A valued show dog, a Japanese Akita, arrives at a puppy breeding farm in Kansas. Her first action upon being released from her travel kennel is to viciously attack the man who freed her. What could explain this tragic circumstance? Can Johnny find a valid excuse for the beautiful dog's horrific action? Or is she doomed to suffer at the hands of mal-intentioned puppy mill operators? There are actually two stories intertwined in this novel. The human side is painfully realistic, full of adult emotions and questions concerning our moral responsibilities to those with whom we share this earth. The canine side uses a little bit of fantasy and a lot of action to explain the wondrous behaviour every dog owner ponders in his own pet, reinforcing what he or she knew all along: that their own best friend is truly 'Competent' to be a full partner in life.