Happy National Dog Day
Dogs.. Our most loyal friend. This is my new "puppy".
She is 8 months old and she has wiggled her way into the hearts of our
family. There have been challenges with her as we soon learned being the
owner of a German Shepard is much different than that of a Labrador retriever.
Our previous dog of over 11 years was a docile overly friendly lab. This
pup is definitely a pack dog and needs us to be assertive pack leaders.
She is smart, affectionate and loving to our family; however she is very
aloof and on guard with strangers. After a close call where
she attempted to nip at a neighbor we began working with a
trainer. He actually "trained" us. It has involved a lot
of rethinking on our part as far as dog training goes. Our dog experience
was limited to our laid back lab and this truly was a different breed and
personality. We learned how to teach her basic commands such as heel, down
and sit. Working with the trainer taught us the importance of
consistency, patience, and taking control. Ironically all the same
important strategies and techniques in discipline and guiding children (no,
I am not comparing children to dogs).
Every time I walk in the door her delighted greeting melts away my cares of
the day and I am so glad we have her. The daily training and consistency has
paid off and she follows commands beautifully. So, before I go on and on
about my wonderful "puppy" I will close with "Happy National Dog
Day" to all dogs and dog owners. Give your dog an extra treat
today!
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