scared straight.

sir winston has some issues. 

i know, i'm sure you're shocked. 

i bet the posts about training class, private trainers, destroyed journals, etc. didn't give you any hints, but alas, it's true. 

when mr. lesley and i started talking about plans for the holidays and what we were going to do with sir winston, we decided it was time to follow through with an idea we've had for a few months now.

it was time to send sir winston to prison.

i first heard about the prison dog training program from my vet, then from a friend of a friend, then from another friend, and each time it got glowing reviews. 

the way it works is you send your dog for a month, they are trained by a prisoner, go everywhere with them, work on problem behaviors, become socialized with other dogs, and (fingers crossed) come back new and improved.

friday morning was game time.

there was no looking back.

so we hopped in the car, drove down to canon city...

all the while i was snapping pictures like a crazy mother taking her kids to summer camp

(or boot camp).

(that tongue kills me every time!)

then we pulled up to the prison where we would drop him off.

and after a sad goodbye, they loaded him into a van and away they went.

and as you could probably guess, i started crying.

mr. lesley assured me he was going to be fine, he would come back so much better, and we were doing the right thing.

but i still cried. 

and i still felt sad.

it is truly amazing how much a dog can mean to a person.

how much love you can feel in your heart for an animal.

and on the bright side, i am happy that when sir winston comes back to us, our family will feel complete again.

and people won't take their dogs to the other side of the street when they see us walking by.

that may just be the greatest christmas present of all.