Pets / Animals : Der Strider - DDR German Shepherd

[Destee]

It never gets any easier because they never live long enough. I still miss him even after a year and, just as I do with all my dogs past, will probably still miss him til the day I go on my own journey.
I had posted a picture once in thread I think you must have deleted on account of something some now ex member had said about something or another. Don't know one day that thread was gone. (Shrug, not my business)
But glad to show him off if you like. Me thinks he was about maybe 10 or 11 months here? Any ways he's not completely filled out but I like the photo.
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Der Strider was an old working line DDR GSD going back well before pre-war Germany and unless I'm extremely lucky will be my last European dog from the the older lines.
What I wouldn't give to have him back at my side again.

If you like, I've got puppy pix and growing/ training stages as well as some stories of our, ahem rather sobering, 'exploits' together, I'll be happy to provide all.

Okay Okay Okay ... I thought there was another post, because when I saw the pic this time, it was bigger than when I saw it the first time. I must not have been logged in the first time, and it did not display the bigger picture! OMG he is BEAUTIFUL! I feel like I am cheating on Black! The emotion I have for this beautiful dog! I want one!

German Shepherds were always my dream dog, when I was a child. Them and Huskies. The Rottweiler came later in life, after my son got one (his name was Pimp).

A black shepherd, OMG! In case you did not know, I LOVE BLACK!

Yes Yes Yes @ more pics, stories, and exploits ... all of the above ... PLEASE AND YES!

You can even start your own thread, for Der Strider, so he isn't deep in this killer rottweiler thread ...

Or, I can start a new thread for Strider, letting it begin with our posts in this thread. That is what I will do, it will make me the starter of the thread, because the first post will be me asking about you and Strider (making new thread now).

He deserves his own thread!

Ohhhhhh thank you Brother @ogoun for sharing!

A thread deleted?! Lawd knows it is possible ... but if I had known Strider was down in that thread, we would have come up with a way to keep him and remove only the offending content. My apology for that.

Yes please, share more, thank you ...



Destee

 

[Destee]

Brother @ogoun ... Dre Strider DDR GSD ... has his own space for pics and stories and exploits ...

Loving Us!



Destee

 

[ogoun]

A black shepherd, OMG!

For some reason I thought you (and everyone) knew Strider was a Black GSD. Kinda silly on my part I know but I just assumed.

OMG he is BEAUTIFUL!

I get where you're coming from. We had pretty well 14 years of OMG every where we went. And if he had actually liked 'people' my food bill would have easily been cut in half. He didn't like to be pet or be fondled over, even barely by me or my other half. But he was royal to a fault and never failed to watch my back. If I were in a fight, he was right there with me, we either came out together or died together and I felt the same for him.
One of my biggest fears was if during our time together was I'd be out for a walk and I'd keel over with, say, a heart attack (yeh I'm in that age group) the para medics or 'clean up crew' (as the case may be) wouldn't be able to come close to me without killing Strider.
But for all that, he was no angry snarling aggressive dog but a calm self assured presence that kept his own inner peace where ever he went unless challenged, not that many ever did.

I miss him terribly. And if I don't stop now I'll be trying to see through tears.

so he isn't deep in this killer rottweiler thread .

That's the reason I tried to keep it short, though I didn't mind at all showing a pix........ that was Blacks thread and not a place to run a Strider obit. It wouldn't be fair to neither Black or Strider to go beyond a singular pix.
Later on I'll post here more remembrances and pix going back to his early days. I can't right now though because all the pictures are on another computer in the house. I've got pix going back to the early digital age counting three dogs worth. 1987? 1988? Any dogs pix from before that are scattered about and rather skimpy (rolls of film, cameras along with all the accompanying paraphernalia and the developing was expensive and all in all a genuine PITA).

To answer an earlier question of do I have another dog yet.
Well.......as it worked out after bout 2 weeks I couldn't stand not being around dogs so I went down to a friends place that hosts a Schutzhund Club every Sat. just to be around some dogs and dog people. When she noticed me Doreen came over to say hi and asked me if I'd brought a dog to work or if I was there to pick some brains. I told my story and everything's copacetic.
A little while later she came up and asked me if I was interested in another dog......ahem not really at the moment, no. She says well if you change your mind I've one from my breedings that the original owner surrendered back to her as well as part of a litter that hadn't been spoken for yet (yeh she is also a breeder that does working line GSD's, though her program generally tends towards a little heavier on prey side for my taste but they're nice dogs with a pretty good balance of drives and as do all working lines a true commitment)........................and I don't know if I've got the energy to keep up with and bring along a working line 8 week old puppy these days. So a puppy was out, but the liter as a whole were beautiful.
Yeh, before the day was out I came home with a three year old male GSD. Perhaps more on him, his previous life, his life now and the progress made over the last year later on.

Gotta go.
Give Black a scratch behinds the ears and meaty raw bone for me.

 

[Destee]

For some reason I thought you (and everyone) knew Strider was a Black GSD. Kinda silly on my part I know but I just assumed.

I did not know. Maybe I thought shepherd, but certainly did not think BLACK Shepherd! OMG!!! BEAUTIFUL! When I saw you mention DDR GSD, I had to look it up ... ... I was not familiar. Found this :

The DDR German Shepherd is a result of four decades of exclusive breeding. These dogs were designed to be more aggressive, more territorial, and more resilient than other GSDs. Like all Shepherds, they require more fulfilling lives than existing ignored in a backyard.

I changed the title to DDR German Shepherd, to help others learn too!

I get where you're coming from. We had pretty well 14 years of OMG every where we went. And if he had actually liked 'people' my food bill would have easily been cut in half. He didn't like to be pet or be fondled over, even barely by me or my other half. But he was royal to a fault and never failed to watch my back. If I were in a fight, he was right there with me, we either came out together or died together and I felt the same for him.
One of my biggest fears was if during our time together was I'd be out for a walk and I'd keel over with, say, a heart attack (yeh I'm in that age group) the para medics or 'clean up crew' (as the case may be) wouldn't be able to come close to me without killing Strider.
But for all that, he was no angry snarling aggressive dog but a calm self assured presence that kept his own inner peace where ever he went unless challenged, not that many ever did.

I miss him terribly. And if I don't stop now I'll be trying to see through tears.

14 years, that's a long time to be in love ... ... I had not imagined the paramedic scenario ... ... you're right though, I don't know what Black would do, but I'd probably get quicker service if he was not hovering over me ...

That's the reason I tried to keep it short, though I didn't mind at all showing a pix........ that was Blacks thread and not a place to run a Strider obit. It wouldn't be fair to neither Black or Strider to go beyond a singular pix.
Later on I'll post here more remembrances and pix going back to his early days. I can't right now though because all the pictures are on another computer in the house. I've got pix going back to the early digital age counting three dogs worth. 1987? 1988? Any dogs pix from before that are scattered about and rather skimpy (rolls of film, cameras along with all the accompanying paraphernalia and the developing was expensive and all in all a genuine PITA).

Share what ever you want when ever you want!

I will be right here wait'n to see ...

To answer an earlier question of do I have another dog yet.
Well.......as it worked out after bout 2 weeks I couldn't stand not being around dogs so I went down to a friends place that hosts a Schutzhund Club every Sat. just to be around some dogs and dog people. When she noticed me Doreen came over to say hi and asked me if I'd brought a dog to work or if I was there to pick some brains. I told my story and everything's copacetic.
A little while later she came up and asked me if I was interested in another dog......ahem not really at the moment, no. She says well if you change your mind I've one from my breedings that the original owner surrendered back to her as well as part of a litter that hadn't been spoken for yet (yeh she is also a breeder that does working line GSD's, though her program generally tends towards a little heavier on prey side for my taste but they're nice dogs with a pretty good balance of drives and as do all working lines a true commitment)........................and I don't know if I've got the energy to keep up with and bring along a working line 8 week old puppy these days. So a puppy was out, but the liter as a whole were beautiful.
Yeh, before the day was out I came home with a three year old male GSD. Perhaps more on him, his previous life, his life now and the progress made over the last year later on.

Gotta go.
Give Black a scratch behinds the ears and meaty raw bone for me.

That is so kewl!!! Hang'n out with the dog breeders and clubs and stuff and they offer you new puppies (or older)! Pretty kewl Sir! Can you hook a Sista up?! ... what's the new puppy's name? Is he black too, or regular shepherd color? ... share pics of him too please ... ... we can change the title of the thread to ... Der Strider - DDR German Shepherd (and Brothers) ...

It's good that you were able to get a new buddy ...

Scratch and meaty bone it is!

Love You!



Destee

 

[ogoun]

I did not know. Maybe I thought shepherd, but certainly did not think BLACK Shepherd! OMG!!! BEAUTIFUL! When I saw you mention DDR GSD, I had to look it up ... ... I was not familiar. Found this :

Yeh, rather silly on my part. For some reason I just assumed everyone knew.

The DDR German Shepherd is a result of four decades of exclusive breeding. These dogs were designed to be more aggressive, more territorial, and more resilient than other GSDs. Like all Shepherds, they require more fulfilling lives than existing ignored in a backyard.

I changed the title to DDR German Shepherd, to help others learn too!

While Strider certainly shared some those descriptors aggressive (unless he was given cause) was not one of them. What that little definition describes sounds more like the Czech lines than the DDR lines.
Imo most people think of the DDR as being developed during the Berlin Wall days of the Cold War eras in the eastern block. However if one thinks about it the eastern part of Germany was there before the third reich and the Soviet take over of the eastern parts. So the DDR lines go back much farther than 4 decades.

On color. Within the DDR's you're more likely to come across solid blacks though more likely to have what's called Bi-color but just like all working lines of the GSD you'll find almost any combination in coloration. Here's a picture of Strider and his bother before either were ready to leave the nest.



I'm not sure but I think all the females came out bi-color (I don't pick dogs based on color) and I probably would have pick one of the females if I hadn't already have a female around (there's old saying bout keeping two females. Two b*****s equals stitches). Here's a pix of Strider and Cassie together



While they 'generally' got along together....they weren't friends. During the course of Cassandras life I had to break up more than one fight (I don't like vet bills). Cassie was bout 5 years older than him and didn't much like his dominate nature.


One more puppy pix and I gotta go for now. This is my favorite puppy shot.... Striders first swim