I know you're not in a position to get a new dog anytime soon, and this guy would probably not be a good fit for your household anyway, but I saw him on the Humane Society website and I thought he'd be a dog I'd check out (if I were still looking, which I'm not, either, I just troll the available dogs from time to time because I'm insane.) I thought I share this with you, since eventually you will be looking for dog #2, and here is an example of how I approach this.....

http://www.petango.com/Adopt/Dog-Retriever-Labrador-Viszla-Smooth-Haired-18949805

 This guy first of all looks cute and friendly. And his write-up says all the right things--like balls and tugs (so we know he enjoys toys and probably enjoys games with toys--he could be easily persuaded to do a deadball retrieve with enthusiasm), but will give up the ball easily (so not too obsessed). Sounds like he's got a lot of energy, but there's a hint that he settles well, too (so as long as a person is willing to run him into the ground a couple of times a day, life in the house with him would probably be not too crazy). He's not dog aggressive. And in the full-body picture, his structure looks promising (but it's impossible to tell from pictures, so I almost never rule out a dog based on structure that I see in a photo). Also, the breeds they think he is (lab and viszla) are good athletes. He's a good age (I wouldn't go any older than 3 years old, and it's possible he's younger than that.) WHS seems pretty good with their write-ups about dogs--they do a nice job of accurately assessing and describing, from what I've seen, so all the good things they're saying are especially encouraging.

My next step, if I were actively searching...which I'm NOT (grin), would be to go visit him. I'd bring a tug, balls, and cheese. I'd check out his structure, see how he was about being handled & touched, see how focused he could be on me (vs. every other thing in the world)...does he want to sniff and disconnect or does he pay attention to me and is he more interested in what I'm doing than anything else (within reason, of course). If that were all promising, I'd start up a game of fetch, rewarding each retrieve with a tug or treat, whichever he prefered. If he were willing to tug with me, that would be a very good sign, too. I'd watch his movement as he ran and trotted and walked, from all angles if possible: away from me, to me, from both sides. Does look smooth, or is there something wonky going on there? Stiffness? Any hit of favoring one leg/paw/side over another? I visualize other successful flyball dogs, even with different running styles, and I'd try to see how he compares...does he run like Rogue, Trix, Wyatt? Ruben runs slowly, but he is very smooth and agile--he's put together well. Raffy used to move beautifully, even though he's a boxy little thing. Neena's knees are straighter than I'd like, but her front and rear are at least proportional, and she moves very well.

If all that went well, and once I'd gotten some of the excitement burned off him, I'd try a little bit of training. Will he sit, down, whatever? Is he wanting to hang in there with me--again, I'm watching for the focus and his willingness to stay "connected" with me. Is he actively trying to figure out what I want, or is this a struggle?

And finally, am I falling in love while all this is going on? Do I want to stay and play with him, am I sad to leave? Or is there something about him that bugs me and I just...kinda...don't...like...him? I'm adopting a family member first, a flyball dog second. I've got to fall in love. I'm not going to be one of these people who endures a dog just because they run fast at tournaments...eventually they won't be able to run at tournaments, so what happens then?

If it's all good, then I box up my excitement and wait to see how it goes when he meets our other dogs--that could still be a deal breaker. And in that meeting, I'm looking for much of the same thing as in the first meeting. Do they get along, of course, or do they want to kill each other...but in addition to that, how is his focus on ME when there are other dogs around. When I was looking for the dog who turned out to be Wyatt, I had my heart set on this other little Aussie boy first. But when we brought our other dogs to meet him, I couldn't get his attention back to me to save my life! He just wanted to play and hump the other dogs--literally, it was like I was invisible. And I knew from training Raff what an uphill struggle that is, especially for flyball where there are so many dogs around all the time. So when I met Wyatt and he ignored all the other dogs around him, that was a good thing!