Читать книгу A Tail of Two Cities - Debbie (Mommy) Stump - Страница 10

Chapter 4

I Got My Foot in the Door!

I have to admit that it didn’t take Scoobie more than a week to acquire the privilege of sleeping in the motor home. I don’t think it was as much his winning personality as it was our frustration at hearing him bark and from our lack of sleep. As we sat watching him one evening, all curled up and cute beside George on the couch, I commented that I didn’t know how I would ever relate to this dog. Our dear departed Chien understood all that I said to him. He was my constant companion, and at times, I almost waited for him to speak and answer my questions. We had our own form of communication—better than most humans!

Poor Scoobie, through no fault of his own or lack of intelligence, was just a dog! He did “sit” sometimes on command, might “lie down” if he was tired; otherwise, he neither followed orders nor did he seem to comprehend any conversation. Dogs must actually be a part of family life and spend time with his “people,” hearing their words and receiving constant love, so that he has a desire to please them. Perhaps this was the beginning of Scoobie’s learning experience. At the age of two, we discovered that you can teach an older dog new tricks!

We began to notice a gentler expression in his eyes, and he would cock his head to one side as if he were attempting to grasp what we said to him. He quickly worked his way into our hearts, and George and I both knew that when the time came for us to head north, Scoobie would not be staying on the farm.

Just as some humans have certain inborn characteristics, so do animals. Scoob was a “runner.” When turned loose, it was as though his inner demon took hold, and he took off. One day, after mowing grass and doing chores on the property, George, my dad, and I were relaxing in the shade of the barn. The workers had all gone home for the day. Scoobie was tied to his long chain allowing him access to shade and water, but far from the house construction.

“Scoobie, come!” Each of us would command, and he complied, calmly following all our requests. George said, “I think he’s ready to get rid of the chain. He’s obeying so well!”

My dad agreed, but I was very doubtful and even warned against it. I was outnumbered! These two men were as thick as thieves and would stick together no matter what. George reached down and unhooked the chain from his collar. As soon as Scoobie took a couple of steps and could no longer feel the tension on his neck, he was off. In only a matter of seconds, “Aaarrrrri! Aaarrrri!”

As on his first day, he had hit the electric fence and came limping back to our side. Without even thinking, “I told you so!” escaped from my mouth, and Scoobie was again tethered to the barn.

My days were filled with grandchildren, overseeing the interior construction, or shopping for things for the house while George was the outside man. If he wasn’t supervising the exterior areas, technical aspects, or landscaping, he was repairing equipment and items for farm maintenance. He was outside all day, and with the growing affection for this dog, he had a desire to have him by his side every minute. “I wish he would follow me around and stay with me while I’m out there working instead of having to be tied up.” I pointed out that when he felt the tension of the leash, he was very obedient. (I must interject here that George is also known as McGuyver because he can find a solution to any problem and contrive a devise to do the job.)

The next day, I glanced outside and noticed that, in fact, Scoobie was following his new “daddy” all over the yard beyond the limits of his chain. I had to go investigate. My crafty husband had taken an old leash and attached an eighteen-inch piece of metal rebar left behind by the concrete crew. When Scoobie was hooked up to it, he felt the weight (or pull) of the chain and thought he was tethered to a building, yet he could go beyond his unknown limits. What a brilliant training devise! Its effectiveness proved to be permanent when three weeks later, as man and dog formed an even deeper bond (and after Scoobie started walking sideways due to the leash getting in the way of his feet), the chain was removed, and from that day on, he stayed at his master’s side as a devoted friend!