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-

*** [redAnyone who says dogs don't show emotion can kiss my ass.  They do and on a major level][/red]

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

I know what you mean, I have a lab/german shepherd mix. I got her from a human society and have never regretted it since.  People that have never had the joy of the unconditional love of a dog, well have never lived.  Molly ( 4 yrs old) has the greatest attitude there is . She knows when I'm sick,upset,had a bad day at work,or knows that I just need cheering up. People always ask me why I always go home everyday at lunch time?  I tell them I do this so I can spend some time with her and to get away from the BS at work and get some cheering up.  

You have my greatest respect for taking care of all your dogs, I watch my brothers dog sometimes and that gets to be alittle chaotic at times, but it beats having to know he is sitting alone at the vet in solitarie confinment. Hang in there because the payoff of the love your dogs give you is worth it.