Putting Pickles Under...

....Control, that is!

For about 2 hours last weekend I was pretty sure I was gonna put pickles down. To say she has some aggression issues with other dogs would be an understatement. It's been a pretty scary problem. Coupled with her Houdini-like ability to escape any yard, it's not a good combination.

After some consulting with super-nice Natasia, who also owns a pit, I decided to try for some obedience class. I was really nervous for her, because if the trainer said she wasn't trainable (and I really think he would've), she woulda been a dead doggie.

Tonight was the initial sort of consultation. The trainer worked with her for about 15 minutes to see if she was amenable to commands and pretty immediately she was under his command. It was pretty amazing to see.

Now, it's a long way from getting a dog to listen to you all the way to getting a dog to not be territorial and aggressive, but I think fixing one behavior - setting a good foundation - will allow other behaviors to come into place.

So, for now, Pickles won't be pickled.