Ten years ago, on December 15th, 2012, I met a dog who would change my life forever.
Skoll was my first doberman, and he was everything to me, and when he died it ripped a hole into my very soul. I experienced a lot of hate for euthanizing him, hate that even 10 years later people are approaching me about. He was a behavioral euthanasia, and while I didn't know it at the time, a decade later I've had multiple vets tell me the behavior I describe from him sounds an awful lot like Rage. Which has no cure, which has the ultimate end in a behavioral euth because even meds stop working after a while and the dog savages someone again.
A year and a half later, a puppy popped up who was the offspring of two specific lines I was considering "whenever". The litter theme was "moon", and it felt like lightning struck me when I realized just how much of a "coincidence" it was. To this day, I think Skoll sent him to me.
I would never be where I am now, if Creed hadn't entered my life. I never would have gotten Creed, if Skoll hadn't been there first. This blog was made for my adventures with Creed, and the bulk of you folks reading joined me specifically to follow his life. Creed was my shadow. He was there, always. And when cancer took him from me, it was hard to move forward without him.
There was a plan in place to import a bitch from Denmark for her to spend her days with me, co-owned with a breeder who is striking to perserve good working ability while also maintaining genetic diversity. A strong working pedigree, good breeding stock, and fun to play in mondio.
That bitch didn't turn out. But then one with very similar pedigree and circunstances suddenly became available, and-
And what's funny is that every single one of the folks who pulled together to get Phoebe to me? I knew through Creed, who I got because of Skoll. Every single one. Creed is who helped bring her to my life.
Ten years ago, I met a dog who would change my life forever.
Ten years ago, I took the first step in my journey into dobermans.
I'm no expert. There are people who've been in dobes for less time with more accomplishments. But this is still my breed, and I am proud to have the circle I have today. And I wouldn't have any of them, literally not one, if it hadn't been for Skoll to give me that first push.
Run free, boyboy. I hope whoever runs the Rainbow Bridge gives you lots of steak tonight. You'd be 13 soon, if you were still here.