S is for Stubborn

Sometimes it blows my mind that we haven't returned Ender. He is the most high-energy, spastic, and awkward creature I know.

As a young puppy, he would jump at everything that would dare pass us, including people, dogs, and random newspaper pages flying by. He would try to eat everything off the ground including broken glass.

Between months 5 to 8, he would try to maul the bf at least once a week. (Okay, so maybe maul is a bit overly dramatic, but when a 60 pound puppy is lunging towards your face being nippy, the first thing that comes to mind isn't "oh, fun!")

He was the delinquent dog in his obedience training class, where the trainer diagnosed his problem as being "psychotically friendly." He has been referred to as "rude and pushy" by a dog walker.

He has peeded on almost every absorbent thing we have in the house. He has chewed up three perfectly good dog beds. He has flooded the basement of a home that was not ours.

But alas, here we are, surpassing our one year anniversary.

Without a doubt, we've come this far only due to sheer stubbornness. Stubbornness, determination, perseverance, whatever you want to call it - it is the most valuable tool you can have as a dog handler and it is what you owe your dog once you sign those papers.

It is the thing that will allow you to say, okay one more time, after the millionth time, and it is the thing that will say, when faced with the idea of giving up your dog, there's no way in hell that stinkin' dog is going to get the best of me.

As the internet as my witness, there is no way in hell that stinkin' dog is going to get the best of me.