Andrea I think you made a good choice for Loki. I'm glad they are looking at his habits and problems carefully before placing him. I hope he finds a strong leader who has the time it takes to train him to be a good dog.
Dogs do take a lot of time. When Mudpie passes away I'm going to force myself to take a long, long (probably 6 months) look before committing to dog ownership. I would be getting an adult dog so there will be a lot of retraining involved. Luckily my dog will get enough exercise so that the training will be easier. A tired dog is a happier dog.
thanks for all the beverage suggestions. I think anything with carbonation contains carbolic acid - which is why my teeth are cracking now. I will probably opt for cucumber and fruit waters and iced tea and coffee, caf and decaf.
Dagmar