The Pill

Brett was King of the Pill

I was reminded a while back that giving a pill of any kind to a German Shepherd can be a long task, almost a game for your GSD. A fun game that they have every desire to win. The medicine will not go down even with a spoonful of sugar or peanut butter.

My reminder came when Polly had to have some anti-biotics. Being a clever human, I plotted to place the pill in her breakfast. And I watched as she ate.  Then next morning I was preparing the bowl I heard a click on the floor. Looking around it turned out to be the anti-biotic pill from the day before.

I don't know how she did it but it seems as she ate she seperated out the pill and dropped it to the side of her bowl without a moments hesitation. She won that game.

Brett was the king of the pill game though. In one near hour long battle I attempted to give him a pill for something.

First we tried rolled in bread, then peanut butter, cheese and then a bowl of food. Brett would look right into my eyes, look soleful and open his mouth and the pill would clatter to the floor. Then with a sniff he would look as if to say "What ya' gonna do now?"

Eventually it got physical, Brett was a big dog, over twenty-eight inches to the shoulder and over six feet long.  I held him in a head lockm pushed his lip against his teeth to stop him biting as I put the pill on the back of his tongue. Quickly letting my thumb off his lip as I withdrew my other hand I held his jaw shut as I stroked the side of his neck eventually I felt him swallow, looked into his mouth, there it was the pill on his tongue, soggy and disolving. He dropped it to the floor.

Walking away from me he flipped his tail and retired undefeated. Champion, King of the pill.

Watch for the "Bunny Hop"

One weak spot for the German Shepherd is their hips. Hip Dysplasia is a common problem for the breed. It is not the end of the dog however,
My dog Brett had Hip Dysplasia and lived happily for over sixteen years. I needed to watch his weight and exercise him carefully but he lived a long and quite active life.

Even in such a healthy dog as Brett was however hip dysplasia began to show as he grew to old age. A characteristic symptom is the "Bunny Hop" gait.

The dog when coming to an obstacle such as a step will climb with their front paws then bring their back legs up the step together, sometimes painfully.

This is the first sign of a weakening of the back, it is progressive and you may notice growing unsteadiness of your dog.

At this time you can discuss with your veterinary surgeon possible drug remedies for your dog. Canine painkillers work for a time and your dog may still enjoy an active life.

Restrict exercise for your dog to gentle walks and less active chasing and running.  Try to keep your dog on good gripping surfaces. A wooden floor may cause slippages for an old dog, causing them and you a great deal of pain and distress. Having to lift an older struggling dog in a confined space of a hallway on a slippery floor can damage your back as well as your pets.

German Shepherds and Food

The one thing I have come to realise over my years of German Shepherd ownership is their total devotion to food.

I can call for ages at the door and not raise any interest. Let me open the fridge door and I have a furry companionhappily putting her nose into every open package and telling me the best treats that I can provide.

My wife has gone away this weekend, leaving me and the dog to fend for ourselves with a large meatloaf and gravy to share. As I walk by the fridge there is a soleful look from those big brown eyes which tell me, "I'm hungry. Feed me before I starve."

It is such a plaintiff look. It is a lie that she is starving, she had a pre breakfast biscuit, three handfuls of dry food, gravy, a slice of meatloaf, potatoes, a mid morning biscuit, helped me eat my lunch, meatloaf. A mid afternoon biscuit, more meatloaf and part of my dinner.

But still that little furry muzzle helps me by guiding me to the fridge for yet more instruction as to where to find the meatloaf.

Creating My Cafepress shirts

Hello Hoomanz und your furkids, mine name ist Polly und I hab dezigned a grrreat tee-shirt fur you. It haz bien mine plezure to live among hoomans fur zixteen years, 135 off mine doggy years.

In dat time I haben dezided zat hoomans need rules as too how zey shud treat der furkinder.

Minen shirts fur hoomanz will teach zem what rulez to follow and haf ein 'Appy life mit der furkid whoz will own dem.

For Polly's shirt designs and rules for being owned by your dog go to:

Cafepress Shirts

Women's Wear Jr. Jersey T-Shirt Women's Wear Tweet Me Bretsuki

I am creating a line of fun wear for German Shepherd lovers everywhere. The designs feature Polly the German Shepherd and her thoughts on the rules of German Shepherd ownership.

From the German Shepherd point of view.

Women's Wear Jr. Jersey T-Shirt Women's Wear Tweet Me Bretsuki

Last days of a dog

We who love our dogs, know at the bottom of our hearts when the time to part is near.

For some the day will come when they wake in the morning, find no familiar muzzle sniffing at their hand. Coming into the room finding their loved companion strangely quiet at their approach. Their fur somehow dishevelled and wrong looking. The reached out hand feels a hard coldness on that once warm body.

The lifeless body lies still and quiet forever.

For others there is a long decision time. You watch as your dogs eyes grow cloudy, the once strong legs that drove them on for miles on your walks, now shiver and quake as he stands. His walk is broken with a sudden crash as those legs now fail him. The day comes oh so fast when they fail to work completely and you know it is time to go.

Your heart aches as you take him on that last car journey together. Maybe your memory returns to the little excited puppy you brought home years ago. Bright eyed then, full of the chase,. You might think of the bulbs you planted one fall, those bulbs that suddenly reappeared on the living room carpet, chewed and broken. How the now grey muzzle had been covered with mud and dirt, he had pushed you to the floor in excited need of praise for his finding you your lost buried treasure.

Now he quietly lies. waiting with you as young pups, squeel at the new excitement of a vet's office.

You carry him to the waitng table, cold and hard, his last bed. As the liquid drains the needle he drowsily sleeps. Quiet now amidst the songs of squeeling puppies.

PetSmart Adoption Fair

I came upon this story in my news feed today. A couple went to a local PetSmart to buy items for their two German Shepherds and found an adoption fair going on at the store.

It's a really nice story and shows the good that such fairs can do. I would recommend looking at such fairs for a new dog or puppy, it is sad that they are necessary.

Only a couple of weeks ago I was talking with an adoption fair organizer in my local PetSmart. They have seen a 75% increase in abandoned animals over the last year. Some of the reasons are the economy and loss of jobs making owning a dog a harder commitment. When the money gets low, out goes the dog. This is in addition to those who buy a cute puppy which in weeks becomes a not always cute teenager. Ah Well! Now I rant.

Read this story. It shows a nice side of humanity and love of dogs.

PetSmart Adoption Fair