jobs when he will only have XX number of years left that he can physically work.

If he is 5 or 6 already, then that means he'll probably only have 3-4 years left to actually work (after the training) assuming he stays healthy. A dog trained at a younger age will have that many more years to work (assuming he stays healthy) which is a better return on the initial investment, so to speak.

That's kind of what I thought, but if someone (like me) were willing to put in the time, would we be able to find a use for him somewhere? I realize that he wouldn't be worth a great amount of money for training, but are there any programs that maybe don't have the funds to own dogs? Like maybe be on call for emergencies or something? A poor community police dept? Anything? I've just never seen an untrained dog with this skill. Who knows, maybe he was trained before, as he was not a young pup when found. I'd think that someone who'd bothered to do that would have looked for the dog too, but who knows...Anyway, just looking for any input or ideas on where to turn. My friend's father is retired, and would have time to devote to this as well. Obviously, I have no experience in this, and am open to any ideas. Thanks!