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Dogster

Shih Tzu

Photo Comments
Age: 3 Years Sex: Male Weight: 11-25 lbs

Dogster stats for Gunther

Pals:21 Views: 1428


Stars:

Leave a bone for Gunther

Special Gift Box:

The family of Odie, Maxi BBF, Ernie, Dumpster, Dumpster and more!

Nicknames:
Doydle, Doodle, Gunt, Gunty, Smoochie, Gilgamesh, Mt. Munch, Dingle-twat, Sweetum, Nerd, and just about anything else that comes to mind..

Doggie Dynamics:

Energy

sleepy		energetic

Intelligence

silly		genius

Friendliness

aggressive		affectionate

Playfulness

not playful		very playful

Disposition

anxious		calm

Sun Sign:

Quick Bio:

-purebred

Gotcha Date:
May 10th 2010

Birthday:
April 6th 2010

Likes:
In this order : Mom, Food, New Toys, Dad, Clicker Training, Running off lead, Meeting new people, Children, and Sleeping flat on his back.

Pet-Peeves:
Suspicious noises. He trots around and "Huffs" until they stop.

Favorite Toy:
Anything fuzzy with no stuffing.

Favorite Food:
Gunther is pretty large for a Shih Tzu. About 22 lbs and solid muscle. Likely due to his high protein diet! Though his favorite thing on Earth is Lamb.

Favorite Walk:
ANYWHERE. He loves his walks (when the weather is nice!).

Best Tricks:
Down, Sit, Dance, Heel, Agility, Stay, "Jump" (through my legs, through hoops), weave, etc. etc. He loves doing his tricks.

Arrival Story:
My Husband and I got Gunther way too young. He was four weeks and five days old. While both of us had always had dogs growing up, we were too uneducated to realize what a big mistake this was. His "breeder" was a classic Backyard Breeder. Didn't seem to care much about the dogs, lived in a filthy home, and clearly wanted to get rid of the pups as soon as possible. Gunther didn't even have teeth when we got him. I always say he is the best mistake I've ever made, because without having made that enormous mistake, I wouldn't know anything I know now. Since we got him so young, he quickly developed some pretty alarming behavior issues. Serious resource guarding and aggression at only a couple months old. I previously used intimidation techniques and believed in Dominance Theory prior to getting him. I was quickly bitten, and quite seriously. That desperation led me to Dogster, where the amazing people here taught me more than I can really express. I started training with positivity, learned about proper nutrition, the psychology of dogs, the horrors of puppymills and BYB'S.. The list goes on and on. So while Gunther may have been a big mistake in the moment, I am forever grateful for everything I've learned because of it.

Bio:
Follow Gunther on Tumblr! http://gunthersmith.tumblr.com/ That piece of my heart and soul devoted entirely to the love of animal - wholly belongs to Gunther. I'm always careful to not wish he were something he's not. To not put onto him what I miss in all the dogs I've had before. Instead, I allow the love I had for them to bleed into this new chapter in my life with him. They live on in the purity of what I feel for him. I could talk for days about this dog. What he's done for me in the darkest time of my life. The way he made 2010 and 2011 easier to bear. When everything fell apart around me, I had this new life to mold and to nurture, and in that - the bond I feel with him is inexplainable. He was there with me through every step of the worst time in my life. When I came to this apartment and fell to pieces, so many times I would be on the floor crying, and I would feel the gentlest, softest paw rest on my knee. I would look up and see those soulful brown eyes, truly filled with concern for me. It's a moment like that which convinces me dogs are capable of love. Why would an animal behave that way if it couldn't feel love? Or devotion? I don't care if it makes me seem silly, or even ridiculous, to feel so strongly about a little Shih Tzu named Gunther. But I truly believe he is the most soulful, emotional, sensitive animal I've ever been able to know. He may not devote himself in the potent, vigilent way of a German Shepherd, or in the clingy, cuddly way of a Pitbull, but he has his own completely unique style of devotion which is just as powerful. He's eerily intelligent, independent, and thinks entirely on his own. Despite being trained since he was two months old, he won't always do what you say. He can make expressions I swear are human. He's arrogant, and will toss his head if he thinks you're being unfair. But at the same time, his feelings are hurt terribly easily. He doesn't forget, and I can tell how he's feeling by his eyes alone. His is a quiet devotion, something that shines brightly when you need it the most, but fades into the background behind his haughty personality when you're feeling happy. He has given me so much joy that I can't imagine my life without him. I've never in my life had a dog that will ignore me, sass me, and make me laugh when I should be angry - but turn around and comfort me when I feel hopeless, comfort me in such a sincere way that it snaps me out of it. Stress can make me a little too hard on him sometimes, but I've never fallen so head over heels in love with a dog like I have with him. He rewrote that novel in my mind I simply named, "Dog". I didn't understand them much at all before he did.

Forums Motto:
Giant Shih Tzu

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Changing dog "owner" to dog "gaurdian"