Hi everyone, just wanted to update some of you since a lot of you really very helpful when we first got Capone and were dealing with a lot of his issues. We put him to sleep a little over a week ago. His health issues were just getting worse and worse. The allergies and hip dysplasia. It just wasn't fair to him anymore. He just kept getting infections from the extreme allergies. Certain medications he became immune to. He would wake up some mornings with bleeding paws, limping. As soon as the wind kicked in his allergies just went nuts. He was depressed and in pain and we had to stop it. He would have been three in January. We miss him SO much. He was our cuddle bug, our big couch potato. It's been hard. The morning before we let him go I took him to my parents to swim, his favorite thing in the WHOLE WORLD! It's hard to look at the pictures because he looks healthy. Here is my boy, on his last day with us.





Rogue is doing well. We tested her for Juvenile Renal Dysplasia, and that came back clear. She is growing MUCH better but still very very small for a German Shepherd. She is 25 pounds now and 5 months. We are treating her for possible SIBO right now, as we were never able to find a cause of the constant loose stools. We are working with a French Ring club near by. Which is awesome!!! I have done all of her obedience on my own so far, based on ME teachings. She knows Sit and down in both english and french, We have started a lot of the foundation for focused heeling. She can touch something with her two front feet and spin around it with her back feet. (rear end awareness) Plus some tricks like spin, turn etc. We work a lot with socialization, taking her all different places. She seems to have good nerve. I am really enjoying her. I don't think I will ever want a different breed. (Although my husband wants a corso) I am in love with German Shepherds. Her intelligence is amazing. and her energy. OMG her energy. NEVER ENDING.lol I am learning a lot, and having a lot of fun! Plus she gets us up and out of the house for some out door time every day, which is great. I did find out that she is MAJORLY inbred (Father to daughter!) So that may be the cause of her abnormally small size. Who knows?! But anyways, Here are some recent pictures of her. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far!


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/BabyDi06/9FAD36B7-8775-467D-BEB4-BCC2935B5126-225-0000002E4C53F96A.jpg
OMG she DOES relax lol

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/BabyDi06/E4328329-5F90-46D8-B183-C609F7508899-225-0000002E4605E9D5.jpg

Her next to a 50 pound mix to show size
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/BabyDi06/141B32B7-AB58-4B00-960F-16CFE90D292F-225-0000002E353998FA.jpg

Crazy girl doing what she loves best. BITING!
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/BabyDi06/491BF2E2-77F3-4965-B5B2-1DB78550549B-225-0000002E1F2DC67E.jpg
Lil morning hike with my fam
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/BabyDi06/7CD516E0-D15F-42C1-BEBA-1E2F9FEF923F-225-0000002E16E9C647.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e126/BabyDi06/B944D337-6764-42B8-9A75-20C6183778B8-225-0000002E0116762F.jpg

So sorry to hear about Capone! Congrats on your new pup and the great work you're doing with her.

"We put him to sleep a little over a week ago. His health issues were just getting worse and worse. The allergies and hip dysplasia. It just wasn't fair to him anymore. He just kept getting infections from the extreme allergies. Certain medications he became immune to. He would wake up some mornings with bleeding paws, limping. As soon as the wind kicked in his allergies just went nuts. "

I completely understand and sympathize. Bad allergies are as bad as any chronic condition, and as miserable for the dog.

Only those who have been there understand just how awful severe atopy can be, and how it can totally eliminate quality of life.

I hope you have let the breeder know that this breeding should not be repeated.

I'm so sorry. You were there, though, to do what he needed.

I am so very sorry to hear about Capone and to know that no one was able to fix his issues despite your best efforts.
Good for you to do the right thing though. Suffering, when it can't be relieved, has to be ended.
Cudos to you for handling a tough situation.

Our dog before Kasey had allergies that bad too. I felt sorry for her all the time, and I too was going crazy trying to make her comfortable, but to no avail. I seriously thought about putting her to sleep for that but kept feeling guilty. Then she started getting sick and wouldn't eat or drink. The vet said we could do exploratory surgery because she believed there was a tumor on her kidney. That was just what I needed to make the final decision to put her out of her misery. You did the right thing for Capone - I wish I would have made that decision earlier!

So sorry to hear about Capone, you did the right, decent and kindest thing for him, that won't mend your broken heart, but if he could have thanked you, I have no doubt he would.

RIP Capone, no more suffering.

Kristi, I'm so sorry to hear that you had to let Capone go. It's the toughest decision we face when we love dogs, but one that most of us have to make at some time. It was made much harder in your case because of his young age, but I have no doubt that you did the only kind thing you could do given the painful issues he was enduring. Run free at the Bridge, Capone.

Your little girl, Rogue, is so cute! I know she's going to bring you years of love and fun! It's good to see you back on the board. I hope you'll be able to check in every so often!