I adopted Coda from Lollypop Farm in 1996 when she was five. We had gone to Lollypop at my insistence to get another lab to keep our adopted lab Shiloh company. Coda walked in the room with a volunteer and I instantly fell in love with her. Coda was a tough adoptee! She pooped and peed in the house for six months and was food aggressive. We fixed the food aggression and she stopped going to the bathroom in the house. She had no training whatsoever so I started training her with a friend who was a schutzhund trainer. I knew nothing about AKC or competition but decided to work to enter her in the the ring. I got an ILP # for her. Coda and I went into Novice A in 1998 and her first time in the ring she got a First (leading me to mistakenly think that dog training was a piece of cake!) Coda got her CD and was working towards her Open title when she had back surgery which ended her jumping and obedience career. We started tracking for fun and I got her CGC and TDI so that she could do pet therapy work. Coda and I spent many years in nursing homes, hospice and Alzheimer facilities. She was a great visitor and comforter for many people -especially those who had had German Shepherds at one time. Coda was the toughest dog. She survived a bloat (and complete torsion of her stomach), major abdominal surgery, and spleen removal at age 13. She died as she lived, on her terms, peacefully at home with me and her fellow shepherds beside her. She was a great ambassador for the breed. Elegant and regal, she always drew attention. Doing pet therapy and public demonstrations with Coda let me show people that Shepherds are friendly and versatile dogs. Also, I could promote adoption of an older dog. She lived 13 years- 8 of them with us who loved her every minute. She was my heart dog and I’ll always miss her. - Pat Bonino and Gary Scott
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