The boy has sure changed for the better in the last month or so. Lots of people have been commenting to me "He has sure changed!” I thought that a test was in order, to make sure that he has changed like I had been told and been suspecting for a while.

I was in need of some chicken feed for the chickens and salt for the sheep, so I went to the local feed store. The girls were in the cab with me and Decker was in the back of the pick up, as usual, which has the camper shell on it. As the feed store worker carrying my salt approached the truck to load it and I still in the store (with the door open), I saw an opportunity to check out the theory that Decker was ready for his new home.

I did not tell the guy carrying the salt to be careful, nor did I follow him out to the truck in order to advert any bad behavior from Decker. In the past, I had always accompanied the feed store worker when he went to load my truck with feed. Knowing that Decker used to growl when strangers went up to the truck, I felt the need to limit any possibility of liability due to the threat of a bite.

Like I have mentioned in the past, Decker has had no altercations other than his growling, as long as I have had him. But I was told that he had bitten in the past, before I got him.

But to ensure that Decker was now a "good citizen", he needs proofing. And the reason that I did not warn the feed store guy about him is he could have actually caused a problem (or intensified it) with Decker getting upset in the truck. If someone doesn't know of an improper behavioral problem with a dog, they do not carry that tension, or "scared" energy with them. Bad behavior can intensify the problem because that negative energy the human is carrying is what intensifies it. That is why being calm but confident is important, it can protect the human. Lots of dogs will think twice of taking on a confident person, the challenge is much harder than with a submissive, weak person. In the dog's world, a weak person needs to be dominated over.

As soon as the feed store guy was finished loading the feed, I yelled to him from inside the store. "Did he growl at all?" He answered "No” while giving me a funny look. I had told the girl working at the feed store what was going on, so she was in on the test. Later, she came to the pick up bringing more feed to load. While I was at the truck with her, Decker was glad to see her and greeted her with puppy excitement.

It’s a good feeling to know that a messed up mind, is now balanced. Now to keep him that way, so he can live out a full life.