German Shepherds and Children 3 - Count and I

Since my father had trained German Shepherds in the military as a young man, he considered himself to be an expert on them, and on what they would and would not do in a particular situation.  One day, when I was very young, we had a disagreement about what a German Shepherd would do if it were ordered to do something against its will.  My father said a German Shepherd could be trained so well, that even if it were ordered to kill someone it loved, it would do so...out of fear of its trainer.  I childishly insisted that this was untrue.

Oddly enough, I was right, and there is no better example of this than Count.

Count was an exceptionally well-behaved dog that never showed any defiance when ordered to do something.  At the same time, he was extremely protective, and if he thought one of us were being threatened, he would literally interpose himself between us and whatever he thought was threatening us, regardless of the consequences.  The extent of his valor in this regard became apparent to me one day when I was arguing with my father.

My father thought that everything the military and the government did was right.  As a rebellious teenager who listened to music from the 60s on a regular basis, I strongly disagreed.  One day, after a series of arguments about the justice of certain military interventions, I happened to be listening to one of my favorite 60s artists, and my father lost his temper.

I was sitting downstairs in front of my stereo, with Count, when my father stormed into the room, grabbed the record off the turntable and threw it onto the ground.  Then he turned toward me and began shouting.  I don't remember what he said.  I only remember how frightened I was, of what was happening and what might happen next, and that Count suddenly stood up and made himself a barrier between us.

Count at 7 years of age

My father yelled at Count.  Then he tried to shove him out of the way...but Count refused to budge.  No matter how angry my father became, Count refused to give in...and eventually my father gave up and stormed back upstairs, leaving me alone with Count.

I immediately got down on my knees and hugged and kissed him.  Count responded in a somewhat aloof manner, as if he were disappointed by the entire series of events, and the fact that he had been forced to disobey.  With a loud sigh, he pulled away from me and went to lie down in a different part of the room, and I picked up the record and quickly put it away.

When I think about it now, I think it shows that what I thought as a child was right.  Fear is never as strong of a motive as love, and the love that German Shepherds (and other dogs) have for children is something immeasurably more powerful than their fear of anything...or anyone.