Happiness Is... - Page 2

This is just a bump message 'cause w/ all the angst on the board lately I think we could use an infusion of more of these kind of stories.

Very nice, you've every reason to be proud and thank you for sharing.  We need some warm fuzzies every now and again!

Happiness is taking two of our puppies to the pet food store and letting very very little kids pet them.  Both puppies were gentle, laid down, and were quiet while the kids petted.  According to the dad, the little boy said his very first word right then  "dog, dog, dog, dog"    Good thing mommy wasn't there to hear!  (BTW, high drive working line puppies. )

It is when one of your dogs helps his new 4yr old master to talk.  This little boy has autism and his new best friend is Luna.  The little guy was not talking and did not play with other children, he was very much into himself.  Luna braught him out that after 2weeks he was saying dog, he even was trying to say her name.  The biggest joy in all this is seeing his parents and them telling you that they could never repay you for what Luna has done for their family.  She even breaks the ice for him with other children because he wants to be with her all the time that she goes up to other children to let them pet her and then the little boy is right their. Luna sleeps, eats and plays with her master,they take her everywhere.....That is true happiness is seeing this happen to a young child......

when , like Xeus's story,  I have a wonderful companion to an Autistic boy in the state of Washington , that sold to Bob and Ena Smith,  who is a retired Army dog trainer and owns a kennel and is a trainer in Lakewood , WA.   Bob trained Hugo to his ready for Schutz 1 and one day a lady, was watching him train the dog, and she approached to ask BOb about getting a german shepherd like that one for her 3 year old son that doesnt speak ...Bob was led to sell her Hugo, and he took an immed . control over that small childs life....the boy began to point at the dog,,,who ate on the floor beside the boy 7 days a week...he started forming a word    dog   and began to come out of that shield that encase this childs being,,,,,

Hugo went from a candidate for Schutz to a Keeper of commitment of a small boy who needed a companion and that companion changed his life....I do not have a picture of Hugo and his new friend   but maybe I can obtain one..The mom has relayed to me that   Thanks for birthing a love of her childs life.....a german shepherd...

When, you also have a pup you raised that is now a seeing eye dog for a man in Palestine , Texas..   I learned that the man was almost completely blind , when he met the lady I sold my precious   Lasches to....his daughter ask the lady, where can we find a beautiful shepherd for my father, as we have been granted, the permission to enter a program with a german shepherd, if it passed the tests , for my father to havae a close companion...Lasches is that companion...The lady gave Lasches to her that day,,

When the letters and the phone calls come, and the people that have the pups you sold them, thank you and have nothing but praise for what you have given to them......a wonderful german shepherd that fulfils their inner peace and brings then wisdom and  freedom in their lives.....the love the gentle Giant that has stolen the love and peace of their hearts.

When you get a call , and your 2 year old pup, has grabbed a mans blue jean pocket , and held on without a winch , and the law was called , at the Lindale, Tex, vets office,  because   Sarge, not trained in Law Enforcement....would not turn loose of his pocket....owner Helen Busbee, was not there, so the vets office , was in charge of Sarge that day, and they call the local law to come help them get Sarge , who was determined not to let this man go anywhere......off of the mans pocket....The man  was arrested and booked for possession of an illegal  substance...

As surely as the sun rises, I know , in my heart, that God gave me this , for happiness leads to concentration, concentration brings wisdom, and wisdom is the source of peace and freedom in our lives.....  

That's a great story YR.  Was Sarge started on scent detection training?

I gave a retired broodbitch, Fina SchH3, IPO3, to a family with an autistic child, and she is making a fantastic service dog who does even more than they were looking for in a professionally trained service dog.  The child has several behaviors that Fina helps with.  One of them is a tendency to sometimes wander off when her Mom's back is turned--out of the house, out of the store, etc...  She wandered off this past summer.  Mom couldn't find her daughter in the neighborhood, so she put Fina on a leash and asked "Where's your girl?".  Fina went into tracking mode (apparently not quite Schutzhund style), led the Mom a few blocks down the street, scratched at the front door of a house there, and her lost human lamb was found inside.   From what I've heard about Fina, I think that the natural herding dog instincts along with basic obedience training and control help GSDs to make good service dogs for children with Autism.  :-)  Veronica

No, Ms Vice Pres Elect:   He was not ,,,he has been in a class with Judy , the great trainer in Tyler, and he is the Mascot for the Alba Pd where Helen lives...He is an automatic protector and the Sheriff Dept of that County has spoiled him from the day they got him....they bring treats , that he shouldnt have, and they come by the house every night to chk on them all...

The Busbees had been the victims of a vicious woman in their town, who poisoned their two  Hybid wolves, registered in the Us registry..and under a federal mandate,,,this woman went to prison for 30 years.......

She has relatives in the area , and because of the stiff sentence....their is a fear that something could happen to them , mischief always follows a certain stream of bloodline.....so    Sarge , who is  a Pirol v Enclavehof  grand son   has taken the role of protector...and indeed he has fulfilled his role with out any training in the field...he is an automatic.

The only thing Helen attributes the  " pocket incident " to , is he hates tobacco  or people that smoke....he lets you know if you are blowing smoke on his property......something about it ,she doesnt know what.......they both quit smoking before they got Sarge....

Reviving this post.

These stories reminded me of when my son was in the hospital fighting for his life (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - year 2000) and he did not seem to be responding to much...stopped eating, etc.  We had this brain fart to purchase and "sneak" into the hospital this teeny little ball of fur ... a 10 week old Pomeranian Puppy.  The nurses all pretended they saw nothing.  (UVA didn't at that time (and not sure they do now) have a therapy pet program...perhaps, especially for the pediatric oncology ward due to risk of infection being so great...

Anyway, we would sneak "Foxie" in every chance we would get...inside my purse, in a jacket pocket, what have you.  This puppy would be the ONLY one at some points to get him to stop crying or to calm down when they needed to prepare him for another procedure.  My son would beam from ear to ear, even in the midst of pain and lack of energy.  I am a firm believer that this puppy helped him. 

Maybe one day, I will be able to certify one of my dogs and help another child...

Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of Love, Medicine and Miracles had leukemia as a child. At one point, he was in a coma, and expected to die. His parents brought his dog in, and he responded to the dog and woke up. He credits the dog, Buddy, with saving his life.

I may dig out the whole story for you when I have more time... Bernie's a real animal lover, and one of the things he frequently asks in a tight situation is: WWLD?? (What would Lassie do?)  

Sunsilver,

I'd be very interested in reading that if you do.