Blue BRATT Training Week 2

The best dog I walked on Saturday

My Saturday at the shelter was fairly eventful. One of my dogs, Domino a beefy Dalmatian mi, refused to go back into his kennel. All the treats and sweet-talking could not convince him the kennel would be an all right place to go. Poor baby. I finally had to just pick him up and lug him into the kennel. After already feeling like a bad dog handler, I took Bono a cute 6-month-old lab mix. I should have just stopped with Domino and waited for my 9:30 class to begin. But oh no I thought I would take one more dog out. Bono was a MESS. First he jumped like crazy and when I turned my back on him he just tore my sweater practically off my body with his teeth. He then thought pulling my sweater was a fun game and tugged and tugged and pulled and shook it. I kept saying I don't know how to correct him I haven't had that class yet! Finally, at the advice of a higher level BRATT, I stepped out of the run until he calmed down. He was visibly bummed that I was no longer in there to "play" with him and that was just the kind of "punishment" he needed to realize that what he was doing was not acceptable. I then took him back to the kennel and the other BRATT followed after me showing me how to hold his leash and collar so he couldn't bite it. Just as we made it to the kennel door she said, "you did a great job" with him and before I could say thank you BONO slipped out of his collar and ran down the hall. What a pain. I had to carry him into his cage as well. I then stumbled into the training class with a hole in my jeans and a bruise to my confidence. The training didn't do a lot to improve my confidence. We were taught the commands for sit, down, and come. Only one of my practice dogs actually did those things. Oh well, mistakes are how you learn right. Hopefully, next week I will do better. One thing I did learn was the "green" dogs really were easier to handle than the blue dogs. The scary thing is that wacky BONO was a green dog.