Quote:
Originally Posted by Blademaker
Truly sorry for your loss.... 
What a beautiful dog........ |
He really was beautiful. Inside and out.
I've refined a training approach over the years that seems to produce consistently sweet, calm GSD's. It starts at 10 weeks. I really think my approach shapes their mindset.
While there is a lot of specific things I do, the general idea is mutual respect, leadership, consistency and a lot of physical touch. I literally get down on the floor with them and lay beside them. We expose them to loud vehicles, public places, kids, crowds, gun fire - anything that might rattle them.
All they know from us is kindness and love. They know we are the one thing they can count on 100% and they completely trust us. If I told him to run into a burning building - he wouldn't even hesitate.
People ask about the liability of having a dog like this at events where there are hundreds of kids (often a dozen coming at him at a time). I had zero concern with Ranger. He was never aggressive, frightened or startled by kids or others that jumped in his face or whatever.
It's much like soldier handlers. If you have a dog in theater, you have to 100% trust that dog to do its job. No room for error. That's why so many were German Shepherds. They are so consistent. (unless they are nuts - which happens...)
He did bark, growl and raise his hair at bums, nuts and gang bangers so he wasn't a pushover. In fact, he was damn scary to them. I always thought it was funny how the "tough guys" gave Ranger a wide berth.
Today a lot of kids around the neighborhood came around to pet him. Word spread he was in his last days. I think he knew he was loved. Even though I think he went blind a week or so ago, he was still confident and calm with all those kids.
We took a nap together for an hour this afternoon. It's rare that he stays lying down with me for more than a few minutes. Today, he stayed.
Amazing dog. I will miss him greatly.