germanshepherds.com Stories

This is the story of Einstein. He was named this because it means "one stone" in German. My son Josh decided he wanted a German Shepherd Dog. We went to a local breeder who had seven squirming pups for sale. Josh took his three hundred dollars and brought Einstein, a black and tan male pup. He had decided that the dog who peed on him would be the one he would take home and Einstein did just that when he picked him up. Needless to say it was love at first sight for everyone in the household. Einstein was extremely spoiled from the time we brought him home. He alternated sleeping in my sons bed and mine. Needless to say he was a chewer. He chewed one chair, a couch, and we ended up replacing the carpet. If we left him alone at all, we would come home to a new item chewed. We never hit or yelled at him. He knew he did wrong and finally did outgrow his chewing. We then called him our three thousand dollar dog. We taught him to sit, lay down, give paw, stay, fetch and bark on command. He was a very gentle dog, with not an aggressive bone in his body. We think this was because he was so loved and spoiled.

One morning a week ago we got up and noticed he was a bit listless. He had played the night before so we thought he was just tired. We had him lay on the couch with a blanket over him and my son and I sat with him to talk and comfort him. Around noon we noticed his ears, feet and nose were very cold. He got up for a drink and sank down on the floor and began panting. Now we were alarmed. Although it was Sunday we called our vet and he said to bring him in. We left him in his care after he put in an iv and started him on antibiotics. At six o'clock the vet called and said that Einstein had passed away. We were devastated. It was like loosing a child. The vet said that he had contacted a severe, fast moving bacterial infection of the stomach and small intestines. We had him cremated. We could not deal with seeing him deceased and the thought of burying him. He came back to us in a cedar box with his name on a gold plaque on the top of the box. My son keeps him in his room beside his bed. I grieve for him daily. I remember those special moments, his racing around the eating table from person to person, placing his head on the table for a scrap or two. Playing ball in our fenced back yard, We only had to say the word ball and he would go racing for the door. Or sitting with him at night or his being beside me in the bed softly snoring. For all of you out there who have a special friend, a loved dog, please do not take them for granted. As my son said to me after Einstein's passing, "You never know what you have until you lose it". It almost broke my heart when he said to me that he really misses Einstein because he would talk to him when he was lonely or down. He was his confident. He was mine as well. We all still catch ourselves when we go to call for Einstein and realize he is not longer here. When we get the money together we will purchase another German Shepherd pup, Oh well there goes the furniture! A new dog will never replace Einstein, but we hope it will take away some of the pain of his loss. Anyhow, thank-you for letting me express my love and feelings for one special German Shepherd. Einstein we love you and miss you.