Brigadiere is a mixed breed that was rescued from the streets by a woman who wanted to keep him… but after he tried to bite her, she gave him up to a shelter. Insecure and fearful of people, Brigadiere sends out big warnings and threatens to bite when someone tries to touch him.
Cesar Evaluates
Dogs like Brigadiere frequently spend the rest of their lives in a shelter, or wind up being destroyed. Cesar meets Brigadiere and his caretaker Eva in Miraflores and he suspects that the dog has been abused in some way, so he starts the evaluation cautiously. Since Brigadiere reacts aggressively to even seeing a brush, Cesar will use repeated presentation of this benign object to reduce Brigadiere’s insecurity. Cesar also uses the Power of the Pack, where Brigadiere seems to do well with the other dogs.
Meeting Possible Candidates
When it comes time to introduce the candidates to the dog, Cesar begins with Janne and her daughter Sophie, who live in the north of Italy, on the Swiss border. They believe that they have the time, space, and heart to adopt more and more dogs in need.
Next to meet Brigadiere are Ursula, an art professor, and Massimo, an art dealer. They have two Salukis already, but have never rescued a dog and are eager to do so.
The third candidates are Renato and Karin. Renato grew up with dogs, but his wife Karin has never had one before. Karin loves a new challenge, though, and feels that as a couple they are ready to be good owners to a rescue dog.
Ultimately, Cesar determines that Brigadiere was mislabeled as a “biter,” but should have been labeled as “nobody ever knew how to help me”. This is a trust story — both teaching Brigadiere how to trust people again, and teaching the successful candidates how to trust themselves with Brigadiere. But which candidates will become his new adoptive family?
