I posted this in pets but thought some of you might not go there and might get a kick out of this:

Let me preface this by saying this to me is pure 100% entertainment at it's most honest form. Some get it, most do not... At least not on the level I do. These dogs are my life and I live for my time with them. I saw that show where they had the guys choose between his woman or his dog... I don't have a girlfriend™ hardly ever or for long... and I really don't mind... the more I see what happens to my friends & family members with wife/kids/serious others/etc... hell with that... The more you see in the news everyday... no thanks, Anyway....

I currently have 6 German Shepherds living with my dad and I. We have a large house so it's not a problem. 2 are puppies (4mos.) (1 Male-Reich and 1 Female-Kai), 1 (Wynnie) is the mom (3.5 years) of the puppies and is now in heat again, 1(Kahn) is a younger male (3 years), My main stud dog (8 years- Remington) is the father of the younger male and the puppies, and finally my oldest (9 years- Ruger) who is built like a brick $#!% house. Hard to keep that many intact males away from Wynnie at this point. You just put walls and doors between them and rotate who you spend time with. Luckily for me it is just my dad and I, my siblings are married and gone, my mom passed away 10 years ago, so we have dogs and just do stuff together... we have the same interests and for some reason this works. He just retired and I work evenings so it really just times everything just perfect (well almost, I f-n despise (can't think of a stronger word to use) my job) Anyway, back to my life and the dogs.

The 3 older males are going insane and are basically in a trance state where nothing will kill their concentration of trying to score with hot lips houlihan running around. So I have them separated and wynnie (hot lips) just wants to be left alone and just lays down and stays by my side. Remington just spends the entire last 3 days whistling through his noise very loudly, whining, crying, howling, does not stop. Ruger just humps air any time he smells her. Kahn just flips out and runs and hides any time he tries to jump her and sees me see him do it... This is 24/7 mind you... Just cause you have to go to work or the weekend is here doesn't mean you get to stop and enjoy the weather. Oh hell no. I do NOT want puppies whelped during a snow storm. No thank you.. I am skinny and the lakeshore of MI is damn cold in the winter.

Wynnie came to my home after her previous owners could no longer keep her for their reasons. I love this dog more than any other I have had the pleasure of knowing, her intelligence is beyond scary. It's almost to the point you can talk to her and she stares into your soul and knows/listens to what you are saying and understands. If I ask her to do something, and I show her how in a way she understands (this takes time to figure out from my end), she will do it any time you ask from then on. When I tell one of the other dogs to stop doing something she promptly walks over to them barks, grabs them a bit with her teeth and they stop... I just sit there with my mouth hanging open going "you gotta be shittin me"

When she first came here she was nervous, out of control, refused to listen, scared, just really messed up a bit. understandable... life just done got flipped upside down for her. Shortly afterwards she came into heat and i had planned to breed her at that time before the owners gave her up. HORMONES. What a PITA. Then the puppies... OMG. FML. Why did I ever think this would be a good idea. Four months later, "Man, I really really miss them already... what a lot of fun that was after I was done with it..." the stories that came from that will fill a book. My family was laughing at my expense, but the best part was it allowed me to see who really, among my circle, really understands why I do what I do. Those that do are now friends on a level I never knew them before and we hang out all the time now and the others, well they can blow me. This past summer has been the best I have ever had since I was a kid.

Back to the puppies, as they were getting bigger, Wynnie blew her coat just as I was getting ready to sell the pups... Thanks to the higher powers that be for that... Looked like hell, looked mixed breed with some kinda short hair as she no longer had ANY undercoat and the guard hairs have changed color some too.. she is much darker on her back. Now when it starts to look decent again, she comes into heat... This dog has not been emotionally balanced since she has been with me... I honestly feel so bad for her as she just doesn't know what to do anymore and has just given her life to me. Trusts me completely now, runs to me when I come home from work, waits for me to get up and go to bed. So she just spends her day by my side and loves to see what I am doing. Puts her nose right there where I am. This is that companion that you get that one time in your life and will stay with you throughout your later life in memories. I think everyone that has had dogs understands what I am saying there. Damn dust in here.

Now for my day today, at the end of the night here, I have all of them sleeping and quiet... Except that jack ass Remington. Wynnie is still dripping a bit here and there ( I have tile/hardwood floors-1 room off limits to the dogs is carpet. The rest is tile and hardwood), so I went and grabbed my package of wipes to clean up the floor. I already clean with a scrubber machine thing from hoover for this specific application in mind, daily, and the dogs are outside for most of every day. When I returned with the wipes, I pulled one out and  Wynnie jumped up and tried to eat it whilst snorting too. I quickly said "no. Wynnie these are not treats, there for cleaning" and I wiped up the floor while she watched in confusion  (head cocked to the side) and then she reali-

*** Anyone who says dogs don't show emotion can kiss my ass. They do and on a major level

zed what it was. That poor girl promptly sat down and turned her head away from me and down refusing to look at me. I tried to pet her and she turned and hid behind my chair. She was so embarrassed.   I felt so bad. I quickly got some treats and she was back to happy Wynnie the pooh bear in no time.  

I love my life. I am smiling ear to ear as I write this. I wouldn't trade this for the world. Some call me crazy, but you know, until you understand it, and I mean understand it, you're missing out. I'm sorry you spend your life being to busy to be "boring" as most tell me life is. I spend my time at home with the dogs fixing this or that and tending my garden in the summer and snowblowing for the neighbors in the winter. My life is boring I guess, I never knew. I always thought Shit! I never get a chance to sit down...  

Anyway, just a glimpse in my life and thoughts here at the mad house on the lakeshore! Have a good night all,

-Joe

Dogs are amazing, Folks that dont understand that have never had a dog, and scare me....

Sorry that it is so rambling here and there it took a while to post that... I had to get up and deal with dogs while composing it.  I see now it got a bit long.



ETA:  I forgot to say I have the worst cold I have had in a long time since last tuesday.  My head is killing me and my nose just won't stop being stuffed up.

She's not a dog, she is your kiddo. Give her some extra hugs for me tonight

I miss my Nala she was a half pit bull/boxer mutt that I loved more than anything. I got a girlfriend and she got jealous and ran off

German shepherds are some of the best dogs in the world.

i hear ya mister.  My lab, Daisy, is a member of our family for sure.  

She was our first "child".  A total Daddy's girl from the beginning.  5 1/2 years later, through two kids (real kids) - she's just as smart and as patient as ever.  

Just today, while my 4 year old attempted to ride her like a horse - she was having just as much fun as he was.  She's great with the kids.  When my kiddos want to ride their bike up and down the sidewalk - she accompanies them the entire time staying right with them.  Considering she rarely leaves my side, I absolutely think she's going with them FOR me to protect them.

The most pitiful thing about little Daisy is how she becomes a 75lb LAPDOG anytime there's a thunderstorm.  She's absolutely terrified of them.

We taught her a new trick today.  Balancing a treat on her nose.  Took about 5 minutes to teach her what I was trying to get her to do.  Of course, she picked it right up and stayed like a statue until i gave her the command to get it.

My son picked up on how this worked and eventually figured he would take his ball cap - put it on her, and get her to sit still with it on her head.  She did of course.  He laughed for a good 20 minutes

She cracks me up.  If my wife gives her a command, she instinctively looks at me for confirmation. lol

I could go on and on - there are some great stories.

I have ear plugs in now cause remington is on the other side of the hallway door standing on the top steps breathing so deep and hard through the door that at first I thought something in my furnace had broken and was freaking me out.  He is also still whining/whistling through his nose.  This has been for 3 days now.... I sleep for 2-4 hours at a time right now.  I bitch at the moment but later I just let it go and laugh.  Makes for a long day at work, but shit, I hate that place anyway.

Awesome story. I have witnessed this from cats I have owned(or that I have been owned by) over the years.



GSDs are my favorite breed, but I have never given into the impulse to get one, as I do not have the time or space I would need to give them what they need for them to be a part of my life.

Adopting my buddy Brewster was the best thing I've done in a long time. It really is amazing how big a part of your life they become.

My wife and I are both 32 and we have 3 fur kids, 2 chihuahuas and a jack russell.  All 3 are close in age and all female.  We do as any parent does for their kids as they are as much family members as we are. Personally I get along with dogs better than most people I interact with. There's not much I won't do for my girls.

Enjoy all the time you have with your pooches.

Who cares what other people think? Live your life the way that fulfills you and forget about people who don't get it. Sounds like you are happier than they are.

They really are a full time kid basically.  They do NOT like me if I don't come home for a night, I get a cold shoulder from them for a bit after the firs OMG! HE'S BACK HE'S BACK!!! YEAH!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU... OMG, I LOVE YOU...  Now, where the F___ where you last night?  And I know this because they will walk by you and "bump" you a bit as if to say, oh, sorry, did that bother you?  Well, maybe you should have been here last night then huh!!?

It's comical to see the change in attitude, mood swings, but the embarrassment Wynnie had this evening was just too much for me to not to tell someone else.  I laughed at first but seeing her like that made me feel sad in a split second.  Realizing that I understand the connection you can have with an animal like this.  Getting her to be happy go lucky (in her own bouncing off the walls) way made me feel better and her better too.

<––––-My boy Bear.  I just had to put him down he March.  He was my first dog I raised from a pup.  He was the most loving dog I had ever encountered.  He was my best friend all through high school and excepted my wife into the house immediately.  She loved just as much and he was very protective of both of us.  It was a hard day when he died and one of the worst weekends of my life (now I'm starting to get teary eyed talking about him again).
Now this little guy found his way into my life.

Its fun starting the process over again.  I still miss Bear, but I think we're going to enjoy Frank (his mom's name is Sinatra) just as much.

<––––––-I love my old dog,  he is a 12-13yo boxer.  Anyhow whatever makes you happy.   For me my pride and joy is my wife and my baby girl

^ sorry for your loss of your friend, but congrats on the new little one!  It's really neat to remember how you treated your older dogs when they were little and when you start treating them like that a bit too again, they love you even more.  They get that happy look on their face and kinda dance around.  But they quickly compose themselves like "... oh I'm a serious dog and we shouldn't do that."  It's comical!

Oh don't get me wrong I would love to be married and have kids.  But now a days, as sad as it is, that is too much of a risk to take with anyone I have met so far.  Someday, some one, yeah.  I have seen a lot folks I know and love get wrung through the family and divorce courts and the outcome for the man... No thanks.  I am missing on some great stuff sure, but I am watching one friend with kids have everything taken from him.  He has lost everything and his check is now about 30% of what it used to be.  This is not a thread about one being better than the other, I just have had 3 different people tell me I live a very boring life this past week.  All I do or talk about is my dogs... Sue me.

And not to make it sound argumentative or anything, but damn if I am this bad about my dogs, what the hell is gonna happen if I ever have a kid?  I wouldn't be able to leave him/her and go to work...  I have too soft a heart for that shit.  Better this way.

I think you know that isn't true.  You'd be a great dad, and you'd make it work.

Those people that tell you your life is boreing are probably to caught up in themselves that they dont see anything but what they want.  That is also why they end up with doomed marriages is because they are self centered,  and it is usually both parties at fualt in a bad marriage, not just one.

Heck my life seems boring to a lot of people but I like it

When we had our baby my wife stopped working to be a stay at home mom,  and I wouldnt have it any other way, unless she made more money then me then I would be a stay at home dad.  I am glad that I can provide for us all and she feels real fortunate,  we both are.  

There are a couple of siglines I like:
"Someday I hope to be the man my dog thinks I am"
&
"If dogs don't go to heaven, I want to go where they go", I think that is attributed to Will Rogers.