A couple of years ago, my daughter, who was at that time living with me, called with a request. She and her fiance were at the animal shelter and they had found a german sheppard named Schultz. She wanted to know if they could bring him home.
We already had a wonderful dog named Teddy. He was 12 years old at the time and I was concerned that they might not get along. Also, I didn't necessarily want another pet.
Here's a picture of my Teddy.
I told my daughter she had to talk to my husband, her step dad. (I wanted him to be the bad guy...I just knew that he would say no.) Well....lo and behold....I came home that evening to be introduced to Schultz.
Schultz had more paperwork than any newborn child...He was a purebreed. I asked my daughter how he had ended up at the animal shelter. Who would give up such a beautiful animal? It turns out that Schultzie (as I like to call him...amongst many other not so endearing names at times) was purchased by a military person who ended up being shipped overseas. She had decided it was best to let someone else have him...so off to the shelter he went. The next owner worked long hours and left Schultz alone quite a bit, which didn't do much for his socialization.
Schultz has a very active mind and body. When he is not kept occupied, he finds his own fun!!!
Schult proved to be too much for the new owner and back to the shelter he went.
German Sheppards are very loyal animals. They tend to bond closely with one or two people and don't like change very much. So, as you can imagine he was lacking in some social graces. When my daughter found him, he was on his 3rd and final chance. If he were to come back to the shelter, he would be euthanized and probably not ever be a fit pet.
here's a picture of our Schultzie.
He is a challenge some days. He is full of energy and very intelligent. He can open doors, get ice from the fridge and leap 7 ft. kennel fences in a single bound! Some days, he demands my attention and will do anything to get me off the computer. He also enjoys scaring strangers that dare to come into his territory....we're still working on that one.
Shortly after we got Schultz...my beloved Teddy passed away.
There's really no moral to the story...no commentary on pet owner responsibilities. I just thought I'd share our story and its happy ending. Teddy and Schultzie have definitely enriched our lives and kept it from being anything but boring.
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