# Just So Pleased! And A Big THANK YOU to this Forum.



## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

As I've posted recently, Eva is our 3 yo GSD/chow mix whom we've had since she was 6 weeks old. 

Yesterday we went to a totally new place for her, a park by a lake. A friend brought her rescue, a 2-3 year old pitbull mix (CeCe) who unfortunately had spent almost two years in a crate, with zero socialization. 

We did a 2 second greet with the dogs leashed and kept Eva with us, away from CeCe, although the dogs were within 10 feet of each other. After a few minutes Eva was basically ignoring the other dog, to the point that within a half hour we allowed Eva to walk around (still with her leash on). 

She did AWESOME! There were large birds (storks, egrets, etc) no more than 15 feet from her, a smaller dog that kept running by, and the lake (we couldn't let her in because of alligators) and she just stayed within our radius, sniffing, looking around, and being just perfect. She was interested in all the animals and activities, but she responded immediately to our commands. 

She was told "leave it" for the birds and she did. She did a walk by CeCe (who remained leashed and held by someone) and just ignored her and when she started to approach the lake, she returned as soon as we said "Eva, here!". 

I posted here early when we got her, asked some questions and got some great answers. What I also did was keep reading and learning, even when the post didn't really apply to my dog. 

So, I just wanted to say that when some of you long time posters (and GSD owners) get discouraged by the newbies who ask the same questions over and over and you think "why bother?" - I'm one of those people you've helped and you didn't even know it. 

Thank you.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Hooray - that is really awesome. Glad you had a nice day at the lake.


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

It's such a great feeling when everything finally starts to come together.
Excellent and safe way to help CeCe get more socialized the way you had the dogs together, but not really interacting. Over time I hope they can become friends.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

What a cool post. And I totally agree. I have learned so much from the people here.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I wild not have been able to own a German Shepherd without this forum.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

:wild: Thank you!!! The collective experience and knowledge available here is AWESOME! I am always so proud of all the members who so generously help others out. 

Getting this kind of feedback is so rewarding. So glad you found the help to bring Eva to her full potential. :thumbup:


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## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

@pyratemom - Gretchen - Mac's Mom - Sunflowers and Castlemaid:

Thanks! 

It's been so rewarding, getting different ideas and things to try, reading the success (and failures-to-successes) of others. We certainly weren't stupid when we wanted a GSD, but we were woefully ignorant! If learning about the breed was like going to school, we're in about the second grade now!

I was one of those who didn't understand why titles, Schutzhund, etc., were so important. Thought Schutzhund was what police dogs did - why would I need to know about that? :blush:

Showlines? Working lines? Huh? :laugh:

Certainly Eva is not a purebred GSD, but she's helping us prepare for when we do find one who is right for us. Her nature is much more that of a GSD than a chow, and she is probably the perfect first of this type for us.


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

This forum has seriously kept me sane. As a little dog owner , adopting a gsd has been a huge change. Especially now that Dex is 8 months and being a complete butthead. Thank you all for posting and asking questions. Without it I would think im doing something wrong or something is wrong with my dog. Instead I know its normal and I just have to up the obedience.


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