Makin' Costly Mistakes

This is Quicko, a papered, purebred German Shepherd Dog, purchased by me from a kennel in Tennessee.    Quicko was absolutely gorgeous with deep, rich colorings, great confirmation and a loving spirit.     The only unfortunate part of me investing in  this dog was that I had researched and sought to purchase a Personal Protection dog.    Housebroken, obedience trained and  happy go lucky, Quicko was NO protection dog.

Having read all about Shepherds, and thinking I knew what I was getting into when purchasing one, I looked all over the net to find a kennel that specialized in training canines for security of one's home and self.   Months later and many phone calls to a kennel in Tennessee, I set out on my trip from Illinois to purchase and take home a dog.    (Mistake number one, allowing the kennel owner to pick a dog for me from the group he had available).    Made the costly trip down there and stayed at a motel for a night so I could visit the dog two or three times in his current home environment.   This man was not a breeder of dogs but a trainer.  

Although Quicko was friendly, very obedient to my commands, my friends, the trainer, and his partner,  in my eagerness, I saw what I wanted to see.   It was a beautiful facility.   Very nice, clean kennels with a fenced in area so large I could not see past the tree area to where the privacy fence ended.    The man had only six dogs and a total of ten kennel runs.   Very well protected from the weather, in door/ out door, concrete, and set under the natural shade of lovely trees.   The man spent a long time talking with me about this dog.    He explained that based upon what our phone conversations had been , this was the dog for me out of all the rest he had on the property.    I was allowed to visually see the other dogs in their runs but it was explained to me, all so very logical at the time, that each was trained to a different level of protection and it would not be good to allow them out to visit.    His explanation went to say that each dog was trained for a specific  job such as;  drug detection, search and rescue of lost people,  cadaver (deceased ) searches, and some for very high levels of apprehension of criminals.    The man himself had an impressive resume of certificates for training and placing each type of work dog, along with newspaper articles of the many searches he had participated in with law enforcement.   Again, on the surface, all seemed to be an excellent kennel with an owner who appeared to know what he was talking about.

Things are not always as they would appear.    As we signed the contract to change the dog ownership to me, he even offered a seven day guarantee on the health of the animal.   The pedigree was produced along with vet records to show that both parents had  x-rays for hips and elbow issues and found to have none (common problems in Shepherds that good breeders take extensive care to make sure the parents are free from these problems before breeding ).    Happy with Quicko, I thought, I loaded him in my car and for the long drive home he was the perfect companion.    The average person who was just looking for a great dog would have been content with this outcome.  However,  did I mention that the cost for this  "Personal and Home Protection"  dog was  $ 7,000 !!!!

A huge sum of cash to pay for what I thought I was getting, but not exorbitant for a truly well trained personal protection dog.     When I got home Quicko molded seamlessly into my band of dogs that already lived with me.    He was well socialized and appropriately submissive coming into a new house with an established pack.   Off leash and on leash this dog obeyed and I never worried about him wandering away when we walked in the 60 acres of woods I own or at the lake.    So where was the problem you ask ??    Simple, I had been sold a dog under false pretenses.    He would not protect, bark, alert, or do anything when a possible threat or stranger showed up at my home.   Quicko knew no strangers.   All were welcome into his new home.    This is not what I paid for.   Although he was vet checked and found to be in perfect health, x-rays were taken of hips and elbows and they too were perfect, I was not in the market to get a show dog for that amount of money.

After the seven days were up for the health guarantee, and I had called this man several times to explain the dog did not show any interest in protection.     Yes, while at the kennel , the man demonstrated that Quicko would bite a "sleeve"  ( a burlap and hard plastic sleeve placed on the arm of a trainer to show the dogs willingness and level of bite performance ) but I was totally undereducated about reading how the dog reacted when commanded to do this task.    If I had been more knowledgeable or had hired a person who I trusted to pick out a dog for me I would have never purchased Quicko.  

Subsequently,   I gave the dog a month to settle into the home and get to know me better.   More phone calls to this man and his kennel went to an answering machine and were never returned.   At that point I looked up the original advertisement on the web and found it was gone!  In fact everything about this man's kennel had vanished from the web.  (Big red flag there).   I do not have advice on how to avoid a mistake like this for the kennel appeared well established and the dog I purchased was in perfect health, he was simply sold to me as a trained protection dog, and he was not.

At that point I was unsure of what to do with Quicko and realizing I did not have that kind of money to spend on another dog, which would only add to my crew of five indoor dogs with yet another one, I turned to a man I had known for years who was a trainer and breeder of German Shepherd Dogs.
After a few phone calls I  made the trip to Pana, IL and brought Quicko with me for an evaluation of the dog's skills (first correct choice in all of my mistakes).    Why I didn't go to this man in the first place I don't know and regret.

Always helpful, vastly skilled in the reading and training of dogs for more than 20 years, and specializing in German Shepherd Dogs, his evaluation of  Quicko took about five minutes.  Ruefully, he shook his head and said the dog had absolutely no desire or inclination to protect anyone or anything let alone himself.    I asked if he was able to teach the dog these skills and he gently explained that some dogs are born and bred through a long line of genetics, each puppy carefully evaluated and picked for it's courage and balance of defensive and offensive skills, then raised to cultivate those traits.   He offered to show me a prize dog he had that he was considering placing named Brasso.

The dog was beyond brave , highly intelligent, and showed remarkable skills for personal protection.   He wanted to sell the animal because his concentration of training was into the sport of Schutzhund and this dog did not make that grade.   Being the fantastic person he is, and seeing how I had been dooped, hearing of the vast cost I had placed into Quicko, along with his wife telling him she was interested in showing him in confirmation as well as having a great house pet, he offered me a trade.     I was well aware that he could have charged probably more than $10,000, easily, for the amount of time, care, training, excellent genetics and everything he had placed into Brasso. 
  
Eagerly, I accepted the trade and signed the papers of Quicko and Brasso to exhange ownership.
This was an excellent home, with ample space for Quicko to play, four growing boys to wrestle with, along with daily mental exercise  and the opportunity to excel at what this dog was made for, confirmation shows and being a great pet.   Quicko went on to live a full life in a lap of luxury, being played with every day.

My lesson here was just because everything looks good on the surface, and even when digging deeper it appears that one is getting what they paid for, it behooves a purchaser to seek out a trusted source when spending large amounts of cash for a specific attribute in a dog.     Read all you can, study everything, learn about the breed and reason you want a specific type of dog,  then, find others who have a great deal of experience to help you make your choice.  


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Gone Swimmin' ....

Nothing better to do on a scorching hot summer day then to hit the local swimming hole, pool, or lake.    Dogs are no different than us, they love a cool dip as well and the exercise can not be beat.
In the above picture Jamoka is swimming and Echo is just getting into the local lake with him.   They all loved the trips to the water and although not all my dogs would swim, I would encourage them to at least wade in the cool wakes. 

Jamoka and Echo both believed that the ducks and geese that landed on the lake could be caught.   The dogs would swim as fast and sneaky as they could and, of course, just before they reached their feathered friends, the ducks or geese would fly off looking a tad bit annoyed.   Undeterred, they would head to the new spot to try again.   Jamoka and Dozer were such avid swimmers, like with human children, we often had to call them back in to rest.

Water sports are wonderful for re cooperation from injuries.   After a fellow Doberman named Izac, was hit by a car, he and his owner went for many rehab trips to the lake.   It took nearly a full year but he regained all his mobility.   If you have a pool at your home, it is a wise choice to teach your companion how to swim, where to enter and exit.    Fencing at home to keep the unmonitored dog out is needed as well.   I have seen some people who allow their dogs free access and never watch them, I feel these people are foolhardy and will regret that decision if they ever find their animal could not get out of the pool.    Not all dogs swim, some dogs are just not built for that and because of the body type they can doggie paddle for only a short time before they wear out and may drown.    Never is it a good idea to toss your unsuspecting four legged friend into the deep.   It only serves to frighten them.    Gently show them the waters edge, or get into it first and coax them in after you.  You can use flotation devices to help them get started and after supporting the belly and showing them not to be afraid, allow them to explore the ability to swim with you as an anchor.    Frightened dogs in the water nipping and scratching are no fun, so go very slow and be ready to pull them out of harms way.

Some dogs can swim and simply prefer not to.   Missy and Blake would rather have been hot, sitting on the shoreline and watching the fish swim then to ever get in more than belly high in the waves.   But for most of my other pets, the lake was a place to kick loose, run like the wind, and be a dog.    The lake we visited was in a huge fenced area and they were allowed off leash.   Be sure to check with your local park or recreation center, Department of Natural Resources , or your local sheriff /police to see where your pets are allowed to swim and be loose.   Always remember to clean up after your pet, no one wants to share your waste when they walk through the area.

I recall one of the many times that Echo had finished her romp in the water and set off to deer hunt.   No, she could not catch the deer, she only thought she could.   Most of the time Echo would trail, nose a few inches above the dirt, running as fast as her Doberman legs would carry her, following what she was sure was a new scent of some deer.    99 out of 100 times she would come back, tongue nearly dragging the ground, covered in dirt, and exhausted from chasing deer ghosts.  But there is always that one time......

  I waited and waited, the sun was near setting and the day was late in autumn.  I called to Echo many times and began to worry she had found her way out of the drive entrance to the park.   Walking quickly up the all dirt road I saw three adult deer break out of the woods and head over a fence into the bean field.   Hot in pursuit was Echo !   She, at last, had found real deer !    Having no reason to stop because she didn't realize she was even tired, and her quarry in her sights, she was running hard, leaped  over the fence and into the bean fields.    I stopped yelling as I saw the deer head out way ahead of her and vanish.   I just started walking, gathering the other dogs with me for what I was sure would be a long trek.   Grumbling to myself, I plodded through the field looking for the not lost Echo (at least she didn't think she was lost).   I got about three minutes of walking in when I saw the familiar, although not quite as bouncy, Echo, headed my way over the beans.    When she reached me, exhausted, she nearly fell on the ground.    I sent a friend of mine back for the car so we didn't all have to walk back.  After putting the dogs all into the air conditioned car and giving them fresh water from home, along with a rub down for Echo's tired muscles, we headed home for the always needed bath.

My best estimation is that Echo ran about two miles after the deer before turning back.   A good lesson to know when you think your dog can not ever be that far from you.    The next trip to the lake I made sure did not involve late evening trailing.

So live it up this summer, take your companion along, and participate in joint the sports of dock diving, water retrieval , boating, and swimming.  Always be safe and look out for the welfare of your pets.  Maybe you can enjoy your summer more and both get in some work out time without the high gym prices.



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The Magic of Echo

Meet Echo, or Whirlwind Spirit's Echo, which was her papered name.    This is one of the few companions that I sought out and  purchased.      I searched for months for her, knew I wanted a female, black and tan, and full of fire.   I saw many ads for puppies sold but nothing clicked.  Then one day there was an ad saying "One, ten week old , female, black and tan Doberman for sale."
I felt it was the right dog and called.    A young man had purchased her and was called to military service.   He had to live on base and the dog could not come along.   What impressed me about these people was the parents were willing to keep this dog if they did not find the exact right home.    I made several visits to the house and the first time I held this pup, she bit me on the tip of my nose.   I knew she was perfect.

I could not have been more correct.   She was not yet named and I took my time and got to know her.  My dear friend came up with the name which honored the memory of my last Doberman, Spirit.   My black and tan ball of fire was afraid of nothing, made friends with everyone and became a top quality Certified Therapy and Certified Service dog.    I took her to schools to teach the value of respecting animals and proper behavior around them.   I took her to endless nursing homes and gave obedience demonstrations and then would let her socialize with all the patients.   She went into hospitals to visit the sick as well as  Ronald McDonald Houses to seek out the children and parents of children who were so sad.  Echo never met an stranger.   She could sense sadness, anxiety, fear, stress, as well as happiness and joy.   To say she shared in all those emotions is an understatement.      Her stories of love could fill it's own book.   Gentle and patient, she would nuzzle people who were despondent or lay quietly at the feet of a stranger who was anxious.

As a puppy she went everywhere with me.   I lived near the Illinois State Fair grounds in Springfield, IL, and we delighted in going to all the horse, cow, pig, and sheep 4-H shows.   At one point I was teaching the  4-H classes at the fairgrounds, and she came along as a demonstration dog.  I  taught public obedience classes where she also was a teachers aide.     Her curiosity was great and I would hold her tiny puppy form up to the show horses in the barns at the fairgrounds.   They would sniff and whinny and nearly blow her away trying to inhale her scent.   One Belgium draft horse who stood 17 hands high and about 1,800 pounds loved dogs.   After asking permission I walked Echo, who was about five months old and a little over 50 pounds, right up to the horses nose.    Without the slightest bit of fear the two stood smelling each other.   I wish I had a picture of the small, bold Doberman staring up into those deep brown eyes of this huge animal.   I swear she cocked her head and said in dog language,
"My, you are the biggest Doberman I have ever seen !"
Nothing about this dog ever disappointed me.   I had her for ten years and the imprint she left on my heart will always be huge.   She touched many lives, and I hope her stories in future posts will make you smile and give you a chance to share in the magic of Echo.



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