So, a comment on another thread got me thinking about my past dogs...

One dog, in particular, was beyond compare. He was a German Shepherd that my grandfather saved from a life on a chain. He came to live with us on our dairy farm when I was 5.

He wasn't much to look at - just an average saddle back GSD - but he was my world. He taught me about the secret life of dogs, love. loyalty, and 4 years later, loss.

Sam's loss was profound to me - my grandfather passed away about 6 months after Sam - I have to believe they are somewhere watching over me...

It was 30 years before I was able to bring home another GSD - that being Drift the Magnificent. I worked with many Shepherds here at Leerburg, and loved most, but none compared to Sam... until Drift entered my life... I have yet to let another male dog into my heart - that spot is forever Sam's (though CJ Leeburg's retired stud dog is trying his best ).

I know most of you have had a dog that you think of as a "Heart Dog" as well - would you care to share a story or 2?

Kel

As I mentioned in another post I've had three of them but the GSD I recently had to put down was top of the "heart dogs" by the time he was 6-7 months old.

I knew that early he was special and he never ONCE let me down in anything we did.

Aside from his SAR training, CD, CDX, BH, SCH I II and III, HT, TT and CGC he was just the easiest, fastest learner I've ever owned.

He was also OUTSTANDING dog around kids.

He could dern near pull my arm out of it's socket when playing tug yet my then 2 yr old gradaughter #3 could pick up the tug, show it to him and all he would do was gently hold it, wagging his tail, and not move a muscle while this 2 yr old would be hanging off the other end.

When my now 10 yr old grandson was 6 he could put Thunder through his OB routine with Thunder happily wagging his tail.

Wo be it anyone he didn't know go near the kids, the yard or the car without the wrath of Thunder exploding in their face.

He found my lost car keys on two different occasions. Once in a football size field with ankle deep grass.

I had spent an hour or more looking for them when one of the people with me said "doesn't Thunder do that "stuff". DUH!

I turned him loose at the end of the field with a "find it" and within 60 seconds he was standing the center of the field, tapping his foot on the ground and barking at me.

I could have sworn he was saying "Hey stupid, over here".

He was finding me hidden in the woods by the time he was 12 -13 wks old and that was with a ten min head start.

I always loved dogs and animals in general. I never had dogs though, because my parents didn't want to. They have had a dog before I was born. They actually liked dogs and I was begging for getting one, but they said, a dog complicates life, we would be "chained".

Later on I was often abroad and couldn't have one and when I got married I again had to renounce, because of the allergie of my husband.

With 71 finally I could have dogs, because here in Brazil I can leave them outdoors even in winter, so it doesn't trigger any allergic reaction for my hubby. I have 4 dogs now and they are all my heart dogs, although they are so different. I wouldn't be able to decide which one to give away, if I hd to.

But there existed another heart dog in my early life. I was about four years old and had to go to the kindergarten, which was quite far away from our house. Especially my way home was very long, because I had to greet all the dogs in the yards of the houses I had to pass by. I knew the name of each one and needed a lot of time to talk with them all.

One day it happened, that a little Schnauzer, called Schnuufi, could open the ajar door of his yard. I petted him and he followed me the whole way home. I interpreted this the following way: This is the decision of Schnuufi. He has chosen to be with me.

I hid him in the washroom in the cellar underneath a table. I played and smooched with him, when my mother was away or on another floor.

But two days later she discovered him, she said, that I had stolen this dog and that we must not do such a thing. I cried, I didn't understand this at all. I had to bring Schnuufi back to the owner, my mother came with me.

I was horrified to have to meet the woman, who was Schnuufi's owner. After the way my mother had spoken with me, I was sure, that woman would be very angry with me too.

But she broke out in tears, took Schnuufi into her arms and couldn't stop crying. She wasn't angry at all with me, she thanked me to have brought her darling back. That was the moment I suddenly understood, why it was wrong what I had done.

From then on I could visit Schnuufi whenever I wanted and sometimes even take him for a little walk together with that woman. That's why Schnuufi is still one of my heart dogs. He will always be in my mind and my heart, I can see him as if it had happened yesterday.

Her name was Savanna. She came to live with us in 1996 as a beautiful nine-week-old, black-and-rust, female Doberman. For the first five years of her life, my husband was still working. I was working, too, but from my home office, so Savanna and I were together all day, every day. We became best friends quickly, and we were so in tune together, we could practically read each other's mind with just a glance.

She was a perfect house dog. We could trust her alone, loose in the house, by the time she was around six months old. She was also great in the car and loved to go anywhere. She was seven months old when we took her on her first trip out West. We spent about three weeks exploring Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. We did so many fun things on that trip, but one that really stands out was visiting White Sands National Monument. She was enthralled with all that sand! She was gleefully running circles around me (on leash, of course), and shoving her nose into the sand. I have a picture of her with white sand stuck to all the wet parts of her nose. During those years, we did a lot of traveling around the country, and she loved every minute of it.

She was the most intelligent dog I've ever known. It wasn't just that she was smart and easy to train, but she seemed to have a special kind of intuitiveness where she just understood things about everyday life. Her vocabulary was extensive. I always made a point to tell her the name of new things we saw. "Turtle. Snake!" You only had to say it once and she made the association from then on. I could speak to her in complete sentences, and she understood. She also had a phenomenal sense of humor!

She had an indescribable influence on me. She enriched my life in countless ways. We had to let her go when she was twelve. That was eight years ago, and I miss her terribly and think about her every day.

I have two other Dobermans now, and I love and appreciate both of them very much for the special individuals they are. They are both seniors now, and I know that means I will soon have to figure out how to get through that terrible kind of loss again. I've shared my life with other great dogs in the past, and I hope to do the same in the future. Each lives in a special place in my heart, but Savanna is more than that. She is the keeper, the guardian of my heart. She lives not just in my heart but in my soul, in the fabric of my being.

What a wonderful relationship! Savanna remembers me a bit on Socks. She also learns new words very quickly, not as quickly as Savanna, I have to use it repeatedly, but after a short time she's got it. Once she understands it, I can also use it in sentences. Very amazing for me.

She is also an "expert" in observing me. She notices it, when I'm searching for something. She brought me the keys, I had dropped somewhere in the already too high lawn. I hadn't taught her this and hadn't given any search command, she simply realized that I was looking for something.

She once discovered a poisonous snake in our garage. We were already in bed and found her barking sounded different than her usual intonations. We went looking but couldn't see anything and went back to bed. But this strange barking went on. When we came back again, she sat exactly on the same place, stared to the same spot on the wall and barked and barked. Then finally we saw that snake camouflaged within the waterhoses and things hanging on that wall. A neighbour, who knows snakes well came then and removed it.

Sand: She's crazy about it! On the seaside she grabs holes so deep that she disappears in it. She smells immediately, whether one of those tiny holes crabs make, is inhabited or not.

And the car! I once mentioned, she loves to bolt out of the yard, if she can. One evening my husband was talking with a neighbour and had the door just a little bit open. Suddenly I realized that Socks was not in the yard any more. I was quite angry with my husband, because I'm always worried, when something like that happens.

He then had to go into town to buy something and I was crying because of Socks. 5 minutes later my husband came back and said: "She didn't bolt out. D'you know where she is? In the trunk of the car!"

She loves a ride so much, that she jumps into the car whenever she sees an oportunity!

Missy came to me from her "breeder" when she was three years old. Stiff and scared, first thing she did upon getting out of the car when getting home was dart underneath it and plaster herself to the ground. She didn't know how to interact with the world. But within three days, she was my dog and we both knew it.

She became my best friend, right hand and chore partner. We each helped the other work out of the painfully shy shell we were both in. We read each other's mind. She learned words and commands in 2-3 repeats. She knew the family, the cats and the sheep by name.

She was a great farm dog. She wouldn't pick a fight with the sheep but would back down from one either. The look in her eye at times said "I dare you!"

Kept young children in line, too. Babies and toddlers? she had the utmost patience with. Once they got older than that? There were rules on how one must act around a dog. She was fair, but insistent!

I trusted her. She trusted me.

When she turned 12, she still looked and acted like she was about 7-8. Then a few months later a cancer diagnosis and she was gone soon after that. She was the one that was supposed to live forever. That was five years ago and I'm still tearing up writing this.

And now Kolt. We're busy writing our story now. But the reason that we're writing it is because Missy showed me what was possible.

For sure, Kasey was my heart dog. I've had 6 dogs in my life and none of them were like him. He was a typical goofy golden retriever but he was a lot more. He and I first saw each other at the breeder when he was 6 weeks old and we got to visit. There were 10 puppies and they were all in a play area. He was the only one who came over and just sat in front of me. He watched me the whole time I was there - I held other puppies, talked to the breeder, and played with the mom, and he didn't budge. I knew that we would be right together, but the breeder said the ultimate decision was hers and that temperament testing hadn't taken place yet.

I held my breath for almost 2 weeks trying not to get my hopes up in case she thought he wasn't the right one for us. Then I got the phone call, and he was mine. For the 9 1/2 years we had the privilege of owning him, he never took his eyes off me. He never left our yard, he never darted ahead while we hiked (he'd run ahead 20 feet or so and then turn and wait for us to catch up and then run ahead again). He was always at my feet, and he was always tuned into how I was feeling or what I was thinking. It only took a look to correct an unwanted behavior, and he would know what I wanted him to do with just a slight movement of my head, no words. If you were sick or sad, his head was in your lap. He even came to physical therapy with me and put his head in on other's tables when they were in pain. He just knew things...

He taught my 5 and 2 yr old grandkids how to play ball with him - he'd roll it to them with his nose and they'd roll it back, over and over. It was so much fun to watch them.

It was the hardest thing we ever did in February to have to put him to sleep because of arthritis in his front paw. It had become so swollen he couldn't play, go for walks, or even rest easy - pacing at night and anxiety became his daily routine. Pain pills no longer helped, or any other meds the vet tried. It has been 7 months and I keep expecting to see him walk into the room, and my 2 yr old granddaughter still looks for him

We are getting a new golden puppy the first week of January, but we know that Kasey will always have a special place in our hearts. Ugh, this made me cry all over again!

"Would you care to share a story or 2?" Thanks Kelly for opening that wonderful thread!

All the stories are so touching, the funny side of the life with dogs as well of course as the sad ones.

First came yur story about living and learning from and with dogs. Your unforgettable Drift, what a bond! And now DC will gain your heart fully, I bet.

Do you remember, when I had no idea what DC means and thought it must be some internet slang? which I couldn't find anywhere by googling.

Then you, great dog lover, Bob!, and your loss of Thunder, which surely still hurts a lot. It hurts even me, only reading about it. Thunder with his talent for searching and finding. And his the way he was tugging with you and the sensitive adjusting of his method when playing with your grand daughter. Stunning. Must have been a very smart and extraordinary dog!

Then Cheri's time with the sand crazy, travel loving, open minded and linguistically so gifted Savanna. You must have passed an awesome time with her! Very sweet, amazing and touching!

Mara and your life with Missy! This story also goes really to one's heart. And now your Kilt, who will profit a lot from all you have learned from Missy. Very touching and rousing!

Now Lori's enchanting development of the relationship with Kasey. So sweet and impressive to read how that dog chose you! I can imagine, you're very happy with him.

Thanks to you all for your descriptions of your adventures, fun and learning from those wonderful animals, who all enrich our lifes so much. All my compassion for all who have lost one or more dogs already. For me this is still to come and I know it will be difficult to overcome.

The stories of each one of you have made me even more aware, than I already was, to enjoy the time with my dogs fully.

Addendum: Any more stories? I love to read them so much!

Good thread, Kelly.

I've had five dogs in my lifetime, the most recent being our almost 8 year old Malinois, Bailey. While Bailey is doing her darndest to become our heart dog, I still have to reserve that honor to the dog we had before her, a 40 lb shepherd mix named Tasha.

Maybe not the smartest, Tasha was the most obedient, loyal, most gentle, sweetest dog I've ever seen. She could have been so much more but that was due to our lack of experience or time to train her to live up to her potential. She carried herself with grace and was always there to offer a gentle kiss and a boisterous greeting. Not an aggressive bone in her body. She grew up with my three kids and there was never a hint of a desire to nip or bite anyone, regardless of the numerous tail tugs, pushes, and general roughhousing she endured. Only once did she show a fierce side and that was when she threw herself at an aggressive stray dog twice her size attacking me in our yard. She became our hero after that. She was my first real dog friend, the best walking partner I ever had up to that point, always perfect on her recall, long before I knew anything about marker training or what the word recall even meant. Sure wish I had a do-over with her. We'll never know what she could have been had I known enough to bring the most out of her.

That said, Bailey is coming on strong as a wonderful friend and companion and will probably make us think you can have multiple heart dogs.

 Quote: Greg Meyer

Good thread, Kelly.

I've had five dogs in my lifetime, the most recent being our almost 8 year old Malinois, Bailey. While Bailey is doing her darndest to become our heart dog, I still have to reserve that honor to the dog we had before her, a 40 lb shepherd mix named Tasha.

Maybe not the smartest, Tasha was the most obedient, loyal, most gentle, sweetest dog I've ever seen. She could have been so much more but that was due to our lack of experience or time to train her to live up to her potential. She carried herself with grace and was always there to offer a gentle kiss and a boisterous greeting. Not an aggressive bone in her body. She grew up with my three kids and there was never a hint of a desire to nip or bite anyone, regardless of the numerous tail tugs, pushes, and general roughhousing she endured. Only once did she show a fierce side and that was when she threw herself at an aggressive stray dog twice her size attacking me in our yard. She became our hero after that. She was my first real dog friend, the best walking partner I ever had up to that point, always perfect on her recall, long before I knew anything about marker training or what the word recall even meant. Sure wish I had a do-over with her. We'll never know what she could have been had I known enough to bring the most out of her.

That said, Bailey is coming on strong as a wonderful friend and companion and will probably make us think you can have multiple heart dogs.

Oh YES Greg, it is most certainly possible to have more than one Heart-Dog, especially by the time you're my age -- I've already been crying enough from reading about other posters' Once-in-a-Lifetime canine companions on this thread, so I know that if I tried to write about all of mine here, then I would be washed out of this office building on a FLOOD of TEARS ... Some folks are just too Sensitive & Sentimental to express the emotions which are "closest to the quick" and I am definitely one of them, sorry to say.