Saturday 14 April 2012

The puppy and the toddler....


Recall - when you teach your puppy to come back to you when you call. I am on the green, being a responsible dog owner and I am training her how not to run away and get lost or run over.

A family walk along the tow path and onto the green. I watch in amusement as the toddler decides: I will not walk one inch further and sits down on the pathway. I suppress a giggle as the mother and father try to convince her to get up? 'NO!,' the toddler yells. Get back in the buggy? 'NO NO NO!!' Oh I remember those days, I think to myself smugly, but now the kids are older and run ahead of me anyway. Then the parents try to fool the toddler into voluntary movement by pretending to walk away.... they have but turned their backs and walked a few steps... and that is when I remember THE PUPPY!!! Oh bloody hell, I forgot for a minute that I owned a puppy and that I was supposed to be teaching her recall. And as if in slow motion I see her spotting the toddler sat all alone on the path. She stops, she tilts her head to the side and her tails starts to wag. I begin to run towards her, yelling her name and totally forget all the things I have been taught in puppy training - keep you tone of voice calm, only use the dog’s name once.... you know the things I mean. Puppy takes off and sprints full speed towards the toddler, the parents turn and stare in horror as a large, brown fluffy blur descends on their beautiful child, followed closely by a hysterical woman waving and shouting. The puppy reaches the toddler and leaps into the air...and knocks her over, pins her down on the floor and licks her repeatedly in the face. The parents and I arrive at the scene at the same time. I haul the puppy off the child and guess what? The toddler leaps up and jumps into the buggy. I am so happy we could help!

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