I didnt get my gsd to be "happy"

[sambravo]

I love her so much that if i start to think of it, my eyes get watery, but just like it usually doesnt work when a man and a woman base their relationship on cheap acts of hedonism, "happiness" wouldnt be the word to define my relationship with my gsd

She is my soul guide and this is why i got a gsd specifically, she is the right dog to shake me up and drive me to unexpected situations

I am anxious and anxiety sometimes comes with fear and she taught me that courage is trainable; i was on meds and now i am no more (i wouldnt recomend to any anxious person to get a dog though, specially a gsd - it doesnt work unless one trully love dogs)

I didnt spay her nor i give her antidepressants; the experience with her is raw and makes me think of what Nietzche said about how Greece was declining when Socrates arrived to represent a state of mind that was depressing thanks to the absence of war; i am not saying war is good but a life without enough action gives room to negative nonsense thoughts

And the life of trying to understand what such dog needs comes to a lot of doubts; it even made me wonder whether i should look for someone who owns many dogs and live in a big farm where she would be happier; but what i did was to study the breed, study wolves, adapt what i had to adapt and she became more stable once she reached maturity; then i was worried whether she was really stable or bored and got another dog to make her company; but its surely no fairytale where they hold hands and howl Disney songs to the moon and now i have 3 scars of redirected bites

She makes me meet many friends and foes; friends who share their intimacy with me and foes who test my confrontation skills and mental sanity; today i had everything; rain days they get more agited because they stay home for longer; neighbors who got mad cause they grandchild is afraid of my gsd and finishing with a beautiful windy night where they got to run and play a lot in the park

Recently i got emotional with a video on reddit of an elder gsd and a mutt that went to rescue after their owner went to a hospice; i thought "could that be me in the future?" - what i hope for is that i have the chance for, once one of my dogs passes, to get an elder rescue to live an elder life with my elder dog

The life with my gsd is a life of learning one should always look to be stronger, never looking for garantees

 

[Andre]

Hi Sambravo,

Welcome to our community. It's nice to see your first post. I definitely agree that our dogs can touch us positively in so many different ways. The right relationships have mutually beneficial effects on both partners, and it's truly special to have that connection.

What is her name? She has a really nice black mask and seems like a gentle, yet protective giant. You mentioned avoiding spaying. Are you planning on breeding her?

 

[sambravo]

She is Laika II, Laika I was my grandmothers gsd/rough collie mix

I personally love her mask too; her father and her grandfather are both national champions (Brazil) and her father (Taison da Casa Mariotti) has the most beautiful black mask that ive ever seen

I was thinking of breeding her with this american wolfdog she is crazy for but while studying about it and after seeing this long haired gsd having a miscarriage after trying to breed with my gsds uncle, i gave up on the idea (of doing anything "unorthodox")

Now if i ever breed her i will reach out to her breeders to do in the safest way possible or have her breeding with some very healthy mutt close to her size

But man the puppies would look beautiful

 

[Malakai The Great]

There’s a lot of honesty in what you just wrote, and I respect it. A shepherd will force you to grow in ways you didn’t plan for, and sometimes in ways you never would’ve chosen on your own. That’s part of what makes the bond so intense, it’s not built on comfort, it’s built on challenge, responsibility, and showing up even on the days you’d rather disappear.

I’ve always believed these dogs reveal the version of ourselves we’re capable of becoming. They don’t let you coast. They don’t let you hide. They drag you into the world, flaws and all, and demand you participate in it. Not many breeds do that with the same honesty as a GSD.

Your journey with her isn’t “easy,” but it’s real, and real tends to leave a mark. Sometimes scars, sometimes clarity. Usually both.

That video you mentioned hits hard because it shows exactly what these dogs give back when we’ve put in the work: loyalty with weight behind it. Not the soft kind, the kind you earn over years of showing up through the chaos, the struggle, and the ordinary days.

Keep going. The fact that you’re thinking about her future, your future, and even the life of an elder rescue tells me you’re the right person for the kind of dog you chose.

A shepherd doesn’t need perfection, just someone willing to grow alongside them.