My dog, Tamar, was trained excellently--pardon me for saying so. She'd do all the normal stuff people train their dogs to do, but she walked at heel unless I gave her permission to range ahead. She would allow ANYone to put their hands in her food dish while she ate. Taught her to back up and sit down. She eventually learned hand signals--that is, if I pointed she lie down, sit or if necessary, attack. She understood the word gentle and protect with children or basically anyone. Best dog I ever had. Early in our relationship she growled at me. I drove her between the eyes and when she got up we had a very good understanding of what was what. When she was around kids, and if they bothered her, she'd go someplace the kids couldn't get to and take a nap.

When I first got her she'd been very badly treated by the people who had her. They'd broken one of her ears and snapped a piece of her tail, so as a show dog, she was out of the running. Her pedigree was such that if she'd been a human she'd never have talked with me. Her father was a big sonuvabitch [:-)] and her mother was the most beautiful GS I've ever seen, bar none.

I kept her for a few years and I'm glad I did. One evening I had a few too many and she came into the lake after me. Swimming wasn't her thing, but she came anyway. She once attacked another dog because the dog growled at me. It was a GS/Collie cross. I knew the dog and he had a shit disposition. Tamar had him by the throat in nothin' flat. She dragged him around until she could see me and it was clear in her eyes that she was asking whether to dispatch the s.o.b. or let him go.

On the other hand, I once had a mutt whom I had 'rescued' from a life of constant pregnancy. No one took care of her in the place I was living at the time. I got her spayed and she was with my family for two or so years. One day when my daughter--about 7 months old at the time--was crawling around the floor the dog growled at her and bared her teeth when my daughter approached her food dish. Sorry folks, but I will tolerate no dog that growls at kids, regardless the reason. I called the dog, took my .22 and was leaving to take her to the dump. A teaching colleague saw me and asked where 'we' were going. I replied, "The dump." She said, "My father is looking for a dog. Could I give her to him?" The dog got a reprieve and that's kinda the end of it.

Dogs, horses, cats (and many other domesticated creatures) have helped us, worked for us and basically done their share of the work, whether it be killing mice, defending us, tilling our fields, herding our livestock or improving the quality of our lives by simply being our friends. I know Tamar certainly was a friend to me. That is one dog I will never forget: sense of humour, loyalty, kindness, brains and guts.

We get qualities back from most creatuures we befriend. And as has been said a few times on this thread, SO much is the responsibility of the owner(s). I will never have a dog around me that I do not trust. But then, we aslo have to offer guidance and training to the 'pets' we befriend. To do less does them and those around us a disservice.

I hope no one interprets this as a lecture. It ain't meant to be. It's just the way I see things.