Hello there I am new to these boards and I would like to tell you a story and get some advice if you would.
My husband and I are facing some ruff days, and it all began a little over 11 years ago............
My mother asked me to help her find a good dog for the family, she was home alone with my 1 year old niece and was worried about the way people no longer respected others. She wanted a family dog again, something that would look like an early warning system but be a big marshmellow, so the search began. We fell back on the breed we had loved and had over the years, a german shepard. We started with local breeders, avoided the paper listing traps, used the new internet and searched, and searched, it took well over a year for us to find a dog that we could afford but came from sound breeding. We took her home on my 31st birthday. The year 1995.
There were some issues that first year, having a new puppy is great, she was a stubborn little girl so she had to go to school, I took her,and have the certificate to prove it. She only failed that four lettered word part...stay! My mother who has MS was the primary care during the day, one day when Babe was 10 months old my mother answered the door, holding Babe by the collar, there was some tugging pulling and bumbling, the end result was 1 puppy vs the side of a truck, truck 1 puppy 0. My mother called me hysterical, I rushed home and took her to the vets. She was in extreme pain, they advised 24 hour care, with no thought to my wallet I took her. They were nice but firm, they would do all they could but in the end it was up to her....did I mention she was stubborn? 48 hours later she was home, 30 days later she was her old self, on her last visit the vet gave us some final advice, she would age prematurely and though she was fine now, it would cause problems later. As the years passed it's easy to forget........
Life went on, she is a great dog, stubborn, opinonated, sassy and so very very intelligent and loving. Her ball drive was very helpful in all her further training.
I eventually married, and my mothers health got worse, when my new husband and I decided to move to another state, she went with us, we were younger and able to take her. After all she was family. We managed to convince our landlord to relax the no pet policy, I don't think he regrets it. In fact he now has a dog!
At 9 she began to have some problems with her breathing, my first choice was heartworm, how I would not know she was on preventative, heart failure was my second, never ever did I suspect the truck vs puppy event. After several tests and xrays it was determined that her lungs had scar tissue from the accident, it was hindering her breathing, in fact she had enlarged her heart trying to breath! The end result, trial medication, couch potato status and air conditioning. We implimented all 3, 1 works to a degree the rest failed. The meds lasted till this past april, it was deemed they were no longer helping her, the couch potato status went on for a couple of months before she nixed that idea.....she has a ball to catch and kids to run with you know! The air conditioning I can force on her, dang the bill! Also her hips are slowly giving out, glacosmin goes only so far.
I lost my cat of 17 years last september and I don't know if I can take losing her this year. His passing was almost more then I could take. So we measure days now, not months, though that stubborn part could play in this as well, and I pray everyday that she is!. My husband who is retired and home all day, will feel the impact more.
Here is where I need the advice, I will want another puppy, I would prefere to stay with a GSD, I would like a purebred, I don't need the papers but I do want what the breed is know for. Six months ago I started looking at breeders, I can afford a puppy, then we stumbled on Petfinder and the shear number of unwanted dogs made me cry. I have looked at rescue pets and will fill out the applications, but they are so so so explicit with what they require. I do not have a fully fenced in yard (shared drive is open), and I rent. Does anyone know if they can or do relax in some area's on certain things, I am not worried about my landlord, its the fence part. Does anyone know if they will relax on certain points if your proven to be responsible and loving? How much stock do they put into the person over the material?
Thanks!
Tru