Last year I wrote a blog suggesting that keeping a pet forever no matter what may not always be best for the pet: sometimes we need to swallow our egos and recognize that a particular animal might be better off in some situation other than living with us.
I did not intend to wrestle with this issue personally quite so soon…IMG_1184
London’s breeder, Scott, called and asked if I would consider sending London back to live with him. London’s father Tundra had recently died, and Scott really wanted to continue that line that had produced such excellent offspring. He had a female named Sierra that needed a companion and mate, and he believed London would be a really strong complement to her genetics.
For several weeks I agonized over what is best for London:
London is a remarkable animal – sweet beyond words, extremely smart and willing, possessing some of the best dog skills and language I have ever observed. He loves to train and play, he is good in the house, loves riding in cars, has no resource issues. He has liked every person he has met. London is simply beautiful, perfect in almost every way. The only flaw I ever saw in him is that he sometimes finds new situations overwhelming, and it takes him a while to get past his initial cautiousness. Large movie sets are almost always challenging, with lots of strange sights and noises. While he might have done well on some sets, I felt the odds were too great that London would eventually encounter situations too intense for him to enjoy.