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Where does your love for dogs/GSDs come from?

24K views 128 replies 114 participants last post by  ADogCalledQuest 
#1 ·
Where does your love for dogs/GSDs come from? Does it stem from growing up with dogs? Your family/parents always owning a beloved pet? Or do you just love them because you feel it was somehow programmed into you?

What about your love for the sport you compete in? Is it a family tradition? Or something you've independently learned to enjoy?
 
#111 ·
For a few years my parents were "backyard breeders" of cocker spaniels in my small town because everyone wanted a puppy out of our female, Mitzi.

Then, when I was nineteen, some friends got me a puppy . . .just a random puppy someone was giving away. He was a mutt with probably a lot of short-coated collie in him, and very protective and smart. My Noah. I can't tell you how much that dog meant to me. I was a dumb kid still and he was better to me than I was to him, no doubt, as I knew nothing about quality food or anything. I also didn't understand how much he loved me. He lived his last few years with my parents because I was in grad school, and my Mom adored him and he helped her through some tough and lonely times, but she wasn't me, and I didn't realize Noah actually missed me until I came home when he was old and mostly deaf and had failing eyesight. I went right out to see him and he . . .it is hard to explain . . .he yodeled for joy and cried and threw himself on me. And I knew, he had missed me all that time and didn't understand where I went. It was awful, and humbling, and just writing this makes me cry because, you know, I didn't mean to make him so sad and he was my boy, my Noah, and he saved me in so many ways. I loved him. I didn't understand that, for some dogs, there is no substitute ever for their one person, not even if they really like other family members.

So, though I adore dogs like crazy, I didn't get another one until I was forty-ish and owned a home with a yard and was as sure as I could be that I could keep a dog for his or her whole life and be as good to my dog as my dog is to me, you know? And since then we have had two sweet mutts who lived to 12 and 13 respectively, one dog we had to rehome because he was a bad fit, and now three young dogs, one a GSD and one a half-GSD/Belgian. :) I am home with them all the time. I think they are all happy boys. And if everything ever goes South and we lose everything? I will give up everything to keep them with me because I understand now: It isn't the fenced yard, the fancy food, or anything else, although it is great to give one's dogs those things. But, in the end, it is us that matters to them. My dogs would not willingly walk away from me for any reason. I owe them the same.
 
#112 ·
I worked as a k9 officer for a private security company and was issued a GSD. Three of them really. The first had confidence issues, the second couldn't ride in a car without getting sick (bad for a patrol company) and the third was amazing. Never had a more enjoyable job.
 
#113 ·
My father purchased 4 trained German Shepherds for the property in 1989 when he went to China for work. I was 6 at the time and my mom didn't want guns in the house so we got dogs. They were a ton of fun, kept the solicitors away from the house and occasionally walked me to school.
When I was 9, 3 young gentleman hopped our back fence and made it about 6 feet from their entry point. Our alpha "Bruno" paw slapped my mom awake(which he knew she hated) before they were even over the wall. One young man lost 2 fingers when he tried to pry his wrist out of Brunos mouth. Needless to say they got steaks for almost a month before the vet told us to cut it out because they were getting fat. Bruno was nicknamed "the barrister" because if I was getting yelled out for doing something stupid, which was often he would vocalize and argue with my mom until she had enough and sent him away. Almost everyone we knew had Shepherds or at least a shepherd with their other dogs.

Besides GSDs I had a Siberian Husky after the 4 Shepherds. After 15.5 years of adventures with the old girl I had to put her out in March of this year. When it was time to consider another dog the GSD was at the top of my list. On June 18th I got Yogi a GSD/Lab mix when I was back home in So Cal for a visit. It wasn't planned or anything it just kind of happened.
 
#115 ·
I have always had dogs in my life as far back as I can remember. Starting with dachshunds. My parents never wanted large dog breeds, so we always had little dogs. Because of that, when I was old enough to have a dog of my own, on my own, it was a big breed. I had always wanted a GSD but never had one until 4 years ago. I love both of my babies. One is a rescue and the other is a purebred, and they are both the best dogs ever!
 
#117 ·
As I was growing up as a young adult, I had a great deal of respect for our DARE officer(drug resistance education) assigned to my school, Gary. His K9 was a beautiful GSD named Barry. I grew up with Gary and Barry from about 6th grade all the way through highschool. Those two were at every school assembly, every football game, and you could even catch them at the local coffee shop together welcoming visitors to sit and talk. I went to Barry's Funeral service with the police department when he passed. I have ALWAYS had a great respect and love for so many aspects of the breed, and I know it started there! <3
 
#118 ·
Littlest Hobo, don't laugh. Beautiful dog.
My mom wanted a gsd just like that, and went out and got one (some Hoofprints bloodlines).
She was gorgeous, and just full of VERY Rough fun. Nice dog, but wrestled like she meant it with all the sound and fury of a real fight. Landed butterfly bites on bare arms, shredded leather sleeves and tugs. She became my very first dog when I inherited her.
I love gsd's because they are such natural looking and acting dogs.
I also love the way they can give you sass back. Strong, tough, smart.
 
#119 ·
I have had dogs my whole life. While living in Thailand I had a Akita and a Beagle. I went to a movie with my wife and drank a bit. After the movie we visited a pet store and there was a GSD in one of the cages. After playing with him I just threw down the money and took him home. I think their temperament, athleticism, and appearance did it for me. Years later I have 4 dogs and one of them is a giant GSD. He's always up for adventures and I'll always have a GSD.
 
#121 ·
I took it from my uncle,when i was a kid i used to visit my grandparents a lot ,my uncle had his house near them and he loves GSDs
First GSD of his was Sindy,died of old age, i don't remember much about her,just that you could not ride your bike around her,when the wheels were spinning she just had to chew them.
After Sindy died,i remember him getting Max ,i was there when he bought him,and took him to the vet,he died of old age as well.
Now i got Odin,my first GSD ,but surely not the last
 
#122 ·
I've been blessed to have a few really good dogs in my life, starting as a kid and up through now. As I started getting into IPO and now man-trailing I've been listening to more and more dog training podcasts. It is amazing how much you can learn about just life in general while listening to these trainers work through the best ways to communicate with our dogs.
 
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#124 ·
I grew up with dogs so did my siblings though are not dog crazy so I believe it’s in the blood. Ginger was my first dog in kindergarten I was I remember teaching her tricks. Lol! She was an older dog and I remember using many treats. She humores me as much as could. She was not spayed and at the time everyone let their dogs run loose it was crazy. I would try to get my parents to keep some of the male dogs with fail-that would visit the house some would actually try to break into the house. My parents were not active with any of the dogs that we had. I remember it was me who did things with the dog at a very early age and only having access to learn things through books at the time. They often accompanied me on many ventures.
 
#125 ·
I was promised a puppy when I was 10 but I had to research, select and find my own. There was a litter of German Shepherds for $15 each (this was in the 70's) and I got my first GSD pup "Heidi". She was my constant companion and guardian angel through my childhood. I had a rough rough childhood and she was there - super intuitive, leaned into me on bad days etc. Unfortunately, her hips were so bad that I had to have her put down when she was 8 and I was 18.

I just did not have the heart to get another GSD until this past year. I've had rough collies, danes, mastiffs and a sheltie. 8 years ago, my wife left me with 6 kids and during that hellish process, I promised myself that I would get myself the "dream dog" when I got through the worst of it. Last Spring I got "Winston", a then 4.5 month old GSD. He was exactly what I wanted: European bred, large, plush coat, black and red. He is the most challenging dog I've ever had but I am extremely attached and love him dearly. I think he has spent FAR too much time with me as he is basically obsessed and follows me around the house constantly. Ha.
 
#128 ·
I've loved dogs from growing up with them--family, friends, community. Many dogs ran freely around our neighborhood (in the days before leash laws there) so I had a chance to meet many different breeds.

My heart dog was a 10 month old deaf Aussie I spotted at the Humane Society on a field trip with students. We bonded instantly. He was by far the smartest dog I've ever owned. He learned things I never actually tried to teach him. I taught him "stay" in the house, for example. Then one day he was about to run in front of a car that I hadn't heard, for some reason, so in a panic I threw up the stay signal and he fell to the ground in a solid stay--saved his life, I am sure.

I've had 2 purebred Aussies and my current is 1/4 Aussie, 3/4 BC. Fun and smart but I didn't work with him like I did the first two--I let my kids walk him, for example, so he's awful on a leash. But I will start working with him now that I'm relearning things as I work with my foster GSD (who may become mine; we just have to wait and see).

Humans and dogs are a natural fit, and I tend to believe that dogs "domesticated themselves," vs. humans taking in wolf pups from the wild.
 
#129 ·
I've loved dogs, and specific breeds (sighthounds, GSDs, and a few others) since early childhood. I don't remember not wanting a show GSD. I drew famous show GSDs on my homework as a kid. When I got my first GSDs, they were rescues. However, they cemented my love for the breed in general. Showing my sighthounds in the 90s I got to see show dogs like Dallas and Leroy Brown. I knew I had to had to have one!
 
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