I went all wiggly. Wiggly neck. Wiggly butt. Wiggly walk. I took two quick sniffs of Portia’s hands but I already knew she was good.
“See Penny’s body language?” Miguel asked. Penny nodded. “That’s how you know a dog is happy to see you. She’s wiggly and loose. Now, let’s review the rules. Do you remember?”
Portia nodded and began to recite: “Relax and walk up to the dog carefully. Not too fast. Not too slow. Don’t stare. Don’t bend down. Don’t hug. Don’t wave your arms or jump around. Be polite.”
Miguel laughed. “Great memory!” he said. “Go for it. And after she sniffs your hand, tell her to sit.”
Miguel handed Portia a treat. Portia took a deep breath and looked at me. Then she looked away quickly. Her eyes raced across the backyard—looking at everything BUT me.
“Great job, Portia,” Miguel said. “You can look at her. Just don’t stare at her face.”
“Okay,” Portia said. She breathed in and out, in and out, peanut butter and jelly on her breath. Yum! Then she took one big breath and said, “Sit!”
I sat.
“Hand her the treat,” Miguel said.
Portia reached forward—slowly, slowly—with the bit of liver snack. I leaned forward and started to open my mouth when—zap! Portia whipped her hand back.
Somewhere in my brain, the deep-down wolf in me wanted to snap at the treat and see if I could snatch it out of her hand. I didn’t. But not all dogs have my self-control!
“You did great,” Miguel said. “But let’s try that again. And let’s add ‘Don’t yank your hand away’ to the list, okay? Penny knows how to take a treat nicely. You don’t have to be scared of her mouth.”
Portia reached her hand forward again and opened her palm. The bit of liver sat right in the middle. I leaned forward and reached out my lips forward. Voila! Liver in my mouth!
I sat up and wiggled some more. Portia laughed.
“Good girl,” Nance said from the chair. “Tell her she’s a good girl too, Portia.”
“Good girl,” Portia said. Almost like she meant it. “I want to try it again.”
Miguel handed Portia more treats. Before she knew it, Portia was taking me through all my tricks. I went down. I stayed. I sat pretty and rolled over. This time, Portia met me on the lawn to give me my treat—and a belly rub.
“You are a good girl!” Portia said. “She’s not wild like the sisters.”
“The sisters?” Miguel asked.
“The dogs that live downstairs,” Nance said. “They get jumpy. That’s what Portia’s really afraid of.”
“Ah,” Miguel said. “Well, Penny’s not much of a jumper, but I can give you some tips. But you have to stand up.”
Portia gave my belly one last scratch. I flipped over to watch.
“If a dog jumps,” Miguel said, “you go stiff and tall like a tree again. But this time, you bring your hands up and together. Like you’re praying, but close to the chest.”
Portia mimicked Miguel. Portia’s mom stood up to try it too.
“Then,” Miguel said, “you turn away. A jumping dog just wants your attention. But jumping on people is rude. And even little dogs can knock people over! So we don’t want to reward jumping with attention.”
Portia and Miguel ran through the motions together. They looked like dancers. I strolled over for a closer look. Portia had it down pat. Like she’d been working with dogs her whole life. I poked my snout into her knee to let her know she was great.
Portia bent down to pet me. I licked her hand and she didn’t yank it back. Then I sat down. She followed and asked Miguel if she could give me a hug.
Miguel said yes. “But not too hard, not too tight, and not too long,” he said. “Penny doesn’t mind being snuggled but most dogs are not fans of tight hugs.”
Portia hugged me just the right amount and then told me I was a good girl. I barked to let her know she was good too.
“I don’t feel afraid anymore!” Portia said. Her mom and Miguel applauded. Portia stood up and laughed.
“Time to try your new skills out on some other dogs?” Miguel asked.
Portia nodded.
“I’ll go get the sisters,” Nance said.
“Great,” said Miguel. “We’ll just play some fetch while we wait for the girls.”
My third time bringing the stick back to Portia, I paused to sniff that bacon-y smell again. It was so familiar. I sniffed again. My memory was becoming clearer…I could almost place it…And then, the “girls” arrived on the back porch.
I stood stock still. The hair along my spine spiked. I began to shake.
The Grey Sisters stared down at me from the back deck.