'It had been eight months since The Boss and I first saw each other through the wire mesh of his compound, and during that time we had formed a strong bond of friendship.
Joining the Perfect Pets club with a view to learning to cope with him, as we progressed, I began to feel the first stirrings of ambition, so I set my sights on trialling, hoping we would cover ourselves in glory in the trials ring, regardless of the fact that our antics in class had failed to impress our instructors.
Despite my lack of knowledge, and The Boss's lack of obedience, I managed to teach him enough to make it into the seniors' class. By then, I was ready for anything - anything, that is, except being asked to take the trainers' course. I couldn't believe it! Our performance hadn't been particularly good in any of our classes, and on the euphoric ego trip I took following this request, I never stopped to wonder why I had been chosen for such an honour.
It would be fair to say I developed delusions of grandeur, until I overheard a conversation between Joe, my old instructor, and Brian, the head trainer. Brian had been giving me details of the trainers' course and Joe happened to be within earshot of our conversation. Unfortunately, I also heard him ask, "Are we that desperate for a trainer?" And that was when my bubble burst.' (Publisher's blurb)
The Boss and Slave
Mandurah
:
Equilibrium Books
,
2011
Z1914696
2011
single work
novel
'Anyone can train a dog, or so I was told when we brought The Boss home. Unfortunately, I'm not anyone, and by the time The Boss had finished with me, I wasn't even sure I was someone!
He was a forty-kilogram German shepherd with a mind of his own, who only ever wanted to go where he wanted. As I didn't weigh much, I had no choice but to go along with him. We had never owned a dog before so this was new territory for all of us, and of course, the job of turning our hairy monster into something we could manage, fell to me.
Joining a dog club was obviously the way to go, even allowing for the costs involved, which were a small price to pay when compared to the embarrassment I suffered at his paws. We were the despair of every trainer who had the misfortune of trying to teach us, but we persevered together, and in the end, we shared a remarkable bond that only a dog owner could understand.' (Publisher's blurb)
