There is something about loving an animal that is difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced it. They become part of our everyday lives.

They greet us at the door, follow us around the house, make us laugh, comfort us when we're having a bad day, and become woven into our families in ways we sometimes don't even realize.

And then one day, they're gone.

Losing a beloved pet is a kind of heartbreak that deserves to be acknowledged.

Grief doesn't belong to just one person, and it certainly isn't reserved for the loss of a human family member. It belongs to anyone who has loved deeply and lost someone who was an important part of their life.

Before You Buy a German Shepherd, Ask Yourself the Hard Questions

Every prospective dog owner has read articles about the best dog food, the right training methods, the perfect leash, and which toys are safest. Those things are important, but they're not the questions that concern me the most as a breeder.

The questions that keep me awake at night have nothing to do with kibble.

They have everything to do with what happens five years from now...or ten.

When someone contacts me about purchasing one of my German Shepherd puppies, I'm not just placing a puppy in a home. I'm placing a living, breathing family member that will hopefully be with you for the next 10 to 15 years. That is a commitment that deserves much more thought than simply deciding whether you have room in your house today.

The question isn't, "Do you want a German Shepherd?"