Drew repeated the heel-and-sit exercise two more times. Then he took the leash off and walked back toward the patio. Lucky started to follow, but another butterfly caught his attention. He took off chasing after it.
“Oh, no!” Drew’s mom exclaimed as Lucky headed straight for her flower garden. The flowers would be trampled!
Drew’s eyes opened wide. “Come! Come, Lucky! Come here, boy!” he shouted.
Lucky stopped and looked back at Drew. He seemed torn between catching the butterfly and listening to his owner.
Drew patted his leg. “Come on, boy!” he called encouragingly.
Kyle and Mia held their breath. They both let out sighs of relief when Lucky ran to Drew.
“Good boy!” Drew said. He knelt down and hugged the dog. Lucky wiggled with happiness and covered him with dog kisses.
“Well!” Drew’s dad said, standing up, “that was quite a demonstration.”
“I can’t believe you taught Lucky so much,” his mom added.
Drew grinned. “I had help,” he said. “Kyle’s a great dog trainer.”
“It was mostly Drew,” Kyle said. “He worked really hard with Lucky.”
“And Lucky is a really smart dog,” Mia added.
“How did you teach him to stay out of the trash?” Drew’s dad asked.
“I didn’t,” Drew said. “But I’ve been taking it out every night so he can’t get into it.”
Drew’s dad looked at Mrs. Martin and laughed. “I thought you were taking the trash out,” he said.
“I thought you were!” Mrs. Martin said with a laugh. She looked at Drew. “Did you put my shoes away so Lucky couldn’t chew them?”
“Yeah.” Drew nodded and sighed. “I have to bribe Lucky with treats, and he doesn’t come every time I call. He steals toilet paper rolls and chases butterflies through the garden. He’s not perfect, but he’s my dog and I want to keep him.”
“We don’t expect Lucky to be perfect,” Drew’s mom said. “We just want you to take some responsibility for him.”
“I’m sorry, Drew,” his dad said, shaking his head. “I was mad when I threatened to take Lucky back to the shelter. I didn’t mean it. But I’m so proud of you for working so hard to fix the Lucky problems.”
“Then I can keep him?” Drew asked.
“Of course you can,” his mom said.
Kyle and Mia stayed to celebrate. The dogs played, and the kids had lemonade and cookies. Mr. Martin wanted to know all about Lucky’s training. Drew answered most of his questions.
“Sounds like you’re an expert, Drew,” his dad said.
“I’ve been reading a lot,” Drew explained with a smile. “It’s worth it to get to keep my dog!”
An hour later, Kyle and Mia walked back to the clinic.
“Dr. Blake said Misty is ready to go home,” Lillian told them when they walked in. “In fact, I think she can’t wait to get out of here. She’s in the back room if you want to go see her.”
“Great!” Mia said. “I can’t wait to have her home.”
Kyle and Mia walked to the back room and one of the vet techs set the cat carrier on the table. Misty hissed and spit when she set it down.
“You don’t like anyone, do you?” Kyle told the cat with a laugh.
“She likes me,” Mia said.
As if to prove her point, the cranky cat purred when Mia scratched her chin through the wire door.
I guess there’s a perfect pet for every person, Kyle thought. They just have to find each other.
AUTHOR BIO
Diana G. Gallagher lives in Florida with three dogs, eight cats, and a cranky parrot. She has written more than 90 books. When she’s not writing, Gallagher likes gardening, garage sales, and spending time with her grandchildren.
ILLUSTRATOR BIO
Adriana Isabel Juárez Puglisi has been a freelance illustrator and writer for more than twenty years and loves telling stories. She currently lives in Granada, Spain, with her husband, son, daughter, two dogs, a little bird, and several fish.
GLOSSARY
agility (uh-JIL-i-tee) — the power of moving quickly and easily
command (kuh-MAND) — to order someone to do something
confident (KON-fuh-duhnt) — having a strong belief in your own abilities
incident (IN-suh-duhnt) — something that happens; an event
irritated (IRH-uh-tay-tid) — upset or annoyed
patient (PAY-shuhnt) — someone who is receiving treatment from a doctor or other health-care provider
resist (ri-ZIST) — to refuse to accept
TIPS FOR TRAINING YOUR DOG
Training your dog is important for many reasons. It’s fun to do tricks and show off, but most importantly, it teaches your dog to listen to you. Here are some training tips to get you and your pet started.
Be consistent — Make sure to use the same words, phrases, and commands every time. Get other family members involved too, so everyone is on the same page. Consistency is the key to success when it comes to training your pet.
Be firm — Tell your dog what to do in a clear, calm, firm voice so he learns to recognize what you’re saying as a command.
Be affectionate — Make sure to give your dog lots of love when it does something right. You want training to be a fun experience, not a scary one. Being affectionate will make training easier and more fun for you and your pup.
Be generous — Give your dog lots of treats when it does something right. That way, your dog will know good behavior is rewarded, and it will want to do it again.
Be patient — Remember that training a dog takes time and work. You can’t expect immediate results, so be patient with your dog during the process.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What are some other ways Kyle and Mia could have helped Drew with his pet problem? Talk about some different solutions.
Do you think Dr. Blake’s punishment for Rex was fair? Talk about your opinion.
Kyle thinks there is a perfect pet for everyone. Talk about why your pet is perfect for you. If you don’t have a pet, talk about what your perfect pet would be.
WRITING PROMPTS
Pretend that you’re Drew. Write a paragraph to your parents about why you should be able to keep Lucky..
Have you ever had to deal with a problem pet? Write a paragraph explaining what the problem was and how you dealt with it.
What do you think the best part of having a pet is? What is the hardest part? Write a paragraph about each.
READ THE WHOLE SERIES
and learn more about Kyle and Mia’s animal adventures!
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is published by
Picture Window Books,
A Capstone Imprint
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
www.capstoneyoungreaders.com
Copyright © 2014 Picture Window Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data Gallagher, Diana G., author.
Problem pup / by Diana G. Gallagher; illustrated by Adriana Puglisi.
pages cm. -- (Pet friends forever)
Summary: Kyle’s friend Drew has adopted a dog from the shelter, but the boys
need to teach it manners and obedience or Drew’s parents are going to send it back.
ISBN 978-1-4795-2176-0 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4795-3802-7 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4795-5977-0 (ebook)
1. Dogs--Behavior--Juvenile fiction. 2. Dogs--Training--Juvenile fiction. 3. Dogs--Juvenile fiction. [1. Dogs--Training--Fiction. 2. Dogs--Fiction. 3. Pet adoption--Fiction.] I. Puglisi, Adriana, illustrator. II. Title.
PZ7.G13543Pr 2014 813.6--dc23
2013028614
Designer: Kristi Carlson
Image Credits:Shutterstock/Kudryashka (pattern)
Problem Pup Page 3
