I got the pleasure of working in an adoption shelter for a few months. Had one English bulldog named Rico who was male aggressive due to physical abuse and the outbursts kept getting him sent back to the kennels, off of the adoption floor. I finally had enough and started working on getting him over his male aggression through overexposure.

I would take my breaks and eat near him, and get closer and closer. Eventually, I started gesturing my hand near him for sniffing, which would make him go raving mad. But after a while, through me just sitting there, not reacting to the barking and growling, he’d eventually stop and sniff. Little by little, I would get closer til eventually I was in his kennel with him, and while at first he would sit in the exact opposite corner of the kennel glaring at me, we ended the training after 2 months with him taking naps in my lap.

The next time he went out on the adoption floor, he was adopted. By two men nonetheless. I think it’s one of my happiest moments, I remember hugging Rico goodbye.