obedience in abeyance

Tonight was Digby's third and final puppy training class and despite the progress he has made, it was not an enjoyable one. The instructor, a licensed trainer of police dogs, chose to make an example of him at the beginning of class. You might be surprised to know that Digby, a terrier puppy, can be quite hyperactive, a trait discouraged by mean trainers. We were told (and shown) that when this activity becomes uncontrollable in small dogs, you should cradle the puppy on its back in your arms, grab it by the scruff of the neck to control its head, and hold its front legs firmly against its chest until it relaxes. As uncomfortable as this is to picture, it is even more brutal in practice and certainly not an easy concept to stomach for my tender puppy. I would post a picture of this deathlock in action but it would bring you all to tears. Alas, it does make sense and did seem to produce some results. After seeing how the trainer's dog behaved, I'm willing to try everything shy of cruel and unusual punishment to instill just a fraction of that obedience in Digby.

Despite receiving a diploma and a bag of treats for passing the class, Digby was inconsolable when we got home. He quietly ate his dinner and has been sleeping in the kennel ever since, probably hoping to awake in a world where we don't exist and can never do that to him again. But the training must go on. After all, he doesn't always behave like this: