Yesterday was the first day of doggy boot-camp for Ben. All things considered, he did great. And, for the first time in the three weeks that he’s been with us, I finally managed to get him to “lay down”.  Watch and see!

Ben is now available for adoption. Only experienced adopters are being accepted for interview. This is a special dog with special needs and not just anyone will do. While I wait for DINO to contact me to interview potential adopters, Ben will be living a boot-camp kind of life: He’ll be exposed to all kinds of things that will test his impulse control, his manners, and more, and when he makes mistakes – and of course he will – he will be corrected and reminded that his choices matter. Between now and the start of the new year, Ben is going to be dealing with so many different things that he’ll realize on his own that’s it better for him to just stay out of the way and watch the goings-on from a spot on the couch or one of the dog beds.

One of the issues I’ve been dealing with is his tendency to try to help himself to food. He’s not even sneaky about it; he tries to take food off the plate right in front of us. Because of how his life has conditioned him, he doesn’t respond to touch, so finding an alternative but effective way of teaching him that his behavior is not acceptable has been a bit of a challenge. But, it’s okay, because every day provides opportunities to figure it out. I just have to kick things up a few notches, now, is all. Which is why I’m using the term “boot-camp”. We’re going hard-core every day, now, until he accepts and abides by the rule that he is not to touch any food without permission.

Have a great day and a great weekend, and remember to stay calm and lead on…