In June of this year, we brought home Axel, an 8 week old GSD puppy. Axel is our second GSD, sadly early this year we lost our first, Titan, at the age of 10 he was an amazing dog and is very missed.
Long story short, after Titan had passed, I happened to be talking to my breeder and she had mentioned an upcoming litter she had with second pick of the males available and after hearing about the lineage I was sold and the deposit was down. I love my breeder. Lucky for me she is local, many people from all over the country have her dogs shipped to them, but I can drive and pick up my pup. She is passionate about her dogs and it shows in her care and compassion for all of her dogs from puppy to adulthood. I had Titan for 10 years and anytime during that period if I had questions she was quick to respond and very helpful.
Throughout the waiting process for our new puppy, I received frequent updates on the mom and anticipated birth, an update on the day they were born, and several updates and pictures during the 8 weeks we waited for him to be ready to come home. I cannot say enough great things about Julie Marlow and VomBanach K9 and her amazing dogs.
https://vombanachk9.com/
After a few months of waiting we picked up Axel and brought him home. Such a cutie, you almost didn’t mind waking up a few times a night with him!
Living with a GSD is a fun experience. You will never walk through the house again on your own, nor be lonely when you visit the restroom. They will be waiting outside the door for you, and should you forget to close the door they will be right in there with you. They are smart, energetic, and hairy companions. The amount of hair they shed will never cease to amaze you, but their kindness and deep connection with their humans will make you forget how often you have to vacuum and lint roller your clothes (I buy them in bulk now from Costco, and have one in my car, every bathroom, in my bedroom, my desk at work…)
Having a GSD is a commitment. Bloodlines mean a lot and you will see good lines and breeding reflected in the personality and temperament of your dog, but you must commit to training and working with your pup to create the well behaved companion you are looking for. This breed is a working dog breed and they do need mental and physical exercise to keep them from misbehaving.
Axel is a sweet boy and a good family dog. His father is a service animal and you can see traits of this in him, he is calm and gentle and good with kids. He is a bit of a clown too and keeps us laughing. He loves his toys and his blanket. Yes, he cuddles with a blanket. I have to wonder if this is nurture or nature as Titan was a blankie boy too. Hmmmm is it how I raise them or just in character for them?
Axel is now 10 months old and huge. I think he is going to be a very big boy, due to his size it is hard to remember that he is still technically a puppy. I see many future posts to come as he grows up…..
