Our first baby is our White German Shepherd dog, Hilo. We got Hilo right after our trip to Hawaii. We fell in love with the city of Hilo and that’s how he got his name. Mike and I hadn’t been together all that long, so co-parenting a puppy was quite the step.
We both wanted a big dog, and both had experience with German shepherds from childhood.
Our White German Shepherd Dog, Hilo
Ahem… My sister has reminded me that Hilo is a city, not an island, but I am way too lazy to redo this graphic.
As much as I am pro-adoption now, back then we went through a breeder to get Hilo. We were pretty determined to get a white German Shepherd, so the online searches began. After much research, we found our guy. He was shipped to us (another thing I am super against now) from North Carolina.
Again, I’d like to stress that I am now completely “adopt, don’t shop.” I’ve learned a lot since we purchased Hilo through a breeder. Now I know how important it is to rescue animals. In fact, my life goal is to own a rescue, or at least heavily fund one.
In all honesty, I really struggled with Hilo as a puppy. I loved him, but boy, he was a lot to handle. He had a ton of energy and was pretty spastic. Probably to be expected from any puppy and larger breed, but I found myself very overwhelmed. This is a lesson learned about getting the right breed for your lifestyle. I sit behind a computer all day. That’s not ideal for an energetic, large breed puppy. My hubby is much more patient and is very good when it comes to training.
Our Kind and Loving Hiloman
Hilo is now almost 6 years old. He his calm, loyal, loving, and the perfect watch dog. He has a genuinely kind soul and is very loving towards us. He puts up with the Tiny Grump, our Pug Boston terrier mix, antagonizing him and looks out for his “little brother”. Hilo just wants to be by us. He wants to be included in any activity.
Unfortunately, he is starting to show signs of hip dysplasia, which is typical in German Shepherds. It sucks, and we are trying to give him fish oil and watch his diet to help him. We switched him to a more breed-specific dog food formula, too, and noticed some improvement. Sometimes we catch him struggling to get up the stairs, and yet, he loves to go running. He has several comfy beds around the house and is allowed on the downstairs couch in the man cave.
Hilo displays all of the great qualities of a German Shepherd. He’s super smart, always by our side, nice to our friends, but would shred any threat to his family. 😉
German Shepherds are great dogs, but definitely be prepared for FUR. We have tumbleweeds of fur around here if I don’t stay on top of the vacuuming!
What’s your favorite dog breed? Have you ever met a white German Shepherd dog?
Dawn Lopez says
October 28, 2013 at 8:19 amAwww I just love Hilo already…. he is so adorable. His ears are the cutest! He sounds like one of the best dogs ever! Can you clone him please? Sorry to hear about his hip issues, we had some troubles with our pooch too. Diet can definitely help, so best of luck with that!
Angela says
October 28, 2013 at 9:10 amHilo is such a cutie! I know what you mean about tumbleweeds. One of my dogs has a thick white coat that sheds non-stop.
Lolli @ Better in Bulk says
October 28, 2013 at 10:17 amHe is a gorgeous dog, and SO cute as puppy, but he definitely looked like he had a ton of energy! I had/have hip dysplasia, too (had it as a baby, untreated = lots of problems and pains as an adult). I can sympathize!
Nicole B says
October 28, 2013 at 10:18 amHilo is beautiful. We love our German Shepherd, too. They are amazing, beautiful and intelligent dogs.
Ellen Christian says
October 28, 2013 at 10:45 amWhat a cutie pie & such gorgeous eyes!
Kelsey Apley says
October 28, 2013 at 10:45 amWhat a cutie pie!!! I love having our little Ruger, he has such a personality and makes life so much fun!! I think your lil doggy does too, sounds like a loving dog!!
Shauna says
October 28, 2013 at 10:53 amAwe, he is so beautiful, looks like a sweetie!
Daisy says
October 28, 2013 at 11:05 amAwe, what a cutie! I wish that I could give him a hug through my screen.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
October 28, 2013 at 12:18 pmAwww, I’m sad that his hip is starting to give way. 🙁 He’s really a cutie pie and I love his ears!
Oriana @mommyhoodsdiary says
October 28, 2013 at 1:20 pmSo cute!! I had a german shepherd a long time ago. He was such a good pet! Thanks for sharing =)
Pam says
October 28, 2013 at 7:02 pmHilo is beautiful! We had a half German Shepherd in the past and he was wonderful, so loyal and friendly to his family.
Ronni Keller says
October 28, 2013 at 8:56 pmSUPER gorg dog!! My husband wants 1 so bad! We have a house full so I keep saying no but I don’t know how long I can hold out LOL
Stefani says
October 28, 2013 at 9:05 pmAww, he is cute and sounds like a good family dog.
Brett says
October 28, 2013 at 9:21 pmHe’s a gorgeous boy!!! Our Tobey is a mixed breed but has some lab in him and is showing signs of hip dysphasia also. Plus he’s 12 1/2 🙁
Danielle @ We Have It All says
October 30, 2013 at 8:41 amWhat a beautiful dog, I never saw a white one before!
Sarah Williams says
February 24, 2014 at 9:05 pmOh my goodness! He is so adorable! I’ve got a little 6 month old girl named Zora and she is my baby. I’ve never had a GSD before, but my mom had one growing up and I always wanted one. Then, I found out there were all white ones and I fell head over heels in love!
Jennifer says
February 24, 2014 at 9:11 pmOH how fun!!! I so miss Hilo as a puppy. They are so beautiful for sure. We never knew they had white GSDs either. I just found out they have all black ones, too. Great dogs!!
Linda Bradshaw says
October 17, 2014 at 2:19 pmOh, how cute. I am not really a dog person. I have 4 cats. This dog is a cutie though.
Tamra Phelps says
February 2, 2015 at 6:20 pmThat is really a pretty dog! Well, since it’s a male, maybe I shouldn’t say pretty?
Sarah L says
March 19, 2015 at 8:46 pmPretty puppy! Adopting a pet from a shelter is a very good thing.