Getting Zenzi - Part 2

My Girlfriend Takes Her Pup Skiing Too

Here She is Guarding Our Stuff Out in The Wild On Our Family Hot Springs Trip

Ice Fishing Trip with Friends

She Tries Sledding With Me

                                                                              Here The Pups Are Wiped Out!!  Look How They've Grown!!

The very next day, weeks and month kept me insanely busy. My 8 year old was standing out on the porch as I arrived with the puppy to inform me that she had pooped out a worm!! There was chaos in the house as people greeted the puppy and wanted to know how I would deal with the worm situation. Every one crowded into the bathroom to once again, to watch me examine the poop. It was a strange home coming for a puppy.

Of course the next day, the puppy had to go to town with me to take our 8 year old to the Doctor. Then the puppy went with me to work. Then the puppy went with me to pick up parts for my husband. That week I had to make 5 or 6 trips to town and she went with each time. I later learned that this was a great thing do do because "socialization" is extremely important. On one of my town trips. I accumulated a stack of books about raising dogs from the local library and spent every spare moment studying.

There was something creepy strange about this pup in a good way. She was good. She listened. She followed me around. I've never had a dog so obedient. At first I didn't know what to think. She just naturally took to everything I threw at her. In her first couple of weeks at my house, she'd learned to "sit" both with voice and sign, "lay down", "play dead", and "stay". All of these things she needs reinforcement to remember. Sometimes she does them all before I ask her to wanting to really please me.

She naturally wanted to "heel" on the leash which was super cool. The first day at home she ran 2 miles with me heeling almost perfectly. Then I took her skiing. That really creeped me out. It took hardly anthing to get her to stay behind me. I've NEVER had a dog who willingly stayed behind me. I even took her with friends who had other dogs and she still obeyed and stayed behind.

We started playing "hide and seek". We hid in all kinds of difficult spots. She learned quickly how to use her eyes, ears and nose to seek us out. I was impressed watching her pick up the scent.

I put her to the test socially one day when I went to a birthday party where a bunch of our families were jammed into a small cabin. Children kept stepping over and around her. One baby fell on top of her and she didn't do anthing at all. I was so relieved. The host complimented me on her good behavior. I also took her into the nursing home attached to the hospital I work at, and she was so very well behaved. She cheered up a host of people.

Of course she is a puppy. She likes to chew on things. I have to remind her often that she may not steal toilet paper out of the trash can. Though she got potty trained the first week she was here, I can't figure out how to get her to poop in her degisnated spot. She tends to want to go in the yard close by the house. On the day I wrote about Sheeba for my blog, she busted out of her kennel 4x. I think she knew I was upset. She hasn't busted out since then.

I realize she is no normal pup. She's capable of probably more than I am smart enough or disciplined enough to teach. She's a special gem of great intelligence. We finally settled on her name "Zenzi Gunnhild Von Lamp Haus", but "Zenzi" for short. I have the feeling that she is about to embark on a lot of adventures with me.

Getting Zenzi

Miss Moonbeam Was Very Happy To Have a Puppy!!

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First Puppy Socialization Day

Even with Other Dogs, She Stayed Behind Me!!

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Here I am Very Proud of Her Staying Behind Me As I Ski

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Socialization at a Friend's
 

I didn't know if I could actually go through with it. It had been a very rough couple of months for us. I had been researching German Shepherds for months, but hadn't gone any further than that. While I had studied them, I'd made a long trip to what I thought was the most prestigious kennel in the state. I'd not pictured the meeting this way at all. The owner wouldn't let me look at her puppies or most of her facility. Instead she'd kept me by my vehicle and let out one or 2 dogs at a time for me me to meet. The dogs had no manners. They'd either jumped on me or acted strange. None of them seemed smart at all. One of her studs had acted like it was going to attack my 8 year old. The incident was terrifying. I realized that there was no way I could let myself get placed on her waiting list. Fancy Pedigree or no pedigree, this just wasn't what I was looking for. It was a long and emotional trip home.
I'd also talked for hours on the phone with other breeders. Many of them seemed like genuinely nice people, but every time something stopped me. For one thing, my family was still very shaken by what had happened with Sheeba and not every one was ready to trust another dog into the family. Still, I'd messaged other breeders and one I'd been messaging for weeks. They wanted a good sum for their pups, but they seemed to be the real thing. They were also not far from me.
One day, on a stressful trip to town, my husband shockingly consented to driving me up a mountain out of town to the breeder I'd been messaging for weeks. I didn't have a lot of hope, yet something kept driving me to do it. It was dark, and the fencing around the house seemed forboding. I imagined the same crazy shepherds I'd encountered a month earlier. My husband sat in the car, frustrated with me. I looked back and called out across the dark proerty...........
In the end, I'd sat inside a warm couple's lovely home on the floor with puppies chewing my head and hair. The mom and dad were friendly, wagging their tails and played with me as well. One puppy crawled up into my arms and fell asleep. It was just oozing with sweetness. Something happened to me sitting there holding that puppy. I felt perfect peace. I knew this was the one.
A week later I was feeling really nervous. It was a couple of weeks before Christmas and I'd worked part of a day shift at the hospital. I'd brought the kennel with me and cash, but inside I still didn't know if I was actually going to it. All day long I felt nervous. I wanted my whole family to be on board with me. I didn't like the idea of going out on a limb by myself, but I'd felt so much peace about her.
My boss told me to go adopt the puppy and so did the other nurses. I drove up there nervously and spent 2 or 3 hours talking to the owners. I just really liked them and I really liked their dogs. The peace never left me. That night, very late, I drove home with her. I still didn't know how receptive my family would be to her. I didn't know if I would have what it took to be a good owner. I didn't know how any of it was going to work out. I just went with my peaceful feeling and hoped for the best.