Maggi

This is Maggi my first German Shepherd Dog. I asked for a Yorkie and my husband took me to see a German Shepherd litter! There was no way I was coming home with out a dog and giving him the chance to change his mind. So ... we did all the wrong things and took her home, I'll never regret that for a moment. She was a very different kind of puppy, shy, backwards and very afraid of the world. Everything she does is very serious, from playing fetch to learning something new. Its always a job even when its fun but I've learned to see the gleam in her eyes and I know when she enjoys something. I have learned more from this dog than I could have ever learned from a normal dog. She is very special and I tell her that every day.

Her favorite hobbies are fetch, agility, swimming, wrestling, fetch, silly pet tricks and did I mention playing fetch? Would you be surprised to learn that I have a really good throwing arm now? We have learned many things together over the years and I have attempted to teach her the ways of the world. I say attempted because she & I, well, we don't always have the same agenda. Sometimes she has ideas of her own as to what she wants to learn or teach me as the case may be.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of us, we were having a very unique conversation. We learned to play agility together and altho she can't play anymore it was a great confidence builder for the both of us. One of the best moments of my life was the very first time we stepped in to the agility ring we not only finished the course but we

qualified! It wasn't the qualifier that made me so proud (even tho I really liked getting that ribbon) it was the fact that we had come so far together that we could actually get out there, try something in a scary new environment and have fun while doing it. One of the saddest moments in my life was the day that Maggi told me she just couldn't play agility anymore. Not because of the game but because my best friend couldn't do what we had come to enjoy so much. She developed spondylosis in her spine and that is limiting the flexibility and makes it difficult to move in the manner required for agility. We still play for fun in class or in the yard when she's in the mood.