Sierra Update

I was agonizing over the decision yesterday. I was crying and not wanting to do it. I ended up talking on the phone almost the entire day with different people. I had set up a time to drop Sierra off at the woman's house 3 hours south of us. She talked to me quite a bit, and really put things into perspective. She asked me how well Sierra did in a crate, and I told her we didn't crate her. She was a bit shocked by that, and said that anyone who adopts her will probably crate her during the day because they will be at work (since most people work). When she found out that I didn't work, she asked me why I don't just crate or gate her during the day when she is most ornery. I guess I thought it was cruel, but she made it seem like that is what most people do. She made it seem like I was giving Sierra way too much free reign, and because of that she was having behavior issues. She said she wasn't trying to convince me to keep her, but she said that it may be a good idea to try everything I could first. I completely agreed. I love her, and getting rid of her is not something I want to do. I talked to my Dad, who reminded me that our dog we had growing up was gated in our kitchen during the entire day while we were gone to school and my Mom and Dad were at work. So for Sierra to be gated a few hours a day is not cruel. She has plenty of room to walk around (3 rooms to be exact). I tried it yesterday for a few hours during the time when people walk the most, and she only barked once! It was great! I also bought a new bone for her today, which kept her occupied for almost an hour. During that time several people walked by (with their dogs!), and she didn't even notice! I took her for a walk today, and tried a Cesar Milan trick. On one of his videos, he shows a woman how to attach her dog to her bike. It is supposed to tire the dog out more. Boy does it! I tried it, and it worked really well. We went a mile, and by the end Sierra was so tired she was really dragging. It only took about 15 minutes, and it was a breeze for me. It isn't much exercise for me, but it really tires Sierra out, which is what I want. Right now Sierra is crashed on the tile floor in the hall, and she is so tired that I don't have to worry about putting a gate up :). So, I changed my mind again, but that is okay. I would hate to have made a decision that I would have regretted. If at all possible, I want to keep her! We all love her!