For the Love of the Dogs

Some people think we’re crazy.  

I’m not sure I’d disagree! After all, we have FIVE German Shepherds.  

We started with one dog, like most dog people.  And she was wonderful red sable German Shepherd we named Sasha.  She was regal and noble–clearly the queen of the house.  She and my husband had a special bond and he used to joke that she was the alpha female of the house.  

Sasha with her red ball and Marta close by.

We planned to get a buddy for Sasha and we did when Sasha was two.  Enter Marta.   

Marta, would not be mistaken for a regal queen.  She was a little anxious and a bit flighty and completely loveable.  She submitted fully to Sasha and there was no question who was the alpha–Sasha all the way.  Marta was always my girl.  She followed me everywhere and waited up for me at night.  Every morning she greeted me with a crazy dance and a barrage of kisses.  It was her way.  Just a bundle of anxious love.  

In 2006 Sasha, died of liver cancer just two weeks before her 10th birthday.  It was  hard blow for us–she was our first dog, the big girl, the queen.  If you’ve ever had a dog you described as “the best dog ever,” then you know what I mean.  

And Marta, who had always followed Sasha’s lead, was suddenly alone.  And Marta changed.  Sasha had stayed over night at the animal hospital the night before she died and Marta greeted me the next morning with her same crazy morning dance.  And then we came home the next day without Sash, because she had died.  That next morning, Marta greeted me quietly. No more crazy dance.  It was as if she had grown up overnight.  As if she knew Sasha was gone.  

We had planned to look into adding a new puppy before Sasha died, but her death took us off guard.  We weren’t ready.  We had no plans of running out to get a puppy to replace our Sasha–but Marta was just lost.  She seemed so blue and we were worried about her.   

And that’s when we found Eva.  Eva is our all black German Shepherd and she’s amazing.  She was a feisty little pup and a bit much for Marta at times.  We learned the art of the daily morning two-mile walk in order to take the edge off Eva’s energy and that helped a lot.  Soon they were a good twosome and our little nervous Marta somehow became the alpha female at age 8.  

Eva’s breeder wanted a breeding agreement on Eva for a litter of puppies and we agreed.  So in 2008, Eva gave birth to a litter of five pups:  three males and two females.  

Eva and her puppies.

Having puppies is a special experience and we just loved it.  We watched Eva give birth and we watched the pups go from squirming blind little things to rambunctious self-sufficient pups.  

And this is where things get interesting.  We planned to keep a puppy, of course.  How could we not?!  

The question was, “Which puppy?”  My husband wanted the big male, and there was no question who that was!  The big man, Maximus.   But both my husband and my son started talking about keeping two puppies.  TWO!?  On top of our two full-grown German Shepherds?  

Max trying to cause trouble with his mom, Eva.

And that was it, I said, because “only a crazy person would have FOUR German Shepherds.”  Very funny.  

Then there was an accident.  I accidentally stepped on one of the female pups while wearing heels and broke her little elbow.  We had no idea if her leg would grow or function or have to be removed, and I felt horribly, horribly guilty—and determined to heal her.  So, that’s where my husband and son got their wish–we kept both Max, the big alpha male pup, and Nastia, the dainty girl with the broken elbow.  Four German Shepherds.  

Nastia at six weeks in her cast.

It became my mission in life to heal Nastia.  We used tons of natural anti-inflammatories from Shaklee (http://LifeSpring.MyShaklee.com) and our vet was impressed with how quickly the little pup was healing.  We anxiously waited to see if her growth plates had been damaged–and the good news was that both legs were growing at the same rate.  Now, at nearly two years old, Nastia is healthy and barely has a limp.  And, she’s madly in love with my son.  

It would seem, wouldn’t it, that we had a full house?  Four German Shepherds, one with allergies (that’s old Marta) and one with a leg injury . . . but my husband is a sucker for an underdog, literally.  

Lilija at this point was 6 months old and we’d watched her grow up.  Every week during dog training , she played with our pups and charmed us, too.  She belonged to our trainer/breeder and he was trying to find a home for her–preferably one open to a breeding agreement, and hopefully, since her dad is a former police dog, someone  interested in advanced training.  

Lilija is such a sweetheart, something my husband always mentioned, and she was being bullied by her kennel mate.  She had a big gouge in the top of her head from a fight and John’s heart just caved in to her.  And, she reminded him a bit of . . . his girl, Sasha.  

But I resisted!  I tried to find Lilija a home, and every week she played with my dogs.  She and Nastia especially seemed to have a bond.  And one day I heard her yelp as her kennel mate bit her in the butt . . . and then I knew she was coming home with us.  

Max, Nastia, and Lilija hanging out on Christmas morning.

It hasn’t been easy–we’ve had a few dog fights between Nastia and Lilija, but they seem to be working through their relationship and 99% of the time, they are absolutely best friends.   I was prepared to like Lilija, but I didn’t think I’d love her as much as I do. She’s  a real momma’s girl, it turns out. 

And that’s how we came to have FIVE German Shepherds.  And I love each and every one of them!  

So what’s your multi-dog story?  Please share!

The Top of the Bottom of the Pack

Our two little girls negotiate status in the pack as we humans establish boundaries–but, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s go back to the beginning.

We don’t have dogs; we have a dog pack.

My husband, 15-year-old son, and I share our home with five, yes five, German Shepherds.

Our pack matriarch, Marta, will turn 12 this April.  Marta is a small black and tan German Shepherd who has always been more concerned about a belly rub than being dominant.  Yet, there she is, at the top of the dog pack by default.

Old Marta with her stick.

 

Then there’s Eva.  Eva doesn’t want to be at the top of the pack.  And Eva doesn’t want to be at the bottom of the pack.  She wants, for the most part, to be left alone.  Eva (Ay-vuh) is our 3 year-old solid black German Shepherd with an even temperament and a strong drive.  She’s a neat dog and striking looking, too.  She submits to Marta because Marta was tough with her when she was a pup.  And Eva remembers.

Nastia looks on as Max stands over their mom, Eva

 

Max and Nastia are Eva’s 1 1/2-year-old black and tan pups.  Max is the alpha male, although he does show deference to Marta.  Max, also known as Maximus vom Haus Nicholas, likes to be in charge. And at 95 pounds and still growing, it’s easy for him to literally throw his weight around.  In fact, since Eva, his mom, never completely put him in his place when he was a feisty pup, he tries to dominate her by chewing on her legs and mouthing the back of her neck.  This is where the humans step in because no one likes a punky kid.  Eva, after all, just wants to be left to herself.  You can almost hear her thinking, “These kids are driving me crazy!”

Nastia is Max’s little sister.  She’s a slim, slender, dainty looking German Shepherd with tiny feet and big cow eyes.  She’s crazy in love with my son.  Nastia is one of those slightly anxious girls, always looking around, sidling up to a guest to sneak a sniff when no one’s looking.  She and Max play rough together, and, although Max is definitely the big man, Nastia holds her own and Max doesn’t push things with her.  That’s the way it usually is with friction between a male and female dog, the male typically gives up.

And now there’s Lilija.  Lilija is a sweet, sweet 9 month old sable German Shepherd who joined our pack four months ago.  Her daddy is a police dog and she certainly has his drive, though she’s very submissive around other dogs. 

Lilija chooses a vantage point at the front window

 

And here’s where the fun begins!

No one was happier than Nastia when Lilija came to live with us.  For the first two months Nastia acted like she had her BFF over for a sleep over and they could play all day and night!  Then Lilija came into her first heat cycle and Nastia started to play rough.  She postured around Lilija and started to mount her.  Lilija just wriggled out of Nastia’s hold, but she suddenly wasn’t enthusiastic about playing outside with her best buddy any more.

Then came their first fight.

My son, Jake was outside with the dogs cleaning up the dog run.  The pack was gathered near him and Nastia went after Lilija, pinning her to the ground and popping a shallow puncture hole into her front right leg.  Dog fights sound horrible!  Fortunately, it sounded worse than it was.  From that moment, Nastia, emboldened by her victory, took on increased dominant posturing. 

But Lilija didn’t like it.  She started lifting her lip and growling at Nastia.  Hair raised along both of their backs.

We, of course, as the real alphas of the pack, put an end to every instance of aggression and established ourselves as rulers of the pack.  Yet dogs are opportunists and, until they have matters settled in their own minds, they look for a chance to re-engage.

And so it was.

The second fight started again with my son and the dogs in the dog yard (something that no longer happens–too many dogs in a tight space crowding around their boy!) and Nastia mounted Lilija.  Lilija said, “Get off!”  And she did this by fighting back with a vengeance.  My son, a black belt in karate, is actively involved in our weekly Schutzhund, knows how to handle the dogs, but it’s not easy to break up a dog fight by yourself. I heard the commotion and came running and we got everyone settled down and checked for damage.

Lilija, now emboldened from her strong defense, adopted a dominant posture around Nastia.  And Nastia looked confused.  We knew it was time for heightened control–we were not going to let the girls settle this on their own.  We started watching their every move, supervising their interactions, and keeping them on a short leash.  We stopped every instance of aggression and braced ourselves for a long process.

And then something interesting happened.  I took Nastia and Lilija outside alone.  Nastia tried to engage a hesitant Lilija in play.  When she realized Lilija wasn’t willing, she took a submissive play posture.  She tapped Lili on the shoulder and bounded away a few steps, “Chase me!  I’m it!”  From Lilija, “Um, no thanks.”

She tried again, throwing herself on the ground at Lilija’s feet, “C’mon, youngster, tackle me!”  Then Lilija took a hesitant step forward and play began.

For the past four days we’ve witnessed the same behavior.  And now the two of them are playing like best buddies again and really enjoying each other!

Still, Nastia postures a bit and Lilija complains a bit–but the humans are here to establish healthy pack hierarchy.  Someone has to be at the bottom of the pack–it’s the dog way.  The question is who’s at the top of the bottom of the pack.  For now, the answer is Nastia.