An adhoc list of question to ask a rescue organization.
The goal is to find out how well the organization knows their dogs behaviorally and medically before placing them.

Questions to ask and procedures to look for:

About the organization:
How long have they been in operation? How many dogs have they placed? What support do they offer if you have questions about your adopted dog?
What is their procedure if an adoption doesn't work out? Do they stand by their dogs and take them back?
Spay/neuter policy?

Foster care:
How long has this dog been in foster care?
How many other dogs (foster and resident) are in the foster home?
Is the foster dog living in the house with the foster family or is it kenneled or otherwise kept outside on the foster family's property?
Are the dogs vet checked, tested and treated for parasites and diseases before socializing with other animals in the foster home?

Life History:
If the dog's age matters to you: Who assessed the dog's age, and on what basis?

Medical profile:
Has the dog been thoroughly vet checked and has a clean bill of health? Been treated for anything? You can request a look at the dog's vet records before adopting.

Training:
Does the dog have any training? What are her/his training needs?

Behavioral profile:
How does the organization test for behavioral issues? Once you are approved for adoption, can you talk to both the foster and the volunteer who first assessed the dog at the shelter?

A good rescue assesses at least these behaviors:

- Friendliness and sociability, with women AND men, behavior when seeing small children
- Energy level and need for physical/mental stimulation
- Level of confidence, insecurity, or fear. What is the dog's behavior in situations new to the dog, its response to startling stimuli?
- Ability to calm down after having been aroused or startled
- Response to being handled and being appropriately restrained
- Food aggression and resource guarding with people / with other animals?
- Behavior towards other dogs in various situations (in home, outside, on/off leash), and different dogs (large/small, same and opposite sex)
- If you already have a dog: What is the dog's play style, and is it compatible with your dog's?
- Level of prey drive, eye or nose driven
- If you have cats, or board your dog at a farm with cats: Behavior around moving (not just caged) cats.

Sue Sternberg's "Successful Dog Adoption' is an excellent in depth guide for adopters.

Please feel free to discuss/add. Based on my experience as an behavioral evaluator, foster, and adopter of GSDs and mixed breeds.

Glad to provide my credentials/references if needed.

Sarah

I wish to add that this list is not intended to be 'all or nothing'. Rather, to help an adopter sound out the realm of the unknown, and to ask her/himself whether they have the support and resources if problems arise.
Many a great dog has been adopted without knowing any of these things before. But also adoptions fail when adopters are in for more surprises than they want to handle, or that their situation allows them to handle.
Also, an adoption fee of 200 to 400 $ for a dog from a foster based rescue organization, as opposed to adopting a dog directly from the pound or from CL ('free to a good home'), should be justified by services the organization provided to the dog.
But if you fall in love with a dog, and you are sure you can and have the resources to handle surprises, who would want to be in the way?!