That's my memory of the German Shepherds my grandparents had. My uncle got two of them as rescue dogs for them.
I remember Linda, who was wary of me at first, after all her bad experiences. But when we came to visit, she'd go wild with happiness, and bring out all her toys, because she knew I'd play with her.
But laying on her back while I rubbed her tummy with one hand, and squirted air into her mouth with her favorite squeaky mouse, was her idea of doggie heaven.
One of the supervisors at work had a German Shepherd, Queenie, when she was a kid. Actually, Queenie was really her father's dog. She was a washout from a police dog program, because she wouldn't show enough aggression in training. Her father got her after getting a tip from one of the K9 cops in the local police department.
Her father was a truck driver, and on the road one night, and her mother, a nurse, was at the hospital. She was about 13, and alone at home with just Queenie. Around 2AM, she felt Queenie crawl up on her bed, and lay down on top of her, pinning her down.
A few seconds later, the bedroom window opened, and a shaped started to crawl in. Queenie jumped, grabbed the intruder by the collar, and dragged him in the rest of the way. Then she got a grip on his throat, and wouldn't let go.
After she finished screaming, the girl called her mother at the hospital, who called police. The police and her mother arrived, but Queenie wouldn't let the guy go, despite all the pleading and treats offered to the dog. The intruder was petrified with fear, but Queenie just hung on, wagging her tail like she just caught a ball thrown to her.
That was when the K9 cop realized she was playing a game, and wanted the lead dog in the pack to see the results of her expert hunting. So the Warren police had the Michigan Sate Police put out an APB for her father and his truck.
About an hour later, they spotted her father's truck, and pulled him over and explained the situation. Then they drove him home with lights and sirens. Sure enough, all he had to do was say, "good girl, Queenie", and the dog released her catch unharmed (but scared sh*tless), and accepted a pat on the head.
After that, it was family policy that Queenie be spoiled rotten for the rest of her life. If she begged for food, she got it, as long as it wasn't harmful. She not only had her own spot on the sofa, but nobody could watch TV until Queenie was sitting there, too. After what the dog did in protecting the family, it was the least they could do in return, whe said.
As she SHOULD have been. Good Queenie!! That's a great story!!
My wife's parents adopted a Siamese cat while my wife was away at college. When my wife moved back home the cat became very fond of her, but that's another story. Twice the cat saved the family.
Once they had a rug catch fire that was over a heating vent. The fire was minimal, but the cat woke them up when it started to smoke.
Another time, my f-i-l collapsed in the bathroom with heart problems. The cat woke up my mother-in-law.
Cool story! Thanks for sharing it!