Peta?? Where?

Today after doggy class, we started our "therapy" sessions to conquer Brutus's fear of the vet. I'm not convinced that this is going to work, but Libby, Brutus's teacher is pretty confidant that there is hope, so I'm game. I can't even imagine what has happened in his past to make him so scared of the vet. It's crazy!

So anyway, we got done with doggy class, and Libby walked with me over to the veterinarian's main desk and told the girls that we were there to work on getting comfortable and to have some cookies. Sounded good to me. The receptionist told us which exam room was empty that we could use, so in we went. I think that Libby was a little surprised at the visceral reaction Brutus had. Besides fighting to NOT go into the exam room, he started to tremble. I felt so bad for him. Libby has a very calming, almost commanding voice with dogs, and she was able to get Brutus in the room, but she decided almost immediately that it would be best if none of the staff came in. She wanted me to sit on the floor and massage him and talk to him until he quit shaking and was willing to eat his chicken breast treats. Then we could go. She had the next puppy class waiting for her, so she had to go back to her class.

Brutus and I sat in that room for thirty minutes. He was so scared that he sat on my lap on the floor the whole time, shaking. Libby had put a shopping cart in front of the door so no one would come in, and we just sat, and I massaged him and talked softly to him. He finally calmed down, and when he was willing to take the treat willingly, I decided we could go home.

When I went to doggy class in the morning, I was wearing blue jeans and a medium blue sweat shirt. When I left the building, I think I was wearing more fur than Brutus. I had to chuckle a little because I got some very strange looks. I was literally covered in fur. At least we sped up the whole shedding his winter coat process. Oy vey! I'm glad Peta wasn't around the corner. I would have been wearing red paint.