Oakley Update...Miracle on Cedar Creek June 1, 2010 - Page 1

Hi all,

I just thought I'd post an update on here...It's been a while.

None of these pics are the past couple of days...Some are late December, others are early January.  The first one here is a pic I took last months, a good profile view of Oakley, but the background was awful, so I cut her out of it..Thank goodness for Microsoft editing software...



These next two are of the last real snowstorm we had...I went out to do some stuff, get some wood for the furnace and such, and it was really snowing...The dogs just love it!



This next one is of her that same night...



And this last...An awful picture to be sure, but in motion, it was almost a thing of beauty.



You couldn't hope to intentionally take one like this..The way the camera did this..Very different.

I have a story I want to relate of some things that happened last Friday night, on our first ever long walk that went through the edge of town.  But it's too late tonight to do it, so I'll relate the story tomorrow.  Let's just say, my girl is a proud ambassador of her breed, and made some new friends on that walk!  She also made a strange guy think twice about anything he might have been thinking about!  I'm very proud of this blind girl...An excellent GSD, to be sure!

Crys

Thanks for sharing..  she is getting prettier and prettier.

. I know all will love the story of what she did, when you went on your walk , to town and back ..Her being blind she has that instinct of the other 4 senses and she used it...People up to no good, give off a scent that german shepherds  immediately act upon.   Wouldn't want to cross her in a few years when she matures..

YR

She is a beautiful young lady, :)))
Always,
Cee

She is growing up to be a beautiful Girl and a brave one as well She is looking great, Kudos to you for doing a fantastic job
Steve1

Okay, Okay...I'll tell you!;-)

I took Oakley for a long walk...About five miles.  The loop I chose to take starts out at our rural road, goes down a hill about two miles, and then we take the first city street cross street, right on the edge of town (the street where all the schools are). That's about a mile across, then another mile and a half or two miles back up the county road on the other end of the city street.  Friday nights down there on that city street are usually quite busy with foot traffic, as kids are going to and from their houses with their friends.  There's also a bowling alley right there at the bottom of the first leg of my walk.

We were hiking along at a nice pace down the hill, and suddenly, Oakley started hanging back, scenting the air, acting like she smelled something, which I figured was a deer or a moose, as we have a trio that's been hanging around here, and I keep an eye out so that neither Oakley nor I get trampled.  It was dark, so I shined my light around, to catch reflections off the eyes...Didn't see anything at all.

At the bottom of the hill, I stopped near a new housing developement that fizzled after only one home was built and sold...They have a bike path on the side of the road and my shoe had come untied.  By this time, Oakley was still alert about something, but I put her in a sit while I knelt and tied my shoe.  She came to her feet all of a sudden, sit forgotten.  Her tail came up, and she gave two barks...She didn't back up, like she was scared.  She didn't lunge like a maniac.  She just gave two deep warning barks, and I looked over to see this guy walking past us on the road, no lights, no nothing, which is kind of weird...Everyone walking at night uses a flashlight or blinker light of some type to alert cars to their presence but not this guy, who shuffled past us real quick.  We resumed our walk, and Oakley really stayed keyed up until the guy was more than two hundred feet ahead of us, and out of earshot of her.  Then she relaxed.

Since we don't typically walk in residential areas, I sort of figured maybe that I just hadn't socialized her enough, though after her reaction to the guy, I felt a bit creeped out.  So, on down the road, we turned onto the "school street" where all the foot traffic typically is, and she was so fascinated.  She didn't spend much time with her nose down, but she did spend a lot of time sniffing the air.  

We passed several people on the other side of the road, but when a trio of teenage boys came down the sidewalk, I debated crossing to the other side, not entirely sure of what she might do, considering her earlier reaction to the guy outside of town.  Then I decided that no, I wouldn't cross the street.  She'd do just fine.  So we walked right up to them.  They stopped when they saw us.

"Oh, cool, that's an awesome German Shepherd!" the shortest one said.  "I love German Shepherds!"  The other two were not quite so outgoing.  Oakley stood in the gutter for a second, sniffing the air, investigating them, but her tail never came up, like it had with the guy, and then she walked right up to them, sniffing, and letting all three, including one that I could see was nervous about her.  They asked lots of questions, and I took a brief opportunity to tell the one who said he's wanted a GSD for a long time, to educate himself about the breed, what they take for exercise and diet, and to look at res

Continued...

diet, and to look at rescue, rather than a breeder, because there are some awesome dogs to be found there.  Oakley let them pet her, and was just absolutely awesome with those boys.  They petted her, she reveled in the attention, and then, we went on.  We didn't encounter anyone else, because it was getting late, but I was so thrilled with her behavior, by her ability to discern the difference between the guy, who I didn't know and had never met, and the boys, who I'd never met, either.  She seemed to read something about him that I couldn't.

We also encountered several dogs at large, some in their own yards and one running down the street.  It was very curious about us and barked, but although she kept tabs on where it was, she didn't threaten it at all. 

I should note that the boys did ask if they could pet her before they tried, and I told them to let her make the overtures, which they did.All in all, I thought she was an incredible ambassador to her breed, and considering that I haven't done as much in-town socialization as I would have liked, I was thrilled.  I know I can trust her not to go all nervebag on me, but she will warn or threaten someone she decides is a threat.  And that is what she should do.

We encountered another walker yesterday, someone I know, but we haven't encountered because I walk at night, and she walks in the day.  Oakley greeted her like an old friend.  No concern about her.  Seriously, I'm very proud of Oakley, how she's done with everything that's ever been thrown at her.  She seems to fear nothing, although if I yell at her, she cowers..Doesn't like to be yelled at by me, but I don't know what her reaction would be if someone else yelled at her...Probably wouldn't react a huge amount...Loud noises don't scare her, though if a vehicle is coming right at her, like in the driveway when I was out getting wood the other day, she will get out of the way, because she can tell it is coming toard her.  But out walking, she pays no attenion to the cars passing us.

So, I told you the story!  And I'm still just as proud of her as I was that night.  For a BYB dog, that was thrown away because she was worthless, Annie Oakley has turned out to be one heck of a dog!

Crys

Bravo!! Bravo!!  Awesome story...kinda creepy about that one guy tho.  But what a great ambassador for the breed.  You have every right to be proud.  I can't wait to meet the both of you in June!
Deb