FUN STORIES - Page 1

I was thinking that it would be fun for us to share what useful tasks our dogs do for us, or that they have been taught to do.  For example:

When I mow the acreage, many times there are toys or branches that are hidden so, instead of stopping and hopping off the riding mower, I started calling my dog and directing him to "get" whatever is in the way. That was a few years ago, and now all I have to do is come to a stop and he comes on his own to get whatever is in the way! I love it!! Saves so much time!

I also remember someone posting on here, about how their dog brings them the laundry soap?

And, I remember reading Winifred Strickland's book and how she had her dogs help her carry in the groceries!

This is one of the reasons why I believe the GSD/DSH to be the best all around dog for me!!

Let's here your stories!!!!

Debby

ebinezer 052899@yahoo.com

http://castlebrookshepherds.net 

My aduly male likes to be so close behind me, he freaquently steps on the back of my shoe and I am convinced he is trying to kill me. This is truely dangerous with flip flops. LOL

My puppy...now 8 months old, while heeling likes to stop planted sideways in front of me while on walks and I am not looking down. When you see a picture of me with no front teeth, this would be the reason.

Oh helpfull...I must have been confused (not really).

As a kid I had a shetland that did all kinds of nifty stuff. I raised rabbits for 4-H and I would let the baby bunnies out in the yard to munch grass and to just run around. Lady would keep them safe and all contained. I still have a picture of her in our front yard (no fence) with a whole litter of bunnies around her as she laid in the grass.

Also those long summer nights when your a kid and you don't want to stop playing kickball in the street, to come in for dinner. My mom would give me a paper plate full of food and Lady would stand by, keeping flies off of it not touching it herself of course. This dog went without a leash 90% of the time with me onfoot, bike, skates, everywhere. She spent plenty a nite out on a neighbors porch while I spent he night at friends. She'd be right there waiting when I was ready to go back home.

Jumped in the back of my moms truck while she was pumping gas and decided to come home with her. I still remember her brilliant red and blonde mixed in the sun. We almost named her Sunshine. She was a Lady thou, so Lady it was. At age 4 of course, I knew nothing of training dogs, some might say I still don't...ha ha. This dog just picked up whatever you wanted her to do.

She was capable of stepping up to  the plate when you needed her strong, she once took on a neighbors Dobie who liked to jump the fence and scare the neighborhood. She took a few bites but still whooped that Dobies butt. Also had a not so cool encounter with the neighborhood scumbags who had Labs. They let the dogs crap on everyones lawn and when my mom had enough and said something, they sent the dogs on her. Once again, little Lady Bug to the rescue. My mom got bit in the ass by one of the Labs but Lady sent them packing and they were later taken from the owners by Animal Control.

From age 4-16 this dog was my guardian angel. Her box of ashes sits over me as I type and I feel her still with me...watching, my guardian until I return to her. Truly a dog smarter and with a better understanding of human needs never walked the earth. She did what you asked of her but had the intuition to do it even if you didn't.

When my last GSD (Capone) was about a year old I was laying down reading on one couch and my wife was watching TV sitting on a different couch. She asked me if I had the remote. I did but I didn't want to get up. So I called Capone and held out the remote and told him bring this to Linda. To my surprise he grabbed it and brought it to her. Linda said boy that was neat how did you teach hime that. I said I didn't teach him and had no idea he would do it. For the next nine years he was sent all around the house with everything including bottles of spring water, after delivering an item he would promptly run to the treat draw and bark until he got one.

Also if Capone did something wrong and you scolded him, he would walk right over and put his face near your face and burp, then he would take off, kind of like up yours.

Our present GSD has just started this little cute trick, whenever someone has stepped out of the car and returns, as they get in he gently grabs their shirt with his front teeth and pulls them into the car. Kind of like hey get back in here now. 

When my husband and I are out backpacking with our GSD, he wears his own saddle pack to carry his own gear.  He carries his food, bowl, toys, leash, tie out, and tarp.  We really appreciate him lugging around all his stuff so we don't have to.  It's painful enough to schlep a 30 lb pack on rugged wilderness trails. 

He's also a good black bear deterrant.  Every year we run across bear at some point or another on our backpacking adventures.  We hike in wilderness areas where the bears are not habituated to humans (and their pets) so they avoid our camp.  (Disclaimer:  we never hike in areas with re-introduced "nuisance" bears as these have lost their natural shyness - kids don't try this at home!)

Another "helpful" service while backpacking is watch dog for our camp.  On the trails Chaco is friendly to people, but within hours of setting up camp he defines the limits of "our" territory and will bark with his "big boy" bark when someone approaches.  This is very useful in situations where I'm squatting behind a bush trying to preserve my dignity while... um... well you get the picture.

And speaking of husband, one trick that my husband swears that I've taught Chaco is the "put the husband in his place" technique whereupon Chaco will run at Daddy and with paws outstretched and will clock him right on the family jewels.  I swear Chaco learned that one on his own.  LOL.

Yvette

Ok...funny story, then a serious one! :-)

<> Fun story:  Had a 1/2 AM-1/2 Ger.,  female a few years back that would help me water my plants.  When she was young, she use to chew up the hoses.  As we broke her of the chewing them, we taught her to just carry them around.  When I would place the hose in the garden or flowerbed, we could tell her to "move the water" and she would go, pick the up hose, and move it about 5 steps every time.  Also, with my daughters SD (assistance work), full Czech, we taught her to "bring" things to my daughter or pick them up when she dropped them and couldn't see.  At a mere 5 mo old, we would tell her "time to eat" and she would go get her dog bowl, bring it to my daughter, wait for Tiffany to grab her collar, then lead her to the food bin.

Serious story:  Tiffany's SD (same dog from above).  When Specs (the dog) was  7 mo old, she alerted us to one of Tiffany's blackouts.  This we had not trained her for.  I was downstairs folding laundry, when Specs came running down the stairs barking at me.  I took her out, thinking she had to potty, but she kept pulling me back to the door.  When we got inside, she took off back up the stairs and continued barking.  I thought she was barking because she wanted her owner to take her out.  So I yelled up to my daughter to take her back outside.  No response.  She came back down stairs, and started jumping at me (which she never did), pulling at my laudry, and at my shirt.  It dawned on me that I had not heard Tiffany respond to my request to take the dog out. (also unusual).  Specs ran back upstairs, this time with me in tow.  I found Specs standing over my daughter, who was laying on the floor, barking and licking her face.  From that moment on, any unusual behavior out of Specs, we immediately went to find my daughter! :-)

Not sure if this story qualifies as "helpful" but, good story nonetheless. 

 My first German Shepherd was a beautiful sable named Sam that my Stepdad had rescued from the life of a junk yard dog.  He loved my dad so much but, hated everyone else.  Kids used to throw rocks at him while he was chained (yes, back then, many dogs lived on chains unfortunately) so he hated kids.  When my stepfather married into our family, there were already 6 kids.  He brought Sam in a station wagon with the windows barely cracked and told all of us kids to be sure we did not go anywhere near that car.  Sam was in there acting like a vicious beast if we would get too close.  Of course, my Mother was scared to death that one of us would end up as dog chow for this beast.

Well, to make a long story short, Sam was kept chained to the corncrib in the back yard and only our dad was allowed to go near him, walk him, run him in the field, feed, water, groom, etc.  We were to keep our distance at all times, which we did until this day.  My mother was cleaning out the camper, not too far from where Sam was leashed and my little baby sister (just a toddler) went missing.  We looked and looked for her (never thinking she'd be by Sam).  Well, all of a sudden, my mother let out a scream that would curdle your blood.  My baby sister was sitting next to Sam with his water dish turned upside down, hitting the dish with a stick and smacking Sam every now and then, too.  He was lying there looking at us like, "well, you weren't watching her, so I have to do it".  From that day on, Sam accepted every single one of us and went on to become the best darned friend I have ever had in my lifetime.  This dog was no longer kept on a chain.  He immediately became a trusted family guardian and lived up to that name to the day he died.  He ran off stray dogs (some left in pretty bad shape), always rounded all of us kids up when he heard dad's truck coming down the road (he had to be the first to greet him, then, we were allowed off of the porch).  He became so protective of us children that when my dad would raise his had to give us a smacking, Sam would be between dad and us and would get right mean sounding towards our dad.   Dad would get so blasted mad at him.  He'd ask him whose dog he was. 

 He became my dog.  I took over feeding, long walks, exploring with him every inch of the woods, the fields, etc., a friend I could and did take everywhere.  When we moved into town, he would walk (unleashed) by my side, sit outside of many stores (unleashed) waiting for me to return to him.  He never bothered anyone but, nobody would ever have been allowed to bother us either.  I remember having a man ask me how much I'd sell him for.  This was back in the early 80's so, when he offered me $500, my mouth almost fell open.  I just replied, "mister, he's not for sale; he's my dog" and walked away.  He turned many heads but, not just because of how beautiful he was but, how beautiful his temperament was.  We never trained him...that's just how he was.  To this day, I still seek a dog that can come close to compare to this dog.  I miss him so much. 

I guess his "helpfulness" came in many disguises but, most importantly, that of a true friend and babsitter for these wild kids. 

I've told my Kali story on this board before, but I'll repeat it, just this once...(LOL) When I was diagnosed with diabetes, my MD put me on a 'sugar' pill that dropped my blood sugar so much, so quickly, that I passed out; Kali barked, licked my face, tugged at my clothes until I picked myself up & drug myself to the kitchen, where I drank some OJ, then checked my sugar...it was 44 ( after the oj), my face & hands were numb, & I am convinced that she saved my life! And she did it again the next time it happened. And she very helpfully took care of my husband after his knee replacement, watched every step he took. jo