Maybe Someone Can Help This Person (East Coast) - Page 2

Im sorry .... I assumed service dog since disabled was thrown out there so much and needing an already trained dog in good health.... I assumed a working position because of also mentioning PTSD which is now the biggest access issues we face as service dog handlers is the flooding of PTSD vets and their service dogs that are not follwoing the rules the rest of us do... I am guessing my hunch for sd material is right on the money from how every bit of it was worded. 
 

I think this has to be looked into more as the Veterans Administration works with many non profits to provide trained dogs at no cost to veterans

Hello, I am the disabled vet you are discussing in this post.  I wrote this listing honestly so a person witha potnetial dog would know what type of COMPANION i was seeking and my potential issues..now I shall respond to all of your posts.

1.As stated in original post I am more than willing to provide proof of my 100% DV status...I have a Department of Defense Identification card as well as a letter from the VA verifying my 100% status. just in case that part was the primary reason a person had a dog i may be interested in.

2.  No I did  not state I wanted a service dog...why? I want a companion...if by chance as the dog and i bond she picks up on the fact that I must take medicine 3 times a day and that also means i walk in the kitchen and she knows she will get a snack or a treat if she goes with me..i am sure rather quickly she will alert me if i miss a 1230 pm stroll into the kitchen for my medicine.. I was raised with german shepherds my entire life,,,,quite familair with the breed and bluntly...know full well that the sweetest most loveable, sweet shepherd ..when walking down the street... alone at night with her ..will make a stranger do a double take.  as a female living with  PTSD i have found that when i have a gs companion, my world is not as small as it becomes when i am without a gs companion.   My beloved companion died 4 years ago(2 was a typo)...i am seeking another one..am I desperate no, but really do want a companion.  And bluntly....after moving to a small place, and being alone,,,(no longer have kids living with me, or grandchildren down the street) I am getting damn lonely in this over 55 community where most folks go to sleep at 5 pm......I would like a gs companion to walk with, play fetch with, go to she lake with and yeah....talk to and watch tv with!

3. Get a dog from the VA.......the VA only provides trained service dogs to Vets with mobility issues or vision issues....Please feel free to check the info on the www.ADI.org page under my comments you will see specific VA guidelines verbatim with simple explanation... FYI  That being said, as stated above I was not looking for a service dog, I received the offer of one..but anyone that knows anything aobut service dogs also knows it takes a minimum 18 months for training as well as several weeks for the team in a class......I am 60 years old.....i would prefer to see all that specialized training go to a younger vet....

4.  Plenty of shelter dogs/Shepherds at shelters  -  that may be so, unfortunately the dogs primarily in my area of shelters are mostly PIT bulls or mixed with unknown.  I have applied to adopt a few shepherds i found on resuce sites but as of to date....although iwas approved,,,the dogs for various resaons were felt not to be a good match to me....for the following reasons..one was agressive...agressive to children, agressive to small dogs, agressive to males (not good i have 2 adult sons whom i enjoy spending time with) and I can go on.  There were appx 30  german sheps removed form a breeder in northern NJ....i went to the shelter filled out the application for one...as did over 1000 other individuals.  The dogs were primarily "kennel kept" which can result in what we old people reger to as "kennel sleep" meaning if you surprise the dog when she is sleeping she may snap....also none of the dogs were "child tested" I have grandkids that are respectful to dogs, never left unsupervised, but i still prefer to know a dog likes children.

5.WHY A FEMALE?   Simple, I am prejudiced : )  I am more than willing to SPAY  as stated in my original listing.  Actually aready spayed is great.  Why a female, I am just more comfortable with female sheps and bluntly.....most older male dogs are still intact and.....the humping/masturbation/excitement of a male dog as well as the leg lifting on the car tires, trees, etc is not my cup of tea when I am the one washing it off...

6.  I am not a HIM!  I am a she...and yes a veteran, and I am now 60 years old... PTSD is not a new condition,,nor are service connected disabilties. I am 100% service connected disabled female veteran.I have PTSD and a few other service connected medical conditions....and am offended that not one fo you thought i may be a woman!

7.  YES research is the KEY...and as a person with a potential dog researches me,,i research them......

8.  Why trained?  Did you ever try to train an adult german shepherd that had no leash training,  In 1974 I rescued a  4 yr old german shepherd from a home that had her on a  6 foot chain...it took a hacksaw to cut the chain off the pole it was bolted to....her neck was all infected and raw..(actually i handed them 50 dollars and said i was buying her, they took the money).  After getting the unamed, never off that chain dog in the car and home...cleaning her neck taking off the chain, bandaging her neck...and making a harness for her ,,and a few eeks of healing i decided to teach her some basic things like walking ona 15 foot cloth lead....after being dragged down a gravel road for 2 blocks on my stomach and she stopped....i decided perhaps a 100 foot clothesline would be better for a start.......that said..I am to old,  and to tired to start at point A again.......I am more than willing to state my shortcomings, I can and will do reinforcement, and take her to obeidience classes as refreshers,,,,but I can not start from A anymore.  ALSO, my age, dont u think it would be smarter for me to have an adult dog?  I mean come on,,i wont live forever....and everyday  that time gets shorter....And AKC has those cool VETERAN trials for 8 yr old dogs....and that may be fun as well.
 

NOW: Thanks to this site I have gotten a line on a few retired females that just may be suitable for my desires.  I prefer female shepherds......and I have found when high quality GS breeders have raised and trained, bred  and cared for the female,,,they are very wonderful dogs and make the worlds greatest companions.  I am not a millionaire,,,and am pinching pennies wherever i can so I can afford to pay a fair price to a person for their retired female.  Right now there are two potentials,,and bluntly I was reviewing this forum on GSD's to see what type of comments were on their kennels or dogs or business dealings; as I do not desire to be ripped off or end up with a dog that is not as presented to me. 
The reason I posted my ad as I did is I desired to be completely HONEST regarding the type of home someones dog would be entering.  I wont mention a few of the "RIP OFF" replies I received from folks.....and questionable replies.  I did receive a few nice good replies and I have continued my daily search on the DB classifieds for a companion that meets my desires and needs as well as financial ability.  I can handle day to day expenses but I cannot handle 5000 dollars for an 8 yr old retired shep. 

THE FEMALE VET!

 

here is the VA info

Veterans Affairs
There has been considerable confusion about two recent changes to VA regulations concerning service dogs. We will attempt to explain those changes and clear up the confusion here.
There are two different laws, addressing two different aspects of service dog use under the VA.

 

The first recent change in VA rights concerning service dogs was Public Law No: 112-154 aka H.R.1627: Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. This is a law passed by Congress and signed by the President on August 6, 2012. It addresses access on VA property with a service animal.
Summary: All types of service dogs, including those for mental health such as PTSD service dogs, are permitted on VA property so long as they are certified by an ADI accredited program.

 

The second recent change in VA rights concerning service dogs was a final rule in new regulatory law published by VA in the Federal Register on September 5, 2012. It addresses the benefits that VA will provide to veterans in regard to service dogs.
Summary: "VA will provide to veterans with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments benefits to support the use of a service dog as part of the management of such impairments. The benefits include assistance with veterinary care, travel benefits associated with obtaining and training a dog, and the provision, maintenance, and replacement of hardware required for the dog to perform the tasks necessary to assist such veterans."

 

 

AWESOME post! 

Wow, way to weed out the rff raff for your purpose.

Maybe we can be friends or more. I am philanthropic.

nawalther60,  I really hope you get the great dog you are seeking, and that she enjoys her

new life with you.  While I appreciate why people worry about being scammed via requests

of this type, your post has convinced me of your good intentions, so I wish you the best of

luck.  And come back to PDB please and let us know how you get on, what the dog is like when

you find her, and whether you get to enter any of those Veteran Trials for older dogs.  Only sorry

I am not in any position to help you find the girl you need myself (not a breeder & not in US).

Thanks for your well wishes and nice comments here and in mt mail.
I am minutes away from securing a commitment on both ends for the most wonderful, gorgeous precious, spayed female....As soon as there is witten commitment and dates are set up I shall post the info here.  

I checked out the kennel/home she is from and everything on the forum appears positive..

For me this has been a long time search.....and hopefully the long wait (3 years) will soon have a happy ending....