Starting Again

Tucker, the service dog candidate from Kentucky, is not going to work out. He is unwilling to learn, preferring his own ideas to mine. He's also very destructive.

In just 8 days he ate Houston's leash, chewed my dresser, destroyed 4 of Houston's beloved "woobies," and his tennis ball. Some of these toys Houston's had for years.

Tucker also managed to injure my leg by pulling me so hard on leash that I can barely walk. A couple of days ago Marty took him for a walk and Tucker ended up knocking Marty down. Now Marty's entire right side is bruised and sore and his elbow is scraped raw in spite of his long-sleeved shirt. I hate that he got hurt but it would have been much worse had Tucker done that to me.

Tucker is afraid of people, mostly men, and noises freak him out. If a pan drops in the kitchen while he's in the bedroom, he jumps and tries to hide. We've tried to introduce him to people who really like and understand dogs but he's still very afraid.

He'll make a wonderful farm dog. He loves being outside and will, no doubt, grow into a dog who will defend his goats with his life. He already has an impressive bark and a deep growl. And he's a very sweet puppy.

If we wanted a dog simply as a pet and could keep him outdoors most of the time, we'd probably keep him. You can't help but love him. But he's not ever going to make it as a service dog and that's what I need. He'll be happier back home and I'll be able to find a dog to take over Houston's job. I'll miss Tucker, but it's for the best.