In the early 60's there was a movie about a boy and his german
shepherd dog. The family is involved in a car crash and the dog pulls
the boy out of the burning car before it burns up with his parents
inside. The ambulance comes and takes the boy away without realizing
the dog belongs to the family. The story is about how the dog searches
for the boy and follows ambulances around trying to find him.

Hello.

The movie was "My Dog Buddy" (1960).

See this description from a fan review on the Internet Movie Database:

"A young boy who is closely attached to his German shepherd is
involved in an auto accident during a family outing that kills his
parents. His dog survives the accident and pulls his young master from
the flaming wreckage, saving his life. The ambulance takes the boy but
leaves the dog behind. The dog valiantly tries to follow the ambulance
but is unsuccessful. For the remainder of the movie, the dog lives
with various families, always continuing his search for his friend."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169062/

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search strategy:
google groups: 
"german shepherd" group:rec.arts.movies.past-films
google:
"German Shepherd Dog Stars"
imdb.com:
"my dog buddy"

Thanks!

I've been searching for the answer to my questions for years. Thank You.