My Shepherds by Linda McIlveen

My Shepherds by Linda McIlveen

German Shepherd dogs have a huge place in my heart! Four of these special dogs have been a part of my family; each had their own special tales!

My first one was named Rex. We got him when he was a puppy and I was five. The two of us became best pals. I would often sit with him in a big chair and read him comics and golden books. He was a fearsome dog but he had his own nemesis. One night we awakened to the sound of the piano. All of us had been asleep. We crept downstairs to see what was going on.

There we saw a mouse running back and forth across the keyboard of our old player piano, in the same room where Rex slept. One may wonder where our fearless protector was. He was sitting on top of my sister’s toy stove shaking like a leaf. Rex was with us for ten years.

Queenie was our rescued girl. She’d been shoved out of a car into traffic. The dog warden asked if we would adopt her. She was very smart and I taught her to bark up to the number three.

Then there was Riggs. Riggs bonded more with my Mom. They took long walks together. He was obsessed with Pepperoni, and would do every trick he knew just to get a piece.

We didn’t have a dog for a long time after Riggs died but eventually another German Shepherd, Maxie came into our lives. She’s eleven years old. Wind storms terrify her but, she calms down if I turn on the T.V. loud enough. The vacuum cleaner is her mortal enemy. If I say those two words she attacks the machine, even if it is turned off.

All four of these German Shepherds have been among this woman’s best friends.