Submitted by Mark McAfee (10.14.99)
elwood99@home.com

Just a little note to tell you I'm thirty-nine years old and have had the absolute privilege to be around German Shepherds since I was four years old (that's when my family got our first GSD).

GSD #1-Tina was my first dog and she was an absolute angel. My father insisted on an AKC registered GSD. Tina was my best friend from day one. My sister and I would dress her up in doll clothes and put hats on her. I ran away from home once (just up the street about 1/2 a block) and Tina came with me. She was so easy going and loved the attention. She was a sweetie yet very protective of my sister and I when she thought we were being threatened. My dad would pretend he was going to spank us and Tina would grab his hand in her mouth, not biting down too hard, just holding it with enough force with a look on her face as to say "okay that's enough". We put her down when I was sixteen years old. It was one of the worst days of my life. I have only seen my Dad cry once in my life and that was when he put my sweet Tina to sleep.

Tina also had two litters of puppies! What a treat for a kid. They all got loving homes and we would not give them to people that my mom had a "funny feeling" about.

GSD #2-Elke. My dad rescued her. These awful people put her outside in the rain on a chain and left her outside to rot. My dad heard about her, and ran right over there to get her. She would only warm up to dad for quite a while. It took Elke about 6 months before she would trust anyone but my dad. Tina was light in color and was related to Rin Tin Tin. We gave her alot of love, kindness and most of all her space. She had a litter and we kept one of the females, her name was Star.

GSD #3-Star knew from day one we were going to keep her. She was the first pup up the stairs, first one out of the puppy play pen, first one to get into trouble. She was a big female and she knew it. Star had the appearance that she would scare people because she was so big, yet she was as gentle as a little kitten. I used to give her the same big bear hugs that I would give Tina. Star's only flaw was that she hated to exercise. I took her jogging two days in a row (only about half a mile) on the third day I got her leash, she went under the dining room table and I took that as a hint. We just went for walks from then on.

GSD #4-Tara. This GSD is a character. My mom and dad have no grand children at this point, so they call Tara their grand child. She is funny, kind, strong willed, confident, always getting into trouble and constantly makes everyone who meets her, smile. Every time I visit Mom and Dad, Tara gets so excited she runs around the house for about 20 minutes every time I see her. I call her "My one and only fan". Mom and Dad insist she only does that with me. She is absolutely beautiful and she knows it. She is the darkest out of all the shepherds my parents have had. i know she senses how nuts I am about her.

Because of being raised with such a wonderful breed of animal, I have no fear what so ever to this day, of big dogs. Of course when I meet any animal I am cautious as to let them smell the top of my hand first. But if a poodle barks at me versus a GSD, I'll be afraid of the poodle before I'm afraid of the German Shepherd.  

Right now I have four cats and their the kings/queen of the house or we'd have a GSD by now!