Princess

[DharmasMom]

I just posted a story about the GSD I had growing up, Princess, and I am now thinking about her and what an amazing dog she was so I guess I just want to write about her and share some stories about her. She is the reason I have GSDs today and always will. My dad has told me for years that I am looking for another Princess and I am not going to find one, I know that but each one IS special and she will always hold a very special place in my heart.

My parents got her before I was even born. They were a young married couple and someone dumped her at the pound (I will never understand how such an amazing dog ended up there but lucky for us she did). She was a very traditional saddle back black and tan German Shepherd. She LOVED women and kids, especially kids, tolerated men, except my dad. She loved my dad.

My parents had my aunt and uncle over one evening with my cousin, who was about a year old, and they were all sitting out on the patio. My cousin was just really learning to walk and get around kept stepping on my mom's flowers she had planted. My uncle kept telling him to stop but he wouldn't listen. My uncle got up and drew back his arm to swat him on the bottom. He never made that swat. Princess was laying on the patio as well. My mom says they never saw her move, she moved so fast. She was up like a flash and had my uncle's arm in her mouth. She didn't bite him, just grabbed his arm as if to say "I don't think so, you aren't going to hurt that child". My uncle froze (of course) and everyone else just stared wide eyed. My dad immediately called Princess over and she released my uncle and went to my dad. My uncle put my cousin down and was like "Holy cow".

She could open the back door, open the latch on the back gate, and turn the water on outside. My dad used to complain, if she was so smart could she please turn the water off and shut the door behind her. She went out one night in the winter and we woke up in the morning and snow had come in the back door.

She used to love to go for car rides. LOVED them. My dad came home from church one Sunday and had the window on the driver's side open. Princess, my mom and I (I was real small) were sitting on the front porch waiting for him. She got so excited she ran and jumped through the window, over my dad and into the car and refused to get out. He had to drive her around the block before she would get out of the car. Once he did, she happily hopped out and came on in.

One winter, it had snowed and we had built a big snowman in the front yard. We were out of school and my mom was home with us. Some teenagers were going around knocking around snowmen with bats and got to our house. I guess the didn't see Princess lying on the porch. My mom happened to look out the window and saw the car pull up in front of our house and 3 teenage boys get out. Princess never moved until they crossed into our yard then she FLEW off the porch, barking like crazy. My mom said they turned, ran and bats went flying and they went skidding. Princess never left the yard though. Once they were out of the yard, she turned around and went back and laid on the porch.

One summer, my brother and I were playing with some of the neighborhood kids in our front yard. Once again, Princess is just lying on the front porch, keeping watch. The next door neighbor came to get his sons. I remember he was mad about something, he was yelling to high heaven at them. "Get your *** in this house!" As he came stomping across the yard. He was red in the face. I don't remember what they had done but their dad was MAD. Princess sensed. She was up off that porch in FLASH. There was a cement ditch that divided the yards and she would NOT let their dad cross it. As long as he was yelling and screaming, he was NOT coming in our yard. Next thing, the dad was yelling for my mom to come get Princess so he could get his kids. Of course all us kids found the whole thing hilarious, which probably didn't help the situation.

She would let kids pull on her, lay on her, I remember being little and trying to ride her like a horse (of course, I got in trouble for that) but she didn't care. She never had any formal training (that I know of), my parents never did any with her, anyway.

We had to have her PTS when I was 7 or 8. She ended up with heartworms. I cried and cried. My mom did too. She was truly the best and I know she is waiting for all of us at Rainbow Bridge, with all of the other furkids we have loved and lost. RIP beautiful, amazing girl. You are long gone but never, ever forgotten.

[Remo]

Dear Debbi,

What a beautiful tribute to your beloved Princess. Your little stories about her really made me smile.

I think a lot of us had a dog like Princess in our lives when we were kids. It makes you wonder how many of us went out and got a GSD as soon as we could when we became adults.

She sounds like she was an amazing dog. I have no doubt at all that one day you will be reunited with her. Just think how happy she will be to see you again.

[DharmasMom]

Thanks Lea. I guess what I find most amazing is she never had any training. She just did what she did all on her own. She never left the yard except the one time my brother got out, when he was 2. She stayed with him when he walked to a neighbor's yard, herded away from the road and then wouldn't let the neighbor near him. The neighbor had to call my mom (who didn't realize they were out) to come get them.

She walked off leash beautifully. There was a lake not far from our house and near it was a HUGE patch of blackberry bushes. Every summer we would go pick blackberries. Princess would go with us off leash. Always stayed right with us, never roamed. If we went for a walk in the neighborhood she would go, again off leash (come to think about it, I don't know if my parents owned a leash, lol) and would never leave our sides. And this was years before any of us knew anything about recall or training or obedience or anything like that.

[Daisy&Lucky's Mom]

What a beautiful story about a great german shepherd . That's the picture I I have when I think GSD. Thanks Debbie for sharing your memories of Princess.

[shilohsmom]

What a lovely tribute to your dear girl. Its no wonder your hooked on GSDs now.

[ZeusersPuppy]

beautiful story for a loving girl. thank you for sharing and sorry for your loss. I am thankful for the day she was left a the pound. this was a chance for a wonderful angel to enter your life

[KZoppa]

Debbi,

Princess sounds like she was one heck of a dog! Its stories like that.... they just make us all fall more deeply in love with this breed. Thank you so much for sharing Princess with us. For those unsure, its a glimpse into what these wonderful dogs are capable of. Great and powerful love for their people.