Do Not Use Laser Pointers With Dogs. Part 3

Part 3 – Being Responsible for Gracie In Spite of Her Behavior.

Photo: https://www.alphapaw.com/fun/50-funniest-german-shepherd-memes/

I share this because while our pets demonstrate behavior of looking for the elusive red dot, life goes on.  We are still responsible for them in every way.  I looked into the loving eyes of an 8-week old, living ball of fur, and promised to love her.   Since bringing her home, she has been my companion; my living security to alert me of strange noises; my baby to keep healthy and to learn so she matures into the best dog she can be.  God knows that my heart needed her.

It was now October.  A month went by without answers. My beautiful puppy was turning into a snarling dog almost daily.  Did this mean I shouldn’t get her spayed and chipped?  No.

Her regular Veterinarian is against altering German Shepherds until they are a year old.  This is because of studies that the girls should go through at least one heat because of certain hormones they need for their bones so they don’t develop hip dysplasia.  There was something I encountered involving Gracie,  and I had to make a decision.

In September, upon being told that Gracie was not spayed, the trainer that I subsequently terminated said that he was more interested in breeding than training.  He said that he took his dog to another state, (Minnesota) for breeding.  He had a cunning smile when saying it and at the third session with Gracie, he wanted to take her places miles from my home on the purported basis to socialize her.  And, he wanted to take her miles away from me, without me.  I wouldn’t allow that.   I wanted to protect Gracie from being exploited, maybe stolen, and turned into a puppy making factory.  It was not just the sorry-ass trainer, but any other person with greed and malice in their heart who might have been walking their male dog while Gracie was in the backyard, in heat.  

It was a hard decision and I thought back to my other large dogs.  One started having hip problems when she was 10 years old, but medication helped.  She was spayed at six months old.  Gracie’s predecessor was spayed at 5 months old.  She had no hip problems.  Gracie did not come from a puppy mill.  She was born on a farm by breeders.  I met her parents.  I could not bear the thought of her being stolen and having episodes that are scary.  She could be mistaken for a mad, rabid dog and shot in the head.  

I went to another vet’s office and they gave Gracie an appointment in November for her spay and chipping.  Unable to find a trainer who addressed Gracie’s episodes, I turned to the vet.   His staff had no idea — just that she is a high-energy working breed.  When I took her back to have her stitches remove, I spoke with a technician in the veterinarian’s office and he said they knew of places that re-home German Shepherds.  Maybe I didn’t explain things clearly enough to the technician.  He may have thought that Gracie was too high energy for me to handle rather than I was seeking help correcting her behavior looking for the red dot that wasn’t there.   I would not give my human child away, and I wasn’t going to give my furry face away.  I wasn’t giving up on her.

The vet came out and said he was prescribing Prozac.  I wondered why he would do that without talking to me.  These days, everyone seems so busy, talking fast and turning to walk away so if you do have questions, you’re made to feel that you’re intruding rather than wanting to be a well-informed customer, or client, or even patient.

There are business cards in the vet’s office for services such as groomers and there was one for a trainer.  I called.  He told me that he was preparing his food truck for the holiday season, would check his schedule and get back to me.  I didn’t wait but continued seeking a local trainer, which is good because as of writing this post in February, 2024,  I’ve not heard from him.

Next: Part 4 – How I Learned That The Laser Pointer Caused Gracie Psychological Injury