There are times when I have questioned why Brut was put in my life. His aggression with dogs has come far, but he still has a fire in his belly that roars like a lion. This exquisite creature is like a rare rose with jagged thorns that cut both ways. Most of the time the thorn just scratches the skin, then there are those days without warning they drive like a dagger.
What I have witnessed with Brut's fear aggression comes from a deep place of survival. A fight he never should have fought. His beginnings went against the natural order of life and placed him in a position that taught him to fight to survive. I understand because my beginnings were the same. It is difficult to give up the fire when it has brought you this far through life. I know how it feels when that encompassing fear flares up and threatens that fire.
It is that fire in our bellies that bonds Brut and I like DNA, burning with the need to survive. As odd as it may sound it is Brut's aggression that have helped me understand him and thus myself. I have found that when I forgive Brut, I forgive myself. It is this understanding between us that we have grown and healed in many ways, though we can never let go of that fire that brought us together in the first place.
We would like to give a big howl out to Julia from Canidae Pet Food Blog for using our post: How Much Is That Doggie in the Window? as inspiration for her post: How Much Is Too Much To Spend On Pets? She discusses her viewpoint after hearing of the questions that we get everyday about owning six dogs and being able to afford them. Please stop over and check it out.