SHEP and TASHA

We got two eight-week-old German Shepherd pups from  

someone who bred German Shepherds. While both had golden 

legs, chests, and necks. Shep had the darkest face.

Natasha, whom we called Tasha, the sister, had more golden 

highlights. At first, we made a pen in our dining room for these 

two fat, furry puppies, but within a month, we had to move

them outside as Shep and Tasha grew so fast.

From their very first winter, my pups loved the snow.

Their thick, coarse fur kept them nice and warm.

They just couldn't understand why their human mama didn't

 live outside too, when playing in the snow was so much fun.

Shep and Tasha both were full of energy and loved running in the 

woods and around our two-acre property line, even when small.

As they grew, I could always spot Tasha, even from a 

distance, because one or both of her ears would flop over.

My German Shepherds were double trouble when it came to

 getting into mischief with their curiosity, but also quick to give

 lots of doggy love with their wet tongues. 

I could always tell 

when they had done something wrong, by the way they would 

hang their heads and the guilty look on their faces.

Even when they reached adulthood and came up to my waist, 

I was still their mama. They would instantly vie for my attention

as soon as I walked out the door. When they stood on their hind

legs, they could look me in the eye and would put their paws

around my neck to hug me. They could have easily knocked

me over with their strength but were gentle with their human mama.

Shep, although he sounded quite ferocious if he growled 

or barked, had a gentle heart.  He was the leader of the two

being the male, but also was a mama's boy.

Tasha always obeyed Shep, but had her opinion and was quick 

to let everyone know it. Although graceful, she was like a

 tomboy at times, ready to rough and tumble with Shep.

 They were excellent guard dogs. Nothing escaped their keen eyesight. Shep and Tasha could easily reach over the picket fence enclosing our yard and sometimes stood with their front legs hung over, which looked scary to visitors. Yet, when it was time to take them to the vet for their shots, we would have to literally drag their limp bodies to the truck, 

load them and then drag them through the vet's door.

Watching my two German Shepherds gallop through the woods 

was like watching poetry in motion with their speed and 

coordination. It was an awesome sight, but when we fostered 

several tiny pups, they were gentle and watched over them.

Right in the prime of Shep's adulthood, one morning, I discovered Tasha whining at the back door by herself, which was odd as they were always together. When I went to find Shep, I discovered his lifeless body. It was

such a shock, as he was always healthy. A short time before, a neighbor's pet rooster (they never kept any of their pets up and were always losing them) flew over the fence onto our property, and Shep & Tasha had killed it by trying to play with it- basically mauled it. The neighbors were very angry with us, even though I profusely apologized, although technically it wasn't our fault. I carefully looked all over Shep's body to find out why he had died.  I couldn't discover any physical evidence that caused his death. My husband was convinced, although we had no proof, that our neighbors had poisoned Shep, as they would eat anything handed to them.

We sadly buried Shep close to where Sandy was. Tasha was

 never the same after that. Until the day she died, she mourned

for her brother. Although Tasha lived for several more years, she

became wilder, even snapping at our other pets, and biting at our grandchildren. I finally made the difficult decision to put Tasha to 

sleep and buried her beside her faithful companion. I mourned 

the loss of my beautiful, gorgeous German Shepherds.