Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“Nice to meet you,” Jefferson said. “I compete but Leena and Argo here tend to kick my ass. Although, it’s closer now.”
“Your boy is young, give him time.”
“I know, I know.” Jefferson shrugged. “I have Del coming in with the sleeves.”
“Terrific.”
She introduced Davis all around and soon they were doing bite work. The building was full of barking, growling, and the humans encouraging their dogs on. She had a bunch of different breeds, the typical and a few that she didn’t often see, a Chessie—Chesapeake Bay Retriever—and a standard poodle. As she worked the dogs and gave direction, she kept an eye on Hugo. He barked right along with the others, the muzzle not deterring him at all.
When it was time to send the dogs after their target, she waited until it was Hugo’s turn. Davis offered her the leash, but she shook her head. “Nope, you send him. I told you the commands. Double check that muzzle. The guys aren’t protected anymore so we have to make sure that they can’t get bit.”
Davis did as instructed and she watched Hugo streak after Jefferson and hook his leg, taking him down hard onto the matted floor. His growls and snaps were ferocious, but he listened to Davis when he called him off.
As she stood back, she observed Hugo look up at Davis, wag his tail and lean into the man a bit more. That’s his human, right there. Hugo had picked and it was up to her to get Davis to see it. She couldn’t let this dog down.
Davis pounded him on the side, grinning like a fool and praising him as they moved back to let Jefferson get up and catch his breath. He gave her a thumbs up and they were going again. They did runaways, escorting, padded work, sleeve work. She took a picture of that when Hugo marched off holding the sleeve in his mouth, looking all proud with Davis at the end of the leash, looking the same way.
As she closed up the training facility her body ached. All four dogs took a toll on her. Normally she didn’t do them all, but she had another competition coming up. And she didn’t plan on losing.
“That poodle was impressive,” Davis said as they walked back to her house.
“Yes, he’s coming along well. A lot of people solely think of them as the foo-foo dogs in shows with the bows and skinny French people at the other end of the leash. They forget they were hunting dogs and that clip had a purpose. They’re great dogs. I know a few people who skijor with theirs.”
“What the hell is that?” He still held Hugo’s leash and she didn’t say a word.
“Where the dog pulls you while you’re on skis.”
“And poodles do that?”
“They’re very good at it.” She opened the door to the house, and everyone entered. Her dogs headed for the water dish and she directed Davis to take Hugo to the laundry room so he, too, could get a drink.
“I don’t think I’ll be skijoring anytime soon,” he commented as they came back in.
Hugo was so in tune to Davis, she didn’t say a word. With a gesture, she sent her dogs to lie down.
“What did you think?” she asked pulling out a leftover casserole.
“That was some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I’m sore as shit, though. I don’t know how you did four dogs plus everything else you did.” He lowered his hand to pet Hugo. “He was amazing.”
“You both were. You two make one hell of a team.” She turned the oven on then went to pull some plates down. “He responds to you. Even now, he is waiting for you to say something to him.”
Davis looked down at the dog beside him. He ruffled his head. “Go lay down, Hugo. We’re not going anywhere right now.”
Damned if Hugo didn’t walk over beside the large bed that Argo was on and stood there for a moment before climbing on it and settling in next to her boy. Argo didn’t react so whatever had passed between all was good.
She smiled.
“What?”
“Look at them. Side by side yet one is angled slightly one way while the other is the other way. They can cover both directions like that.”
“Damn. Add in the other three and I feel for anyone who tries to break into this house.”
They finished supper by eleven and she let the dogs out once more, all at once and Davis was with her. Back inside, she locked up then gestured to the Terv. “Why don’t you keep him in your room tonight? No point in him having to sleep in the laundry room.”
“You sure that’s okay?”
“Fine by me. Grab one of the beds and put it down for him. I never turn a dog out of a room. Mine are all pets first.”