Well at the this moment Reaper has been with us for 7 weeks now. He is settling down very well, so well in fact, he is now sleeping on the lounge chairs. His favourite stop is on the top step at the back door. From there he has a very good view of most of our property and can react quickly to the things he feels should be seen off. His barking is settling down a little now and he is getting along well with all his new friends. Even the cat likes him.

Having lived with Reaper for some weeks now I can understand why to "Joe Public" this pup was a nightmare. He has breed temperament to burn and does need firm, fair handling to help him adjust to life in a household. As I mentioned earlier Reaper is a classic example of why these dogs should be marketed very carefully indeed. They should not be sold in pet shops and new owners should be very careful that they understand the breed BEFORE they buy a puppy.

I come to these conclusions mostly by comparing Reaper with Shadow. Reaper seems to have been treated in a rather normal fashion as far as upbringing goes, ie; put in the yard and fed . Shadow has been very heavily socialised from the moment he came to live with us when he was 3 months old. This has taken the form of going everywhere I went (this still happens) and into some very odd places indeed. He has visited the vet's office so often that he now walks in and sits on the scale. The vet and all his assistants have been very helpful as well, making a fuss of him when he asks for attention. Reaper is now getting the same sort of socialisation with marginally less success as he is so much older. He is doing well tho and coming along well.

Here I come. Reaper is now 3 years old and a very different boy to the one we rescued.