What is your favorite time with your dog(s) - Page 2

Thank you all! Each person put a big smile on my face today - I hope you all got the same out of it! GSDLVR - I loved the kid stuff, especially your little one.ProudDad - I hear ya!They go from sleeping on their backs on your bed to taking the bad guy down - always a WOW!. Gotta - yep, the head in the lap-wonderful!AKV and 4 -ah snow- something only one of my dogs knows about, but all my other GSDs that I came up did love snow. Again thanks for sharing - we all do love those dopey dogs, don't we!

flygirl, First let me applaud you with an excellent survey... Very nicely done !!! Secondly let me Thank You for the opportunity to see how much others enjoy they're dogs as much as we all thought so. Third, I'd like to share mine too... LOL I have several dogs, But so far the only ones that truly adore me are 3 Males, Twister I bought at 9 weeks old, Sitka I bought at 2 years old, and Dago I raised. Twister is my boy, He is a mama's boy through and through, sleeps on the bed, cuddles on the couch, and just gives me the goofiest looks sometimes. I swear he talks with his facial expressions. I love every MOMENT with this dog. Sitka, is a bit possesive (I think) he gets me and hoards me, he does not even want to share me with the hubby, kids are ok but hubby NO. He sleeps on the bed too, and smothers me into the couch. He is a goof too, but not near as expressive as Twister but again a dog I enjoy and am Thankful for every day. Dago, WOW Dago is a LOVE, he looks up at you with LOVE in his eyes, like he's been hit with an arrow, gives the sweetest kisses, and cuddles oh my gosh the cuddles, he will litterally fall on top of me when he jumps on the bed, He loves Mommy, And this little man has completely stollen my heart. The KIDS and DOGS... well the dogs all the dogs love our kids, all 3 of them, But Pistol and Zack have to be the "Pair" Award Winners. They are inseperable !!! Pistol follows Zack everywhere with this look on her face like, where ya goin ? why you leavin ? hey wait... then approaches him and stands so close sometimes she moves him back a step or two, or if he lyes down on the floor she will put front feet on one side of him and back feet on the other side, It's a little weird but very cute. I have to say I am Thankful for every day I have with my dogs, and I beleive my entire family feels the same.

One of mine was about 3 years ago when I went to my first Sch Trial where I was actually competing. I remember how nervous I was, but my girl seemed to sense it. The night we got there she and I went to the field to get familiar with it. She reeled off an obedience routine that left me thinking "where is the judge for that performance? Grade me now and I will gladly be on my way! He he. That night at the hotel I let her out of her crate and let her "check out" the room. She climbed up on the bed (I let my girls get away with murder, but she earned it) and looked at me as if to say "we'll get em tomorrow dad, dont worry about a thing". I woke up in the night with her back against mine, feet out and happily asleep. The next day we did another good routine, only issue was that I (as a new handler) gave the recall command too quickly and she hesitated for a second before coming to me. But she nailed her flip finish (only dog I could get to do it right) and got her BH. I know, wasnt the nationals, wasnt even a Sch 1 but that day for a moment we felt like we had won the BSP! The final result of 6 months of re-training a 5 year old, half working/half american GSD. I miss her greatly, and think of that weekend often as I ponder what new pup to get, I dont think anyone can ever really understand the bond you develop as you train your own dog from scratch for a BH, Sch or anything where you have to get in front of real people and work together. May never have another one like her, but I will always remember "Bowling Green". p.s. after the judge read the scores which was simply a "pass" she (like Rudy from Notre Dame) was carried off the field by a very proud "poppa". Man I miss that dog!

I like training time and seeing him do well in spite of me, and I like sleeping beside him (hopefully after he's had a bath)...he lays his head on my chest and just snores away.

Great thread! My favorite time with my gsds, any of them, is when I take a couple of them to the nursing home. These dogs completely change from SAR dog and schutzhund to caregivers. The way they sense that they have to move slower, shouldn't jump, and the way they lay their head in the lap of someone who just needs someone to pet. When I see a person tell me about a GSD they had as a child, their eyes fill with tears, and one of my dogs snuggles closer to them, it's all worth while. Plus the look of extreme control on my dogs when they pass a walker with tennis balls on the legs....knowing full well, that is not the time to chase the ball.

Your great stories really stress the importance of a GSD's having a super temperament. Unfortunately my Blitz does not so he and I miss out on a lot of things I had hoped to accomplish. There is nothing any more important than a sound temperament and properly socializing a litter from the day the pups are whelped.

Blitzen, ohhhh you just broke my heart, I'm so sorry that is sooooo sad. I could not imagine if I was unable to do the things I had planned with my dogs, regardless the reason. I hope it all works out or at least if you try again, the next one will have the super temperament you desire. keep your chin up ! :-)

Blitzen, I also had a working breed of poor temperment, I know first hand how hard it is, but think of all he has taught you.One day you will have a great do, I do. :) WOW, what a great thread! After reading the posts, It is with tears in my eyes I am typing this. The GSD is such an amazing animal I am in awe of them and proud to be "owned" by one! :) I Love watching him sleep, I love when he lays that big head with those gorgeous brown eyes on my lap and looks at me. I love that this big bad SchH dog is just as gentle as a lamb, especially when he ia laying on his back with his big bad bone, rocking from one side to another with those huge paws, and those grumbling noises are just hysterical! I love that has changed peoples opinions about the GSD, because of his temperment!

My first GSD was wonderful with people, but hated other dogs. I didn't have any problems dealing with that,I bred Alaskan Malamutes and they are fighters so it seemed normal to me. Unfortunately he had a lot of serious health issues and died from leukemia when he was only 7 1/2. Blitz is super with his family and long time friends, but very suspicious of strangers and tries to intimdate them. Tough love and NILIF has helped a lot, but he is not trustworthy around strangers. He has never bitten anyone, has excellent bite inhibition and will take a stranger by the hand and literally pull him or her out of the house or yard. No matter, it's still a bite and the potential is there to cause some damage, so I am very cautious with him. I've never seen a dog better with other animals though. He is gentle with baby birds, other dogs, cats, he would never hurt them unless he were attacked first, then he would most likely fight back. He still gives me a lot of pleasure as he is very intelligent with a very comical and unique personality, but I do wish he were different. With his level of energy and intelligence there's no telling what he might have accomplished.

Thanks Echo! Blitzen- my last bitch was like Blitz. She was the bestest nanny you could ever ask for, but a nice dog, she was not(the trainer I worked with called her a canine terrorist...). But in spite of their shortcomings, they still have very special places in our hearts. And there are things that they do that will make us laugh at them. But they are what they are, and we work with it...