The Dog We Needed...

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December 23rd 2009 12:30 pm
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I'm not quite sure why I am writing a new entry after all this time, but i have had my pretty girl in my thoughts alot lately. I always knew that my wife and I started fostering white shepherds because of Panzer but last weekend we were watching an episode of the dog whisperer and cesar said something that i can't get out of my mind.

'You may not always get the dog you want but you always get the one you need'

This hit home in because it is extremely obvious (too me anyway) that although i still don't think its fair what happened to Panzer, I can now look at all the dogs in my family and realize how much of an impact Panzer had on their lives.
Rory was rescued a just in time to avoid being put down and is now playing in the snow up north.
Rysen was rescued on the day she was scheduled to be put down and is now slowly, with the help of Rocko, learning that humans are not all monsters.
Peyton was given a place to be comfortable and safe for the first time in his life, no matter how long it lasted.
Abbey learned to eat again, and is now able to live in comfort (and go for lots of car rides) since her skin conditions are under control
Kylie, well, Kylie is just living it up all around able to be her puppyish self.
Dakota, my dear lovable Dakota, she was the second foster and we got to see her go from breaking crates and cowering from us with heartworms and with no weight on her, to a dog that i still consider 'the one that got better' she was in bad shape, the vet visits and medicine and other trying times were very hard because they brought back horrible memories and feelings i had tried to forget. It's dumb but to this day, although we havent had to in awhile, i dont like taking urine or feces samples to vets because i did it too many times with Panzer and they always took just a little more hope away from me each time.
But Dakota got better! It was an amazing feeling and although i may not have the patience sometimes or the drive, my wife always has the drive, patience and the dedication that i can feed off of.
i will always love watching a dog get better.

I'm pretty sure ive lost my point, if i ever had one that is. Either way here is what ive come to realize.
Without Panzer we never would have learned so much about canine health and hundreds of ways to treat so many different ailments (by me i mean my wife although i like to think i know some :o)
Without Panzer we never would have fostered and it goes without out saying that some of the dogs we have brought into our home might never have made it to the families that love them so much right now.
Without Panzer we never would have gotten to meet Peyton whom through his problems led us to Jim, our trainer.
Without Panzer we would not have Sig or Jim to help us with Sig, and through that process we learned how to deal with behavioral problems of all kinds.

So although I would give anything to have her with us today, wearing her christmas bow instead of it adorning the top of our tree, I realize now that she was the dog we needed.