Our new dog

[ad4mg]

Well, my beloved German Shepherd, Princess, left us on February 17 of this year. She developed a tumor in her abdomen the size of a grapefruit, and this thing would have killed her within a week. As much as I cherished her, I would not allow her to suffer such a horrible death, so we had her put down at the clinic my wife works at that day. She passed quietly with me holding her head in my hands. She was 12, born on Dec 31, 2000, a ripe old age for a pure bred Shepherd. Here she is at Hatteras Island in the summer of 2012:
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Well, after a few weeks, Candy had to have another dog, so she got a puppy from a rescue kennel that she works part time at. This is Penny, and she is a Great Pyrenees / German Shepherd mix:

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It was her 2nd day with us, and she was pretty worn out. She's quite active when she's awake.

Interesting breed, she appears to be very smart, damned stubborn, and really friendly.

Somebody here asked about this when I mentioned puppy poop elsewhere...

[W9JEF]

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Sorry to hear about your loss, Luke.

Looks like Candy made a good choice there. :)

[KK4AMI]

She is a cute Puppy, but "Great Pyreness"? Gonna be a big dog?

[N2NH]

Judging by the paws, she looks like she's going to take after the shepherd side...

Great looking pup. NHE thinks she's cute. :)

[NM5TF]

sorry for you loss Luke....and yes, 12 IS a ripe old age for a Shepard...they are wonderful Dogs !!!

we had to put our Shepard, Shatzie, down at almost 13 years due to hip dysplasia when she couldn't
even get up the stairs to enter the house....did not want to see her suffer...

the new Dog is going to be a beautiful addition to your family....and a rescue Dog to boot !!!

I waited a fulll year after Shatzie left us to see if I wanted another Dog....and I did.....went to
the local rescue shelter and looked over their 200+ Dogs before selecting Jak....a Shepard/
Doberman mixed breed....he combines the best of both breeds...

[ad4mg]

.Sorry to hear about your loss, Luke.

Looks like Candy made a good choice there. :)
Thanks, I really miss Princess, but the puppy's fun. They're like kids, shipped fully brain damaged. Takes years to straighten them out...:-D


She is a cute Puppy, but "Great Pyreness"? Gonna be a big dog?
I sure hope so! Princess was 85 lbs when she was healthy. I think this one will top out around 90+.


Judging by the paws, she looks like she's going to take after the shepherd side...

Great looking pup. NHE thinks she's cute. :)

I'm thinking the same, John. I see shepherd in her face. She has a sweet disposition, loves everyone, and is gentle around kids. And, we know how to raise them. All of our dogs were big breeds, but all of them were well behaved, and very well taken care of. I have 1/2 an acre of the back yard fenced in for the dogs, runs right up to the back of the house.

We train them much like Cesar Millan does. As big as they are, that's a must!

[kb2vxa]

You made a good choice Luke, a beautiful and people pup that is a great addition to the family. Oh yeah, an untrained dog, especially a big one, is one huge problem. Have you ever tried to train a cat?

[KC2UGV]

Well, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of one, but joyful for the new addition :)

[suddenseer]

Luke, my ex, and I lost our beloved mutt, Sheba in 07. She was 12 when I had no choice but to put her down. I always hold their head, and tell them that I love them.when they expire. Losing Sheba hit me so hard that I wept bitterly in the vet's office. The entire vet staff sent me a very touching, and personal card a few days later. I never "replaced" her. It does not feel right, yet.

They weave themselves into our hearts, then leave us. I am a better man from having spent those years with Sheba. I am happy for the joy your new member of the family has brought to your hom

[ad4mg]

sorry for you loss Luke....and yes, 12 IS a ripe old age for a Shepard...they are wonderful Dogs !!!

we had to put our Shepard, Shatzie, down at almost 13 years due to hip dysplasia when she couldn't
even get up the stairs to enter the house....did not want to see her suffer...
Princess had hip dyplasia, too. Fortunately, our house is a rancher and only has steps on the front porch.


the new Dog is going to be a beautiful addition to your family....and a rescue Dog to boot !!!

I waited a fulll year after Shatzie left us to see if I wanted another Dog....and I did.....went to
the local rescue shelter and looked over their 200+ Dogs before selecting Jak....a Shepard/
Doberman mixed breed....he combines the best of both breeds...
Penny is our third rescue dog, the previous two were wonderful companions, and I think Penny is going to be a good girl. It will be a long time before i get over Princess, if I ever do. She was just that special to me, and a huge part of my life. I always looked forward to coming home and having her greet me at the door. When she was a pup, the fellow who we got her from told us he used to gather all the puppies each night and read to them. As a result, Princess used to listen intently when I spoke to her, and my telling her a story each night as she lay on the floor next to the bed became a routine.

I think Penny is going to 'take' to Candy more so than me. I'm becoming her favorite 'chew toy', but she's definitely going to a Momma's girl!

[w2amr]

Good luck with the new addition Luke. Get some shots of penny for us, when she is awake.:mrgreen:

[ad4mg]

Luke, my ex, and I lost our beloved mutt, Sheba in 07. She was 12 when I had no choice but to put her down. I always hold their head, and tell them that I love them.when they expire. Losing Sheba hit me so hard that I wept bitterly in the vet's office. The entire vet staff sent me a very touching, and personal card a few days later. I never "replaced" her. It does not feel right, yet.

They weave themselves into our hearts, then leave us. I am a better man from having spent those years with Sheba. I am happy for the joy your new member of the family has brought to your hom

It was painful saying goodbye to Princess, but I did much the same. As she was laying on the exam table, I stepped away for just a second to let my son see her one more time, and she gazed at me as if to wonder if I was leaving her. She looked into my eyes when I stepped back over to her, and there was serenity in that look. I knew that was the time, so I told Phil, the vet, to send her on her journey. She passed quietly as I gently pressed my face to hers, her head in my hands. It still hurts to think of that moment.

Candy works at that clinic, and Princess was dear to everyone there, so they made special arrangements for us. Princess was mildly sedated, as she never really liked going to the vet, so she was at ease when we did all this. We did the best we could for her in her last year with us, as she had given us so much over those years. She struggled with her hips, and her surgically repaired knee, but they had her on Tramadol and joint supplements for quite a while. We knew she had a liver problem, probably cancer, but it was the incredible growth of that abdominal tumor that changed everything. I remember it was a Saturday, and I was in the living room floor with Princess when I noticed how big that damn thing had become. That was when I told Candy it was time, and the arrangements were made for that Monday.

The new puppy will be fine, and she brings comfort to Candy, but for me Princess held a special place in my heart. I don't think another dog will ever come close to filling that void, and its unfair to expect that, so, like yourself, I'll forever be grateful for the time we had.

Thanks, Tim!

[N8YX]

Good on you for taking a rescue in, Luke. They seem to be thankful for their new life, if all of the various pets I've had over the years are any indication.

Shepherds are among my favorite breed of the working dogs. I'd love to own one some time but given our schedules it's not fair to the dog to isolate it. Thus, I get my canine fix through the rent-a-dog program - I "borrow" those of my friends every time I see one of them.

Keep us posted with her progress. She'll be a good looking dog when she reaches adulthood.

[WX7P]

Cool new dog, Luke!

I know exactly how you feel about Princess. When my avatar, Loaf, passed on it was painful. These creatures really get into your heart and seem to give back more than you give them.

[n0iu]

We have been rescuing dogs for years and as many times as we have had to face it, dealing with the cycle of life is never easy.

When we decide it is time to add to our family, we always rescue from a shelter. Good choice on your part!

[n6hcm]

Have you ever tried to train a cat?

my cats are quite responsive, actually. they all know their names, they come when they're called (mostly) and they understand commands like "down!" (and act accordingly). most of this was kinda accidental ... consistency is key ...

[KG4CGC]

Hello Penny! Welcome to Earth!

[N8YX]

Have you ever tried to train a cat?
Yep.

My Selkirk/orange tabby male will fetch on command, has a bark and a growl like a dog...knows "stay", "down" and other verbal guide words.

I interacted with him as if he were a dog from the day he showed up on the back porch, and it shows. Granted, he's subject to behavioral peer pressure influences from our other felines but he chases them as any properly squared away pooch will. ;)