How did you get hooked on dogs, working, show, agility or whatever your addiction is........ - Page 2

At two years old our neighbors were starving their horses to death.  I would go to our fence and spend hours ripping out our grass and hand feeding it to them. My mother said I was inconsolable when they finally died, i couldn't grasp why when I had fed them every day they died from lack of food.   Animals are in my blood, generations of farmers have given me a lifelong passion for animals of all kinds.

That is really awful Bryn.

I was born to dog lovers and raised with little dogs. As a baby my parents had a rat terrier and a tiny peke. When those dogs passed away they got another peke, a westie and the peke had a litter with the neighbor's Maltese. We got one of the pups. Who was mean as hell! and bit everyone but my mom. When the mean little biter died we were dogless for about 2 years.
Then my little sister got a job with our vet office. And she brought home 2 newborn boxer puppies. With split pallets. They were our first real dogs! And because of Shiner and Cricket we got into dog training. Because those pups were out of control. That was 20+ years ago. After the boxers i wanted another dog like the boxer but with less health problems. I found the American Bulldogs and have ben active in the breed for 16 years now.
I love the size, attiude and looks of the AB and i figure when i get too old to handle them i'll back down to the Staffy Bull terrier.
Fry

Like others, I don't recall not ever having a dog of some sort.  Mostly Aussies growing up and rescue mixes up until about 6 years ago.

Angel was my 1st GSD/Lab mix.  She was everything and then some.  She had been in and out of shelters most of the 1st 9 months of her life.  No manners; did not trust people (who can blame her), and no training.  When I saw her, she looked at me with the eyes that said "please, even death is better than this life."   No questions asked, I took her right then.  Within a week, she was crate and house trained and full of life; 3 months and $600 later, she was obedience trained.  She went every where with me and slept with my son.  She held our fears and tears through some of the worst times.  She tolerated the new puppy in the house that just would not leave her alone.  She taught me that a soft voice goes further than a loud one; that just have patience and we will get there.  She showed how a sprinkler is the most wonderful toy invented. 

As she was riddled with allergies, I too learned the long term effects of prednisone.  We had to PTS her about 5 years ago after her kidneys fully failed from all the prednisone.  (RIP our sweet Angel.  You were our gift during the worst of times and our lessons about resilience and life.  I know you were the 1st to greet Pumpkin Pie and you will be the 1st to greet me when I come to my final home. Thank you and I try to live up to your idea of me every day.)


 

My mom did not let me have a dog growing up so when I was old enough to get a dog on my own;  well that is when it all happened.  From my first male Samoyed in 1973 to a best in show daughter I purchased in 1974 and started showing her in AKC conformation shows and finishing her championship and on to the next girl which I bought.  Then on and on and on it goes.  The bug had bit.  Great days everyone,  Nan

I think I was born that way. I always loved all animals and was drawn to the herding breeds for as long as I can remember, especially the GSD. I saved my allowance money for a number of years to buy my first GSD puppy, at age 10 or 11. . Sadly, she was infested with worms and died two days later. The "breeder" gave me a replacement pup of which we immediately took to the vet and that pup died too, of worm infestation. One year later I adopted an adult German bred GSD, a neighbors dog that I walked on a regular basis. The family was moving overseas and couldnt take her.  her name was Schatzie and she was my best fried growing up- awesome dog. The rest is history...

I always had an interest in animals and dogs. After buying my first GSD the breeder and local  OB clubs encouraged me to train and show.   I had trained 3 companion dog degrees and a handler of a terrier at a local OB club told me '' until you teach a dog to retrieve, you are not training''. A less than nice nudge towards more advance AKC titles.  but she was correct about learning more advance training behavior. The more you try the more you learn and it does not have to be just ''fetch''.. When I witnessed Schutzhund I was hooked. My first dog titled was out of american show lines. I had her at a seminar with the late Helmet Konig and Hans Kuhn. I was encouraged by these 2 top Germans and experienced people attending the seminar. I  titled the 4 year old  bitch to SchH2. Thanks for stirring the memmorys!

I am fortunate to have grown up in the country surrounded by a variety of animals-in those days I was consumed with horses and riding, although there was always a stock dog at my side.  It was not till I purchased my current acreage that my passion for German Shepherds has been fulfilled-I've invested in Obedience, Agility & SAR with the (18) GS that I've either raised from pups, rescue adoptees or fostering-5 currently share my heart and home.

My grandparents used to own real mean dogs, " cleaning " their pub at night from drunken guests.
I loved these dogs and they loved me. My grandpa used to train in the DVG in our neighborhood, I often followed him.
When he died, his last male was sold ( my parents thought he was too "dangerous" for me )  and I  ( 15 years old ) was desperate.
Some weeks later they bought a Dalmatian for me, and I made my first personal steps in training with this dog ( obedience, tracking, some real bad bitework...).
In the age of 16 I trialed my first German Shepherd "borrowed" from a clubmember to SchH2.
Out of this male I got my first own German Shepherd puppy as a gift (no pedigrees).
My parents didn´t allow a second dog, so I rented a garden for my female paying by myself, making the money with newspapers in the morning, driving to my dog with a bicycle 3 times the day.
My hardest time was between 16 and 18, until I was able to pay for my first car. Made things much easier.
My Dalmatian became 13 years old....

I loved dogs growing up but we lived in a very rough part of town where dogs lived chained out in the dirt and were often picked on by neighborhood bullies or stolen, so I never had a dog growing up.  I would seek out strays though, bring them home, beg my dad.

I got my first dog right after college and had already done research on the breed, where to get a dog, what sports to do, etc.  I'd even audited obedience class without a dog.  So I got my first dog - a working line GSD - from her breeder when she was 3.  We trained and titled in agility, rally, SDA obedience, and dabbled in other stuff like herding.  She passed the tests for AKC CGC, ATTS TT, the local therapy dog group, TDI, etc.  Since then I have been hooked on GSDs, though what I look for in temperament and type continues to change as I gain more experience with the breed.