Boo Boo

It’s been a rough week.  I’m sure it’s been even worse for Ann.  We’re pretty much cried out and just aching at this point.  We’ll probably be like this for a long while.  But this post isn’t about us, it’s about Mina - Boo Boo, puppy poo and all the other names we had for her.  It’s about remembering good things about Boo Boo; the many reasons why the past week has been so hard.

Ann sure knows how to pick ‘em.  Pick ‘em and raise ‘em I should say.  Three German Shepherds, three special pups.  Beautiful, independent Maxine, who was always the top dog.  Hans, who, for me, was truly special.  He picked me, I was there when he chose me and I was aware of it when it happened.  There was no use resisting it.  He was my dog and I was his, and I doubt it will ever happen again.  Nobody is that lucky.  And then Mina.  She was so sweet.  As Ann and I would say, “Mina loves everyone and everyone loves Mina.” She was truly special.

Our Boo Boo was special in another way too.  She was the first of our pups that I had the fortune of knowing as a puppy.  She was also the first of our pups that grew up entirely in the digital age.  Which means that a quick check in Lightroom tells me that I’ve taken more photographs of Mina than of anyone except Holden (who leads by far).  I suspect if you counted up my negatives as well, photographs of the guys would outnumber those of Boo Boo, but face it, it’s a small top group and Boo Boo ranks with the best.  So as painful as it is, I feel I owe it to her to share with others through pictures a bit of what we shared with her.

When Ann decided it was time to have another pup around, I didn’t even question it.  Hans it seemed was a bit lonely and Ann wanted one, so what else was there to think about?  So after considering a few different breeds (now really, were we going to get anything other than a German Shepherd?), we wound up back with Maxine and Hans’ breeder Becky and just in time for a new litter.  We were second in line for a female, and two females were born.  Becky allowed us to pick first, and our choices were green puppy (or was it blue puppy, actually it was a light green/turquoise) and purple puppy.  

While Green Puppy was a fine puppy, Purple Puppy was as sweet as could be and had no desire to leave Ann, once she got Ann’s attention.  Once we had picked her, our subsequent visits were spent with Mina bonding with us, and usually falling asleep in Ann’s arms or next to her.  Surprisingly enough, Hans never responded aggressively when we brought Mina to visit him in the truck.  Somehow, he must have known that Boo Boo was now part of the pack.

Mina’s father was a black Shepherd from East Germany and her mother was a sable Shepherd that was a retired Czech Border Patrol dog.  That’s where Mina got her beautiful sable coat and her smarts and incredible alertness.  

As soon as we were able to bring her home she was part of the pack.  She would join us on walks up and down the hill, down by the pool and school or out to the beach.

Very quickly we came to learn that Mina was a chicken.  100% German Shepherd, 50% chicken.  Once we realized this, we got to starting out walks separately (Ann with Mina, me with Hans) to help build up her confidence.  It wasn’t easy.  The reality is, Hans was Boo Boo’s protector from the start and it was a role he always played.  Over time, she built up her confidence, but she was always a chicken at heart.  At first Hansi wasn’t quite sure about Mina’s tendency to always be in contact with him when they were lying around.  

Eventually he got used to it.  It was something she never quite stopped doing.

She would even do it when they were eating.

German Shepherds as a rule do not mature gracefully from puppyhood to adulthood.  For Mina, this was even more so since she wound up being on medication that altered her normal growth patterns, periodically gave her tummy problems and led to a few nicknames (such as Stumpy, Pin Head and Puppy Poo).  She took all of her nick names in good spirit!

All within a few months of each other.  Actually, Boo Boo was quite lucky that she was ours because she needed a lot of care that first year.  From puppy strangles, to a tummy tuck, from elbow surgery to remove a growth to braces, she needed it all. Fortunately, we were there for her and she was there for us.  I sacrificed a few t-shirts to the cause, but it was worth it!

Despite her growing issues, she was an adorable puppy.

That first summer you’d never know where you’d find her sprawled out cooling off.

I can’t begin to describe how much Mina brought liveliness and fun back to Hans’ life.  He was starting to settle down, show his age and act old.  Then she comes along and gets in his face, steals his toys, dares him to chase and catch her (and that moment when she would drop her guard a bit, just enjoying the flow of running, Hans would see the moment, cut the corner, speed it up just a bit and if he was lucky he would nip her - but more often than not, Mina would see him closing in and turn on the afterburners!  Man was she fast!).  Hans had a partner to play with and although his body would pay for it later that day, it brought a quality of life that Ann and I just couldn’t recreate.

Mina grew up with the guys.  Within weeks of coming home, they came to visit.  And thereafter, they were always part of the pack.  Sometimes one, sometimes two, sometimes all three of them.  Whether it was to hang out with them at home, go watch them fly gliders, or go hiking to Smith Rock, Mina loved being with the guys, particularly Devon, who wound up spending so much time during those first summers with her.

And then there was Holden.  Hans’ role was to guard and protect Holden, worry whenever Holden cried, and to allow himself to be used as a jungle gym.  Mina was the nervous mother, bringing him her toys, giving him kisses and making sure he knew he was loved, especially during a time when he needed lots of it.

In the end, Boo Boo grew to become a beautiful, mature adult.  Though, she never lost a sense of puppy vulnerability, and she never lost her sweetness.

Doing this post wasn’t easy.  I guess I wasn’t all cried out.  But I had to try to give something back to Boo Boo.  To share with others some of what we were fortunate enough to share with her.  Mina gave so much joy and love to all of us.  I sure do miss you!