Fear Factor

[dvick . willbeck]

Bueford has a behavioral problem that we seem unable to concur.  Perhaps 
someone out there can help us.  
Buef has accompanied me to my office since birth, he is now two.  Since 
he began toddling around the office on his own he's been exceptionally 
well mannered (except for food stealing) and has made this his second 
home.  He loves everyone, is the official greeter at the reception desk 
and simply loves to have his back scratched by all willing.  His problem 
is that he is terrified of an associates brief case.  He will not go 
near the brief case nor will he go into the room where case is.  If he 
sees the case he runs and hides.  We all carry brief cases here and all 
the cases look much the same, leather, soft sided with handles.   The 
case has never done anything bad to him, neither has the owner of the 
case.  We can only figure that it must be the smell of the case.  We 
have tried putting good smelling stuff like beef jerky inside the case - 
this didn't make any difference to Buef.  Thinking it might be the human 
not the case, I swapped cases with my associate for a couple days.  This 
also did not work.  When he reacts, we ignore his behavior and when and 
if he gets close to the case we treat, treat, treat.  Nothing we have 
tried has worked.   He remains terrified of the case.  We are trying to 
understand Buef, but this has become so frustrating.  My associate has 
offered to pitch the case and buy a new one but I won't agree to that.  
I suppose I could leave Buef home, but I really feel we should concur 
this fear.  Any advise would be greatly appreciated.  

-Denise (Buefs mom) and the staff at W&B.