Some Special Health Problems That Are Associated With German Shepherds

 There are some special health problems that are associated with German Shepherds.  Some are hereditary but you may be able to avoid by choosing a reputable breeder.

1. Hip Dysplasia 

Hip Dysplasia is probably the most common hereditary condition for German Shepherds. However, you can reduce the chances of your dog being affected by keeping exercise to a gentle level until your dog is at least 6 months old. You should also check the hip scores of parents.

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These Mutts Show Us That Amazing Dogs Come In All Shapes And Sizes

There are many dog breeds out there, and then there are the mutts. We're talking about those that are part retriever, part poodle, part German shepherd and part mystery pup. Though mutts can sometimes get a bad rap, these mixed breeds are just as smart, playful and lovable as pure bred dogs. In fact, there are tons of reasons to adopt a mutt instead of buying a pure bred puppy.

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Don't Make This Tragic Mistake With Dog Training

This is a sickening story I'd rather not repeat, but there's an important message in it, so I hope you'll bear with me.

The owners of a 1-year-old German Shepherd dog brought their pet into a veterinary clinic for incoordination (loss of muscle coordination) and circling to the left behavior.

The owners were honest in admitting the dog had been "disciplined" a few hours earlier by being suspended off the ground with a choke collar for almost a full minute. When the owner lowered the dog to the ground, the poor animal was panicked and soon lost consciousness.

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Dog Who Chewed Off His Own Foot to Escape is on the Road to Recovery

Rocky, an 11-month-old German shepherd, came alive when veterinarian Matthew Wheaton entered the room.

The pup, first timid and shy, tumbled over for a belly rub. Wheaton obliged. While Rocky licked his face, Wheaton checked the bandage covering the pup’s stump leg.

Wheaton concluded, based on ligature marks, the pup had chewed off his own foot.

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Lucky A German Shepherd Who's Owners Dumped Him in a Shelter Needs to Feel Lucky Again Do You Have Room in Your Heart and in Your Home for Lucky?

 This handsome boy's name is Lucky, but how can that be if his family dumped him at a the busy Carson Animal Care Center in California after five years? Now he just waits in his barred shelter for his family to return; Lucky is so depressed, he barely makes eye contact with anyone.

Click here for Lucky's PetHarbor listing: Lucky  When inquiring about Lucky, please reference ID#A4768923. This beautiful dog was surrendered on October 22 and is available for adoption.

A Facebook page for Lucky can be found by clicking HERE. Volunteers and animal lovers have been sharing this beautiful dog's story with their friends, family and coworkers. Please take a few moments and share his story with a Facebook friend. Sharing saves lives. Lucky only needs that one special person to become his hero.

Watch a short video of Lucky by clicking HERE.

"Maybe my family will come and bring me home," he seems to be thinking as he watches people pass by his kennel.

"They named him Lucky and he must have felt like he was until the day he was left at the shelter. He is so depressed, he doesn't even want to look at you, and this sweet beauty needs help. Please check out his video and share sweet Lucky; he really needs help now."

Carson Shelter, Gardena, California
216 Victoria Street, Gardena, California
Phone: 310.523.9566

Monday -Thursday 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Friday -Sunday - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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Dog Survives a Car Crash and 2 Euthanasia Attempts, and for His Final Act – Finds a Loving Home

We admire our dogs for their incredible zest for life. They wake up every single day excited to smell new smells, chase new critters, and give as many kisses as they possibly can. Watching their exuberance for every new day is rather inspiring. If you’re looking to be wow-ed by the power of a dog’s determination to make the most of his life, check out the story of Lazarus.

Lazarus is a four-year-old German Shepherd mix who literally defied all odds to be where he is today. When Lazarus’ guardian decided to move away from Ozark, Alabama, she surrendered her pup to a local animal shelter.

Lazarus had been recently hit by a car – an injury that veterinarians say he should not have survived. Already in rough shape, the poor pup was not adopted during his first week at the shelter and was scheduled to be euthanized.

According to NBC News, Animal Control officer Wanda Snell watched as the veterinarian injected the euthanasia needle into the dog. After the initial shot, the dog still had a faint heartbeat so the vet injected him with another shot and soon after pronounced him dead. Snell recalls that while the dog moved a bit, he was still and quiet by the time she left to go home that night.

But, when the shelter staff returned the next morning, the dog was sitting up – very much alive! He had even finished off the food that had been left in his bowl the day before. He was a little bit shaky, but alert and aware nonetheless. The staff named the resilient dog “Lazarus,” after the Biblical figure who rose from the dead.

A researcher and animal advocate from UAB saw the story of Lazarus on the news and contacted Two-by-Two Animal Rescue about the dog. Within a few hours, Lazarus was collected by Sonya King, founder and executive director of Two-byTwo, and transported from Ozark to Helena, Alabama where she lives.

In an interview with AL.com, King explains that this little dog took an immediate liking to his nick-name. ”It only took a couple of seconds,” King said. “I said, ‘Lazarus, I’m so glad to meet you.’ And he responded to his new name.”

Lazarus now lives with King and her family and has become a wonderful addition to their family! Lazarus does have a threatening case of heart worm, but King is confident that in a few months this special dog will be “out of the woods.”

Lazarus is certainly an incredible dog, and we wish him all the very best in his new happy life! Keep on, keepin’ on little dog!

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Retired Ailing Senior Police Dog Dropped Off At Shelter: Doing Better And Now Looking For New Home

K-9 the canine was dropped off at a Kansas animal shelter this summer, by an owner who said the elderly German shepherd was a retired police dog with cancer and wanted to have him euthanized.

The former owner's health claims were quickly found to be wrong, when a veterinarian diagnosed K-9 as having thyroid and joint problems, not cancer, and put him on the appropriate medicine. Physically, the pup has been "doing pretty well" ever since, says Jim Percival, who works with the volunteer-run Coffeyville Friends of Animals Shelter and Adoption Center.

But after a couple of months, K-9 went onto the shelter's "urgent" adoption list -- which more or less meant, in the grim language of animal rescue, he was running out of time to make it out alive.

That could have marked an even darker turn for K-9. Except suddenly, the shelter was inundated with "phone calls from all over the country. All these people wanting this dog," says Percival, explaining he "thinks the key here" was K-9's perceived background as a police dog.

That background was never checked, since "we take people at their word," he says. "To me he was well-behaved, never gave us one bit of problem. But as far as commands and all that? I don't think we know. We all just took a liking to him."

Lisa Moser, a longtime animal welfare advocate who runs a parrot rescue in Oklahoma, made one of those calls.

"I have always had a heart for animals. I was the kid who brought home baby bunnies and birds and other assorted creatures. All of my own personal pets were somebody else's castoffs," she says.

And the story attached to K-9's adoption listing, Moser says, "tore my heart."

"How could a dog that had given loyal service be cast aside when he became old and ill? My heart breaks for all of the animals in shelters who lose their lives, but how could this happen to this guy?"

She went to collect him on Thursday morning. Not for herself, she already has three dogs, four cats, two sugar gliders, a half-dozen birds, a husband and a couple of kids. But she wanted to transport K-9 to a German shepherd rescue group in Tulsa, where he will be put in foster care until he can be placed with a permanent family.

K-9 went to a new veterinarian on Friday morning, who said that his heart and lungs sound good, and that he's a charming and friendly boy, but his skin is in bad shape and will need treatment.

"He is very thin, lots of hair loss and smelled horrible," says Karla Wilson, of the German Shepherd Rescue of Tulsa. "I truly think he was neglected."

Blood tests will reveal any other problems that need attention. They will not, of course, reveal the truth about K-9's professional resume, though Wilson thinks it's possible that he really was a police dog, as his former owner purported him to be, since he "does appear to know German commands."

For now, Wilson will be taking care of K-9 at her home, where he can luxuriate on a big orthopedic bed, before he completes his medical vetting and treatment, for which the group is requesting donations. After that, she says, "he should go to a calmer household, due to his advanced age."

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All Dogs Deserve a Second Chance, No Matter How Old They Are - Meet Bear, a 16-Year-Old Homeless Dog Who No One Wanted - A Family Took a Chance on This Sweet Dog, and The Results Were Amazing!

"Bear" was abandoned, 16 years-old and on the brink of death. No one in their right mind would adopt him from a shelter. However, one family did. The results were amazing.

His fur was either matted or missing and he was just a skeleton of a dog. But thanks to a little food, grooming and (most importantly) love... Norman transformed into an entirely different dog. Dog adoption not only saves lives, it makes them so much better.

Bear's information page at the shelter; a 16 year-old dog needing help.

Life is far from easy for older dogs at animal shelters.  Most people come in looking for a puppy and pass right by the senior dogs, who are usually more susceptible to health problems in the shelter environment.  Most people don’t realize that there are many advantages to owning a senior dog, like all the love and appreciation they have for their new parents who saved them.

Meet Bear, a 16-year-old homeless dog who no one wanted.  Bear was not always a stray, he was abandoned and found all alone with no identification.  This German Shepherd mix was dirty, and had matted fur or chunks of his coat missing.  He was malnourished.  He had no meat on his bones and was a skeleton of a dog.

One day, a family came in and walked past all the yapping puppies to the quiet, sad looking soul in the corner.  They decided to take a chance on this sweet dog who no one else paid any attention to.  This story proves that Bear, who is now known as Norman in his new life, only needed a little love to turn around his tragic past.

All dogs deserve a second chance, no matter how old they are.

His ride to freedom.

The first day home.

Norman (his new name) found a cozy spot for naps.

Lots of naps.

He started living the good life.

Eating and napping were his favorite past times.

Also, he loved to be loved.

After being rescued, he had an entirely different outlook on life... and look.

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A 17-Year-Old Boy Has Been Sentenced to 23 Years Behind Bars for Fatally Shooting a Retired Police Dog During a Burglary

A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to 23 years behind bars for fatally shooting a retired police dog during a burglary.

Ivins Rosier was convicted in May for breaking into the Florida home of a trooper and shooting the officer's five-year-old German Shepherd two years ago. Drake, a former drug-sniffing dog, was euthanized five days later.

Rosier, who was 16 at the time of the incident but tried as an adult, was sentenced on Friday on charges of animal cruelty, armed burglary and shooting into an occupied building.

Convicted: Ivins Rosier, 17 (pictured left and right) was tried as an adult in the November 2012 burglary and shooting.

Victim: Retired police dog Drake, a five-year-old German Shepherd, died five days after being shot several times in November 2012.

Palm Beach Post reported Circuit Judge Robin Rosenberg said she handed Rosier a tough sentence as she was bound by sentencing guidelines.

According to police, Rosier was one of three teens who broke into Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Robert Boody's home on November 18, 2012.

Rosier, who had a history of run-ins with the police, is the first to be tried, according to Palm Beach Post.

Sun Sentinel reported that Rosier confessed to police he was the one who shot the dog.

During the two-day trial, patrol officer Boody cried as he told the court about returning home from work to find Drake, who he adopted in 2010, wounded.

Drake suffered broken limbs, bullet wounds in his head and jaw, massive blood loss and lethal damage to his esophagus.

"He was in obvious pain," Boody said, according to Sun Sentinel.

Convicted: Ivins Rosier, 17, pictured at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office courtroom in West Palm Beach on November 30, 2012, after being accused of breaking into a Florida trooper's home and shooting his police dog.

Days before Drake was euthanized, Rosier admitted to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Detective Philip DiMola during questioning that he shot the dog.

The November 22, 2012, interrogation was recorded and played to Palm Beach County jury during its deliberations on Friday, according to Sun Sentinel.

"If you shoot that dog and he dies, that's murder of a law enforcement officer," DiMola pressed Rosier in the interrogation video.

Meanwhile, Rosier's attorneys, Jack Fleishman and Rachel Preefer, asked Judge Rosenberg to sentence the teen as a juvenile with a six-year prison terms.

However she said she didn't feel that was appropriate after the court heard Rosier had faced previous juvenile charges for grand theft, battery, lewd and lascivious molestation and false imprisonment.

During the November 2012 shooting, he was wearing an ankle monitor for a previous burglary charge which officers used to link him to the crime scene.

Rosier told Rosenberg he was misunderstood and blamed his problems on drug and alcohol addiction.

"The vicious ruthless person that I’ve been portrayed to be, that’s not who I am, that’s not who I’ll ever be," Rosier said.

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T-Shirts by Doug Ratner - "I'd Rather Be With My Dog" - (Doug Ratner & The Watchmen)

My friend Doug Ratner...come on you know the name and the music! Doug Ratner & The Watchmen, has just launched his new company, "I'd Rather Be With My Dog", a line of T-Shirts with some of your favorite breeds. Currently available are: Beagle, Bulldog, Black Lab, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and Dachshund.


From Doug:
Check out the shirts, read about the charities, check out the blogs, and tell us what you think and remember that every single one of YOU played a little part in inspiring me to launch this new company.  Check them out HERE! 


                                              Check out these cool T-Shirts...and order your favorite!

                                                                                           Bulldog

                                                                 German Shepherd

                                                                    Golden Retriever

                                                                            Beagle

                                                                        Black Lab

Dachshund  - *IMPORTANT: Dachshund T-Shirts are in production! Pre-order now! They will be able to be shipped by 10/14/13*
                                           
They have just released a new music video for the Washington Humane Society!

Did you see my baby, Jonas in the video!

About: Doug Ratner & The Watchmen

Doug Ratner & The Watchmen have covered a lot of ground in a pretty short space of time. If rock n’ roll and the highway make a perfect marriage, the power trio out of Longmeadow, Massachusetts has spent the last year-and-a-half on its honeymoon.

ON ITUNES! http://goo.gl/A084jj
MERCH STORE: http://goo.gl/JT9yUc
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/dougratner
ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dougratnerandthewatchmen

                                                                    Doug and his favorite girl...Trudy!

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