Meet Emma. My new niece. My dog-loving brother Brien has been wanting a purebred German Shepherd puppy for a long time, and now he has his beauty. Look at the size of those paws at 10 weeks! I couldn’t wait to head down to the Garden State to meet her. Brien is so good with dogs, taking the time to bond, to train. He told me that the first night he brought her home and fenced off the kitchen as her space, he slept in there with her and woke up with her nestled on his stomach. Growing up, we had a dog, and it was always understood that she was Brien’s. And as long as my travels prevent me from adopting a dog (yet), I’m so happy to have my niece to play with. (I sent this photo to my friend Gail, a writer who loves dogs, and she wrote back, “OHMYGOD! Can I have her?” Brien was pleased that this Pulitzer Prize-winner has given Emma her seal of approval, even her wondering if the puppy’s real name might be Emma Gail. I think that can be arranged.)
Awwww! She's beautiful, a splendid representative of a noble breed. My mother has bred dogs professionally since she was a teenager (collies, Chihuahuas, to name two), so I grew up with pooches. Alas, the noble Alsatian (as the British call German shepherds) has fallen on hard times in its native Europe. Over-breeding by unscrupulous puppy mills has imperiled the breed. Just last week, front-page news stories in Germany said police departments in several key cities are no longer using German shepherds as police and guard dogs -- saying that Belgian Malinois shepherds (Chien de Berger Belge) are smarter and stronger. Germany without German shepherds -- ach, du lieber! I dare not tell my mom, it will only distress her and prompt a puppy-mill rant (again). But this photo proves Brien has a good eye and a good heart. She is so bee-yoo-tiful. Can I have her?
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