Pet Boot Camp
While watching the news once morning, a special about disciplining dogs came on. It enrolled four dogs in the Washington DC dog training to try and reform them. They worked with each dog individually until it had mastered a skill. Dog clicker training was a main focus of the program A command would be followed by a click, and if the dog obeyed it received a treat. After long enough, the dog would do the command without a command or reward. These dogs were making such progress I was amazed. They went from bad to good in a matter of days.
Had they held auditions for the program, my dog would have been a shoe-in. Jesse, my dog, and I have a very complex relationship. As it seems, he wears the so called “pants” of the family. I didn’t think dogs could wear pants, but Jesse has showed me differently. Jesse is a diva by all standards. I have spent countless nights sleeping on the couch because Jesse wouldn’t share the bed. When I buy a new pillow, Jesse has to test it out and see if he wants to keep it. Jesse takes it upon himself to taste-test every meal, whether or not I allow it.
I have tried to reform Jesse to the best of my ability. I started with a book given to me by my brother-in-law; called Good Masters make Good Dogs. I followed this book to the t, child-locking my kitchen, putting shock systems on things, but it did absolutely nothing. Jesse just out-smarted it all. I was at a loss. I then asked my veterinarian. He outlined a plan that always worked for his other patients. I’m not sure if Jesse is a genius or a dunce because it didn’t work. Jesse seemed to repel any type of constructive reformation.
This special seemed like my last hope. If it could turn dogs that bit people, barked viciously and ate furniture around I was confident it could help Jesse. After all, Jesse was harmless at heart, he would never hurt anyone. All he needed was a little tough love, or a lot. After watching the news special, I ran to the internet to see if I could get Jesse into the program. The news station website was actually running a contest where ten people can win the chance to take there dogs to D.C. for training. I am normally not the type to enter contests, but I was hopeful.
Three weeks later, I got a message on my cell phone from the dog expo in DC. I had almost forgotten that I even entered the contest, so it was a huge shock. I was to bring Jesse to the training center in two weeks on a Thursday ready to work. In anticipation, I had Jesse groomed and checked by the Vet, for posterities sake. Now that he was presentable, I loaded Jesse into the backseat of my truck, even though he’d move up front soon, and set off for D.C. Jesse made a complete transformation by the end of the program. He sat in the backseat on the way home, slept on his dog bed for the first time, and started a new diet void of human food.

Posted April 30, 2009
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