Ashya Wasylana Von Birken, CD – “Ashya”
January 31, 1995 – March 21, 2003
“Ashya” Ashya was my introduction to the German Shepherd Dog world, one that I will never forget or regret. In her short eight years of life she taught me the importance of staying educated. Ashya was a beautiful black and tan, with a mind that would make you question yourself. She loved to play ball and did anything you asked of her, however, she had one temperament flaw: dog aggression. At the age of 24 months, with the help of a local trainer, we were able to work through her problem and moved on to performance work. In fact, she did so well I was able to put a CD on her and move forward to her CDX. Sadly, over the next few years, we discovered she had EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency) and we had to retire her for good. My soulmate now not only had a temperament flaw, but a serious health issue. After several years of enzymes, special diets, bloat, and heartbreak, we said goodbye. Ashya will always be by my side, showing me the way.
