I became a volunteer handler at Berkeley Animal Control Services primarily so I could learn from and help Bad Rap. They have an awesome program that allows trained BACS volunteers to take pit bulls from the shelter to Bad Rap training classes. The idea behind this relationship is that a pit bull
who is even slightly trained and somewhat socialized is much more likely to be adopted. Also, anyone who adopts a pit from the BACS shelter gets to attend Bad Rap's classes at no charge! I ended up adopting my "trainee" when no one else was interested. She was a terrible fence-fighter and very dog-reactive, but I saw potential. The Bad Rap trainers got us through the basics, gave me some socialization tips, and generally were just THERE for me when I needed questions answered. My dog passed her Canine Good Citizen test (much to my surprise) within a few months. Now we've moved on, and she's working on being certified as a therapy dog and an allergy-alert service dog. The Bad Rap folks gave both of us the confidence we needed to start out relationship, and I will be forever grateful for their expertise and patience.
