A brush with neurosis

One of Wolfey's many oddities when he came to me was the fact that he was terrified of his brush.  I could lay his brush on the floor with a treat on top of it and he would act as if there were a three foot barrier all the way around it.  Pick up the brush, however, and the treat would be gone instantly.  And you want to brush him?  Don't even bother trying!  Just the sight of me picking up the brush would be cause for whimpering, cowering and, if I wasn't careful, peeing himself.  I thought if I left the brush out all the time with a treat on top he would eventually break down, take the treat and see that there was nothing to be scared of but that darn treat stayed there so long it got hard and dusty, plus it made it hard to vacuum!  I tried many different methods but it finally came down to tough love.  I put Wolfey on his tie-out and went at him with the brush, feeding him treats the entire time.  I was gentle and loving but let him know he wasn't going to get away or get out of being brushed.  Strangely, I only had to do that once.  It was almost as if it clicked for Wolfey: "she hasn't beaten me yet, why would she start now?  Shoes are safe now, so maybe the brush is, too."  At first I only brushed him when he really seemed to need it; I didn't want to push my luck too far.  I always rewarded him with a treat when we were done.  Then I began brushing him more and more frequently, still giving him a treat every time, until it just became part of our routine.  It seems odd to me now, when I just say the word brush and he bolts toward the front door (the only time we use that door is when company comes or we sit out on the front porch to brush him), that this is how we started, but it's also such an awesome reminder of how far we've come!