Problem Pup

by Diana Gallagher

  “Well, we can’t teach him to be a perfect dog in a week,” Kyle said. “But we can teach him how to behave a little better.”

  “I don’t know,” Drew said. He still didn’t look convinced.

  “Training a dog isn’t easy,” Kyle said. “You’ll have to be tough, and it’ll take a lot of time. So we’ll have to cheat a little.”

  “What do you mean?” Drew asked.

  “Your parents won’t care why Lucky stops chewing stuff and playing with trash as long as he stops, right?” Kyle said.

  Drew nodded. “Right. They just want me to take some responsibility for him. But how do I get him to leave the trash alone?”

  “Simple,” Kyle said. “Just make sure you take the trash out every night and put an empty bag in the kitchen can. Lucky can’t scatter trash if there isn’t any.”

  “That’s genius!” Drew exclaimed.

  “I don’t know about that,” Kyle said with a laugh. “I just know from experience. That’s what I had to do with Rex.”

  “What about chewing?” Drew asked. “I read online that using hot sauce works.”

  “It works on table legs,” Kyle said. “I had to use it on ours when Rex was a puppy. But if Lucky is chewing on shoes, it might not be a good idea. Your parents probably don’t want to put their feet in hot-sauce shoes.”

  “Ugh, no!” Drew made a face.

  “Lucky needs some chew toys,” Kyle said.

  “We got him some,” Drew said. “But he likes shoes and books better.”

  “Then you can’t leave anything lying around,” Kyle said. “If Lucky can’t reach it, he can’t chew it.”

  Drew scratched Lucky behind the ears. “What about coming when he’s called?” he asked. “I can’t do that for him.”

  “No, we have to trick him,” Kyle said. He took a ball and a treat out of his backpack. Then he took Rex off his leash and threw the ball. “Go get it, Rex!”

  Rex immediately raced to fetch the ball. Drew had a hard time holding Lucky back. He wanted to go after Rex.

  “Here, boy!” Kyle yelled as Rex ran back.

  The yellow Lab ran back to Kyle, sat down, and dropped the ball at his feet. Kyle checked to make sure Lucky was watching. Then he gave Rex a treat.

  Lucky whined.

  “You’ll get one, too, Lucky,” Kyle said. “You just have to earn it. Ready to try, Drew?”

  “I guess,” Drew said. “But Lucky won’t bring the ball back. He’ll just run around with it.”

  “Not if Rex has the ball,” Kyle explained. “Lucky will follow him. Just keep calling for him to come to you. And give him a treat when he gets to you.”

  “Okay,” Drew said. He unclipped Lucky’s leash, and Kyle threw the ball. Both dogs took off after it. Lucky got to the ball first. He picked it up and started running in a big circle around the park.

  “Now what?” Drew asked, sounding frustrated.

  “Keep yelling ‘come!’ and hold out the treat,” Kyle said.

  “Come, Lucky! Come here, boy!” Drew hollered.

  Rex and Lucky ran and jumped for several minutes before Lucky saw the treat in Drew’s hand. He immediately dropped the ball and ran to get it.

  Drew fed him the treat. “Good boy!” he said happily.

  Rex grabbed the ball and brought it to Kyle. He liked treats, but he liked playing fetch more.

  “Let’s try this again. Ready, Rex?” Kyle said.

  This time, Kyle threw the ball. Rex grabbed it and ran straight back. Lucky chased after him, just like Kyle had hoped.

  “Come, Lucky!” Drew yelled. “Come!”

  Lucky started to run past, but as soon as he saw the treat in Drew’s hand he turned and raced back to his owner.

  “Make a big fuss petting him, too,” Kyle said. “That way he’ll know you’re happy with what he did.”

  The boys stayed at the dog park and worked with the dogs for almost an hour. Rex had a great time playing fetch with Kyle. Lucky only came straight back to Drew half the time, but it was better than the day before. The spaniel was a lot smarter than Drew realized.

  But success didn’t just depend on Lucky. The dog’s fate depended on Drew, too.

  Progress Not Perfect

  Drew and Kyle decided to meet at the dog park again the following afternoon. As soon as Drew walked up, Kyle could tell he wasn’t happy.

  “I’m an idiot!” Drew exclaimed.

  “Why?” Kyle asked. “What happened?”

  Drew shook his head. “I forgot to take out the trash last night,” he said.

  Kyle sighed. He could guess what had happened. “So the kitchen was a mess again?” he asked.

  Drew nodded. “Yep. I cleaned it up, but my parents were really upset.” He hugged Lucky tightly. “I don’t want to lose him. I’ll have to do better tonight.”

  “Maybe you could write it on your hand,” Kyle suggested. “Or set an alarm to remind yourself.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Drew said. “I’ll try that. So what are we doing today?”

  “I’ll show you some more commands,” Kyle said. “But then I have to work with Rex. We’ll practice getting Lucky to come later.”

  When Drew stood up, Lucky jumped and twisted with excitement. Drew grabbed his collar. “Down, Lucky,” he said firmly. “Sit down!”

  “Move him to your left side,” Kyle said. “That’s heel. And make him sit when you’re standing still.”

  “Heel!” Drew said. It took a few tries, but he finally managed to pull the stubborn dog around to his side. “Sit!”

  Lucky barked and wagged his tail, but he didn’t sit.

  “Push on his back end,” Kyle told him. “And when he sits, give him a treat and pet him so he knows he did what you wanted.”

  Drew pushed on Lucky’s back end, but the dog tried to move away. He turned in several circles before finally sitting.

  “Good sit!” Drew said. He quickly fed Lucky a treat.

  “Now try walk and heel,” Kyle said.

  Lucky pranced and jumped as Drew walked him across the field. The dog didn’t listen all the time, but he quickly figured out that sitting earned him a treat.

  While Drew worked on getting Lucky to heel, Kyle worked with Rex. The dog paid attention and did everything Kyle asked. Kyle rewarded him with pats and praise. He had trained Rex with treats when he was a puppy, but now Rex wanted to make Kyle happy.

  At least when there aren’t any squirrels or poodles to distract him, Kyle thought.

  Just then, Rex yanked away, pulling the leash out of Kyle’s hand. He barked and charged toward a squirrel that was busy looking for food on the ground. The squirrel immediately took off for the nearest clump of trees.

  “Rex, no!” Kyle shouted. He took off running after Rex.

  Across the park, Lucky caught sight of the commotion and raced back toward Rex. “Lucky, stop!” Drew yelled.

  The squirrel managed to escape up a tall tree, but that didn’t stop the dogs. They ran around the tree, chasing each other instead.

  Kyle and Drew couldn’t catch them. After ten minutes, the boys collapsed on the ground.

  “All that for a squirrel!” Drew exclaimed.

  “Squirrels are hard to resist,” Kyle said.

  Before they could even catch their breath, Rex and Lucky were jumping all over them.

  “It’s hard to stay mad at him,” Drew said. “He loves me!”

  Kyle laughed as Rex licked his face. He couldn’t stay mad either. Happy dogs were impossible to resist.

  Kitty Crisis

  I really hope Drew remembered to take out the trash last night, Kyle thought as he ran out of the house later that week. He and Rex were on their way to meet Drew at the dog park.

  In just a few days, Drew’s dad would decide if Lucky would be allowed t
o stay or have to go. Drew and his dog couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes.

  Kyle was in such a rush he almost didn’t see Mia. She was sitting on her porch steps with her face in her hands. Is she crying? he wondered.

  “Mia?” Kyle called as he walked over. “What’s the matter?”

  Mia looked up. “It’s Misty. She’s in big trouble. She pooped in my dad’s favorite chair,” she said. “And he sat on it.”

  Kyle bit his lip so he wouldn’t laugh. It was funny, but it wasn’t funny.

  “Then he yelled, ‘That cat is a nightmare!’” Mia wiped away a tear. “I’m really worried. What if Mom and Dad make me get rid of her?”

  “They won’t,” Kyle said. He didn’t want to miss Lucky’s training session, but this was an emergency. “Maybe Misty is sick or something. Do you want to bring her to my mom’s clinic? Maybe she can take a look at her and figure out what’s wrong.”

  Mia nodded. “Good idea,” she said. “Let me go get her.”

  It took a while for Mia to load Misty into her cat carrier. Misty was not happy about it. The clinic waiting room was empty when Kyle and Mia walked in. Only Lillian sat behind the receptionist desk.

  “Does my mom have a second to look at Misty?” Kyle asked. “We think something’s wrong with her.”

  Lillian smiled at Mia. “We’ve always got time for Mia’s cat,” she said. “Go on back to one of the exam rooms.”

  As they left the waiting room, Kyle realized Rex was following. His mom hadn’t given the dog permission to return, but Kyle didn’t want to leave Mia alone.

  “Sit!” Kyle told Rex. He held up his hand. “Stay!”

  Rex sat in the middle of the waiting room floor.

  “Go on, Kyle,” Lillian said. “I’ll watch him.”

  Kyle’s mom met them in the exam room. “What seems to be the problem with Misty today?” she asked.

  “She’s just crankier than usual,” Mia said. “And she pooped in my dad’s chair. Kyle and I thought she might be sick.”

  Misty hissed when Dr. Blake put her on the exam table. The vet tech held the cranky cat while Dr. Blake examined her.

  “It could be that she’s sick,” Dr. Blake said. “Or in pain. Animals tend to act up when that’s the case.”

  Misty tried to scratch Dr. Blake when she opened the cat’s mouth. “Ah, looks like we’ve found our problem,” she said. “Misty has an infected tooth.”

  “Oh, it must be hurting her!” Mia exclaimed. “I should have figured that out. I feel terrible!”

  “It’s not your fault, Mia,” Dr. Blake said. “Animals can’t tell us what’s wrong. We have to guess what’s going on with them and hope we get it right.”

  “At least now you know that Misty had a good reason for being so bad,” Kyle said. “I bet your parents won’t be mad anymore.”

  “Is she going to be okay?” Mia asked Dr. Blake.

  “She’ll be fine,” Dr. Blake said, “but she should stay here tonight. I’ll give her medicine for the pain and the infection. Then tomorrow morning I’ll take out the bad tooth. She’ll be back to her old self in a few days.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Blake,” Mia said. She gave Kyle’s mom a hug.

  Kyle wanted to leave before his mom saw Rex in the clinic, but she followed them out to the waiting room. Rex was still sitting where Kyle had left him.

  “He hasn’t moved a muscle,” Lillian said.

  “Good dog,” Dr. Blake said with a smile. She reached out and patted Rex on the head.

  Yes! Kyle thought happily. He grabbed Rex’s leash and hurried out before something could go wrong. He and Mia headed to the dog park, but by the time they got there, Drew and Lucky were already gone.

  All Work and No Play

  On Friday afternoon, Kyle got to the dog park early. He worked with Rex until Drew and Lucky arrived. Lucky sniffed the ground and pranced until Drew stopped. Then the dog sat and stared at Drew’s pocket.

  “I’m really sorry I wasn’t here yesterday,” Kyle said. “We had to take Mia’s cat to the vet.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Drew said. He gave Lucky a treat and scratched his ears. The dog looked up and thumped his tail on the ground. “We practiced on our own, and Lucky did great. Is Mia’s cat okay?”

  “She had a toothache,” Kyle explained. “My mom fixed it this morning. How are things going? What happened with the trash?”

  “I took it out!” Drew said. “Every time I look at Lucky I think trash! It works.”

  “Great!” Kyle said. “Is he still chewing?”

  “Well, not exactly.” Drew said with a sigh. “He’s been good about using his dog toys — at least until last night. I didn’t know dogs liked toilet paper! Lucky took a whole roll outside and toilet-papered the backyard!”

  Kyle laughed. “Really?” he said.

  Drew rolled his eyes. “There were streamers and gobs of wet paper all over the place,” he said. “It took an hour to clean up, but he’s my dog, so I did it. And my parents were impressed that I did it without having to be asked.”

  “That’s good,” Kyle said. “Do you think he’s ready to show your parents that he can behave tomorrow?”

  “Let’s see,” Drew said. He shortened Lucky’s leash and started walking. Lucky followed along beside him.

  “Heel,” Drew said. Lucky hung back, and Drew had to drag him. “Come on, Lucky! Heel.”

  Rex stood up and barked.

  “Sit, Rex!” Kyle commanded.

  Rex sat, but he wiggled and barked. Lucky started pulling at his leash and jumping around. He managed to wrap the leash around Drew’s legs.

  “What’s his problem?” Drew asked as he untangled his feet. “He didn’t do this yesterday. If Lucky acts like this tomorrow, my parents are not going to be impressed.”

  “Maybe Rex and Lucky just need a break,” Kyle said. “They’ve been training all week.”

  Drew frowned. “But Lucky won’t get another chance with my parents if he misbehaves tomorrow,” he said.

  “Think about it. We get weekends off from school, right?” Kyle said. “If Lucky has fun today, maybe he’ll be more willing to work tomorrow.”

  Drew hesitated. Then he unclipped Lucky’s leash. “Do you have the ball?” he asked Kyle.

  “Yep, right here,” Kyle said. He pulled the ball out of his backpack and handed it to Drew. As soon as they saw it, Rex and Lucky started jumping up and down and turning in excited circles.

  Drew threw the ball across the park. “Go get it!” he hollered.

  Lucky reached the ball before Rex.

  “Come, Lucky! Here, boy!” Drew hollered.

  Lucky immediately turned and raced back to Drew. Both boys cheered happily as he dropped the ball at Drew’s feet. It seemed like the training had paid off.

  Kyle didn’t know Drew’s parents, and he didn’t know how Lucky would behave tomorrow. But he knew one thing for sure — Drew and Lucky belonged together. Somehow, they had to show Drew’s parents that the dog deserved to stay.

  Even if he gets into trouble sometimes, Kyle thought. Like Rex.

  Decision Day

  Kyle and Mia headed over to Drew’s house early Saturday morning. Rex trotted along between them.

  “Aren’t you worried Lucky will act up if Rex is around?” Mia asked.

  “Not if I make him sit,” Kyle said, grinning. “That’s the one thing he does perfectly.”

  “I hope it’s enough,” Mia said.

  Kyle hoped so, too. Rex’s perfect sit-and-stay routine in the clinic waiting room had impressed his mom. Rex was allowed back in the clinic again, but he had to behave.

  I just hope Drew’s parents are as impressed, Kyle thought.

  They pushed open the gate to the backyard. Drew was sitting at the picnic table and looking worried. Nearby, Lucky chase
d a butterfly around the yard.

  “Hey, Drew!” Mia said.

  “Hey, guys,” Drew replied. “Thanks for coming over.”

  “Did your parents decide if you can keep Lucky yet?” Kyle asked.

  Drew shook his head. “I was waiting for you guys to get here,” he said.

  “We’re here!” Mia exclaimed brightly.

  “Then let’s get it over with,” Drew said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Kyle sat down at the picnic table, and Rex stretched out by his feet. Lucky immediately ran over to greet them. Mia petted Lucky, and he sat beside her.

  Drew opened the kitchen door and stuck his head inside. “Mom! Dad!” he called. “Can you come out here for a minute?”

  Mr. and Mrs. Martin stepped out onto the patio.

  “What’s going on?” Drew’s dad asked.

  “You said Lucky had to start behaving or he’d have to go back to the shelter today,” Drew said.

  Mr. Martin frowned. He looked confused. “But I —”

  Drew kept talking. “Kyle’s been helping me train Lucky,” he said. “I want to show you what he’s learned.”

  Drew’s mom smiled and nudged his dad. “We’d love to see that,” she said. “Wouldn’t we, honey?”

  Drew’s dad nodded. “Of course,” he said.

  Drew’s parents both sat down at the picnic table with Kyle and Mia. Drew clipped a leash to Lucky’s collar.

  “Okay,” Drew said. “We’re ready.”

  Kyle took a deep breath and crossed his fingers.

  “Please be good,” Mia whispered. “Please be good.”

  Drew started off across the yard. “Heel, Lucky,” he said. Lucky hesitated as they walked past Rex, but only for a second.

  “Good boy,” Drew said when Lucky obeyed. He pulled a treat out of his pocket and fed it to the dog.

  Kyle glanced over at Drew’s parents. When Drew stopped and Lucky immediately sat down, his mom and dad exchanged a surprised look.