# I'm going to be a new Daddy again!!!!!!



## Rbeckett (Jun 7, 2013)

Well..... Not a human baby any way.  I am well past the child rearing years since my youngest is almost 27.  But I have acquired a new member of the Beckett family dog pack.  I was offered a full blooded Black and Tan German Shepherd named "Indi".  I have an appointment to go and pick her up Saturday afternoon after the remainder of the current storm passes through our area.  Indi is a Service Dog Candidate the did not complete all of the training to become a full fledged PTSD Service Animal and the local Kennel needed a place for her to go and be a family member for some family.  Since I am disabled and receive no assistance from the Gov, this is a perfect opportunity for me to get a unique dog, and provide an alternative to destroying the dog.  I went yesterday in the pouring down rain to see her and she was very content to play out in the rain with her chew ball and to entertain herself in the fenced enclosure. So Holly and I are taking my wheelchair and greeting the dog after lunch Saturday and potentially bringing her home immediately to join our pack.  Her elder sister will be a 14 year old Golden Retriever named Hally who will be responsible for teaching her the house rules such as barking and baying at windows and the other house rules.  She prefers to be an outside dog and appears to be quite strong and very well muscled for her size and breed.  Looking forward to adding a new member of the family on Saturday!!!!

Bob


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## Ray C (Jun 7, 2013)

Great news!  Pets add a lot of fun to the dynamic of everyday life.  It's fun to think about how dogs basically evolved with humans while in-fact humans were "rapidly" evolving themselves.  Hope the dog and your family get along well...


Ray


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## Rbeckett (Jun 7, 2013)

Thanks Ray.  I am very happy that the situation worked out such as it did,  I have wanted a shepherd all my life, but the circumstances never worked out that it came together.  So a pure bred dog with some extensive pre-training and behavior skills is a true God send for me and my family.  I am also considering becoming an unpaid volunteer at this kennel because they only provide animals to service memebers who are disabled.  I theoretically would qualify, but I became disabled as a civilian contractor so I am not afforded any of the benefits that a true vet is entitled to.  This I think will be a great opportunity for me to give back to MY Country and my fellow disabled Service Members in some small way.  I have been struggling with serious depression since I got ill and have been looking for a way to rejoin society as a productive member and this may be the key that unlocks the door of depression I have been beating my head against for the last 4 years.  They say it is always darkest just before the dawn and that is truer than most folks can imagine.  So I am very thrilled about the recent turns of events and my situation changing to something I can manage and deal with on an intellectual basis.  Nothing is worse than the feeling of despair that comes with feeling that your productive contributions to the world have stopped and  you have become a burden to the people around you that you know and love.   So A new family member, a new outlook and possibly a new job, albeit a non paying one, but who really cares, my needs are being met, how much more do I really need!  It is time to give some love back to the folks who made me what I am today, yesterday and into tomorrow!!!! (Ok, I'll stop being Philosophical now)

Bob


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## Rbeckett (Jun 8, 2013)

Well......... Here she is.  Everybody meet "Independance".  The newest addition to our  happy little family.  They are both laying down and taking a rest after the meet and greet and some laps around the kennels and yard.  Every body is hot and tired and about ready for a nap!!!!


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## Grumpy Gator (Jun 8, 2013)

Good for you Bob,I got more to say ,but my War Department is makeing noise I should  pay attenition too or get a cold dinner and short sheets.
 When she goes to sleep I will get back to this.
*****************G******************


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## jpfabricator (Jun 8, 2013)

I grew up with German Sheperds, GREAT dogs! The ones I had as a boy spoiled me to smart dogs. The breed is prone to dry skin so if anyone has a pet dander problem, you might want to invest in some K-9 dandruf shampoo. They also develope hip sorness in the later years, I close vet friend suggested a comfortable bed at all times to help deter this problem. If she is anything like the dogs I had she wont bark unless there somthing there. Also all mine (4 total) had this "dumb look", if I wanted them to do somthing they didnt want to I got this look! Also the G-S I had didnt like thunder or water, wich made storms and bathtime a challenge. Sorry for the rambling, but seeing Indi brought back some fond memories of a boys best friend. God bless yall!


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## Ray C (Jun 8, 2013)

Congrats "Dad"...  She's really pretty and I bet that nose is nice and cold and wet.  She's got a great stance and wears her breed well.

And it nice to see the other dog accepting her.  Any jealousy going on yet?


Ray


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## jumps4 (Jun 9, 2013)

nice looking dog bob. I hope she adjusts to her new home just fine.


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## Rbeckett (Jun 9, 2013)

Other than an issue guarding food in her bowl there has been no problem so far Ray.  Hally was trying to steal Indi's food and Indi bared her teeth a little.  We put a quick and definitive end to that in a hurry.  Otherwise settling in and getting used to her new surroundings quick and easy so far.  She hasn't eaten yet, but did lick her food this morning at breakfast time.  Once she gets comfortable I am sure she will be and do just fine.  It is funny though just how tired you get worrying and trying to get everything all set up and make it as smooth and easy as possible.  I went to bed last nite and slept all the way through for a change.  Havent done that in a long long time.  I must have been more tired than I realized.  Momma slept in for a change this morning too.  She went to work for a few hours, but will be back home and getting some much needed rest soon too.   Hope youre having a great Sunday and getting to spend some quality time with Momma and in the shop too.  Havent been out to my shop in about a week now and I still have cleaning and re-organizing to do before my new to me 9X20 lath arrives near the end of the month.


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## Ray C (Jun 9, 2013)

I am having a wonderful day indeed!  Finished the back deck and got two coats of stain/UV sealer on it.  Looks real nice and now I don't have to worry about the pups getting splinters.  Sasha (pit mix) does everything full-bore and she was tearing across the old boards and got one heck of a splinter.  She never cried or yelped -matter of fact, she didn't ease-up until the squirrel was adequately seen off the premesis then, she walked up to me with a limp and showed me the 3" long splinter going half way through her paw.  She healed-up fine.

Went to the range with #1 & 2 son's today.  Had a good time...

So, is Indy drinking water at least?  Worries me she's not eating.







Rbeckett said:


> Other than an issue guarding food in her bowl there has been no problem so far Ray.  Hally was trying to steal Indi's food and Indi bared her teeth a little.  We put a quick and definitive end to that in a hurry.  Otherwise settling in and getting used to her new surroundings quick and easy so far.  She hasn't eaten yet, but did lick her food this morning at breakfast time.  Once she gets comfortable I am sure she will be and do just fine.  It is funny though just how tired you get worrying and trying to get everything all set up and make it as smooth and easy as possible.  I went to bed last nite and slept all the way through for a change.  Havent done that in a long long time.  I must have been more tired than I realized.  Momma slept in for a change this morning too.  She went to work for a few hours, but will be back home and getting some much needed rest soon too.   Hope youre having a great Sunday and getting to spend some quality time with Momma and in the shop too.  Havent been out to my shop in about a week now and I still have cleaning and re-organizing to do before my new to me 9X20 lath arrives near the end of the month.


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## Rbeckett (Jun 10, 2013)

Ray, 
Holly solved the puzzle and she is eating and drinking just fine.  Apparently the past two foster homes were putting the food down in a bowl and she was uninterested.  We changed it to duplicate how she was getting fed at the kennel by a pail hung from the fence and she gobbled down dinner and breakfast with no issues at all.  Last night was her first indoor night and she did perfectly.  I was blessed with a night filled with alarms and cramps and she hung in there and did perfectly.  I would get a cramp in my legs and sit there rubbing them till it goes away and then she would start loving and kissing me kind of like "it's OK dad, the cramps are gone now and here is some love to make you all better"  So we are thrilled about turning the corner with her so early on and so easily.  It is going to make the rest of her integration soo much easier now.  After last night I turned her out in the yard this morning to run around off leash and play and she is having a blast entertaining herself with her two balls.  I am headed out in a few minutes to throw them for a while and see if I can get her to eat a bit more.  She has already gobbled breakfast, but she did miss a couple of meals when she first came home and I wanted to make sure she was full and happy.  So once again, I got a bag of lemons and ended up with some sweet and tasty lemonaid.  Not too bitter, not too sweet, just right!!!!  Holly is relieved and it is making her ultimate transition much better.  The Golden has decided that Indi is OK being the Alpha dog too , so there is no friction between those two at all.  I just love it when a plan comes together so well with such little planning and tinkering.  Truly is a "Godsend" in the truest definition of the word.

Bob


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## Ray C (Jun 10, 2013)

Here's Sash in a deep state of recharging.  She sure can snore.  I have to open her mouth a little or she won't get enough air -and then her tongue drops out.  She's never even aware I do it.  -Totally happy and trusting animal.





And as handsome as dogs are while standing, running and playing, they sure don't look very good sleeping on their backs...


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## Rbeckett (Jun 10, 2013)

They only sleep on their backs with humans.  They also would not do it unless they are completely sure that they are in no danger or under any kind of threat.  It is an adaptation to humans and my dobermutt could snore louder than my lumberjack wife.  Between those two I had to move out into the living room to get away from all the racket.  The TV kept waking her and the snoring was keeping me awake, so the compromise Is I sleep in the living room so I can be near a drain and my dialyzer.  Some how it works out pretty good for  both of us. And the dog sleeps on a dog bed in the hall where she can see both of us all night long.  So, yes bedtime at my house is a little different.  I guess it just takes all kinds.
Bob


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## Rbeckett (Jun 19, 2013)

Indi is settling in nicely.  She went on a work strike for a while, but has gotten more comfortable being in the house and visiting her people.  She still has an issue coming in through the dog door, but no problem at all going out.  She came in this morning and wandered around a bit, gave me a couple of sniffs and went back out.  She came in again later and did the same thing and went back out.  We are working on training her that love and attention are given indoors so if they want affection they need to come inside to get it.  So far it seems to be working quite well after just 2 days of training.  The hardest part for me is to avoid eye contact and petting her until she has calmed into a submissive state.  It's more like I am being trained than the dog.  It's been a few years since we had a young dog and I have forgotten a lot of the things I am supposed to do to teach them what we want and where we want them to be.  Fortunately Momma remembers all the puppy stuff and we are making great progress in spite of me forgetting and being stupid.  We are planning to re-enter her in assistance training once she calms and gets acclimated to being here with us.  The foundation I got her from is very happy that she is connecting and has agreed to restart her training when we bring her back.   

Bob


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## Ray C (Jun 19, 2013)

All in all, sounds like things are going peachy... 

Sash and I had a long walk today and as usual, she makes about 2-3 new best friends along the way.  She likes every human she meets and she seems to know when people are afraid of her and she leaves them alone and doesn't try to come over and lick them.

It's a shame how this "pitbull" hysteria has caused so much grief.  I don't know if you have that problem where you live but in these parts, there's always some group that wants to ban all pitbulls.  When I was a kid, everybody had that kind of dog -and we didn't even know they were pitbulls and were supposed to be vicious. And the only people who got bit had it coming anyhow.  Can you believe that while I've been out walking her, people have told me to my face that my dog and all it's breed should be confiscated and put down?   The whole while, the dog has her head down and is wagging her tail wanting to greet the person...  Of course, this is the exception and not the rule.  The vast majority of people seem to love her and some of them go out of their way to come over and give her some attention and play.  That's how she makes new best friends.  She has a bunch of them now -practically a fan club.

It's a shame but a few months after I got her, someone threw poisoned meat in my yard and she had to have dialysis.  She healed up just fine because we caught it very early.

Ray


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## Rbeckett (Jun 20, 2013)

I would force feed that person some poison meat for doing that to a dog.  If they don't like the dog, that's fine but to try and poison one is just way wrong on all kinds of levels.  It is a shame that some people are intimidated by bulldogs.  We have a number of issues with the bulldog hating public here in Fla, mostly because they use them to fight and they are pretty vicious.  The dogs that are just household pets are all lovable and well behaved and the dogs used in the fighting ring don't get seen by outsiders very often anyway.  I think teaching them to fight is fundamentally wrong too, but some people just have to do it for some idiotic reason or other.  They also train them to be Hog Catch dogs and they do get chewed up pretty good by the hogs sometimes, so I am really against that too.  Dogs are mans best friend and man should reciprocate and be a dogs best friend too.  I think it should be a two way street and if you have to do ignorant stuff to a dog you should have ignorant stuff happen to you too.  I guess I am just an old softy, I cant stand to even watch the TV when an animal gets eaten by the crock or dies.  I have to leave the room or change the channel.  My wife thinks I am nuts, but I just have too much empathy and sympathy to watch it happen.  Hope you're  having a great day and giving sash some love and treats today too.  Our newest daughter loves her Baked Liver treats.  She is performing well to get some of those already.  We found her one weakness and have been exploiting it to help with training her to come in and hang out in the house.  We only pay attention and give love when she comes in the house and settles down.  If she is pacing or wandering around we wait till she lays down and gets calm before we make eye contact and give affection.  Seems to be working extremely well so far.  She got introduced to the doggy single bed and has decided she likes laying on it, so we use that as a training tool also.  Little steps every day and she is having great results in a short period of time already!!!!

Bob


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## itsme_Bernie (Jun 20, 2013)

I have had Shepards and Pits.  Great dogs, even with kids.  Don't we remember Petey from Little Rascals?  


Bernie


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## Ulma Doctor (Jun 20, 2013)

Bob,
I'm happy to hear that the transition is going well for Indi.


i have a 5 yrs old sheppard , her name is Onya 
here's a look at her




i'm proud to hear that you want to donate your time to help others.
 Sometimes our own pains go away a little by making others days a little better.
Indi will do just fine , the food aggression is normal for a new member of the pack. 
you'll see in the coming months there will be little to no aggression unless the animal was starved. 
it doesn't look like that's the case because she only raised her lip and didn't attack.

Ray,i can't believe some dirtbag trying to poison that dog. 
he should be hung or dragged or some other horrible thing.

Most of the prejudices surrounding "dangerous dogs" are unfounded and out of ignorance.
All dogs have the capacity to become dangerous given the right circumstances.
Some dogs are just better "hunters" than other, for most breed of dog we have purposefully taken the "hunt /violent tendencies" out of their personalities. some dogs still retain the hunt but it has been modified to do different functions.
Unfortunately for some breeds they are very good at what they were meant to do, hunt.
This causes conflict with a certain portion of the population who don't understand what sets a dangerous dog off and most times the dog is blamed and euthanized or at best completely misunderstood and stereotyped as deadly.

can you imagine if we put the same set of hurdles for people?

the more i learn about man, the more i like my dog. there is a certain kind of companionship that only a dog can give.


Thanks Bob for sharing a part of your life with us,
 i know i feel a lot closer to you even though you're on the other side of the country.

there is one thing you can always trust about a dog, he'll never pretend to be anything else other than a dog.


mike)

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Ray C said:


> Here's Sash in a deep state of recharging.  She sure can snore.  I have to open her mouth a little or she won't get enough air -and then her tongue drops out.  She's never even aware I do it.  -Totally happy and trusting animal.
> 
> 
> View attachment 55082
> ...





the pictures are priceless!!
mike


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## Ray C (Jun 20, 2013)

Here's a story about Sash...  There was an aged woman living several houses down who had advanced dementia.  I never lock my front doors (one of the advantages of having dogs) and one day around 11PM, I heard voices down stairs.  I thought I left the TV on.  Half hour later I came down to find a stranger sitting on the couch with Sash's head on her lap.  What the heck?  I asked if I could help her and she said she and the nice dog could use something to drink because the potato chips from the kitchen counter made them thirsty...  Obviously, the lady got confused and walked into the wrong house.  -Or right house depending on how you look at it.

Sash can bite through a 1x1 piece of wood in one chomp (not exaggerating at all) and she can chew the end of a 2x4 down to a point in a matter of minutes.  If she was inherently vicious, that woman would be dead.

Another incident...  The back of my house is on a golf course (and no, I don't golf) and the rate of burglary on the border houses is very high because it's an easy get away for the "on-foot" burglars who've been caught in the past.  One weekend, I'm out in the shop -nobody else home and Sash is acting weird.  Figured she had to go so I opened the back door and she immediately leaped over the 5' pole fence in my yard over to the neighbors.  Hauling a$$, a guy in a dark grey hoodie is making tracks to save his life.  The perp made it to a gate and closed it behind him.  Lucky for him it was a 7 foot fence or he'd be missing fingers, hands and probably have some crushed bones.

What other kind of animal knows to do the right thing at the right time?  -And I never gave her any kind of training for that behavior.  It's built in their brain.

Anyhow, we get more out of our dogs than just good listeners...

Ray


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## Joe0121 (Jun 20, 2013)

This is Juno best dog I have ever owned. She is a Blue heeler mix and at times a lot to handle but I know if any one tries funny business when I'm not home she would eat their face off. She is very protective of my wife and daughter.


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## Ray C (Jun 20, 2013)

Wow Joe, what a cool looking dog!  I bet a lot of people ask about her.


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## Rbeckett (Jun 21, 2013)

Joe, 
That is an absolutely beautiful dog.  And taking care of Momma and the kids Is the best.  My rotteweiler was very protective like that before she had to be put to sleep with bone cancer.  She would let anybody in the house, but not allow them to leave.  My best friend called one day and we decided to meet at my house since I was away on a short errand.  I get this call about a half hour later saying bring my cigarettes and bathing suit in with you from my truck?  Sassy had prevented him from leaving, every time he got close to the door she would give a low growl and show all of her teeth.  

Bob


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## Joe0121 (Jun 21, 2013)

Rbeckett said:


> Joe,
> That is an absolutely beautiful dog.  And taking care of Momma and the kids Is the best.  My rotteweiler was very protective like that before she had to be put to sleep with bone cancer.  She would let anybody in the house, but not allow them to leave.  My best friend called one day and we decided to meet at my house since I was away on a short errand.  I get this call about a half hour later saying bring my cigarettes and bathing suit in with you from my truck?  Sassy had prevented him from leaving, every time he got close to the door she would give a low growl and show all of her teeth.
> 
> Bob


Rots are extremely intelligent and loyal dogs. But they will eat you out of house and home. It sucks putting an animal down our other Dog Leo got hit by a car and for three days we waited to see if he would go pee becuase the vet thought his bladder might have ruptured. In the End he was OK but my wife was a mess. Thats the down side to dogs they are generally only around 10-12 years not like cats who live into their 20's



Ray C said:


> Wow Joe, what a cool looking dog!  I bet a lot of people ask about her.



She is a looker for sure. She's got a lot of spunk. She loves to rough house to rougher I am the more she loves it. I have read that heeler are one person dogs and I can sort of see that in Juno she generally spends time with me when I am home but she does love my daughter to death, she (the dog) is always trying to lick my daughter and bring her dog toys/bones. 












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Rbeckett said:


> Well......... Here she is.  Everybody meet "Independance".  The newest addition to our  happy little family.  They are both laying down and taking a rest after the meet and greet and some laps around the kennels and yard.  Every body is hot and tired and about ready for a nap!!!!



What an amazing animal. GS are awesome Dogs.


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## Ray C (Jun 21, 2013)

Joe,

Nice...thanks for posting... And let us not forget our little humans -that's a cute little girl there too!

Question: Does the dog have coarse or fine fur? How's the shedding situation?

My dog Sash has two live-in playmates which are Rat Terriers but as soon as my son moves out (again) the playmates will be gone. ...Always keeping my eye open as I think it's good for dogs to have other dogs around. When Sash meets a new dog, she picks a little fight and then (win, lose or draw) gets along fine and plays.

Ray





Joe0121 said:


> Rots are extremely intelligent and loyal dogs. But they will eat you out of house and home. It sucks putting an animal down our other Dog Leo got hit by a car and for three days we waited to see if he would go pee becuase the vet thought his bladder might have ruptured. In the End he was OK but my wife was a mess. Thats the down side to dogs they are generally only around 10-12 years not like cats who live into their 20's
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Joe0121 (Jun 21, 2013)

Ray C said:


> Joe,
> 
> Nice...thanks for posting... And let us not forget our little humans -that's a cute little girl there too!
> 
> ...



Both our dogs shed like crazy and have fine hair. After she sweeps the house it looks like a wool rug in the dust pan. I agree with you btw I think it's good for a dog to have a buddy especially if the are a lone for extended periods of time.


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