March 8 - Derry Muir escaped the shelter today!! He's an adorable 4 year old owner surrender to the shelter and is full of life and is your typical cairn boy. He is neutered, but was jealous when a new dog was added to the family, so he started to mark in the house (although previously he had been housetrained). He had been with his family all of his four years, but their loss is CP's gain! Derry won't be with CP long, as he is so cute and adorable. He has a great personality and just needs a family that understands cairns.

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Sometimes both we and the shelter do not get the full story on an intake dog. Derry looked cute and sweet, but underneath it all, he had demons that would make him unpredictably aggressive. We tried medication, but even then, both a vet and a behavorist agreed that he would never be safe for a family to adopt.

July 31 - From his foster family: Derry's fighting with his demons is over. He was a real sweet dog a lot of the time, but his bad periods were really bad.

It took us some time to realize that he wasn't a mean or bad dog, but that he had absolutely no control over his problems. I really don't think he had problems with learned behavior, as we would have been able to correct some of that - at least we'd have seen progress, and he'd have been able to muster some control over them. Instead, he was just wired up wrong.

While with us, he had learned to sit on command, and spent much of last night and this morning sitting, while we finished his bag of treats. We took him to the dog park this morning and let him run. He was as happy as Derry could be.

I live among God's creatures now
In heavens of your mind
So do not grieve for me, my friend,
As I am with my kind...

My collar is a rainbow's hue,
My leash a shooting star
My boundaries are the Milky Way,
Where I sparkle from afar.

There are no pens or kennels here
For I am not confined
But free to roam God's heavens
Among my special kind.

There even is a ring set up,
The grass all lush and green
And everyone who gaits around,
Becomes the "Best Of Breed".

For we're all winners in this place.
We have no faults you see,
And God passes out the ribbons
To each one--even me.

At night I sleep in angels' arms,
Their wings protecting me
And moonbeams dance about us
As stardust falls on thee.

So when your life on earth is spent
And you reach Heaven's Gate
Have no fear of loneliness,
For here, you know I wait.