"Fever" for his page. He is loyal, loving, protective, plus cunning, while very set
in his ways. Bowser is a German Shepard mix, black, brown, and white with a tail
that is curled over his back. His weight is around 60 pounds. He has lived a good
long life, being twelve years old.
Our son was only fifteen when he started teasing to bring this little puppy home.
He was told by hubby that we had enough dogs and no more were allowed. So much for asking,
here came our son with Bowser. The defense he used on his father was the truth,
this poor little guy only had one eye he could see out of, after all, who would possibly
give this little guy a loving home besides us? Bowser stayed.
One son decided that Bowser should be a hiking companion when son walked the hill
up back. Off they went, only a short time later here came Bowser minus our son! A good
fifteen minutes later, one son came running in the house totally out of breath to ask where
Bowser was. Bowser was upstairs hiding, shaking in his body! So ended the hiking.
One son wasn't about to give up on this little puppy, as he wanted a companion to ride
with him in his truck he had recently purchased after turning sixteen. Calling a frightened Bowser,
then lifting him up into the rattling jalopy that was son's pride and joy, off they
went to town. As the truck was leaving the driveway, I heard an awful high pitched wail coming
from the truck. It was Bowser in protest! About ten minutes later, they returned, Bowser still
wailing his high pitched protest and one son vowing to never take him in any vehicle again!
So ended Bowser's riding days, except to the vet's. He of course still wails out his
protest yet today all the way to the vet's.
Bowser got an eye infection in his sightless eye when he was two years old.
I took him to our vet and he had to remove the entire eye sewing it shut
afterwards. Bowser never had any sight in it from birth. The vet thought it was punctured by one
of Bowser's litter mates with a tooth or a toenail while playing. But now,
it was extremely evident that his eye was missing. It didn't phase any of the four of us,
but some people actually freak when they see it to this day. Bowser is very sensitive
to that also. My oldest and youngest brothers used to make fun of Bowser, calling him "One Eye!"
Bowser resented them being anywhere near him, actually he used to meet them at the door with teeth
showing and emitting a growl along with a very warning bark. They had somewhat of a hard time
getting in our house for many years. It has been only recently that Bowser finally let
by gones be by gones! Needless to say they never mention "One Eye" anymore either.
Bowser is afraid of many things, guns, fireworks, lightning, cameras, anything that remotely
sounds like a gun or resembles a gun is disaster! If anyone even goes near the gun
cabinet to open it, whoosh! He's gone upstairs on the bed to hide. Getting his picture is a
feat hard to accomplish. He knows where the camera is kept so getting it out won't even work.
The picture you see here is very old one as I wasn't able to outsmart him
to get a recent one. If our grandsons have a toy gun, even a water gun,
Bowser is gone. Out of sight, out of mind! Hunting season is a very difficult
time for Bowser and us, he is so afraid.
Bowser came into our lives the same time as Min did. They were inseparable.
When I lost Min, I almost lost Bowser. He pined Min to the point I and the vet
thought I was going to lose him also. Bodie and Bowser had their ups and downs too,
but were still best friends. After Bodie and Min were gone, Bowser changed. He wasn't as upset
when I brought Kota home. I felt it was an age thing, but my vet
had it right. For the first time in his life Bowser was the "alpha dog"!
Kota didn't challange him, he backed off when Bowser growled at him, still does and
probably always will. Bowser is "Top Dog" now, the way he always wanted to be.
He demands respect and gets it.
Bowser has so much love and loyalty it's unreal. He loves some people more then others.
He's our daughter's favorite, as she is his. He adores her! When he hears her
coming, he's at the door letting out his "she's here" bark! This bark doesn't
stop until he gets his loving from her. He turns inside out literally. Our daughter has
our first born grandson, who spends much time here. They are inseparable also. I was
trying to get a picture of Bowser one time when one grandson was here.
He had Bowser sitting on his lap, I managed to sneak the camera out.
Our grandson covered Bowser's eye for me to snap the picture. It almost worked, but when
the flash went off, Bowser was gone! So much for that try.
We recently added an addition onto our house. Bowser's one and only eye has a
cataract on it, causing his sight to deteriorate. Due to his age, surgery is not
recommended, so we aren't having it done. Bowser gets around quite well, but when the addition
was started, it through a curve into Bowser's life and style. Nothing ever was moved due
to his sight problem. Now everything changed drastically. Bowser wouldn't come into the new part
of the house for three weeks. When he did, caution ruled. Now the bedroom is
a big change. Bowser always slept upstairs with us, now we're downstairs. Hubby and I
have tried everything to get Bowser to make the transition down here, NO WAY!
Hubby even built steps for Bowser with carpet covering them, he won't use them. He won't
even be coaxed in there! Hubby has lifted Bowser up there, only to have Bowser
jump off the bed and smack the floor. His back legs are a problem due to arthritis.
We have him on several meds to ease the arthritis also. The only thing we can
think of to do is try to coax him, but it won't work. He will stay
on the bed only if one of us are in it, then he has left in the middle
of the night and returned to his "safe haven" upstairs. Now it's a matter of
alternating beds. Maybe in time he'll come down here, we'll see. Did I mention Bowser's
also stubborn?????
Bowser has an attachment to hubby that no other dog ever has had.
Hubby is Bowser's and Bowser's alone! No one else will do or take hubby's place.
When hubby is gone, Bowser stays upstairs on the bed. Let hubby return, you hear the
worst racket ever heard. He waits at the door, wailing that high pitched racket you
may call a bark for lack of proper words! Bowser insists on going out everytime
hubby comes in from someplace. Not only does he want out, no one but hubby can
let him out! I can be here with Bowser, never does he emit that racket,
but when hubby is here, plug your ears! Of course hubby has to go out
with Bowser also, he refuses to budge outside that door without hubby there. I swear
I'm buying earplugs!
Bowser has never tolerated other dogs either. If a stray dog happens into our yard,
it doesn't stay long. Bowser won't allow that. He chases it away pronto! This is
Bowser's yard and no stray is allowed! Kota is allowed, but only tolerated. That is
Bowser's rule. Yet first thing in the morning or during the day while it's light out,
Bowser wants Kota out with him. After dark, Bowser won't leave the porch when Kota goes
out with him. Again it's the "sight thing". Kota wants to play, Bowser will play
some during the day light hours, not after dark though. Also, you can tell that
Bowser thinks Kota's playing antics are totally uncalled for! Bowser makes that no secret either
by baring his teeth at Kota or just plain ignoring Kota completely with a disgusted
look on his face.
As for wild animals, we have an abundance of deer, bunnies, birds, woodchucks, and
squirrels. Birds and deer are safe, anything else, forget it! As we were eating one
night while the kids were still living home and young, we heard this awful ruckus.
Looking out, we saw the cause. Bowser laid waiting inside his dog house for this
nuisance of a woodchuck that had been eating his food during the day. Those were
the days when Min was alive and coaxed Bowser out of the yard, so they
had to be tied when out. When Bowser went out in the morning, he would
smell his food and the area around his coup with his hair standing
on end! This day he tricked that groundhog but good and had hid inside waiting
for him. Bowser had the woodchuck in his mouth just trashing him around! I ran out
the door hollering bloody murder at Bowser! Amazingly Bowser dropped him! That poor woodchuck
limped off and never came back to eat Bowser's food much less get near his coup.
The woodchuck stayed up back close to the woods and ran to his nearest hole and
disappeared everytime Bowser came out after that. The squirrels are wise to him also. They come
out to their feeders very cautiously watching and listening for his tags to jingle on
his collar. If they hear him come barging out the door, they're long gone before
he gets anywhere near.
Bowser is a dog of much love and loyalty. He would defend anyone he loved
to the end, nothing would stop him. He has proven that numerous times. People have
came to the house selling something or just someone he didn't know. They weren't about
to come inside unless we had Bowser by his collar holding him back. Once he
is told that it's all right, he lets them in to make up with them
on his terms. His bark can be very threatening as his manner. Every one of
his teeth showing and every hair standing on end enforces his plan to protect. He
may not be very large, but he means business.
I know Bowser's time with us is limited, for Bowser's sake.
I also know when that time comes, it's going to be very hard on us
and all who love him. In the meantime, we will continue to do whatever it
takes to give him the love, respect, loyalty, and affection he has so devoting given
to us. After all, that's what it's about, right?
I lost my special Bowser on June 11, 2001.
His heart was really acting up, I just couldn't put him through any more suffering.
It"s so difficult to have to make the decision to end my best friend's life,
but I know I owed him the peace he so deserved. He was a super,
loyal, and loving little guy who would have glady given his life
for any of us with out any question. My only consulation is
I know he's waiting for us at Rainbow Bridge, free from pain, whole and
healthy once again. He had a good twelve and a half years of love and
devotion with us. I miss him deeply, but his memory, love, and diversity will remain,
in his own special place inside my heart.
The following peom was written for me by my dear friend,
Jackie, aka ~wolfrunner~. She said it all so well...
Friend of mine
This dog so greatly loved
For many years
Did walk this path of life with me
So many ways
This dog so loved by all
Did day by day
Fill our hearts with everlasting joy
Friend of mine
This dog so tenderly missed
Will always be
In fondest memory thought of
Who will now grace heaven's meadows
Who will no longer live in pain
Who will be waiting by that special shore
Until that time when we shall meet again
Friend of mine
I give you back
To the One
Creator of every living thing
Run happily in God's garden
Roll playfully with the angels in heaven
Listen carefully
You will never be forgotten.....Friend of mine!
Bodie's Song
My Girl Min
Pet Ownership and Credits
Rottweiler Graphics Copyrighted by Peggy Rose
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