Read Online Chez Stinky by Susan C. Daffron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan C. Daffron
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Murph?” The cat responded with a quiet purring sound and snuggled up closer to Kat for her mid-afternoon nap.
Chapter 3
Happy Hound
T he next morning, clad in uncomfortably stiff new blue jeans and a markedly non-stylish (but cheap!) teal T-shirt, Kat headed back to Chez Stinky. She had finished the Happy Hound book and was now armed with tips for dealing with a wide range of bad canine behaviors, including but not limited to jumping, barking, and “inappropriate urination.” Between Tessa and Chelsey, it looked like she’d need to try out pretty much everything she’d read. It was the first time she was going to be dealing with the animals by herself and her stomach was a little jumpy. She straightened a bit in her seat. Why should she be anxious? It was just a bunch of dogs, cats, and falling-down buildings. Yet she couldn’t shake the nervous feeling that gripped her as her car bumped down the driveway.
Linus bounded out from behind the house to greet Kat as she got out of her car. “Hi, Big Guy. Let’s go find everybody else.”
As she walked, she looked up at the tree canopy. The nervous feeling drained from her body as she drank in the calming energy of the forest. The wind whispered through leaves of the aspens, making them quiver and ripple like an ocean of greenery. She smelled the fragrance of Ponderosa pine wafting up from below as her too-white Keds crunched through the bed of pine needles.
Linus was joined by Lori and the pair trotted happily alongside Kat as they went over to the outbuilding that Kat now thought of as the Tessa Hut. Tessa started barking as she heard them approach. Here was the first test: not getting knocked over or dragged on her face by the spastic, nutso dog.
Kat grabbed the leash that was hanging on a nail by the doorway. Tessa was in her indoor enclosure, leaping up and down as if she were on a trampoline. Her head was bobbing up near the top of the six-foot chain-link fence. Kat had to admit the bounce factor was impressive for such a petite golden retriever. Kat stopped in front of the gate, considering how best to extract the rambunctious dog from the enclosure before the animal could vanish off into the forest.
Steeling herself for the onslaught, Kat unlatched the gate, pushed it open, and quickly slammed it closed behind her. Tessa’s piercing barks rang in her ears and the dog’s claws bounced off Kat as the wild, jumping dervish seemed to surround her. Remembering the technique she had learned in the book, Kat focused on the dog’s jumping rhythm and as soon as the dog’s front paws hit Kat’s body, she reached out and grabbed them. She said, “Tessa NO!” walked a few steps forward so Tessa was going backwards, and then threw the dog’s feet to the ground.
Tessa stopped and looked confused by what had just happened. Undaunted, she leaped up on Kat again. Kat repeated the process, grabbed Tessa’s paws, and threw the dog’s feet to the ground again with a firm “No.” The dog started to jump again, but seemed to change her mind and paused for a moment. Kat took advantage of the moment of inactivity and said “Tessa, SIT!” with as much authority as she could muster. The dog placed her rear on the ground for a nanosecond, which was long enough for Kat to quickly clip on the leash. With Tessa secured, Kat gripped the leash tightly and opened the gate.
Glimpsing freedom, Tessa started dragging Kat toward the forest trail. As Kat struggled to hold onto the leash with both hands, keep up with the dog, and not fall on her face, she opted to try another technique from the book. Leaning back, she dug in her heels, turned around, and began walking in the opposite direction. Tessa had no choice but to follow. Every time the dog pulled, Kat zigged and zagged, so she was going the opposite direction. Undaunted by the circuitous progress, Tessa kept pulling and pulling and pulling. The muscles in Kat’s arms started to ache and she was rapidly approaching
Chapter 3
Happy Hound
T he next morning, clad in uncomfortably stiff new blue jeans and a markedly non-stylish (but cheap!) teal T-shirt, Kat headed back to Chez Stinky. She had finished the Happy Hound book and was now armed with tips for dealing with a wide range of bad canine behaviors, including but not limited to jumping, barking, and “inappropriate urination.” Between Tessa and Chelsey, it looked like she’d need to try out pretty much everything she’d read. It was the first time she was going to be dealing with the animals by herself and her stomach was a little jumpy. She straightened a bit in her seat. Why should she be anxious? It was just a bunch of dogs, cats, and falling-down buildings. Yet she couldn’t shake the nervous feeling that gripped her as her car bumped down the driveway.
Linus bounded out from behind the house to greet Kat as she got out of her car. “Hi, Big Guy. Let’s go find everybody else.”
As she walked, she looked up at the tree canopy. The nervous feeling drained from her body as she drank in the calming energy of the forest. The wind whispered through leaves of the aspens, making them quiver and ripple like an ocean of greenery. She smelled the fragrance of Ponderosa pine wafting up from below as her too-white Keds crunched through the bed of pine needles.
Linus was joined by Lori and the pair trotted happily alongside Kat as they went over to the outbuilding that Kat now thought of as the Tessa Hut. Tessa started barking as she heard them approach. Here was the first test: not getting knocked over or dragged on her face by the spastic, nutso dog.
Kat grabbed the leash that was hanging on a nail by the doorway. Tessa was in her indoor enclosure, leaping up and down as if she were on a trampoline. Her head was bobbing up near the top of the six-foot chain-link fence. Kat had to admit the bounce factor was impressive for such a petite golden retriever. Kat stopped in front of the gate, considering how best to extract the rambunctious dog from the enclosure before the animal could vanish off into the forest.
Steeling herself for the onslaught, Kat unlatched the gate, pushed it open, and quickly slammed it closed behind her. Tessa’s piercing barks rang in her ears and the dog’s claws bounced off Kat as the wild, jumping dervish seemed to surround her. Remembering the technique she had learned in the book, Kat focused on the dog’s jumping rhythm and as soon as the dog’s front paws hit Kat’s body, she reached out and grabbed them. She said, “Tessa NO!” walked a few steps forward so Tessa was going backwards, and then threw the dog’s feet to the ground.
Tessa stopped and looked confused by what had just happened. Undaunted, she leaped up on Kat again. Kat repeated the process, grabbed Tessa’s paws, and threw the dog’s feet to the ground again with a firm “No.” The dog started to jump again, but seemed to change her mind and paused for a moment. Kat took advantage of the moment of inactivity and said “Tessa, SIT!” with as much authority as she could muster. The dog placed her rear on the ground for a nanosecond, which was long enough for Kat to quickly clip on the leash. With Tessa secured, Kat gripped the leash tightly and opened the gate.
Glimpsing freedom, Tessa started dragging Kat toward the forest trail. As Kat struggled to hold onto the leash with both hands, keep up with the dog, and not fall on her face, she opted to try another technique from the book. Leaning back, she dug in her heels, turned around, and began walking in the opposite direction. Tessa had no choice but to follow. Every time the dog pulled, Kat zigged and zagged, so she was going the opposite direction. Undaunted by the circuitous progress, Tessa kept pulling and pulling and pulling. The muscles in Kat’s arms started to ache and she was rapidly approaching
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