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OMEGA SHEPHERDS
Adventures on the Ranch

Kira - celebrates her 14th Birthday!

 

 

-----September 23 was a special day here at Omega Shepherds - my buddy and ever-faithful Kira turned 14 years old. A true German Shepherd she did all her chores even though it was her Birthday. That's right - even at 14 Kira still goes almost everywhere with me. To get to the arena you have to walk down a steep hill - and back up the hill to go to the house, no matter how many times a day I walk to the arena and back - she is always there with me. She still "helps" move the horses around in the morning - when I turn them out she barks and lets them know she is still there so they better keep moving! She can't really get to the horses because I lock her in the office while I run them out so they don't run over her, the same routine we have had for the last 14 years!
-----ALL the other dogs still respect her as top dog, and she is quick to remind them if they get a little forgetful!
-----I made her a birthday cake out of fancy dog food and she got several new stuffed animals - her favorite toys of all time and reflect on the last 14 years with her. I remember picking her up at the airport - just 8 weeks old and her ears where straight up and she had a fuzzy little head - hence the life long nick name of Kiwi Fruit. She leapt out of the pet carrier into my arms - I was only 10 years old at the time and just looked up at my dad as proud as I could be, I knew this dog was meant to be mine - she just had to be! I just remember thinking the rest of the day that I had the best dog in the world.
----- Within several days she started following me everywhere - I mean everywhere! Something she still does today….. when I was younger my parents could always tell where I was because if I didn't take her with me she would stare out the window to the last place she saw me and if they opened the door she would take off and find me.
-----She is still quite the protection dog as well. A month or so ago some friends moved up here with us - but we didn't know them to well and Kira really didn't know them - so every day when they would come home Kira would get between them and the house - just standing there - making sure they didn't come to the house until I told her it was ok. She learned after a few times that they were ok and now readily accepts them. Her whole life she would accept anything that I liked and protect it with her life, but things I didn't like - like deer eating out of the horses hay - she didn't like either and would chase them off….. this spring she still tried her best to chase the deer away - but the fact is 2 feet of snow is getting a little hard for her to plow through (pssst…. Don't tell her I told you that though!) But even at her age she is very tolerant of "my" things - several weeks ago I got a little Border Collie puppy - now this little guy is full of himself and quite the little terror at times! And he loves to jump all over Kira - but she is such a good grandmother to him and just lets him do what ever he wants - including trying to nurse on her when I first got him and he was just weaned!! Now that is tolerant!
-----I believe 14 years old is about 100 years old in human years - so I am thankful for having her here and everyday with her is a blessing - she is my baby girl and I love her. I am happy that even at 14 she is still very healthy and sound and that SHE enjoys life still……… in addition to that - other than being spayed after she was retired and getting her shots she has never seen a vet - so she has also had a great quality of life.
-----She is our main foundation female - so if you have a dog from us chances are she is their grand mother, great grandmother or even great great grandmother - and what an incredible dog to have in a pedigree!
------------Happy Birthday Kira and Here's To Another Great Year.
-------------Till Next Time,
-------------Leah and Everyone at Omega Shepherds

 

All Photos are of Kira at 14 years old

 

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