Dusty

by Jane B. Mason

  They walked closer until they were about twenty yards from the dogs, and turned to face them. The border collie strained at his leash, but then settled obediently at Roxanne’s side. The three handlers were fidgety as well. What were they waiting for? Why wasn’t the woman calling them forward?

  “Yip!” came a punctuating bark from behind them.

  The handlers all turned to see a young girl approaching with the most ridiculous dog Luis had ever seen … a Chihuahua mix with insanely large ears. The minuscule dog’s legs moved so fast Luis thought there might actually be more than four! He laughed aloud. “What is that?”

  Nobody answered him, and the girl, who he could now see was Morgan—the middle Sterling daughter—was walking right toward the handlers and Pedro, and then Pedro was reaching out a hand and taking the leash. The coffee in Luis’s stomach began churning uneasily.

  Pedro turned to face Luis directly. “Luis, this is Dusty,” he said. “I think the two of you would make a great team.”

  The coffee threatened to revolt. “Dusty, as in … dirt?” Luis blurted, his jaw tight. He felt humiliation wash over him. Why on earth would Pedro want to match him with a dog who could be blown away by a stiff breeze? The mutt was so tiny his vest didn’t even look like the other dogs’!

  “Yip!” Dusty’s bark was sharp—he would not be brushed off.

  Pedro felt a pinch of disappointment. Not only was Luis’s reaction not positive, it was full-on negative. He wasn’t surprised, however—he’d been expecting this. But it wouldn’t be long before Dusty had a chance to prove himself … and he only needed one.

  “You might not believe it now, but this is the only dog on the ranch with enough machismo and confidence to match you,” Pedro stated. Morgan was nodding her agreement.

  Luis wanted to throw up his hands in refusal and storm away—he was that upset. But something held his feet to the ground, and he forced a laugh. He would see it through. He’d put a lot of time and energy into his training, and Pedro had shown himself to be smart and knowledgeable. He knew what he was doing. Luis swallowed and looked down at the runty dog. Ugh. No! Okay … fine. He’d do a test run with this little runt to show Pedro that they were a terrible fit.

  Dusty gazed steadily up at Luis. He could feel the new man’s reluctance, and it fed his determination. He would not be underestimated!

  After handing Dusty off to Pedro and Luis, whom Morgan was not particularly fond of at the moment, she headed over to join Roxanne and Forrest. It was lucky that today was Saturday and they could help with the various scenarios Roxanne was going to throw at the new teams. Plus, Morgan loved matching day! Seeing the dogs, who had been working so hard for so long, finally meet their probable partners was almost always amazing. Not every match stuck, but the dogs usually knew which person was meant to be theirs.

  It took just a few minutes for Radar to connect with Holly. Her patient, reassuring nature was perfect for the Lab, and he seemed to gain confidence just being near her. The border collie, Telluride, took to Jake quickly, too. They were both brimming with energy and would be able to keep up with each other, no problem. For now, the golden retriever called King would remain on the sidelines, but it wouldn’t be long before he, too, found a partner. Luis gazed at the large blond dog longingly as he lined up with Dusty beside the other pairs.

  Roxanne had asked Forrest to be the victim for one of the exercises, while Morgan was there to provide an extra set of eyes and ears, observing how the teams worked together. Conferring with Roxanne and Pedro was a new job for her, and an honor. She felt proud to know the trainers trusted her powers of observation. She had already noticed Luis’s skepticism, of course. It was obvious to all.

  “Good thing Shelby isn’t here to see this guy doubting Dusty,” Forrest whispered, leaning in close to her ear. “She’d be furious!”

  “No kidding,” Morgan agreed. But she also, reluctantly, understood. She’d had her initial doubts about the pup, too … before she knew him.

  The first task was for the dogs to take a trial run on an agility course that Martin and Forrest had set up the night before. Roxanne had the handlers lead their dogs through the canine obstacle course. One by one the dogs had to make their way over slippery pipes, across teeter-totters, across a large, angled section of chain-link fencing, and up ladders. The dogs had been trained for this, and Roxanne knew they could complete the tasks, though she still held her breath each time Dusty jumped from ladder rung to ladder rung. What they were watching for was how the dogs performed with their potential handlers. Did they listen? Did they respond? Was there chemistry? In a nutshell, did the handlers help or hinder the dogs?

  Radar was first and aced the course in no time. His only stumble was on the ladder that crossed a galvanized tub of water. He slipped but righted himself quickly and made it across. He finished the course in seven and a half minutes.

  Telluride also did well, finishing in just over eight minutes.

  Luis’s body language was not what Roxanne and Pedro would have hoped for. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he kept looking at the big dogs instead of focusing his attention on Dusty, who sat patiently at his side.

  When it was Dusty’s turn, Luis almost winced in anticipation as the tiny dog approached the first obstacle. Then his jaw dropped when the little dog sped into a full run and leaped onto the end of the teeter-totter, landing perfectly and balancing for a mere nanosecond before crossing it, jumping to the ground, and moving on to the long, horizontal section of chain-link fencing. Luis watched in amazement as the little pup managed to grab hold of the narrow links of fence, never once letting a paw slip through. On the ladder he had to jump from rung to rung because he was so small, but he moved quickly and landed securely every single time. It was the same on each obstacle, and he finished the course in six minutes.

  Dusty trotted dutifully back to Luis. He looked him in the eye and sat down at his side but did not accept a treat. The Sterling gang had to stifle a collective laugh. You had to hand it to the Chihuahua—he had hutzpah!

  Luis raised an eyebrow, suddenly doubting that the golden retriever could have completed the course so well.

  “Okay, Forrest, you can head out,” Roxanne called to the boy. “You know where to go.” Forest nodded and left to hide in a cluster of trees halfway to the bus wreck.

  Though all the dogs were well trained, the human-canine teams were brand-new. It took time for working pairs to learn to trust each other and perfect their communications, so today they would keep the searches simple.

  The search order was the same, and the results were nearly identical. All three dogs performed well, but Dusty bested the big dogs by more than a minute. Luis was flabbergasted and once more Dusty barely accepted his praise. He knew he was good—and he was going to make sure Luis knew it, too.

  While Morgan, Roxanne, and Pedro watched, Luis lowered his large frame all the way to the ground. He waited patiently for Dusty to approach. Dusty took his own sweet time. When he finally reached his new partner, Luis lowered his head in respect.

  “Dusty, I had you all wrong,” he admitted softly. “You’re more SAR dog than the rest of these mutts combined.”

  Dusty stepped closer and sat down next to Luis, almost touching. He lifted his tiny snout and sniffed the air, then looked at the big man beside him.

  “Partners?” Luis asked, extending his hand.

  Dusty gave it a lick and held his head up proudly as Pedro approached. The human trainer struggled to keep his grin at bay. He could see that a bridge had been built—and crossed—for both of them. Luis and Dusty understood and respected each other.

  “I think you’re right,” Luis admitted to Pedro, taking the toothpick out of his mouth. “This is my dog.”

  Luis wiggled his habitual toothpick between his front teeth as he approached the canine pavilion, where he knew Dusty was waiting. It had only taken a few days for Luis to understand that patience was no easier for the pup than it was for him—they were b
oth impatient creatures. It was one of the ways in which they were similar, and knowing this helped them to understand each other as they progressed through the training.

  They’d spent the first three weeks almost solely at, in, and on the rubble pile, where Luis continued to be amazed by the little dog’s skill, fearlessness, and grace. He was almost like a canine hovercraft—it appeared he barely touched the pipes, broken boards, and pieces of concrete he had to navigate. His issue, the one Roxanne was helping them work on now that they seemed to have conquered his night fears, was that he was such a natural he often moved too quickly. Though this rarely got him into trouble during training because of his skill, Roxanne felt strongly that he had to temper his inclination to move fast all the time. Rushing could be extremely dangerous in a disaster. She spent three long, tedious days having Luis make him back up and cross a single pipe over and over (and over), until Dusty doubled the time it took.

  Luis, for his part, felt like an elephant in a tulip garden whenever he had to get onto the pile. Every step required balancing and adjusting, and he tripped and fell so many times his body was covered in black and blue. Little by little his skills (and his respect for Dusty’s) improved, and he was able to move a bit more quickly. And, as Pedro reminded him, in the actual field Dusty would be the real searcher … the handler’s job was mostly about staying clear, making good decisions on the fly, and giving commands to keep the dog safe. That, and staying mentally strong.

  “Disaster work is some of the hardest and most dangerous SAR work there is,” Pedro explained. “Both you and Dusty will need to be fleet and sure, and, perhaps, most importantly, comfortable working and making decisions independently. There will invariably be unstable structures, hazardous materials, confined areas … and loss of life. You will be dealing with tragedy on almost every call.”

  “Physical strength and stamina will be essential,” Roxanne had added, as if Luis weren’t already a bit overwhelmed. “But I can’t say enough about the importance of mental strength, and the ability to stay flexible. You will face long days and nights and brutal physical and emotional situations. You might find a live victim but not be able to get to them because it’s not safe. Or you might get someone out alive only to have them die at the hospital. And that’s if you find anyone alive …” Her pale face was grave, her green eyes shadowed with past and future trauma. Luis actually wondered if she had lost someone in a tragedy herself.

  “It’s just the nature of the beast, I’m afraid,” Pedro said solemnly.

  Luis knew this, but hearing it out loud made him swallow hard. He’d never actively participated in disaster work, but fairly early in his police career he’d offered his rescue services after an explosion at an oil refinery off the coast of Texas. The conditions had been horrendous. There had been much loss of life—human and sea creature—and the thick coating of crude oil was dangerous and had a sickly smell that lined everyone’s noses and stuck to them for weeks afterward. When Pedro told him that he and Dusty were signing up for some of the most grueling work there was, he didn’t need to be told twice.

  More than once since he’d arrived at the ranch, Luis had questioned his decision. Part of him was mentally and physically wiped out from his years on the force. Part of him wanted to be done. But he’d tried that, hadn’t he? And he’d been bored and lonely and maybe even a little depressed. It hadn’t worked.

  He pulled open the canine pavilion door, telling himself he’d made the right decision, like he did most mornings. And also like most mornings, seeing Dusty solidified this belief. The pup was standing at the door to his kennel wagging like mad. As Luis approached he let out a single, ecstatic bark. “Yip!”

  Inside his little body, Dusty was barking more than just once—he was barking and barking and barking, because seeing Luis every morning was the best! It meant they were going to work, and he loved work! And he loved Luis.

  When Dusty first met him, he could tell that the man didn’t want to be his partner—that he doubted he could do the work. Dusty could see it in his body language. He could smell it. But that very same day Roxanne had all the dogs doing searches, and Dusty was good at searching. Really good. It didn’t take long for Luis to see how good. The big guy hadn’t doubted him since. And he’d also taken him out to the rubble pile to work every day since.

  The rubble pile was like a giant playground that required extra dexterity and skill to play on. Dusty loved climbing around, balancing, and sniffing out the teensy-tiny spaces. He loved leaving the big dogs in the dust as he steadied himself in each unstable spot or squeezed through the smallest cracks. After his time on the streets searching for food and hiding from danger, there was something almost comforting about searching in confined areas. And since the rubble pile was always changing, it never got boring. Dusty had a knack, and now that his tummy was always full and he had a safe place to sleep, he could give training his all.

  The anxious yips wanted to come out, but Dusty swallowed each and every one. Keeping his barks inside came at a cost, though … his back end wiggled a little bit extra. Beaming down at him, Luis let him out of the kennel and scooped him up. This was their ritual—a moment of being held and scratched behind his nicked ear. After that, Luis always put Dusty down and let him navigate whatever came their way on his own four feet, the way the pup liked it.

  “Ready to get to work, tough guy?” Luis asked. Dusty gave Luis several licks in reply, each one a clear “Yes!”

  Out by the rubble pile, which had just been carefully readjusted by Martin and his machinery, Roxanne was getting ready for the day. It was a big one! She felt an unusual wave of anticipation as she saw Luis and Dusty approach, and even started giving them instructions before they’d stopped walking.

  “You two are doing so great that we’re going to throw you a couple of curveballs today,” she announced, her arms gesturing to the pile. “I usually take this one step at a time, but Dusty is unusual, and my gut tells me he can handle a lot of this stuff at once.”

  She opened her pack and took out what looked like four tiny red sacks with Velcro near the top. “We had to have these custom made, so I hope they work.”

  “Are those booties?” Luis asked, unable to hide his surprise.

  Roxanne nodded and bent to slip the first one on. “You never know what kinds of hazardous materials disaster dogs are going to encounter, so they’ve got to tolerate protective gear. Let’s see how Dusty does with these … and how you do, too.” She secured the booty and stood to hand the other three to Luis. Luis wanted to laugh but knew better. Biting his tongue, he bent his broad back and slipped a booty onto Dusty’s left hind leg. It was harder than it looked! There wasn’t a lot of extra space, and he had to secure it snugly but not so tightly that it cut off the pup’s circulation—Dusty would certainly need to feel his feet! Once he got the hang of it, though, the other two booties went on more easily. Dusty was extremely patient.

  After all the ointment and socks he’d had to wear while his feet were healing, he accepted the close-fitting booties like a champ.

  “And these,” Roxanne said, reaching into her messenger bag and pulling out some protective eyewear. “Doggles.”

  This time Luis bit his tongue so hard he was physically unable to utter a single syllable. They looked ridiculous, but he had to keep it cool for Dusty. He maintained a serious expression while he slid one strap under the Chihuahua’s chin and the other behind his ears. They fit snuggly, so they wouldn’t catch on anything.

  Dusty, miraculously, didn’t try to paw them off. He just blinked through the clear lenses. And now that the pup was wearing them, Luis realized how hard-core they made him look. Heck, they were probably bulletproof!

  “You know you look good!” Luis said with a giant grin.

  “Yip!” Dusty replied, as if to say, “Heck yes, I do!” Luis could have sworn he was standing a little taller, too.

  “That’s not all,” Roxanne said as Luis’s nose wrinkled. He’d gotten a whiff of someth
ing unsavory … something he suspected had to do with whatever Roxanne was about to tell him. Dusty’s nose quivered, high in the air. He clearly smelled it, too. Luis was about to ask what else when he noticed that Roxanne’s attention had shifted to the rubble pile behind them. Turning, he saw that they had more folks than usual helping with training—a lot more. He could see at least five people on or around the massive heap, including the three oldest Sterling kids. His eyes settled on Shelby, and worry tugged at his chest.

  “Won’t it be a distraction to have so many people around?” he asked. They both knew that Shelby was his biggest concern—she and Dusty had a special bond.

  “That’s actually the point,” Roxanne explained with a nod. She adjusted her trucker’s cap, her green eyes alight with anticipation. “Today we start proofing.”

  “Ah,” Luis replied. He’d learned all about proofing in class with Pedro. Proofing was about presenting the dog with as real a disaster situation as possible, so that the dog learned to ignore everything he or she wasn’t actually searching for in a disaster … everything but live human beings.

  “We’re adding more people, strange smells, strange sounds. We’re gonna throw it all at him and see if Dusty can stay on target. In a real disaster there will be loads of distractions—things we can’t even begin to anticipate.”

  Luis nodded. He understood just how important proofing was—he just never thought they’d throw this many things at Dusty on the first go. Luis knew his dog was special, but this would be a challenge for sure.

  Dusty, for his part, was getting used to his new gear. The goggles made everything seem a little squashed, but they weren’t as irritating as the footwear. He stepped gingerly from paw to paw, trying to adjust to them. The booties made his paws feel kind of numb, like they weren’t fully attached to his legs. It wasn’t fun. Chewing them off sounded waayyyyy better. Much more fun, and a good challenge! But he knew Roxanne and Luis had put the footwear on for a reason. The fact that they put them on meant that they were supposed to be there. So he sat down on his haunches and lifted his nose to the air.