We began our search for a new companion by identifying what we desired and what we could provide. We decided on a dog but had to consider a breed. Time and money were the two resources that had to be allocated to any new family member. The question was how much. Since my wife is much smaller then I am, we wanted to be certain that she could handle the dog, as it got older and larger. We discussed the breeds and settled on the German Shepherd. We were first nervous about if we met the requirements to own a German Shepherd. My wife and I had been around dogs for the majority of our lives. Though I had never owned a GSD myself, I have known enough of them to recognize the beauty and intelligence of the breed. I knew that a German Shepherd required a lot of effort to keep stimulated and happy. There was the concern of the common disorders associated with the breed including hip disease. We decided to start looking for good breeders and visited a few over the next few weeks. I was in the kitchenette at my place of employment when I noticed a fluorescent green 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of paper that had the picture of a German Shepherd on it. I was concerned that one of my coworkers had lost a dog and started to read the notice. My attention was well placed, as this was a flyer for the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue. Taking the information, I began researching VGSR and what was involved with participating. I recognized that this was a group of people who where very concerned for the health and well being of the German Shepherd Dog. The determination of the volunteers was what steered my wife and I to rescuing a GSD. The process began with filling out an application to adopt. The form was easy to understand and really help to identify things that were not necessarily considered in adopting a dog. The form helped us to prepare for the next part of the adoption process, the Home Visit. The home visit was not only to help the VGSR get a perspective of who we were; it was an avenue for my wife and me to ask a person questions. The volunteer arrived when she was expected. She had a GSD with her that she was fostering. The German Shepherd was a true German Shepherd. She was happy and curious. All of the things we expected to see in a GSD. We were excited just to be in the presence of a GSD. The Home Inspector finished the inspection and the interview, and informed us that we were good candidates for adopting a GSD. The following Saturday, there was a German Shepherd Rescue Adoption Day at the PetsMart in Sterling, Virginia. We went to the event, not knowing what to expect. We met a wonderful group of volunteers and several GSDs. My wife and I were interested in one of four puppies that were recently born and soon to be weaned from their mother. We spoke with many of the volunteers. Our questions involved why were these wonderful animals being giving up by their owners. There were a variety of reasons for people giving up their GSDs, and for some of the owners, all had to take a hard decision. The goal of the VGSR is to match he right GSD with the right family. Those surrendering their GSDs place a great deal of faith in the organization's ability to make those matches happen. There were so many wonderful dogs, but sadly, none present matched with us. One of the volunteers suggested that we look on the web site again to see other dogs that could not make the event. We finished talking and meeting the dogs and left for another appointment we had that afternoon. My wife and I discussed what we saw and what we learned. We decided to wait on the puppies since they would be easy to find a home for. The older dogs needed homes now. That evening, my wife and I returned home to find a voice mail from a volunteer at the VGSR. We listened to the voice mail, which indicated that there was a potential perfect match for us; a 1 year old German Shepherd. My wife and I went online and viewed the suggested match, Vegas. I was surprised to see an all-black German Shepherd. My wife and I talked about her and spoke with the volunteer about arranging a meeting. Normally the meetings can be arranged quickly and the prospective adopters take a few days to think about the adoption. But the situation involved my wife and I, located in Leesburg, Virginia, and the fostering family, located in the Norfolk area, making arrangements to meet. It was decided that my wife and I would drive 4 hours to meet this stranger, and her fostering family. When my wife and I first met Vegas, we were immediately drawn to the bright eyes and general happiness that she had in her stride. The photo did not do her justice. The family that had been fostering Vegas acknowledged that Vegas needed a home where she would get attention but is had to be a home that gave her lots of love as well. My wife and the ladies of the fostering family played with her. She was not aggressive, but she was exuberant with the energy that only a puppy has. She ignored me, for the most part, until I asked if everyone would stop playing with her for a moment. I called her name. I understand dogs. I know what they need and in general what they want. I can generally predict how a particular dog will react to certain things in a matter of minutes. This dog, which I had just met, surprised me. On calling her name, she stopped what she was doing, turned and walked over to me. Her eyes looked up and I could see her waiting for the next command. "Sit," I said. She immediately sat and waited for me to give the next command. I looked into her eyes and could see that she wanted to please everyone with all of her being. I praised her and had her on her back, showing her belly to me in a typical gesture of trust and submissiveness. I was certain at that point that she was the right dog for us and we were the right family for her. I did some other simple response test for temperament, food aggression, and tolerance. Several times she gave the "Shepherd Cock" and looked up to me wanting so much more. Due to the length of travel involved, my wife and I were given the option of taking her that day, instead of waiting. We both knew. She was the one. The trip back was through foul weather. It was raining and stormy. Vegas sat in the back of the car and looked out the back window. She knew that this was a permanent change, but was not showing a great deal of anxiety. We stopped to get fuel and let her out to walk around a little with my wife. We had replaced her pincher collar with a choker chain. She was responding well enough to direction and was not pulling hard on the chain. My wife was comfortable handling her. Vegas refused to drink anything, which is typical for her when she is nervous. The trip continued to a rest stop just south of Richmond. There was room there for us to get out of the car and stretch a bit. This is where we discovered the extent of Vegas's dog hostility. She was outright dog aggressive. This was the only issue that we had concern over, but it was expected to some extent. I had already researched the issue and what needed to be done to help her learn that other dogs were not bad. We handled her and got her all the way back to Leesburg without further incident. She was introduced to her new home and quickly learned what was acceptable and where it was acceptable to do it. Her first vet visit was scheduled with Dr. Browning in Herndon at the Clocktower Animal Hospital later that week. It was then that I remembered that having a dog was like having a child. Her weight when we got her was about 49 pounds. Her ideal weight, at the time, was 60 pounds. Her ribs were clearly visible and her hipbones were starting to show. The Doctor indicated that this was probably a result of the weather conditions that summer and her puppy activity. Both of those factors along with being kept outdoors made it difficult for her to put on and keep on weight. With in a few days, we had decided that another name was appropriate for her. Vegas had the connotation that we had won a bet. This did not fit her. We felt that she needed a name that better fit her. The first thing was that the name should sound similar to her original name. The foster family had been calling her Negras (black from one of the Latin based languages) but shouting that name in the neighborhood was not a flattering sound. But even if we had decided to use that name, it still was not the perfect fit. She was such an angel that we needed a word that fit her. That thinking is what led us to the name Angeles. We fed her as the Doctor had instructed, and exercised her to keep her stimulated and happy. The results were a nice gradual weight gain and a happy attitude. We were still working with her and her other dog aggressiveness (not to mention cats, squirrels, rabbits, etc.), but we were not making very quick progress. My wife was upset that Angeles would only answer me and not respond obediently to her instruction. The first issue was resolved with help from my older brother, who is a recognized expert in the area of canine behavior. During his summer visit, my brother taught us how to correct the inappropriate behavior in ways that were not harsh, and helped Angeles to recognize that both my wife and I are Alpha in relationship to her. The correction involved rolling her over on her back and putting her in the subordinate position while gently holding her down. She was given corrective instruction at the same time. After a few corrections, there was a noticeable change in Angeles's behavior and she was happier to know that she was pleasing us when she behaved correctly. Angeles had shown her self to be such a wonderful dog, my brother threatened to take her out west and train her in search and rescue. My brother already has one German Shepherd, Perth, that is an accomplished search and rescue dog. My older brother's opinion on Angeles made me feel better about our decision to take her. The time came for another visit to the Veterinarian's Office. We found that Angeles truly enjoyed car rides, even to the vet. She sat in her area, watching the world speed past, as we traveled from Leesburg to Herndon. We entered the vet where we checked in. When Dr. Browning came out, he was surprised that Angeles was not behaving aggressively to the other animals in the waiting area. He did a double take to make sure that it was the same dog. He was please to see that in the time between visits, she had reached her ideal weight and was behaving like a well-trained German Shepherd. She was so well-behaved that he asked how we changed her behavior so effectively. Things have come along way since we first brought Angeles to her new home. She had a brief infection that was easily cleared up. She has learned to be nice about other dogs; it is now a general alertness with other dogs and not outright hostility. She has demonstrated her true German Shepherd traits of loyalty and protection for both my wife and me. The rest of the neighborhood, some other German Shepherd owners as well, are impressed with her progress and how beautiful she is in her own splendor. The key thing to remember when accepting responsibility for any dog is that he will become a member of your family as you become a member of his pack. Like a child, a dog requires love, stimulation, and discipline to grow. We feel that Angeles has been getting all of the things she needs to develop. We have learned about her needs and she recognizes ours. Angeles is an important member of our family. I am always pleased when she surprises me with a new sound or behavior that shows her intelligence. I always enjoy calling home to hear Angeles vocalizing indicating that she is playing with my wife. I am thrilled when she comes to the door to great me, always excited that I am home. Angeles is so important to us that we have made arrangements for where she would go if anything were to happen to my wife or me. We have a plan for Angeles's development. We aspire to have her work with search and rescue. But, even if she never becomes a certified search and rescue dog, she will always be a member of our family.

Michael Anthony Shivik