Schönheit German Shepherds

09/26/2024

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09/03/2024

Almost a year ago... such good pups!

08/25/2024

Sierra (Nala) & her brother Nox... these guys have always been buddies. Sierra went to be a mobility service dog and sadly her owner passed. She’s back with us and hasn’t missed a beat. Incredible litter Dirk / Nellie: Nash, Niko, Noble, Norman, Nox and Nala.

07/15/2024

This post popped up in my feed and I wanted to share it as well as our Schonheit journey as it is appropriate for what our kennel is currently experiencing.

“Living with a very old dog means feeling your heart speeding up every time you see them a little more stiller than usual and approaching with the fear that they have stopped breathing.

Living with a very old dog means being aware that some of the things you'll do together may be the last.

Living with a very old dog means thinking ′′this is their last summer", ′′this is their last July,” ′′this could be the last morning." (From Melaynie Wells).

Schonheit German Shepherds, really, accidentally developed. I had a GSD working K9 partner years ago, and when he passed, we ended up with a series of GSD rescues over the years. For over a year I searched for my next K9 partner unsuccessfully, and then it finally happened; I came upon Ovaro & Franzi.

I believe they were both 5 at the time. They were two of the most incredible dogs I have ever had the honor to be around. Next came Titania. She arrived at our home pregnant with only days from her due date.

Then Tesy came to us by happenstance. A contact reached out to ask if I would be interested in her. She had come into the US a year prior and her human had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Finally came Easy. I had been tracking her for almost a year at another breeder’s kennel and an opportunity came up to purchase her. I drove out to LAX and picked her up and drove straight back. She met the rest of the humans in a park by our house and she instantly bonded with my son. She completed our Schonheit pack. Since they were all at or over the age of 5, I knew going into this that our time with them was limited.

During this time, we also had three GSD rescues as family dogs as well. All of them are also over the age of 5. If you are in our Schonheit FB, you will see that I post what life is like at our house with all of the dogs. Each one has a distinctive personality- some are hams, some love to be brushed, some want to just be with their human, others are toy driven, and every combination in between.

Social media is an interesting evil. It is both a crazy source of instant information and an opportunity for recliner “experts.” Simply post something and watch the instant judgement and loss of humanity. Curious, simply visit a German Shepherd dog group and read a post from someone looking for some guidance, and watch as they get pounced on by others. I say this because I am going to post a series of pictures of Franzi and I am certain I will get an array of responses, both positive and negative. Franzi is a very independent, tough girl. She wants attention on her terms- including brushing, and at 12 she has earned it.
She was an incredible mom, second only to her daughter, Nellie.

We are a small kennel. I personally work 2-10 dogs at a time, 3-4x daily, not including pups which then could be 15+ dogs all at once. Although many of our dogs came to us by chance, others took up to a year to select. Because of the care and time that it takes when a dog retires we would never consider rehoming them. They are used to the routine, and it is a commitment to them that I make when they come to me. This is their forever home. Which is why I have / had so many around the same age, and why over the last 2-3 years we have experienced great loss.

Ghost, one of our white shepherd rescues, went out one early morning to potty and collapsed. He was 12 but was still moving with the pack the day before. Easy had had a difficult pregnancy which resulted in her early retirement.
Now her job was playing and loving on her human boy (my son,) and then she developed a sudden tumor and was gone in 5 days.

Ovaro, who Schonheit was built around, was beginning to slow down but was still keeping up with the pack. He also went out one morning, laid down, and couldn’t get up.

Most recently was Titania, who had injured her paw and then after treating it and her making a rebound, she had an acute abdomen issue and passed away.

As a first responder, my whole life has been sudden “events.” Which brings me to Franzi. I have been watching her slow down over the last 6-9 months, but daily, those changes can be difficult to notice. Several weeks ago I began filming her with “her pack” including her oldest daughter, Fiona, younger daughter, Nellie, and Nellie’s two pups, Nox and Sierra (Nala).

Again time passes and those photos never got posted, life happens and then the cruelty of life. Monday the “family” was in the yard and as I was putting them all away, Franzi trotting to me, and her back legs gave out...

I had seen this over the last 6 weeks- legs give and she goes into a sit, but this time it was different. I stood there and looked at her, just to see what she would do... and then it hit me in the gut- she couldn’t do anything. I went over and gave her a hug and began to cry. She just layed down and I knew I was experiencing a “last time.”

What I didn’t know is that my son and wife saw the whole thing. They told me that they had been trying to tell me that for weeks... I never heard them, or wasn’t ready to. I saw some of it but I also saw her grinning with her daughters and granddaughters.

I get calls almost weekly from people distraught over the loss of their GSD. I always say the same thing- go get another one quickly - a rescue, a pup, an adult,
whatever but the household will not be the same until you do. For me, I was blessed to came home to a dozen shepherds that all wanted attention, giving me no time for sadness- we had a splash pad / pool afternoon. This long drawn out post is the result of seeing a post from someone about living with a senior dog. That post hit home for me. Inside of a year, we will have lost 5. I simply ask for kindness and compassion. That is what I got from the post which inspired me to share this journey with all of you.

07/12/2024

Not sure if it’s record temps, but still very hot! We are going with it and having a pool day / quasi splash pad!

07/07/2024

Sierra, Nellie & Emma taking a break to cool off! The two pools overflow creating a splash pad of sorts.

07/04/2024

Happy birthday to our wonderful country! Please keep your animals safe today.

06/26/2024

A Huge Thank You to All of Our Amazing Customers Who Voted SDPR "Best Doggy Day Care!" We appreciate all of you!

06/26/2024

06/09/2024

Absolutely beautiful, little Miss Evie!

06/09/2024

Birthday / ice day! Very warm day, with two pups having a birthday- what better way to celebrate than with ice filled kiddie pool, or two! Happy birthday Sierra & Nox! Big shoutout to Nellie, best momma dog ever!

06/09/2024

Nox and his sister Sierra are getting back in the swing of things. Sierra is such a beautiful pup. She continues to surprise me!

06/07/2024

Our hearts broke yesterday, when unexpectantly, at 10 years old, Titania passed over the rainbow bridge. She was an incredible dog, fiercely protective, and always needing to be with the family. We were blessed to have her as a part of our family and dog pack for six years, and she will be sorely missed. RIP sweet T. We love you.

06/01/2024

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