It has been both very moving and a source of great joy to me to see Molly, in these past few weeks, go from being cautious and slightly wary in my home to truly, in my eyes anyway, feeling free to be herself, without fear of punishment or consequence.

Our walks are special times for me; in the morning to be up and about and see the beauty of the dawn coming up, and in the evening, a time of quiet and contemplation, a chance to put away the stress and worries of the day. One of the things I have spent no small amount of time thinking about on our walks is how it came to be that Molly had to spend the first two years of her life as she did, or how a dog as joyful, loving, and loyal as Jessica went through five homes before she came to me.

I certainly don't have any answers. My guess is that maybe Airedales aren't for everybody. Maybe their intelligence, their curiosity, their sometimes imperious, regal spirit can be too much, maybe a challenge or even a threat to somebody who wants a more sedate, compliant dog, or a need to keep others under a boot heel. And maybe, like a lot of people, when they feel threatened or intimidated, they react with anger, resentment, and ultimately, retribution. I don't know.

I do know that as Molly becomes more secure, more confident, more free to be herself, she also, in some ways, requires more effort and interaction from me. Yet for me, seeing the pride and spirit that she carries herself with only makes me love her even more. She learns her obedience lessons very quickly, and seems to be quite happy with herself when she does. And at the same time, when she is on her haunches waiting for a click and a treat, I can see that look in her eyes that says "OK, I'm going along with all this nonsense because I know it makes you happy, but in a more just world, it would be you down on all fours, shaking your head and squeaking, and me dispensing the treats." What a girl.

My best friend is someone who is pretty ambivalent about dogs. He has been going through some tough times of late. I was telling my mom yesterday that I sort of feel sorry for him in that he is unable to know or see the ways the love of a dog can soften the hard edges of a bad day, and, for a while at least, make you forget about the larger worries in life.

You know, we take these unloved, abandoned dogs and work with them, love them, and give them a good home, maybe even pat ourselves on the back now and then for the worthy effort we put forward. But really, they give us back so very, very much more. ... dan