Decker has found a new permanent home. Now that he is balanced, he is ready to move on. He has been a challenge, but a friend of mine will be taking him, and I will be able to monitor his progress and his life. I have invited my friend, Heide to come to the Wednesday dog group and it sounds like she will. I explained how the group along with all of the activities there has really helped my submissive Kate come out of her shell. I further explained that the reason I still come every week to the dog group is for her. She has been doing great, and my trainer told me not to change anything, so I didn't.

Heide is a musher. She has a pack of dogs and works them mostly in the winter. I told her that Decker would need support and leadership during her "off" time, and should not be left during the hot summer on his own. She has seen him numerous times and is fully aware of what she is taking on. But Decker is ready for his next step.

This transition takes place tomorrow morning. All day it has been a bittersweet time for me. I do love him, but this new home will be a nice place for him. He has tons of energy and Heide has goats for him to herd. She is going to see if he is interested in mushing, which I think he will be. I am excited about the herding and the mushing for him, as his mind and body will be worked. Along with hanging out with Heide, and coming to the Wednesday dog group, he will be able to move forward in his mind and keep increasing his confidence level. Additionally, Heide will be taking herding lessons with him from me, as she does not know how to herd, she has much to learn.

Fortunately for Decker, Heide is a pack leader. This is the most important situation for him. He is a follower and not a leader. He will miss the girls, and they will miss him, but Wednesdays will be for reunions.

As for me, I have learned tons from him. And this kind of dog, fearful aggressive, doesn't bother me any longer. I now know how to handle that type of dog. While their rehabilitation may take quite a while, and there is no quick fix, there is a fix none-the-less. All of these fearful aggressive dogs need is leadership (discipline), understanding (remaining calm, and not staying mad), and socializing (for confidence building).

This beautiful dog was going to be destroyed the following day if I didn't take him. While I was really put in a tough position, and pressured to take him, at least he now has a new home to go to, now that my job is finished. Shame on people who get a dog and give up on it as if it was disposable. This is a life, and a life that God gave to mankind. Is this the way to treat such a gift? I know that it is a hard question to answer, and everyone's answer is different, but there comes a time of personal responsibility. Would we just give up on our own child? Or want to go and put him down because he was scared?

In our current times of bailing out on our homes, just because we are upside down on the loan, even though we can still make the payments, our personal responsibility and our word no longer bears much weight. Shame on us! We need to take a real look at ourselves, and see just what we have become. A bunch of winy babies, who only care about themselves and their immediate needs. Why did helping the neighbor go out the window? I guess only God knows.