DOB: March 1985
DOD: Dec 2001
Breed: Standard Schnauzer
Owner: Jean
Past Occupations: Nanny, Pack Alpha
Pictures:
Gairda and Albert (age 15)
Gairda in Kitchen (age 16)
Gairda in Yard (age 16, same as on this
page)
History:
Gairda was given to my mother, Jean, as a birthday present from her parents. Well, that is, they gave her money and she bought Gairda with it. In her early years, up to about age 5, she was a strict guard dog. She needed to be locked up every time my parents left us kids alone with a babysitter My parents where shocked the day they came home and Gairda was curled up on the cough with the babysitter watching TV.
Gairda was a strict babysitter as well. If me and Mike started fighting then she would get in between the two of us and pound her front paws on the ground and snarl at us. We know she wouldn't hurt us - we where just frustrating her and she wanted us to stop. It almost always worked. That was one thing Gairda was really good at - talking with people. Even people who didn't know her knew what she was trying to tell them and typically they obeyed. She had people figured out.
The majority of her life, from puppyhood into adulthood, Gairda had Brody she could turn to. He was her best bud and the Alpha dog in the house (though he was half her size). When Brody passed on, Gairda became extremely depressed. She refused to eat, wouldn't get out of her chair, wouldn't do anything we didn't force her to do. That's when Albert entered her life. The hyperactive little puppy she would have preferred to leave at my grandparents house when she first met him. Albert didn't let her waste away in the chair, he was constantly jumping at her and tugging on her beard. He wouldn't quit until she came and played with him. Eventually she came out of her rut and fell in love with the little guy. Gairda and Albert became good friends and when the new dogs came into the house and she couldn't defend herself as Alpha, Albert took over and made them learn their place. Sampson and Loni saw Albert as Alpha but Albert referred to Gairda.
Gairda lived to the old age of 16 before we had to put her down. We miss her greatly.
