a quiet house. diva is at grandma's for the week while i sort out what to do about her. yesterday, she bit my angelfriend. i understand her motivations, but that doesn't make them acceptable. and as unacceptable as some human behavior is in this house, she (diva) creates more tension with her bad behavior. our house is divided by it...me & her against the rest. me worrying about leaving her alone here (alone being any time i'm not here, even if others are...especially if others are). i had 3 choices...training, banishment, or euthanasia. the third was not really a choice, and was a thought that made me physically ill for the moments it joined the list, and then was erased from the list. she is a rescue. she was used as a bait dog in her early beginnings. she was rescued, then mistreated again. then was entrusted to me. i let her down by letting her beginnings dictate how i dealt with her...or didn't, as it became the case. i worked around her fearful behaviors, and made excuses for them, and tailored my life around them. then married, and expected the rest to do the same. hmmm. a theme here? i sent her to the solitude of grandma's, where no visitors would surprise and scare her, and her fear response would not be activated. i thought it would be best for her,and for the household. but as i walked in the door tonight, the house was Empty...no wags greeted me...no kisses and puppy hugs...just. silence. and i knew i couldn't pretend not to miss her so very deeply. so that left only 1 option...an option that should have been used 10 years ago...training. rather than reward her bad behavior by looking the other way, i should have sought this out ESPECIALLY for her. when she knows her place in the pack and knows what to expect of which behaviors, she will be a much happier, well-behaved dog. her anxiety level must be so very high all the time. so on november 14th, we will begin our training together. it should be interesting...the trainer comes to the house...i wish him luck getting in the door. since diva is afraid of men, this should make for a doubly interesting day. i will stock up on peroxide and bacitracin and bandaids. just in case his reputation is as overblown as his fee. it will take some budgetary maneuverings the likes of which no ponzi scheme has ever seen. but worth every cent if it works. it would be nice to have company over and not listen to a backdrop of mini-wolf howls coming from an upstairs bedroom. just in time for the return of the steppers for break. 5 weeks. and hopefully a kinder, gentler Pooh-dog. cross your fingers! xoxL.