eric

Goblin, No, my wife and I don't have any children by choice. Perhaps I would feel differently if we did. And I concur with your final post, it is futile to try and convince the other of the validity of our positions. It simply comes down to different choices. But to answer your question, my obligations and responsibility are to my family as well. The difference is that I include my dogs in my definition of family. I do not have "lesser" family members. I was intrigued by what you said regarding leaving my wife without a husband, and last night my wife and I discussed this topic at length. What my wife basically told me is that she would expect me to do everything that I can to save one of the boys (as she would), and to not do so would be to betray who I am. My wife would still have a husband, but that husband would not be the same man she fell in love with. And I do not want to be that person. I would be haunted by the thought that I hadn't done all that was possible. Understand that I am not talking about a Hollywood "Sophie's Choice" style dilemma, with a Nazi officer asking me to chose between my wife or my dogs. I am talking about something that could realistically happen, such as a fire, falling through ice, being attacked by another animal, etc... If one of my dogs were in trouble, and there was even a slim chance that I could save them, I would do so. What kind of man would I be if I did not do everything possible to save those that I love most? I would be a selfish coward. I do, however, completely understand your position and the decision you have made, and I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. It is a very personal matter that we all have to decide for ourselves. I am curious however, if you have followed your decision to its logical end. In the future you will perhaps be blessed with another child. God-forbid, if one of your children were in mortal danger, do you let him/her perish? This is the most logical decision, since to die saving one child would not only leave your wife a widow but a single mother as well, and leave your remaining child fatherless. The rational decision is to let the one perish, because as Capt. Kirk was so fond of saying; "The needs of the many outweight the needs of the few." Letting the one die to be around and provide for the remainder of your family is the logical decision. Again, I do not disagree with your decision. It is the right decision for you. I just find this an interesting intellectual argument. The reverse can also be argued. If you are willing to die saving your dog, where do you stop? Do you die to save your hamster, your parakeet, your goldfish. Why would a dog deserve to be saved but not your goldfish? One could argue that because dogs are so superbly adapted to us, that the bond is simply much stronger than to other animals. Dunno. Made me think... [quote name='Goblin']Eric, Do you have kids? understand your love for your dog but lets look at this: "Several years ago (before I had dogs) there was a fellow here who drowned trying to save his dog. At the time I thought: "What an idiot". Now I think "That's me". I would die trying to save my boys, and I know that my wife would as well. " Are you saying that your dog is more important than your wife? beacuse if you did God forbid ever loose your life trying to save your dog the only person that would truley suffer would be your wife who would then be with out a dog and a husband. I have thought about this before also and have come to the conclusion that my love and obligations to my family out weight those for the dog. So in my case the dog drownds but my Son still has a father and my Wife a husband! I two Love my dog....but it is just that... a dog[/quote]

Hi Goblin, I understand where you are coming from, and I doubt I will actually be calling peoples kids "it" anytime soon. I think you are certainly correct that it would be detrimental in my attempts to change peoples' attitudes towards dogs. I would argue, however, that the sentiment you express regarding the difference between children and dogs is perhaps in the eye of the beholder. While I cringe at the phrase "my dogs are like my kids", I can say without reservation that the emotional attachment I have to my dogs is extremely intense. Several years ago (before I had dogs) there was a fellow here who drowned trying to save his dog. At the time I thought: "What an idiot". Now I think "That's me". I would die trying to save my boys, and I know that my wife would as well. I do not say this lightly, but I say it without thought. It is the most powerful statement I can make regarding my love for my dogs. I'm not a nut (I hope) or some recluse living in a shack with 30 dogs who hasn't had human contact in years. But my wife and I do share our home with 3 lovely dogs that bring more joy and happiness into our lives than just about anything else. Perhaps we have a different world view than most when it comes to dogs. For these reasons, when someone calls my boys "it" I tend to bristle because it mitigates and belittles the relationship I have with them, and implies their inferiority. It is the same mentality which says we shouldn't deeply mourn upon their passing, that we should put them down in the face of medical expense, that they are less worthy of love, compassion and mercy. There is an underlying implication that we are superior and in my humble opion, this is a dangerous belief to harbor. Our past is littered with examples of what occurs when we think ourselves superior to others, and you need only to drive to the nearest shelter to see the results of people who think its "just" a dog or "just" a cat. I realize it is easy to romaticize the image of our dogs and some of us, myself included, are perhaps too quick to see our dogs in a golden light. I see purity of spirit, devoid of malice, a profound desire for my company, a loyal companion what would protect me to his death. Others see a dumb dog. However, I think the same fault can be found in those with children. Where a parent sees an innocent child, untainted by adulthood, others see all the faults of an adult on a smaller scale. Quick to lie, shamelessly manipulate, injure over a triviality and steal without remorse. My wife is a grade 1 teacher, so I hear lots of stories. I am always surprised by the difference in how the parents see their children vs. the what an unattached observer sees. Are children different than dogs? Of course. Better? Not for me, but that is my personal opinion and I certainly would not expect someone with kids to share this view. I know this is not what you said, and that I am most likely putting words in your mouth. Its not my intent to offend you, just wanted to elaborate on why I feel the way I do. Cheers, Eric [quote name='Goblin']Eric, a dog is one thing "and I can understand your frustration" but a child is something else, I would advise you don't refer to peoples children as "it" I don't think it will help your cause! Regards,[/quote]

Don't you hate when people refer to your dog(s) as "it"? That really peeves me. Cripes, its not a toaster, its my dog. I've shared my home with this being for the last 4 years and aside from my wife, is the most fulfilling relationship in my life. Accord him the respect he deserves. "How old is it?" "What's its name?" "Its a really nice dog?" I think the next time somebody calls one of my dogs "it" I'm going start asking about their kids and refering to them as "it". See if it raises their hackles. "What grade is it in?" "Is it smart?" "Is it a mix or pure-bred caucasian?" The other thing that bugs me is people who keep refering to one of my boys as "she" even after I correct them. "What her name?" "HIS name is Sam" "How old is she?" "HE's turning four in January" "She's a lovely dog". "I'm going to let HIM off his leash so HE can bite you in the arse" Dunno, just gets on my nerves. [/b]

Most people who take the time to go to off-leash parks are conscientious owners, but you do get the odd one with the overly aggressive dog that stands there and does nothing, and it can be very frustrating. Try getting a group of people together to approach the offending person. This has worked for me. When Sam was about 6 months old (before we got Travis or Zeke) we took him to the the dog park all the time. Now Sam was all about the fun, and couldn't care less about who was boss. Occasionally, there was a gentleman there with a very aggressive Belgian Shepherd called Max. One day, Max decided to have a go at Sam and the next thing I knew Sam is basically on his back screaming. I run over and pull his dog off, while he stands there watching. A few minutes later the same thing happened. The third time I had had enough. I went over to a couple of other owners who's dogs were being terrorized by this brute and talked to them. Then several of us went over together and asked him to leash his dog or leave, and that in the future he might consider muzzling his dog before coming. He started making a fuss saying its how dogs plays, but several rebutted that his dog was the only dog here causing trouble. Faced by a group, he leashed his dog and left. I saw a few times after that, and he seemed more active in restraining his dog. Then we got Travis, all these issues went away because Sam and him literally "tag-team" other dogs. If one sees the other being harassed, they will come running over and back their bro. And Travis, a 115 lbs GSD, is usally the biggest dog at the park unless someone brought a Dane or a Wolfhound. One day, we happened to be there when this fellow and his Belgian were there and sure enough, before long, he started picking on Sam again. Sam was about his size (90 lbs or so) so he didn't roll onto his back, but he's not into intense confrontation so he was trying to get away. Anyhow, Sam is running trying to get away and this Belgian was running next to him, biting his neck and side. Travis saw this, and came running from across the field. The Belgian was concentrating on Sam and all of a sudden "Wham!", Travis slams in to him with his chest from the front. Well, the rules of momentum apply to dogs as well and Mr. Tough Guy Belgian did a spectacular wipe-out, there was dust and dirt everywhere, and Travis and Sam decended on him with a vengence. They weren't really hurting him, but they weren't letting him get up which made him start yelping. I waited a second and did my really reliable recall "Boys Come!", and they immediately stopped and left the Belgian to slink away with his tail between his legs. I looked over at the owner of the Belgian and gave him a big smile and a wave. What goes around comes around, buddy. The Belgian never bothered Sam again.

Tough read to get through, very sad...

Going to the shelter last Saturday affected me deeply. I just had to get these feelings out somehow. Never really wrote anything before, but the words flowed easily. When we went to get Travis, I don't remember there being any old dogs. But at this shelter, almost half were at least several years old, with half of those being 10+ judging from the gray muzzles. I just can't get over it. I keep replaying the moment in my head when the lady told me that Amigo had been brought in after 7 years because his owners wanted more time to travel. To so casually betray a companion for such a trivial reason is beyond me. It kills me because [i]I know[/i] my dogs have emotion. They feel happiness, they feel sadness, they anticipate. You have not seen disappointment until you have seen my dogs miss out on a car ride. The basement door and garage door are side by side, and when they see us getting our coats and car keys, they go sit at the garage door, panting and whining. If I open the basement door (their pen is downstairs) the panting stops, the tails grow still, their heads bow. Its so bad my wife refuses to lock them up in their pen. I am perhaps too prone to project on them human emotions, but there is much research and theory indicating that social animals need feelings and emotions in order to function within their society. I'm not saying my dogs have complex thoughts and spend longs hours in self-analysis. I think they have a level of emotional development similar to 2 or 3 year old child. The base emotions, but felt strongly. It is easy to overlook because most of us are deaf to the language of our dogs. But look closely, watch the eyes, observe the posture. Before you stands intelligence and sensitivity, a distillation of human emotion. So when that old hound looked at me I could not help think what thoughts and feelings were drifting throught his mind. Looking into his eyes, I kept hearing "It wasn't supposed to end like this." I think that's why all I could say was "I know, I know". I'm not 100% sure, but I think I've decided I want to do more. We're returning to the shelter this Saturday with food, and we're going to look into volunteering. Try to bring some light into the darkness of those final moments, and reverse a lifetime at the hands of "humanity". Thank you for indulging me.

To find myself here, after so many years, it wasn

No, we didn't take any home. We were thinking about Amigo but Amigo doesn't get along with other dogs. He was fine with us but got quite aggressive when we brought Sam and Travis up to see how they would all get along. He's going to make a great dog for someone who doesn't have other dogs. That Rottie-mix puppy was really tugging on my heartstrings, but she's not up for adoption yet as they hold the dogs for 1 week to give their owners a chance to locate them. Plus, she's a female and I have two boys so I'm a little nervous as to how things would work out. She had such a beautiful personality though. To be honest, I'm not 100% sure I'm strong enough to do the rescue dog thing but I just couldn't leave that Shepherd to die at that place. Emotionally, I want to take them all home. Intellectually however, I want to take my time and carefully pick a dog who will integrate well into our family. I might still do the occasional old-age rescue, but I think the only way I will have the emotional reserve to do this is to have a "bank" of healthy, younger dogs. [quote name='gigishiba']OK Eric, YOU ARE NOT NICE TO MAKE ME SIT HERE AND CRY!!!!!! :cry: (Kiddin about the not nice part, but I am crying...) Anyway, thank you for sharing that story. I, personally, can not visit a shelter anymore due to my reactions. I bawl and bawl because I can NOT take them home due to my other dogs' nature. Once my babies leave me, we WILL get a shelter dog (or two...or three...) So...I take it you didn't come home with one?[/quote]

I went to a shelter on Saturday. I forgot how hard it is to go. My wife and I read an ad on Friday in the area paper from a nearby shelter about an old German Shepherd in need of a home to spend his remaining days. He was described as very friendly, but in pain because of his arthritis, and in need of a quiet spot in front of a nice fire. My wife and I already have a soft spot for shepherds, given how good of a dog Travis is, so we decided to go have a look and see if we could give the old fellow a loving home so he doesn't pass away in a shelter. So we loaded Sam and Travis into the car and drove 1/2 hour to this shelter. We brought our dogs along to make sure they got along ok with this old-timer. We find the place ok (never been there before) and pull into the parking lot. Just so you understand, this is a small country animal shelter that survives solely on donations. They do not get any government help. The building itself looks like a very large, one story shack. Around the perimeter of the property are a mix of concrete dog runs, with chain-link doors and sides, and dog houses. Apparently all the dogs are kept outside during the day and brought in during the night. Sam immediately started crying, because he wanted to go play with the other dogs. We went in and inquired about the Shepherd, and thankfully he had already been adopted by a loving family, but the lady asked us to please have a look around, so we went back outside and had a look at the other dogs. It was heartbreaking. I went up to the first cage and it was this old fellow, some sort of hound mix, with only one eye. He didn't bark or anything but he came right up to the chainlink and licked my hand. Next to him, chained to one of the doghouses, was another old-timer, hound mix of some sort. I knelt down and he came over and pressed in against my thigh. He kept making these groaning noises as I pet him, as if he had been longing for a friendly touch. He looked into my eyes and I could see the questions in his mind. Why? Why am I here? All I could say was "I know, I know". I started to cry Further down was puppy, some sort of rottweiler mix, maybe about 5 or 6 months old. She was so deperately hungry for contact, so eager to be loved, it was painful to watch. As we walked up she thrust her paw out through one of the openings and started barking, crying and shaking. I knelt down she immediately pushed her head and a paw through the narrow opening between the door and the concrete wall. I put my hand up and she put her paw on my hand and flexed her claws, trying to pull me closer. I knelt down and started talking to her. I swear she almost pushed herself through that gap, she was so sick for love. I think puppies have this need to release all this love that builds up inside them if they are alone. Its like it builds and builds until they feel they are going to pop if they can't shower that love on someone. Next to her was a beautiful shepherd/husky mix named Amigo. After looking at the other dogs, we went inside and talked to the staff. I found out that Amigo was brought to the shelter after 7 years of being a loyal dog because his owners "wanted more time to travel". I almost asked the lady if they had left a phone number so I could call them up and ask the "WHAT THE F$%K IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?. How do you sleep at night?". The worst part is you know its the truth because its such a shallow, BS reason. Anybody with any type of conscience would of at least made up a better reason so they wouldn't be so ashamed. But obviously, to these people, dumping their dog off because it didn't suit their lifestyle anymore is akin to replacing the fridge because you don't like the color anymore. Its a thing. Its a pet. Its just a dog. I don' t know. After leaving that place the world seems a little bleaker, a little darker, a little less friendly.

Now that's funny. Sitting down to have dinner, doorbell rings. You get up, to answer the door. Oh, its the dog. "Honey, its for you" My Shepherd used to do something similar, but in reverse. We had hung some wind chimes off the handle to the patio door so that they could signal us when they wanted to go out. Travis figured it out right away and would nudge the chimes when he had to go out. He started abusing it though, nudging it whenever he wanted to go out, not when he needed to go out. [quote name='Mei-Mei']I have a friend whose German Shepherd used to ring the doorbell to come in the house. No one ever taught her this behavior; she just picked it up on her own. Can you imagine the first time he went to the door and it was the dog? :lol:[/quote]

I think I might be piecing things together here. Travis was a big wuss as a pup, and it took alot of work and 6 months to get his confidence level up. The first time we took him to the dog park, he didn't leave our side. He just sat there between my legs and watched his brother Sam play with the other dogs. When he finally started venturing off, he would come running back whenever another dog got too close. Now that he's three, its night and day. His confidence has gone way up, and he's very protective, especially of my wife. I could see how a breeder would of thought he didn't have the "right" temperment but the joke's on them; he's a wonderful dog. It sickens me that they would drop him off as a stray at some shelter because he didn't meet their stupid standard.

I mean freak you out in a good way, because you suddenly realize just how intelligent they are, that they have an excellent memory, are capable of abstract thinking and decision making. The one thing that Sam does that blows my mind is this: We have a toy box in the living room where we keep all the dog toys. Typically, it will be evening and we'll just be sitting on the sofa watching TV with the boys at our feet. Suddenly, Sam will get up and head over to to the toy box. He then proceeds to pick toys up out of the box, one at a time, and put them down on the floor, until he finds the toy he wants. If he doesn't find the toy he has in mind in the box, he'll start looking around the house for the toy. And its not the same toy everytime (i.e.: he's looking for a favorite toy). He'll then either take it over to me or Travis to play. I had watched him do this a number of times without fully realizing what was going on. Then one night I watched him do this and it occured the intelligence involved in this process. As far as I can tell, he's lying there kinda bored and he decides that he wants to play, and he knows that if he gets a toy out I or Travis will play with him. So he gets up and decides which toy he wants to get, say his tennis ball. He gets up and goes to where he knows we keep the toys, and starts looking for his tennis ball. If he can't find it in the top layer, he then starts removing toys to look deeper. He finds his tennis ball This is extremely complicated thinking. First of all, it means he's thinking abstractly. He knows the tennis ball exists even though he can't see it. Secondly, it means he has memory. He remembers that he has a tennis ball toy, and he knows where its usually kept. Finally, it means he's actively making decisions and not just reacting instinctively to external stimulus. There is a conscious decision making process going on. If her were just picking the first toy out of the box, I wouldn't think as much of it, but he's actively going through the box looking for a particular toy.

That interesting. I've never heard of Shilohs. They're beautiful. I find that Travis really doesn't look like other shepherds. I mean, he looks like a GSD, but when I see him next to other GSDs he looks quite different. We often go to a local off-lead dog park and when Travis starts to play with other shepherds, he sticks out like a sore thumb. I just find it weird that somebody would take the trouble of obtaining European bloodline GSDs and then turning them in at an animal shelter. [quote name='Carolk9s']Travis could be from European working lines or even Shiloh lines. Euro working lines do not have the extreme slope of the American show GSD. They tend to be bulkier and 'generally' have a more stable temperament. Shilohs also do not have the slope in the rear, here is a link to one Shiloh page, [url]http://www.shilohshepherds.org/[/url] Smooth coated Shilohs look very much like GSD's, they also come in a plush or long coat. The (sadly) still missing Rumble is a Shiloh.[/quote]

My solution for my boys was to set up an outdoor enclosure in my basement. Its one of these chain link fence deals that comes in pieces that you assemble yourself. Its quite large (11 ft x 11 ft or so), keeps them out of trouble and they're warm. As far as accidents, my dogs aren't alone for quite that long, but they regularly hold it for 7 to 8 hrs.

From what I've read, there are a variety of GSDs, from Snow (white) Shepherds to King Shepherds. I'm not sure how many of these deviations from the standard are actually recognized by Kennel Clubs. According to a few sites, King Shepherds are a mix of GSD and some other large breed dog, and males are to weigh no less than 100 lbs and up to 150 lbs. I'm not sure if Travis falls into the King Shepherd category, his weight is between 110 to 115 lbs, and his coat is short hair. I did some more research on the web rgd GSD's and I think I have a better understanding of Travis' lineage, although I'm not expert on the breed. While the GSD breed originated in Europe, they have been bred extensively in North America for quite some time. Apparently, the ACK and CKC standard has drifted over time away from the European standard, mainly due to the fact that the AKC and CKC dogs were bred to win shows, while the European dogs are bred more as working dogs with a more cold tolerance. European lineage dogs tend to be bulkier and heavier, while Americal lineage dogs are more slender and a bit taller. American lineage dogs also tend to have a pronounced slope to their hindquarters, critical for the all-important classic german shepherd pose. This apparently makes them more prone to hip problems. If I were to guess, assuming Travis is pure, I'd say he's likely from a European background. Compared to other Shepherds I have seen, he is quite a bit heavier and he doesn't have any slope to his back. BTW, supposedly the European kennel clubs don't recognize alot of these Shepherd variations while the CKC/AKC do.

I saw one trick for dealing with dogs that constantly jump up on some problem pet type show on Animal Planet. What you do is this: When the dog jumps up on you, grab her front paws and don't let go. At the same time, don't look at the dog or pay her any attention. Look off to the side, talk to someone else, whatever, but completely ignore the dog. After being held for a several seconds, the dog will become uncomfortable and will start to squirm to be released. Don't let go and continue to restrain the dog for a short period of time (I'd say probably no longer than a minute). Release the dog and repeat whenever she jumps up. This is supposed to work on two levels. 1) The dog is not getting the attention she is seeking 2) Most dogs do not like to be restrained in this position. Soon, she will hopefully learn that: "Man, everytime I jump up this person does something I really don't like, so I'm not going to jump up anymore." A temporary solution for when guests come over is to have her leash on before guests come in. Simply lay her leash on the floor and place your foot on it where it naturally contacts the floor. When your guests come in and she tries to jump, she is basically anchored to the floor and will be unable to jump. Barking is a more difficult behaviour to correct, especially with certain breeds. The one thing I have read which appears to work is, ironically enough, to teach them to bark at a given command. Teach her to "speak" and give her lots of praise for speaking, then introduce a "quiet" command and give her lots of praise for that too. With some practice, you should be able to gain control of her barking. I am not too familiar with the breeds you list, although many guard dogs are naturally barky, especially if there is alot of stimulation. The doberman may have some influence on that. I have a German Shepherd who is very prone to barking. If he hears something or sees something out of the ordinary, he starts barking. My lab/shepherd mix is usually quiet as a mouse, and will only bark if somebody is actually coming up to the house. It's funny, if Travis starts barking we usually wait to see if Sam will start barking. If Sam doesn't bark then Travis is just barking at nothing. I just mention these points because the breed (or mix of breeds) of your dog may mean that she is naturally more vocal.

I feel sick...

Thank you all and thank you for making me feel more welcome. I know I'm going to fit in just fine :D

This post reminds me of when my Sam took a little walk on his own. We were moving that day so I had stayed home to continue packing. Sam and Travis kept getting in the way, and after almost tripping over Travis while carrying a box of books, I decided to put them out in the back yard. So out they went while I continued packing. After about half an hour, I decided to check on them. Travis was standing at the patio door, looking into the house, but I couldn't see Sam. This was a bit odd since our backyard was tiny, with only about 5 ft of land on either side of the house. This was in a dense sub-division. I went to the door and called for Sam. Nothing. I thought to myself: "He must be along the side of the house" so I went out and peered around the corner....and saw that the gate was open! My heart stopped. I ran in my bare feet up the side of the house to the front yelling for him as loudly as I could. Nothing. I panicked. For the first time in my life I started hyper-ventilating. I ran back inside, brought Travis in and grabbed the keys to the car. I remember talking to myself, saying" Please God no, please God no". Jumped into the car, and went down the block. I stopped at the first neighbour I saw outside, a gentleman raking his lawn. I asked him if he had seen a large black dog and he told me he saw a dog playing in the local park which was just around the corner about 20 minutes ago. I thanked him and drove over to the park. There were some kids playing but I couldn't see Sam. I got out of the car and started asking: "Did you guys see a..." I didn't even finish me sentence when Sam came tearing over the hill towards me. I dropped to my knees and he ran into my arms. I was shaking and crying and here he was panting with a big smile on his face because he had just been playing with these kids for the last 1/2 hour or so. I thanked the kids and brought him home in the car. They stayed inside the rest of the day. I'm not sure what I would have done had I not found him. I probably would of kept driving around, then started going door to door. I mean, we were moving that day. This was our last day at this house. It all worked out in the end through...

First of all, I'm so glad I found this site. I feel like that kid in video where she's running around in a bumblebee suit. She runs around some city and keeps getting laughed at and rejected and then she runs into this room where all these people are wearing the same bumblebee suit. They all dance and laugh together and she is so happy she has found a place where people act and think like her. I feel like that. I feel I can say:"My dogs sleep on the bed with us. In fact, the reason we got a kingsize bed was because of the dogs" and not feel like I will be ridiculed. Anyhow, my wife and I currently have two dogs, Sam and Travis. Sam is a black lab/shepherd mix and Travis is a german shepherd (not sure how purebred as he's from the humane society) and we love them madly. We do not have any children by choice. I really, truly apologize for how long I know this is going to be but I really want to get this stuff of my chest. My wife has had dogs in the past, but not I, so this was a bit of a new experience for me. I had always wanted dogs, but my parents would not allow it. We got my first dog, Sam, on Mar 28, 1999. I am slightly embarrassed to say that we bought him from a pet store. I simply did not know better at the time. In my defence, this is not a mall store but a small family pet store run from a strip mall. I asked the gentleman at the time where they got their puppies (because I didn't want to deal with anybody who was getting dogs from a puppy mill) and he told me they bought them from local folks and sold them for a slight mark-up. It sounded reasonable. When we walked into the store, my wife did not know that I had more or less decided that I wanted a dog. We walked into the store and walked to the puppy area. This was fairly typical to us as we both love animals. There was a litter of 2 brothers a 2 sisters, lab/shepherd mixes. They were all sleeping except for one, who lifted his head and looked me right in the eyes and kept my stare. I knew right away that was the puppy I would be taking home. That was Sam. We had him brought out and played with him a little bit, at which point I told my wife that I would like to get a dog, and she started to cry. We put Sam on hold and went over to the coffee shop and spent the next 2 hours talking about what was involved with owning a dog and how this was lifetime committment. I remember that we even called my inlaws and talked about all our concerns and how we were having a hard time with this decision. I kept stressing that this isn't like buying a TV, this is a sentient being that will live with us for the next 10 or (God-willing) 15 years. This is a life altering decision. In the end, we decided on getting Sam and went back to get him. To the credit of this pet store, they had had all the puppies examined by a vet. Unfortunately, Sam had a heart murmur (he was only two months old) and they guaranteed us a full refund if our vet said there were any major medical problems. I turned to my wife and said "We have to decide now because if we bring this dog home, we are not returning him as if he were a defective toaster." We decided to take him. He cried all the way home in the car, but once we got back home (or apartment, at the time) he was very happy to be with us, and he turned into the most wonderful dog. My friend, my buddy, my Sam. Thankfully, his heart murmur was a puppy related condition which soon passed. When we moved into our first house, I had decided that Sam was not allowed upstairs (it was a 2 story) because the upstairs was all carpeted and I wanted to keep the house in good order. To his credit, Sam learned to stay downstairs, although I did catch him upstairs a couple of times licking my wife's face. All I had to say was "What are you doing up here?!?" and he would race back downstairs. Then one night my wife and I saw a show on TLC about dogs in Vietnam while we were in bed. It was just story after story about dogs sacrificing their lives to save their handlers and about handlers having to leave dogs in Vietnam to meet certain death. I think we were both crying 5 minutes into the show throught to the end. At the end of the show, I called out "Sam" and he immediately came running up the stair and got into bed between us. He has slept with us ever since. After approximately a year of having Sam, my wife and I started thinking about getting another dog. We were a little more 'sensitive' at this point, and decided to get our next dog from the Animal Shelter. My wife and I went to the one nearest our home, and we walked around looking at all the dogs. Friends, it was one of the most depressing experiences of my life. We had to step into this anti-tick bath before we walked in, and the smell was awful. And the sound, cage upon cage of lonely canine barking and howling in dispair. As we made the rounds, many stuck their paws through the bars at us, as if desperately trying make a connection. "Please take me, I hate it here". I make the following comment with great hesitation because I, in no way, what to minimize or demean what occured in WW2 and what people went throught, but that day, the animal shelter reminded me of a concetration camp. I was horrified. This place could not be real. This was canine hell. Amidst all the barking and howling was this quiet little German Shepherd puppy, covered in his own excrement, all by himself in a cage. We learned that his mother and his siblings had been brought in together as strays, and that they had all been adopted except him. He was so sad and miserable, all alone in his cage. This was Travis We talked about it briefly and decided that we should bring Sam over to meet Travis. My wife left in our car to get Sam while I stayed at the shelter to reserve Travis. While she was gone, I was sitting on a bench and suddenly found myself overwhelmed by all the barking, howling and the emotions of the day. I got up and went over to a bulletin board with a number of annoucements. I stood there pretending to read, tears streaming down my face. I could not contemplate that so many people would give dogs up. How is it that I would lay my life down for my one dog but others would so casually give them up, like old clothing. It was beyond me. I felt sick. My wife finally returned with Sam and Travis and him were brought out to a common play area and hit it off right away. We immediately decide to adopt Travis. We brought him home, bathed him, and Sam and him immediately became inseperable. To this day, when we ask one of them "Where's your bro?" he immediately starts searching for the other. They are, we are, family. Thank you for reading thus far. It feels good to express these feelings. I'd love to share some more thoughts/feelings in the future.

Let me first of all express my sympathy. I personally have been blessed to not have to decide (yet) on putting one of my dogs down, and it is certainly a decision I do not envy. My intellectual reaction is to say that if the dog simply is not enjoying life anymore and is living in constant pain, the right thing to do is to put him to sleep. He has no doubt had many good years with you guys, but when life becomes a burden instead of a joy, it is perhaps time to say goodbye. Emotionally, I really don't think I could put one of my boys down. My eyes water at the very thought, so its very hard for me to tell someone else to put their beloved family member to sleep. There comes a point, however, when you want to make the pain stop because you love this dog so much. I would venture to say that, at 15 years of age, Rinny will not be making any miraculous recoveries and go on to live to the ripe old age of 80. And so I think the best decision is to end his pain. I wish to express to you my sincerest condolences and I think regardless of the decision, you should strive to not let family discord taint the memory of Rinny.

Thank you so much. Excellent resource.

Hi all, I'm a new member here and have a question. I have two dogs, one of which we believe to be a pure, or mostly pure German Shepherd. We adopted him from the Humane Society, so we're not sure of his exact breeding. From other Shepherds I have seen, Travis appears to be quite a bit bigger than normal for the breed. The last time we had him weighed, he was at 110 lbs. He's not much taller than other Shepherds, but is much more muscular. He also does not have the 'slope' on his rear end that I have seen on many shepherds. I mention these points just in case this gives this gives any clues regarding his possible lineage to anyone knowledgeable about the breed. I would appreciate if anyone knowledgeable about Shepherds would let me know if there are any specific health issues I should be looking out for? I know that some Shepherds suffer from hip problems but thankfully Travis does not show any signs of hip dysplasia, perhaps because his rear-end isn't sloped. Travis has been completely healthy to date, although he did have a small benign tumor at the base of his tail which we had surgically removed earlier this year. Not sure if this is normal for the breed, but there have not been any further lumps and I check him monthly.