Training with Wolfie - Chapter 1

Training With Wolfie

By Karen Singer

Chapter 1

     Rosa Murphy sat on her back porch swing and watched her dog playing in the backyard.  Wolf, or Wolfie as she usually called him, was a big dog, a cross between a German shepherd and a husky.  The resulting combination giving him a distinctly wolf-like appearance that frightened more than a few.  And indeed, Wolf was good protection – very good!  Not only was Wolf overly devoted to her and wouldn’t let anyone harm her, but he was protection for her whole house.  More than a few guests had been frightened away from her front door by his aggressive behavior when they knocked.  Rosa secretly pitied anyone who was foolish enough to break into her house or even enter the backyard uninvited.  Her whole property was Wolf’s territory, and he guarded it rigorously.

     But the truth was, that Wolf was something of a pussycat when he was among friends.  His frightening demeanor was replaced by a loving and playful animal that was more reminiscent of a cute puppy than the big dog he had become.  He loved to snuggle and be petted.  And with those who were willing, he loved to run and play – the rougher the better. 

     Movement at the far edge of her vision caught Rosa’s attention.  Her backyard was big and was completely surrounded by a four-foot chain link fence, but she could just see her neighbor, and tenant, coming out of his house next-door and entering his backyard.  He opened his trashcan and deposited a large plastic bag inside, then he closed it up again.  The movement caught Wolf’s attention too. The big dog barked enthusiastically and ran directly to the fence dividing the properties and nearly jumped over it.

     She watched as her tenant walked over to the fence, talking to Wolf the whole time.  He was one of the ones who knew Wolfie well and was willing to sometimes play with the dog.  He walked right up to Wolf, who was now leaning with his front paws over the fence, and ruffled the thick fur around his neck.  He waved at her.

      “Hi Mrs. Murphy,” he called.

      “Hi Brain,” she returned.

     Brian continued to stroke the big dog’s fur for a few moments.  Then he looked back up at her.  “Do you mind if I come in and play with him for a bit?”

      “I wish you would!  He needs the exercise!  He’s been driving me crazy all day!”

     Brian laughed and made his way around the fence to the gate on the side.  Wolf enthusiastically followed him the whole way.  The big dog nearly knocked him over as he opened the gate to come into the yard, but Brian had been through this many times before and was prepared for it.  He pushed the dog off of him and closed the gate again.  The minute the gate was closed, Wolf was pouncing back and forth, anxious to play.  Brian took off at a run straight into the heart of the huge backyard.  Wolf ran next to him, glad for someone to play with. 

     Rosa watched as Brian ran with her dog, and threw things for him to chase, and just roughhoused with him.  Brian wasn’t a big guy, in fact he was somewhat small.  And he was fairly young – less than a year out of college now.  But he seemed to enjoy playing with Wolf and wasn’t the least bit afraid of him.  And the dog certainly loved playing with him.

     Eventually their play slowed down – or rather, Brian slowed down, Wolf was still full of energy.  Brian gradually walked from the yard up to her porch, Wolf dogging his steps all the way, trying to get him to continue playing. 

      “Hi Mrs. Murphy,” he said as he climbed up the steps.

      “How are you Brian?” she asked.

     He shrugged.  “Okay, I guess.”

      “Kids still giving you trouble?” she asked.  Brian had graduated last year with a teaching degree, but the only job he had been able to find so far was substitute teaching.

     He rolled his eyes.  “The kids are monsters!  You wouldn’t believe how they behave.”  He sighed.  “I know I could teach them something, and do it well, but they never give me the chance.  I spend all day long just trying to get them to behave – which they never seem to do.  I feel like nothing but a babysitter.”

      “That’s because you’re too weak!” Rosa replied.  “They don’t respect you.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Brian, you’re a wimp!  And the kids know it!”

      “I am not!”

      “Yes you are!”

      “I am not!”

     She laughed a bit.  “One of these days, I’m going to prove it to you, and you’ll never doubt my word again.”  His only reaction was to laugh a bit, but only for a moment as Wolf tried to get him to play again.  “Have a seat and rest for a few minutes,” she said.  “Would you like some iced-tea?”

     He nodded.  “Yeah, I’d like that,” he replied.  He sat down on the chair in the corner of the porch while she got up to get them some drinks.  Wolf immediately went over to him and put his big head in Brian’s lap, wanting more attention.

     In her kitchen, Rosa poured them each tall drinks of tea over lots of ice.  Despite the fact that it was only mid-April, the weather was sunny and warm.  A really cold drink would be perfect.  As she carried the drinks back outside, she heard Wolf barking, then she heard Brian’s voice.

      “Woof!” Brian said mockingly at the dog as he stared straight into Wolf’s eyes.  Wolf hesitated, then barked back at him.  “Woof!” Brain said again, louder than before.

      “You even bark like a wimp,” Rosa noted as she handed him his drink.

      “I wasn’t barking,” he replied.

      “I know.  Just saying ‘woof’ certainly doesn’t sound anything at all like a dog barking.”

      “I was just playing with him,” Brian replied, before taking a quick sip from his drink.

      “I know,” Rosa admitted.  “I was just pointing out that you’re too much of a wimp to even bark at him for real.”

      “I am not!”

     Rosa shook her head.  “Brian, you’re a wimp in everything you do.  Tell me, did you ever get that problem straightened out with your car?”

      “You mean with the mechanic?”

      “Yes, when you had to have it fixed.”

     He looked down sheepishly.  “No.”

      “See!  That’s what I’m talking about!  The man ripped you off and you just let him do it.”

      “Well, what am I supposed to do?”

      “You could at least argue with him about it.  Ask him to make good on it.  Fix it right!”

     Brian looked back down at the floor.  “Well…it’s not that easy.”

      “Because you’re a wimp!” she laughed.

      “No I’m not.”  But the conviction wasn’t as much as his earlier statements.

      “Did you ask your mother or father for help with it?” she asked.

      “No.  I don’t have a mother or father.  I grew up in a series of foster homes.”

     Rosa immediately was sorry she asked.  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

     He shrugged.  “It’s okay.  I’m used to it.”

     Rosa took another long sip from her drink while she watched him petting Wolf with one hand and drinking his tea with the other. 

      “How about with the schools?” she asked.  “Any luck finding a permanent job yet?”

     He shook his head.  “Not yet.”

      “What are you going to do for the summer?  Do they have substitute teachers for summer school?”

     He shrugged, “Not many.  Not enough to earn much of a living.”

      “So what are you going to do?  You’ve still got rent to pay me, don’t you dare forget that!  As it is, you’re late way too often!”

      “I know.  I just don’t know what I’m going to do yet.”

     Rosa just nodded and watched him petting her dog.  When his drink was finished, he thanked her and got up and went back home.  Rosa had no doubt that his main problem with finding a decent job was his sheepish personality.  Like it or not, Brian was a wimp!

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     The next afternoon, Rosa went out to check her mailbox.  As she pulled everything out of the box, she saw Brian’s car pull into his driveway.  As she often did, she stood where she was and looked through the mail to see what was there – a magazine, several bills, and an assortment of junk mail.  By the time she finished, she saw Brian walking back up his own driveway toward his mailbox.  He opened it, looked inside, then closed it again.  No mail.  He waved slightly to her, and she waved back.  Then he trudged back toward his house again.  Something in his manner told her that he wasn’t really happy just then.  To her, he seemed to be a bit…depressed.

     A while later, she was again seated in the swing on her back porch while she watched Wolfie running around the backyard.  She saw Brian come out of his house again into his backyard.  Wolf saw him too and again ran to the fence to bark at him playfully. 

     Brain walked over to the big dog and rubbed the fur on his neck.  He looked up at Rosa and waved.  “Can I play with him again?”

      “Please do!” Rosa called.  She noticed that he still seemed a bit down.  She watched as he came into the backyard and Wolf jumped playfully all over him.  With Wolf at his heels, he ran to the middle of the yard to play like they had yesterday.  And like yesterday, eventually Brian tired before Wolf did.  He started for the gate with another wave toward Rosa, but she called out to him.  “Would you like another drink?”  He stopped, then headed toward her back porch.  Rosa got up to get them both an iced-tea to drink. 

     When she came back from the kitchen, she found him in the same corner chair, again rubbing Wolf’s furry neck.  She handed him his glass.  “How are you today?” she asked.

      “Okay,” he replied, but she didn’t really get that impression.

      “Really?  Because it looks like something’s got you down.”

     He sighed.  “Maybe.  It’s just the kids!” he suddenly blurted.  “I don’t know what to do with them!  And then there’s the job problem.  I don’t know what to do about that either.  It’s all so frustrating.”

      “I’m sure it is,” she replied.  “Pardon me for saying, but I don’t think you’re going to get anywhere until you grow some balls!”

     He looked at her, totally shocked by her words. 

      “You’re too much of a pushover!” she continued.  “Look at the way even the youngest of the kids treat you.  You yourself keep telling me that they walk all over you.  They’ve got no respect for you and they’re not going to show any until you stop acting like such a wimp!”

      “I’m not a wimp!” he protested.

      “Yes you are!”

      “No I’m not.” he replied, but again, there was very little conviction in his voice.

      “I’ll bet that you’d do absolutely anything that anyone tells you to – no matter what.  I doubt you’ve got the balls to stand up for yourself in any way at all!”

      “That’s not true.” he replied softly, but his head was hung as if he didn’t really believe it himself.

      “Yes it is, and you know it!  You’ve got no backbone at all.  From everything I’ve ever seen, you never stand up for yourself, ever!”

      “Sure I do,” he replied, but again, there was no conviction at all behind his words.

      “When?”

     But he couldn’t answer.

      “Like I said, you’re too much of a wimp.”

      “No I’m not,” he repeated again, but now his voice held a lot of hurt.

     She shook her head.  “One of these days I’m going to have to prove it to you.”

      “I’m not a wimp,” he repeated again, but quieter.

     She backed off, noticing how hurt he appeared to be over it.  The boy just didn’t get it.  He was too stupid to see that he just wasn’t cut out for that line of work.  Maybe most lines of work.  He had no backbone at all, and somehow, she’d have to get that point across to him.

     Wolfie saw his sadness and put his big head back in Brian’s lap.  The dog let out a bit of a whine.  Brian reached out and pet the dog’s head again, playfully whining back the same way Wolf had.  “You’re just a big ol’ baby,” he said to the dog.  “I’ll bet you would behave better than those kids.”

      “I doubt it,” Rosa said.  “Given the chance, he’d probably boss you all over the place too.”

     Brian let out a tiny chuckle.  “Would you do that?” he asked the big dog.  “No.  No way.”

     Rosa chuckled.  “Oh yes he would.  Given the chance, I have no doubt that he’d show you real fast just who’s the boss.”

     Still petting and talking to the dog, Brian said, “No way.  No you wouldn’t.  You’re nothing but a big ol’ baby who just wants someone to play with him.”

     Wolf, hearing Brian talking to him and seeing that all of his attention was on him again, suddenly barked, trying to get Brian to go play with him again. 

      “Woof!” Brian said back at the dog, staring him straight in the eyes.  The dog backed off excitedly and pounced one way, then back the other, trying to get Brian to get up and play.  He barked again, trying to urge Brian on.  “Woof,” Brian repeated back at the dog.

      “Oh, how pathetic!” Rosa commented.  “Woof?  Is that the best you can do?”

     He shrugged.  “What else is there?”

     She rolled her eyes.  “Bark!  Bark like a real dog!  Put some effort into it!”

      “Why?”

      “Because he’s barking at you…and because I said so!  Just do it!”

      “But…”

      “Do it!  Bark like a dog!”

      “But…”

      “Bark!”

     Brian wasn’t sure if it was from fear or just not knowing what was going on, but feeling pressured, he let out a tiny little attempt at a bark. 

      “That stunk!” Rosa criticized.  “I wouldn’t even call that an effort.  Now do it again.  Bark!”

      “But…” 

      “Bark!  Now!”

     Confused, Brian tried barking again and managed a slightly better bark, but not by much. 

      “Not much better.  You can do much better than that!  Now sit up straight and put some effort into it. Make it loud, like Wolfie.”

     Still confused, Brian sat up a little straighter and tried to bark again, this time louder.

      “You’re starting to get there,” Rosa said.  She suddenly got to her feet.  “Keep practicing.  I’ll be right back.”  She headed for the door, but turned around again before she got there.  “I don’t hear you barking.”

      “But why should I?”

      “Because I said so!” she ordered sternly.  “Bark at Wolfie!  And keep barking.”  She stood there until Brian again turned his attention toward Wolf and barked at him.  The big dog playfully barked back – twice.  Brian barked twice at the dog.  Rosa went into the kitchen. 

     When she returned, she had a box of dog treats in her hand.  She sat back on her swing with the box.  Wolf noticed the treats and quickly began nuzzling her hand, trying to get her to give him one, but she held them out of the way.  Unfortunately, Wolf wasn’t where she wanted him to be so she had to get up again and walk over to stand next to Brian, Wolf followed.  She grabbed Wolf’s collar and led him around to the position she wanted him, right next to Brian’s chair.  She pointed her finger at the dog.  “Sit!” she commanded.  But Wolf wasn’t interested in sitting.  He was more interested in the treats she was holding.  “Sit!” Rosa ordered again as she pointed at the floor.  This time, the semi-trained dog did as told, never taking his eyes off the box of treats in her hand.  On a whim, she pointed the same way at Brian.  “Sit!” 

     Brian giggled.  “I am sitting,” he replied.

     Rosa reached into her box of treats.  She looked at Wolf.  “Speak!”  The dog barked loudly, twice because he really wanted the treats.  She held her hand containing two small liver treats up to the dog’s mouth and he quickly gobbled them up.  Rosa looked directly at Brian.  “Speak!” she commanded as she reached back into the box.  Brian, playing along with the game now, barked.  Rosa held two liver treats up to his mouth.  But Brian turned his head away.

      “No thank you,” he said.

      “Eat them!  They won’t kill you!” she said as she continued to press the treats toward his mouth.  Brian reached up with his hand toward the treats but she knocked his hand away.  “Just eat them!” she said as she pressed the treats up against his closed lips. 

     Almost fearfully, Brian opened his mouth enough to let her push the small bits of liver inside.  Yuck!  Dog treats!  And he was eating them!  They tasted very strong, but then he had never liked liver at all.  They were hard and difficult to chew, but he forced himself to chew them up and swallow them – all under Rosa’s all too stern gaze.

     Rosa finally nodded her satisfaction as she saw him swallow the treats.  “Good,” was all she said about it.  Then she turned back to Wolf.  “Speak!” she commanded again.  And again the big dog barked loudly.  She fed him another treat.  She turned back to Brian.  “Speak!” she commanded.  Brian didn’t really want another liver treat, not at all, but somehow under her authoritative voice, the bark still came out of him.  And once again, she held the liver treats up to his mouth for him to eat.  And once again, he ate them.

     She put the box of treats down on the chair next to her.  “Now you two go back out into the yard and play again.”  She looked at Brian, “And this time, I want to hear you barking properly.  Try putting some effort into it.  Make it more forceful.  Make it sound like Wolf’s!”

      “But I don’t…”

      “Go play!” Rosa ordered as she pointed out into the backyard.

     Not knowing exactly why, Brian got up and went down the steps toward the yard.  Wolf bounded down right beside him.  Again Brian played with the big dog.

      “I don’t hear you barking!” Rosa called from the porch swing.

     Brian barked at Wolf as they played and Wolf barked back.

      “I can’t hear you!” Rosa yelled.  “I can hear Wolf real well, but I still can’t hear you!”

     Brian barked again, louder, which sent Wolf into a playful fit of barking which went on for a few moments.  When it ended, Brian kept playing with the dog, but he didn’t bark back.

      “I don’t hear you barking!” Rosa called again.

     Brian couldn’t for the life of him figure out why she wanted to hear him barking.  Besides the barking was annoying.  But he barked anyway, several times. 

     A loud piercing whistle from the porch sent Wolf racing toward Rosa.  Brian slowly followed behind. 

      “When I whistle, you’d better come running!” Rosa yelled. 

      “Why?” Brian asked.  “I’m tired!”

      “Run you spineless wimp!”

     Brian rolled his eyes and ran the last of the short distance up to the porch. 

     Rosa pointed at Wolf.  “Sit!”  The dog sat right where he was, right at the top of the steps.  She pointed at Brian.  “Sit!”  Brian sat back in his chair again.  She looked at Wolf.  “Speak!”  Wolf barked.  She reached into her box and pulled out two more dog treats which she gave to him.  She looked at Brian.  “Speak!”  But Brian just shook his head tiredly.  “I said Speak!” she yelled forcefully.  “Now!  Speak!”  Her yelling scared him and he immediately barked.  She reached back into her box and pulled out two more dog treats which she held up to his mouth. 

     He didn’t want them, not at all, but she continued to press them against his mouth until he opened it and accepted them.  Dog treats!  Yuck!  He saw that she was continuing to watch him closely until he finally swallowed them.  “Can I go now?” he asked.  He had had enough of her dog games.

      “Of course.  We’ll see you tomorrow Brian.  I think Wolf is enjoying the exercise you’re giving him.”

     Brian shuddered involuntarily.  He usually liked playing with Wolf.  He wasn’t so certain anymore.