1
‘Sit!’ said the woman, so forcefully that Cookie almost dropped his own arse to the ground. Nigel, on the other hand, was totally unmoved. He went right on gnawing the fur from where his tail met his bum. It was obvious the dog trainer lady was losing faith in him and even more so in Cookie’s ability
to get things back on track. And to be honest, Cookie shared her assessment of the situation. If he could make it to the end of the session, he’d put Nigel in his crate and scrounge a beef bone from the kitchen. It was the only thing that might prevent the crazy mutt from attempting to devour his own body. He just needed to get through the next hour and a half.
‘You must stop him doing that,’ said the woman. Her voice was stern, but her face was calm.
Cookie looked down. ‘Stop chewing, Nigel,’ he said.
The dog ignored him.
Cookie tried again. ‘Come on, Nige, be a good boy and stop—’
‘Do not use the words “good boy” when he is self-mutilating,’ the instructor interrupted. ‘They are a reward. You must not praise him for his bad behaviour.’
Cookie had noticed that this woman always used complete words. Never ‘don’t.’ Always ‘do not.’ Like she was…
Your article was a pleasure to read, thank you for sharing it with us. That’s a nice little win to keep things interesting! It might not be a life-changer, but it’s a satisfying hit. Sometimes it’s those moderate wins that make the whole session enjoyable, giving just enough to keep co and having fun. A solid reminder that persistence pays off—even if it’s not a jackpot, it’s still progress. Well done on landing this! Keep those reels spinning—you never know when the next big one will come. For now, enjoy this moment and ride that winning wave a bit longer!