Kobie-Girl

2011-05-15T14:21:00.001-07:00

You were my sunshine ….My cheery sunshine.
You made me happy …..when skies were grey.
You never knew girl how much you meant to me
And now that sunshine has quickly gone away….

Kobie, you were the peacemaker around the house always trying to make things right and to please. I called you my guardian angel always looking out for me. You were the “black dog” that my mother referred to right before she crossed. Little did I realize how much she liked black dogs and when we travelled east with you, Olivia and Teddy, it was you who brought her the most joy – so much so that during the service for her, the minister mentioned how “Lil” talked about the “black dog” who came to visit.

I loved watching you trot across the yard. You were so light on your feet and so graceful and made it look effortless. You had the same gait when you were herding sheep and you looked so beautiful… and then… what.. you were chasing a butterfly… heck with the sheep! I know that you will continue to bring joy to all those who crossed before and you’ll show them the right way to run across those fields of green and flowers.

RIP Miss Kobie….

Kobie CGC, Therapy Dog, BH, CD, UCD, HIC, RN
2001-2011

Kobie’s Memorial with Guestbook

Kobie’s Website
Kobie's Photo Albums
List of posts that mentioned or were about Kobie

Kobie was a Shiloh Shepherd with a lifespan of 9-11 years. She had Pancreatic Insufficiency also know as EPI. Because her pancreas did not produce enzymes to digest her food, Kobie had to have her food soaked in pancreatic enzymes for it to be digested. She was always hungry so it was not beneath her to catch critters in the yard for lunch or eat the pears and apples from the trees…. neither the critters or the fruit had enzymes, of course. The vet speculated that there most likely was an underlying reason such as bone cancer or osteoporosis for the humerus bone to break as it did and that recovery from surgery could be long and painful. Because of Kobie’s age and condition I made the decision to say goodbye. It was heartbreaking as you would expect. Today, May 8, 2011, she was laid to rest next to her buddy, Ari. I miss her already.

Monday May 9th. Conversation with Marilyn

Kobie came running and was very light and floaty – a good feel and a good spirit. She flopped over on her back, rolled over and popped back up. She has a sense of freedom and she’s good where she is. Looks likes she is with Ari or another dog who looks like Ari and they are running, playing chasing games and rolling over.

She knows it would have been rehab her whole life. Olivia is coming soon but she had to stay behind to keep the energy smooth and relax it because her exit was so dramatic and traumatic. Olivia's crossing will be much calmer.

Plant flowers she’s saying. (Are there special flowers you plant Marilyn asks) Yes.. well she’s telling you to plant flowers…

Here is Kobie at the beginning of a roll over and then back up again!

Running, playing and rolling was definitely she liked to do!

So what really happened? We’ll never know exactly but when I came in from outside where I had been mowing, Kobie came dragging herself out of the bathroom covered with blood and her right front leg was hanging lifeless. There was a hole in the wall right where she would have turned to go into the hallway and it was right at her shoulder level. That’s where the blood started and it continued into the bathroom when she was. Even though it looked like a lot of blood, she didn’t continue bleeding. We suspect that she came running around the corner at top speed (playing chase with another dog??) and her shoulder went into the wall. The hole is 3 inches round and pushed in over an inch. The large bone was broken in half and pulled away from the shoulder. It would have required surgery with pins and major rehabilitation. Kobie was almost 10 and her lifespan is estimated to be 9-11 years. It was with all of this in mind that the decision was made. We drugged her with doggy pain meds I keep on hand and took her in very early to help her cross over where no doubt Ari was waiting for her.

Memorials of Kobie’s former housemates.

Ari-Man
Teddy Edward
Josephine

Do I really need another dog??

2009-12-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

I remember the day when Joanna emailed me and asked if I had ever seen a
Shiloh Shepherd. No… I hadn’t. That afternoon I was at Great Lakes Vet and was reading a magazine waiting my turn. Lo and behold.. the centerfold was a Shiloh…not one but many. Oh… bigger long haired German Shepherd look-a-likes.

Later that day she sent me an email with a picture of Kobie and it was love at first sight. I contacted the owner who was placing her because she was jumping their 3 foot fence and going to a park across the road to play with the kids. Because she is a mostly black (I later came to know what a bi-color is… black with tan feet), she was pretty scary to people. Little did they know, she was a year old pup just looking for some fun. The owner was used to smaller dogs such as shelties and was planning to put up a higher fence for her but unfortunately, the city of St. Charles IL had other ideas of what height he could put up…. and it wasn’t 4 feet!

So several days later, the owner drove Kobie to my house to meet me and the rest of the pack. One at a time we introduced them and there were no problems. Kobie is a peace maker and it was evident that day that she was going to fit into the group. At that time Josephine was with us, as was Ari, Teddy and Olivia. I had 3 acres with an array of fe nces and separate yards so it was no problem having her join the family.

After visiting for several hours, her owner said: “Well, I think Kobie has a home”. He was a very concerned owner and had taken her several places before but left with her not feeling good about that situation. Some people would have kenneled her outside and that was not acceptable for him and another was liked the fact that she was black and that would be better for a guard dog. Little did they all know what a peace maker Kobie was and that I would call her my guardian angel.

….more to follow…

The Three Amigos

2008-08-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

(this post was originally written for publication in 2005 in a local AKC newsletter)

I’d like to share a bit about the three dogs that have gotten AKC titles in 2005. I call them my Three Amigos. In 4 months, January through May, combined they achieved 7 AKC/UKC titles (21 legs). So, here goes…

In 2001, I saw Teddy’s photo online at a kennel and training facility in Madison, WI where I trained another dog. In the summer of 2000, he was dropped off with the message, “Here’s your stud fee, we can’t sell him”. There’s not a big demand for a long coated German Shepherd in the show ring, in fact, they are not shown at all (that may be changing a bit in Germany). At that time, he was 7 months old and had lived his life in a barn stall. He became the kennel dog at his new digs and was treated well. He had an official name – Parlzer vom Haus Kuhn – and when he arrived at the kennel, the gal who ran it looked at him and said – oh – you look like a Teddy Bear. Moreover, because she was from England and grew up reading books about the adventures of Teddy Edward, a teddy bear, he was officially called Teddy Edward. He was placed twice but came back - reason - severe separation anxiety and unexplained fear of loud machine noises especially traffic sounds. I adopted him when he was 15 months old and soon realized the extent of his problems. We proceeded to work them out one at a time. Teddy is the dog that I used when I conducted the Canine Good Citizen evaluations because he’s so laid back and easy going with other dogs. He has come a LONG way. And now, he’s the dog that’s training Brita and making sure she has doggy manners.

Seven months later while at a regional Schutzhund trial, I spoke to a gal from the local German Shepherd rescue and was told about a coated female from the Madison area. Ironically, her father was Teddy’s grandfather and this dog, Lasso, was a World Sieger in 1999….the highest accomplishment a German Shepherd Dog can achieve in the show ring in Europe. (www.drachenberg.com ) Olivia vom Drachenberg (affectionately called Liver now) was a very nervous, high-strung girl. She had a good life for 2 years and then her owner’s divorce landed her in the shelter. She too had been placed twice and came back each time so she had been shifted around for 4 months. Before I even saw her, I knew she was to be part of my household. That fall, I enrolled her in her first obedience class. It was a beginner’s course and she was so frightened that she trembled uncontrollably for the entire 8 weeks.

We worked through issue after issue as I trained them. They each were registered as Therapy Dogs (www.therapydogs.com ), passed the CGC test and after 15 months and 2 attempts they got their first obedience title….a BH in Schutzhund (www.germanshepherddog.com) .

Kobie came on the scene a few months later….another coated Shepherd but this time instead of a German Shepherd she was a Shiloh Shepherd. Teddy and Olivia were both 4 years old and Kobie was 2. Her owner needed to place her because she was more dog than he realized (a Sheltie person) and she was starting to run the household. She blended right in with the other two, became a Therapy Dog, passed her CGC and BH in 6 months. (Unquestionably the smartest dog yet but we won't tell the others!)

The switch was then made to AKC/UKC trials and over the next few years, we worked on a CD and a UCD consistently scoring in the high 180s to mid 190s.. We traveled around and did some herding, first in New York State and then locally. Olivia and Kobie were natural sheep herders. Teddy was a sheep chaser….not good! The instructor about Teddy was “It’s hard to look innocent with wool in your mouth”.

In December of 2004, I thought Olivia could do a CDX so we signed up for the Oshkosh trial in mid January and went from barely holding the dumbbell to in 30 days a 4th place and the first open leg. From January to the first week in May of this year, we did 11 trials and got 21 legs for 7 obedience and rally titles…..a CD, UCD, CDX, UCDX and 3 RNs.

The icing on the cake the summer of 2005 was taking Olivia on a whim to upstate New York to participate in the obedience portion of a Protection Sports Association (www.psak9.org) trial that Ari was entered in. It was obedience with distractions…..gunfire, hot dogs on the ground, strings of cans tossed at her while she was on a down in front of a decoy, a bubble machine blowing bubbles, an air horn. She scored 84 of 100…..judging was tough but she scored 84 two days in a row to outscore 60 dogs entered over those 2 days and earn yet another title. Not bad for a rescue dog who trembled through her first obedience class.

These 3 amigos had NO training and stepped up to learn what I asked them to learn. Olivia did some protection work and when I got her she wouldn’t even play tug.

In September of 2005, Teddy had hip surgery and he had the femoral head removed for his one hip because of severe hip dysplasia. He’s doing really well now but retired from competition. In February of 2006, Kobie was diagnosed with Pancreatic Insufficiency and is doing well as long as she gets enzymes on her food. Olivia, in March of 2006 was diagnosed with arthritis even though she did not have hip dysplasia. Olivia and Kobie may do some Rally competitions in the future but I promised Teddy, who never really liked doing the shows that he wouldn’t ever have to do one again!

I’m blessed that these three dogs came into my life. They have given me more joy than I could have imagined!

About Kobie...

2008-05-29T08:33:00.001-07:00

....coming soon...

Health Issues

2008-05-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Kobie was diagnosed with Pancreatic Insufficiency in 2006. She had lost weight and was uncontrollably hungry all the time. For the rest of her life any food I prepared for her was supposed to have pancreatic enzymes soaked in to it. I specifically state food that “I” prepared because she was (1) quite the hunter and (2) quite the food thief. In the yard she would always be chasing after critters and once she and Ari shared a rabbit (I left the picture). Also one year she discovered the PEAR tree! I think that year she was addicted to sugar!

Of course, there were no enzymes on the outdoor food and in addition there were no enzymes on some food she had in the house such as eggs she stole by the dozen, numerous “to go” boxes (brought home for me), and then there was the entire pot of a dozen brats that was cooking on the stove and the spaghetti I had prepared for the rare dinner guest! You get the picture.

It is speculated that she may not have gotten enough nutrients from her food because of EPI resulting in Osteoporosis. This would have weakened her bones to the point that the humerus bone split when she slammed into the wall.

We’ll never know for sure but one thing is certain and that is that she struggled with EPI always being hungry and sometimes having trouble eating the food with the enzymes. It’s not a disease that any innocent dog should have and it’s sad when one does.

Pancreatic Insufficiency

EPI in Dogs

One of Kobie’s favorite spots was by the bird cage. I used to say that Joshua was a food source for Kobie because he would feed her!

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What is a Shiloh Shepherd?

2008-05-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

Do you remember a specific "German Shepherd" you used to know as a child (or if you are under 40) one that your family or friends told you about? He was the dog with that super, almost human intelligence; that big family protector that was so very gentle with little children, yet would give his life for his master without question. The dog that would walk you to the school bus, and then show up again exactly on time to wait for your return; the hero that everyone talked about; the one that seemed half human. His personality consisted of Lassie, Strongheart, and Rin Tin Tin all rolled into one.

Well, that dog is still here today, and he is called a Shiloh Shepherd™.

Click here to continue reading....

Competition Anyone?

2005-03-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

Kobie

CGC, Therapy Dog, BH, CD, UCD, HIC, RN
September 22, 2001 – May 7, 2011
Got Kobie at 17 months on February 4, 2003 from Patrick McCarthy who got her from Highlander Kennels
March 29, 2003 .....Canine Good Citizen… Oshkosh Kennel Club…Oshkosh WI
May 19, 2003 ….Therapy Dog/Theda Clark (Neenah)/Therapy Dogs, Inc. Cheyenne WY #2894

Kobie was living with me only a few months when she got her Canine Good Citizen and then was registered as a Therapy Dog. She was very willing to learn and really had the “heart” to be a therapy dog. When she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Insufficiency, because of the high probability of accidents, we stopped our visitations.

August 23, 2003……Schutzhund “BH” ….O.G. Bierstadt Schutzhund Club…Campbellsport WI
Kobie was the 4th dog I put a BH on and she was the ONLY one that passed the first time and looked good!
September 28, 2003….Fun match (189 points) 4th place (Novice B)….Sheboygan WI
January 24, 2004….3 legs of a UCD (187, 192, 193) 4th place (Novice B)….Manitowoc WI
What I recall from this weekend was the run off for 4th place. The 2 dog/handler teams line up and then heel when instructed to by the judge. The other dog was a golden retriever and I thought.. one step and we’re done. One of the best things Kobie did was the sit at attention, very straight and looked good. So we lined up and before the judge said “forward” he said “golden is sitting crooked, shepherd wins”. HUH! woohoo! Didn’t even need to take a step!

June 23, 2004……Herding Instinct Certified (HIC)….Bonnie Leonard….Fremont, WI

Now Kobie LOVED herding and going to Bonnies but she could be distracted OH so easily! When she worked she was beautiful, working very smooth but then all of a sudden something would catch her eye (birds, butterfly, an airplane) and she’s be looking at that instead of the sheep!
October 10, 2004….Fun match (194 points) (Novice B)….Winnegamie Dog Club…..Menasha WI
December 4, 2004…..1st leg of a CD (182 ½ Points) (Novice B) … .Oshkosh WI
December 5, 2004…….2nd leg of a CD (186 ½ Points) (Novice B) …..Oshkosh WI
January 16, 2005….3rd leg of a CD (189 points) (Novice B) ….Oshkosh WI
March 26, 2005….leg 1 of Rally Novice (87 points) …..Racine WI
April 16, 2005….2nd leg of Rally Novice (78 points)……Amherst Junction WI
May 7, 2005….3rd leg of Rally Novice (RN) (97)…..Madison, WI

We continued to train but did not compete again. One of the fond memories I have was teaching Kobie to heel with her ears up. She didn’t naturally put them up but wasn’t unhappy, just rather trying to do it right so was a tad submissive. So, because she understood marker training, when we were heeling I would say “ears up” in a happy voice. The second she would put them up, I would mark it with YES, beak and reward her. She never forgot “ears up” and we could do a show and tell for anyone who asked…and Kobie was all about that because it ended in a treat!

Obedience

Herding

Rally

And we started on the retrieve but she wasn’t too serious about it and would take the item and run….. and I let her – why – because she was having fun!