The Paw Print On My Heart

Today is the last full day that Kyo will be with us. I woke up very early just thinking about how far he's come in the last seven and a half months and where he will go in the next seven and a half months.
The last couple of days made me realise that I am making the right decision. We went out to a Halloween party for dogs on Saturday afternoon and he was amazing. For a dog who used to be terrified of traffic and completely dog distracted, he did wonderfully. There were at least 60 or so people and about as many dogs. All of the dogs were dressed up and was so Kyo. This didn't seem to phase him at all.We were outside on a busy street with kids going by with Halloween costumes on. He didn't even flinch. He would meet dogs when I said it was okay and would sit patiently by my side when it was time to behave.
Yesterday he was a complete angel in the house. He just needs a lot of stimulation and I think becoming a working dog will suit him well. He will get the attention he needs and the stimulation and a lot of his behavioral issues-like counter surfing-will just go away.
The woman who runs the service dog organisation-I will call her J-loves him to death and seems excited to have him. She was introducing him to everyone and commenting on how handsome he is. It relieves some of the guilt and sadness I feel about giving him away to know that she is thrilled to have him. It's comforting to know that he will be loved and given a real shot to make it. I think I was a stepping stone on his journey.
He came to me at least 25 pounds over weight and completely out of control. He lost all of the weight on a strict diet and a lot of exercise and was happy about it. He could finally run and keep up with Glacier and Roscoe. He couldn't sit, down, stay or anything related to obedience. He used to run me over to get out the door and would jump up all of the time. He had some food guarding issues. He never snapped or anything, but he would suck his food down as fast as possible whenever you came near. Kyo also had mouthing issues and quite would often put your skin in his mouth and bite hard when playing. That is completely gone now. He snatched treats out of your hand, nearly taking your fingers with it. The list could go on and on. But now, his basic obedience is almost flawless, he no longer snatches cookies and I can put my hand in his food bole. Some of the behaviors I could not get rid of, like the excessive counter surfing, will be addressed at the service dog organisation and he will make someone very happy.
I was struggling with leaving him on Tuesday after I volunteer at the service dog organisation, but I've become more comfortable with the idea thinking of what both Jetta and Glacier went through and how well they did. I remember how much they loved their trainers and how they eventually bonded to me. This will happen for Kyo as well and he will be a happy guy. :)
We'll probably spend the rest of the day cuddling, playing outside and eating lots of treats. I want his last day to be great. :)
Every dog in your life leaves its paw print on your heart and teaches you something. Kyo has taught me patience and that even though things don't go exactly as planned, new plans can come along and be just as, or even better than, the first plan. :)
So, go forth and make me proud my gigantic Moose. lol