NormanisEm
New member
- Nov 28, 2025
- 16
- 21
I am wondering how you guys all became GSD fans! Tell me about how it all started. I want to share my story. It’ll be a bit long, sorry.
5 years ago I met the woman of my dreams in every way - except she had a big dog. I grew up with two small dogs that I didn’t have a particularly strong attachment to; I was always a cat person. When I would go over to her house at the beginning of our relationship, this giant puppy would jump on me! There were a few steps up to the front door and I always imagined her knocking me down them. Even worse is this woman let the animal sleep in her bed!! I didn’t know if I would be able to do it. We mostly spent time at my parents house or out so I didn’t have to worry too much. I knew she (and another dog) were there but I wasn’t particularly invested in being a dog owner, they were hers.
Then something awful happened. My now wife’s house was broken into. Shadow was missing and the other dog had been killed. The kitty I got her was also missing. I lived 2-3 hours away at the time and sped back to my hometown. We cried and cried and I prayed, “please just let us find one of them.” At the time I had been slightly hoping to find the cat. A couple of days later the sheriffs let us know that they found a deceased dog that appeared to be a GSD nearby my wife’s house. We believed that they had found her body, until nearly 2 weeks later when my wife got a call from someone saying they had Shadow (there is more context to this story but that’s not really the point. I will just say we believe we know who did this and why).
I got the call that she had her back while driving, about halfway back to where I lived after a weekend visit. I turned around and went back. When I got there my wife already had her at the house. The closest ER vet was too busy to take us so we drove 30 minutes to get seen somewhere else. She was okay. She was anxious, hungry, dehydrated, but otherwise fine.
A couple of weeks later my wife shipped off to the military for bootcamp. Shadow lived with my parents while I finished my last year of college, and I visited almost every weekend. She became my responsibility in some ways since my wife couldnt be there. This is when I started really bonding with her. After everything that happened she was still just so so sweet and I wanted to protect her from anything bad every happening again.
6 months later or so I graduated college and my wife got deployed. I moved in with my sister, her husband, and their dog (30lbs) so I didn’t have to move back with my parents while I waited for the deployment to end. I didn’t look for a job because I knew I would have to move soon. I felt stuck. I started walking Shadow 4-5 miles per day (previously my dad and my friend walked her). My sister’s dog was a total jerk to Shadow and never accepted her despite Shadow’s best efforts. Shadow then became reactive to all other animals. I was all alone and trying to walk this 85lb dog who would go nuts seeing other dogs or wildlife. I had no clue where to begin to fix the issue and I was miserable and the living situation with the dogs wasnt working.
I moved back to my parents house. I called the vet and asked for a recommendation on a professional trainer. I worked with her every single day as much as I could, since I was still not working and had the time. If we weren’t training we were hanging out together or playing.
Throughout all of this mess she and I became each other’s constant. She was what kept me going when I was lonely and depressed, living away from my parents, moving back home, all while my wife was deployed in an active warzone.
Shadow almost 6 now and I love and trust her more than I ever imagined I could. She will always be known to me as the dog that changed my life. Earlier this year we got her a little brother who I absolutely adore and has been a (mostly) good companion for her. Sometimes he acts like an annoying little brother, but she loves him. I never expected myself to willingly own a dog, let alone a big German Shepherd. Now these two are my babies, my best friends, and my everything.
The end lol! If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I really love them.
5 years ago I met the woman of my dreams in every way - except she had a big dog. I grew up with two small dogs that I didn’t have a particularly strong attachment to; I was always a cat person. When I would go over to her house at the beginning of our relationship, this giant puppy would jump on me! There were a few steps up to the front door and I always imagined her knocking me down them. Even worse is this woman let the animal sleep in her bed!! I didn’t know if I would be able to do it. We mostly spent time at my parents house or out so I didn’t have to worry too much. I knew she (and another dog) were there but I wasn’t particularly invested in being a dog owner, they were hers.
Then something awful happened. My now wife’s house was broken into. Shadow was missing and the other dog had been killed. The kitty I got her was also missing. I lived 2-3 hours away at the time and sped back to my hometown. We cried and cried and I prayed, “please just let us find one of them.” At the time I had been slightly hoping to find the cat. A couple of days later the sheriffs let us know that they found a deceased dog that appeared to be a GSD nearby my wife’s house. We believed that they had found her body, until nearly 2 weeks later when my wife got a call from someone saying they had Shadow (there is more context to this story but that’s not really the point. I will just say we believe we know who did this and why).
I got the call that she had her back while driving, about halfway back to where I lived after a weekend visit. I turned around and went back. When I got there my wife already had her at the house. The closest ER vet was too busy to take us so we drove 30 minutes to get seen somewhere else. She was okay. She was anxious, hungry, dehydrated, but otherwise fine.
A couple of weeks later my wife shipped off to the military for bootcamp. Shadow lived with my parents while I finished my last year of college, and I visited almost every weekend. She became my responsibility in some ways since my wife couldnt be there. This is when I started really bonding with her. After everything that happened she was still just so so sweet and I wanted to protect her from anything bad every happening again.
6 months later or so I graduated college and my wife got deployed. I moved in with my sister, her husband, and their dog (30lbs) so I didn’t have to move back with my parents while I waited for the deployment to end. I didn’t look for a job because I knew I would have to move soon. I felt stuck. I started walking Shadow 4-5 miles per day (previously my dad and my friend walked her). My sister’s dog was a total jerk to Shadow and never accepted her despite Shadow’s best efforts. Shadow then became reactive to all other animals. I was all alone and trying to walk this 85lb dog who would go nuts seeing other dogs or wildlife. I had no clue where to begin to fix the issue and I was miserable and the living situation with the dogs wasnt working.
I moved back to my parents house. I called the vet and asked for a recommendation on a professional trainer. I worked with her every single day as much as I could, since I was still not working and had the time. If we weren’t training we were hanging out together or playing.
Throughout all of this mess she and I became each other’s constant. She was what kept me going when I was lonely and depressed, living away from my parents, moving back home, all while my wife was deployed in an active warzone.
Shadow almost 6 now and I love and trust her more than I ever imagined I could. She will always be known to me as the dog that changed my life. Earlier this year we got her a little brother who I absolutely adore and has been a (mostly) good companion for her. Sometimes he acts like an annoying little brother, but she loves him. I never expected myself to willingly own a dog, let alone a big German Shepherd. Now these two are my babies, my best friends, and my everything.
The end lol! If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I really love them.
the lighter dog is Rondo that passed away and the darker do is who we have now
