Analysis
Terry is my pick—and I am keeping him. That is not a contest announcement; it is a decision I made with my whole chest after watching him meet the world the way a partner meets a doorway: steady feet, honest eyes, and a willingness to come back when I call even when something else looks interesting.
He earned it in the small things first—best on gruel when life got hard, first real tug on a toy, one of the two who stayed with me on a walk when everyone else sprinted for what felt safe. Then he kept earning it in the bigger picture: bone, food drive, toy drive, and those big rear feet that remind me of my old Great Dane puppies in the best way.
He still plays briefly with James (my Maine Coon) during TV time, then curls in beside me to sleep like the day was exactly enough. He is not going anywhere. He is mine.
Latest update: Terry is a sweethearted boy, but he is too sensitive for service work. I had very high hopes for him, and one of the hardest parts of being a trainer and handler is accepting when the dog you really wanted is a fail. This is not a reflection on Terry as a puppy—service work is very demanding, and he did not fail the work itself; he was simply unhappy doing it. For puppies especially, the work has to feel fun and rewarding, because public access can be mean and unforgiving to service dogs. They have to genuinely want to be there to handle what society throws at them. My job as his handler and my responsibility as his trainer is to be honest with myself and with him, and make sure he finds the perfect home. Terry is available to a very special home only.
Photo Timeline
Every Terry photo we have from birth through current updates.
