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File: dogpark.html
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1 plus MathML 2.0//EN" "http://www.w3.org/Math/DTD/mathml2/xhtml-math11-f.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><!--This file was converted to xhtml by LibreOffice - see https://cgit.freedesktop.org/libreoffice/core/tree/filter/source/xslt for the code.--><head profile="http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8"/><title xml:lang="en-US">Dog Park</title><meta name="DCTERMS.title" content="" xml:lang="en-US"/><meta name="DCTERMS.language" content="en-US" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC4646"/><meta name="DCTERMS.source" content="http://xml.openoffice.org/odf2xhtml"/><meta name="DCTERMS.modified" content="2021-03-30T11:13:53.699754717" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF"/><meta name="DCTERMS.provenance" content="" xml:lang="en-US"/><meta name="DCTERMS.subject" content="," xml:lang="en-US"/><link rel="schema.DC" href="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" hreflang="en"/><link rel="schema.DCTERMS" href="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" hreflang="en"/><link rel="schema.DCTYPE" href="http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/" hreflang="en"/><link rel="schema.DCAM" href="http://purl.org/dc/dcam/" hreflang="en"/><style type="text/css"> @page { } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; empty-cells:show } td, th { vertical-align:top; font-size:12pt;} h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 { clear:both;} ol, ul { margin:0; padding:0;} li { list-style: none; margin:0; padding:0;} /* "li span.odfLiEnd" - IE 7 issue*/ li span. { clear: both; line-height:0; width:0; height:0; margin:0; padding:0; } span.footnodeNumber { padding-right:1em; } span.annotation_style_by_filter { font-size:95%; font-family:Arial; background-color:#fff000; margin:0; border:0; padding:0; } span.heading_numbering { margin-right: 0.8rem; }* { margin:0;} .Heading_20_1 { font-size:130%; margin-bottom:0.0835in; margin-top:0.1665in; font-family:Liberation Sans; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;font-weight:bold; } .P1 { font-size:12pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;text-align:center ! important; } .P10 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P11 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P12 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P13 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P14 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P15 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P16 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P17 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P3 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P4 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P5 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P6 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P7 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P8 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .P9 { font-size:11pt; font-family:Liberation Serif; writing-mode:horizontal-tb; direction:ltr;line-height:115%; } .Internet_20_link { color:#000080; text-decoration:underline; } .T1 { font-family:Liberation Serif; } .T2 { font-family:Liberation Serif; } /* ODF styles with no properties representable as CSS */ .T3 .T4 { } </style></head><body dir="ltr" style="max-width:8.5in;margin-top:0.7874in; margin-bottom:0.7874in; margin-left:0.7874in; margin-right:0.7874in; "><h1 class="Heading_20_1"><a id="a__Dog_Park"><span/></a>Dog Park</h1><p class="P10">By David K Shute</p><p class="P10"> </p><p class="P10"> </p><p class="P10"> </p><p class="P10"> </p><p class="P10"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy could see Rufus, a black and white Australian shepherd, had his hackles up as they got in the line at the food truck parked in the lot outside the park. Rufus was pulling at the leash, straining toward a pair of large dogs sitting off to one side with their minder. Such behavior was not at all like Rufus, who was usually friendly towards everybody and everything. Tommy was even having a little bit of trouble keeping Rufus in place. This got the attention of his Dad, Walter.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">When his son Tommy had to take two hard steps to pull back on the leash, Walter dropped his gaze from the menu boards of the food truck and looked at his boy and the dog. Something over to the side of the truck was bothering Rufus and he was straining at the leash. Walter glanced over and saw two larger Irish terriers-German shepherd mix dogs sitting and fidgeting, held at leash by a young man in a T-shirt and baggy jeans. The dogs were definitely not calm. They seemed to react and signal challenge to every dog in sight.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Make sure you hold him close," Walter said to his son, "everything will be fine. Do you want ice cream or candy this time?"</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy had been to this food truck a few times. It sat in the lot at Perkins Park, which had not only a baseball diamond, a soccer field, some tennis courts but also a skateboard park and a dog park. You could do pretty much everything at Perkins, and the food truck was the best. It wasn't a particularly hot day so Tommy didn't like the idea of ice cream. He wanted a hot pretzel and some sour twists and that's what he got. Rufus got a stick of beef jerky.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Walter handed Tommy the package of twists, which Tommy stuffed into a back pocket, and then the pretzel. They turned away from the truck and headed toward the benches nearby. Rufus danced around a bit in anticipation and finally got his treat, which he immediately tried to take away toward the benches. Tommy had to take three large steps to keep up, causing the candy to drop out of his pocket.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">As he was turning around to pick up the candy, he saw one of the terrier-shepherds come running fast toward him. It snapped toward his hand as he was reaching for the candy, causing him to pull back quickly. The dog got the candy and ran off away from everything. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Instantly Rufus yanked himself free and took off after this dog. "Rufus!" shouted Walter, who could only watch as Rufus chased down the dog, herded it around toward a fence and engaged in a battle for the candy.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Rufus won the battle within a few seconds. The defeated dog kept running away, despite its minder's loud shouting. Rufus brought the tattered package of candy back and laid it in front of Tommy, who was still too shocked to do anything. Walter squatted down and petted Rufus and told Tommy not to touch the candy. Walter scanned for the rogue dog and saw it moving away.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Rufus laid down, his body convulsing a bit then going entirely slack underneath Walter's hand. Walter could feel immediately that Rufus was in deep trouble. He put his hands under Rufus and picked him up.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Come on, we've got to go now fast!" Walter said to Tommy, who was now holding back tears. They ran for the car. Tommy got in back and Walter handed him Rufus' slack body.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Dad, is he dead!" cried Tommy. "He can't die! Go fast!"</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Walter drove as fast as he dared to the animal hospital. As he drove, he handed Tommy his cell phone. "See if you can find and call the number for Buddy Dog," said Walter as calmly as he could.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Like all 10 year old boys, Tommy knew his way around a smartphone. He called the hospital within 30 seconds. "Hello, hello, yes, we're coming with Rufus I think he's dying, you've gotta help him!"</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">A woman in a lab coat was waiting in the parking lot with a cart when Walter got there. She carefully took Rufus from Tommy and laid him in the cart. She put a stethoscope to his body and listened. She looked over at Walter and shook her head. Tommy saw this and started crying. Nonetheless, she rushed Rufus into the hospital, followed closely by Walter and Tommy. The receptionist held open a door for the doctor but stopped Walter and Tommy. "You have to wait here so the doctor can focus," she explained.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">This was by far the hardest waiting Tommy had ever done in his life. "Dad, is he dead?" he kept asking. "Whatever happens, we will remember Rufus" assured his Dad. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The vet came out and brought them into an exam room where Rufus lay on a table. With great effort, Rufus raised his head and barely wagged his tail when he saw Tommy and Walter. "Rufus!" shouted Tommy, who rushed over to hug the dog. Rufus barely moved. Tommy didn't want to let go but the doctor asked him to step back, pointing to an IV line going into Rufus.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"This is one tough dog. He is just not giving up," said the vet. "His heart gave out but we managed to get him back. We need to keep him here overnight but I think he'll make it."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy started dancing around and chanting "Rufus rules! Rufus rules!" and high-fived his Dad. Rufus tried to get up to join but slumped back down.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Whoa," said the vet, "you've got to keep him very quiet for at least a week."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"So, doc," said Walter, "why did this happen? Rufus has been really strong all his life."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"A lot of purebred dogs have heart problems. People just don't know about that. Rufus here is otherwise in really good shape," said the vet. "You can probably take him home tomorrow."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I'm staying here with Rufus," stated Tommy. "I'm not leaving." This was final.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I'm not sure you can do that," said Walter.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"He can stay until we put Rufus in the kennel, maybe another hour," said the vet. "Rufus really needs to sleep <span class="T3">for </span>a <span class="T3">few days, maybe more</span>."</p><p class="P8"> </p><p class="P8"> </p><p class="P15"><span class="T1">§</span><span class="T2"> ------------------------ </span><span class="T1">§</span></p><p class="P8"> </p><p class="P8"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy knew Rufus was tired, but he was begging to chase the disc. "Ok, one more for you, boy!" shouted Tommy, who then skimmed the frisbee away as far and fast as he could. Rufus took off, tracking the disc perfectly as it moved in an arc through the air for twenty yards. As it came down to within six feet of the ground, Rufus leapt gracefully in the air, clamped his teeth on the disc and dropped to all four feet, skidding slightly. Disc secured, he whirled around and headed back at full speed to Tommy. He got to Tommy, dropped the disc on the ground and promptly collapsed, tongue out.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Good boy Rufus," said Tommy, as he bent down to pick up the disc. That's when he noticed Rufus had his eyes closed, and although his tongue was out, as it always was after shagging the disc, he wasn't panting. He wasn't moving at all. Tommy immediately grabbed Rufus by the legs but his entire body was limp. "NO! NO!" cried Tommy. He felt a slight, almost crackle in the air when Rufus spasmed for the last time. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy's anguished cry caught the ears of his parents, who were over on the tennis courts playing with his younger brother Chris. Mom and Dad stopped, looked, saw Tommy waving his arms at them and rocking back and forth with Rufus in his lap. They dashed the distance to Tommy, Mom bringing along Chris.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Walter took one look at Rufus and knew what happened. Unlike the last time, Rufus showed absolutely no signs of life. His wife Sally began to tear up when she saw Rufus and reached down to hug the young Christopher.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"We have to go, we have to take him now Dad, we have to go!" cried Tommy. He picked up the body of the dog and stood there, just waiting for the nod from his Dad.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Mommy," said five-year-old Chris, pointing at a spot not two feet away from where Tommy stood, "what's that?"</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Sally and Walter both looked and saw nothing. "What is it, dear," asked Sally.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Chris suddenly became very shy. "Oh never mind, it's gone now."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Dad!" cried Tommy. Tommy felt like he had hurt Rufus, because he didn't stop playing before Rufus got sick.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Yes, OK, let's go, but I really think he's passed on this time," said Walter. Tommy didn't really react or protest to this pronouncement. He knew in his heart it was true.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Mommy," said Chris as they hurried to the car, "is that what dead is?"</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Yes," said Sally, wondering now how much explanation would be needed.</p><p class="P7"> </p><p class="P7"> </p><p class="P14"><span class="T1">§</span><span class="T2"> ------------------------ </span><span class="T1">§</span></p><p class="P7"> </p><p class="P7"> </p><p class="P7">Sally had the boys, Tommy and Chris, playing in the back yard, inside the fence, when Walter came home with the new puppy. It was another Aussie shepherd, as close to Rufus as Walter could find. He took the dog out of its cage, and entered the yard through the gate. The two boys looked up and instantly ran to Walter.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Dad! Dad! You got a puppy!" shouted Chris. "Can I hold him!" Walter handed Chris the puppy. Tommy was excited, but both Walter and Sally could see he wasn't really joyous, even when Chris handed him the puppy and it licked his smiling face.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"OK," said Walter, "we need to give him a name."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy put the puppy down on the ground, and both he and Chris squatted down to play with it. They all watched the dog bounce back and forth between the boys.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Bounder," said Sally, knowing full well this would be rejected.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Sidney," suggested Walter, "that's Australian."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"That's a city, Dad," said Tommy, disappointed in such a dumb idea.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"How about Rufus too?" said Chris. "He looks a lot like Rufus. Don't you boy." Chris gave the dog a playful push, causing the dog to come right back for more.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Both Walter and Sally looked at Tommy. "What do you think, Tommy?" asked Sally.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy stood up. "He's not really Rufus. He looks like Rufus but he's not really Rufus." He thought about it a minute. "He can be Two."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Yeah, Rufus Two," said Chris.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"No, just Two," said Tommy.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Two it is," pronounced Walter. "You guys show Two his new home."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Let's go show him the dog hole," said Chris, jumping up.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy looked toward the opening built into the side of the garage and thought he saw Rufus standing there. But it had to be his imagination.</p><p class="P6"> </p><p class="P6"> </p><p class="P13"><span class="T1">§</span><span class="T2"> ------------------------ </span><span class="T1">§</span></p><p class="P6"> </p><p class="P6"> </p><p class="P3">"He's doing it again," Chris said to Tommy, "come and see." Chris pointed to the shed in the back yard. "Come on." He was frustrated by Tommy's seeming indifference.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Yeah yeah," said Tommy, "I know. Two is staring at the old dog hole."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"No, no, this time he runs around like something comes out and then goes back in. Like chase," said Chris.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">This got Tommy's attention. He went over to the side of the shed where he and his Dad built the dog hole. Rufus used to love going in there to rest, especially after a hard play time. There was Two, poised to pounce at the opening. Two could chase and capture a flying disc, but not like Rufus did. Instead, Two was a pretty good center fielder.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Sure enough, the puppy was crouched in position in front of the dog hole, ready to pursue whatever came out. The two boys watched for a minute, then suddenly Two sprang up and ran around in a large circle that ended back at the dog hole. Once again Two crouched, waiting.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Do you see anything?" asked Chris, as if Two was crazy.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Nope," said Tommy, "but that's new. Throw the ball see what he does."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Chris threw the ball across the yard. Two bounded after it but didn't bring it back.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"That's not new," said Tommy. "You have to offer him a reward still to bring it back." Tommy went back to practicing soccer. Chris turned to go after Two but he didn't have to chase him. Two was coming back in a wobbly line with the ball, as if he was getting a push here and there.</p><p class="P5"> </p><p class="P5"> </p><p class="P12"><span class="T1">§</span><span class="T2"> ------------------------ </span><span class="T1">§</span></p><p class="P5"> </p><p class="P5"> </p><p class="P3">"Take Two for a walk," said Sally to her boys. They barely looked up from the video game they were playing. "If he goes pee in the house, you are cleaning it up."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy knew from experience this was not an idle threat. Not only would they have to clean up the pee, they would have to wash or shampoo the floor too. Tommy clicked out of the game and stood up.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Hey," said Chris, "what the heck!" He put down the controller. "You only did that because I was winning." </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"If I take Two now, you take him after dinner," said Tommy, as he went to get the leash. The instant Tommy touched the leash, Two started jumping around him.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">After dinner was the worst because that's when US west coast players started to come online and nobody wanted to be interrupted by dog walking.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"No deal," said Chris. "I go now, you go later." Two, meanwhile, was getting very excited and wiggled around like he really had to go now.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"You both go now," said Sally. "You need to get outside."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">This met with howls from the boys but they could see that Sally meant it.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy clipped the leash to Two and handed it to Chris. "You first," he said, and opened the door for Chris and Two. Then Tommy fan and got his soccer ball and followed them.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Chris was already out on the sidewalk, with Two peeing against the tree. Tommy put the ball down on the ground and dribbled out to the sidewalk. Two finished peeing and jumped at the ball. Tommy dribbled around him and headed up the walk.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Come on, boy, let's get it," said Chris, spurring Two to run long with him after the ball. They got to the ball before Tommy. Two jumped on the ball, sending it flying ahead, right toward the street where a car was coming. For no apparent reason, the ball seemed to bounce once and then curve away from the street. Tommy hurried ahead and got the ball, followed by Chris and Two.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"See if you can do it again," said Chris. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy liked this idea so he put the ball down on the ground. Two didn't seem so much interested in the ball as he was something that was just beside the ball. Finally he jumped on the ball and he ball squirted ahead. Chris let Two run out the retractable leash as he chased the ball. Just as it seemed the ball was going to roll down a driveway into the street, the ball seemed to slow down, letting Two catch up to it and stop it. Once again, it seemed Two was more interested in something beside the ball.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Chris looked at Tommy and Tommy looked at Chris. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Do you see anything there," Tommy asked Chris.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Nope," said Chris. "But Two does."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy figured Chris was too young - after all Chris was only seven while he Tommy was twelve - to know anything about what was and wasn't possible. Tommy looked at all the evidence and concluded that Rufus was somehow there, even if he couldn't see him.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Come on," said Tommy, "let's go home. And don't tell Mom about this. She'll make you go to the doctor." That was a fate worse than death.</p><p class="P4"> </p><p class="P4"> </p><p class="P11"><span class="T1">§</span><span class="T2"> ------------------------ </span><span class="T1">§</span></p><p class="P4"> </p><p class="P4"/><p class="P3">"Tommy, come on, let's go," beckoned Chris as he steered Two toward the gate to the free run dog park. Tommy kind of didn't want to go. Even now that he was big enough to go into the free roam area, Two just wasn't a disc flyer like Rufus had been, so it wasn't as much fun.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Tom," said his Dad, "go in with them, OK."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"You go," said Tommy. "I want to practice soccer."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I am playing tennis with your mother. Go, teach them how to behave." Walter left no wiggle room. He turned and headed to the tennis courts with Sally. Tommy followed Chris and Two into the dog park.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Many of the people and most of the dogs took notice of them as Chris removed the leash from Two. Several of the dogs near the entrance moved toward the youngster Two, who in turn was eager to play and bounded toward the other dogs. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The usual sniffing and circling took place. "Look, he already has friends," said Chris. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Yeah but you gotta watch that. Two is still small," said Tommy, "and dogs like to rule other dogs."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">A poodle in the bunch took off at a run, causing three others and Two to chase. As this little pack got deeper into the park, they attracted the attention of a larger short-haired hound, who joined the chase. It quickly overtook the slower dogs, including Two, and headed for the poodle.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The hound reached the poodle. The hound seemed to bump the poodle, causing it to stumble and nearly stop, which gave the pack, including Two, the chance to catch up. The hound kept going, assuming the position of leader, but the poodle did not follow, nor did any of the other dogs, including Two. The hound suddenly stopped and started barking at something further in front of it; then it raised its hackles and stiffened its tail and after a few seconds, took off in the direction of its owner.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">All the other dogs also dispersed, except Two, who ran right up to where the hound had been and stopped, then circled around. As if being led, he came back to the family. All the dogs in his path gave him a wide berth.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The boys and Two all moved to an area that was not populated with other dogs and people. Chris took out the tennis ball and threw it in the air for Two to catch. He did, and now brought it back, having learned over the last six months. Chris threw the ball in ever higher and longer arcs, playing what he called Center Fielder. All this throwing and catching started to attract the attention of other dogs. At one point Tommy cautioned Chris to wait a minute, to let those other dogs look away.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy had to admit Two was a great center fielder. He could even run down and catch balls thrown over his head. Sometimes he jumped just before he caught it, which looked to both Tommy and Chris like a home run robbery. "Throw him a robbery," Tommy urged Chris.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Chris threw the ball. Two raced to catch it, looking over his shoulder a bit to track it. The ball came down but Two missed it and the ball rolled off toward some other dogs. Two tracked it at top speed. Suddenly <span class="T4">the</span> hound broke off from a group of nearby dogs and ran toward the rolling ball. Two got to the ball first, taking it up in his mouth. But the hound charged in, frightening Two, who crouched in submission and dropped the ball. The hound was just about to run in and grab the ball when it veered away and yelped. It turned back toward where it came from, and acted as though something frightening was chasing it. Tommy and Chris ran to Two, who was running toward them.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Tommy and Chris watched as the hound got near another group of dogs. These dogs looked up at the hound and scattered in all directions away from the hound. The hound went back to its owner.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Wow, did you see that," Chris said to Tommy.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Never seen that before," said Tommy. "Maybe we should get out of here." Two was now on his feet and interested in playing with the ball again, but he also kept looking at one particular spot, as if to get permission. This made Tommy think maybe Rufus was here again, but he didn't say anything.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Yeah," said Chris, "let's go. Two looks like he's tired." The boys walked back through the park to the entrance. As they got closer to the entrance, there were more dogs and while Two seemed to be interested in greetings, none of the other dogs would come anywhere near him, going out of their way to give him a wide berth. Tommy could see that even some of the other people noticed.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">As they were closing the gate behind them, a woman came up with her springer spaniel. The spaniel was obedient, staying perfectly at the woman's heel, like a show dog, while also sniffing toward Two, who was less well trained. The spaniel also seemed hesitant, reacting to something behind Two. "Hello," the woman said to Tommy and Chris, "that's a beautiful dog you have there."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Thanks," said Tommy, not really sure what this woman wanted.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"He's the second one we've had," volunteered Chris, giving Two a quick pat. This information seemed to interest the woman.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I was just wondering how long you've had him. I have never seen dogs react the way they just did to him." The woman looked down at her own dog, who was very much behaving as though there was another, a third dog present behind the young one. She didn't see any dog, so she thought maybe one of the boys was doing something unusual. She didn't see that, either. Did they put some kind of scent on the dog?</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"We've had him since April," said Chris, trying to be helpful. It was now October. Tommy was becoming a little suspicious of this woman.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Do you send him to a trainer?" asked the woman.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"My Dad is really good at training dogs," said Tommy. "I think we have to go now. Come on, Chris."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"OK, well thank you," said the woman, now staring at Two and her own dog. It just didn't make sense to her and she had been training dogs all her life. As soon as the boys got far enough away, her own dog relaxed. She watched as the two boys walked over to the tennis courts and started chatting with what she assumed were their parents. The boys were quite animated, and then finally the older one pointed in her direction. She saw the man look at her, so she waved.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Walter waved back. This seems to have been just the signal the woman was wanted. she came toward them.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I wonder what she wants," said Sally to Walter, as they watched the woman come walking toward them, her spaniel trotting perfectly beside her.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I dunno," said Walter. "We're about to find out."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">When the woman and her dog got about 20 feet away, Two just couldn't restrain himself any longer and jumped at the spaniel, spooling out the leash. The woman's spaniel halted in its tracks, stopping the woman, then jumped into a defensive position. Two bounded forward five or six feet then suddenly turned aside and ran back to Walter. Walter picked him up.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The woman didn't move, her spaniel looked up at her for guidance. She bent over a little and assured her dog. Then she turned her attention to Walter and Sally.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Hi, my name is Emma," she said, "I hope you don't mind, but I train dogs for a living. Your dog is behaving in ways I have never seen before and I was just wondering if you trained it that way." She was almost apologetic. "I know this must seem a little forward of me."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Nobody could disagree that Two was acting in unusual ways. Now he was squirming to be put down. Walter was not about to do that.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Its almost as if there was another dog here," said the woman, looking down at her own dog, who now seemed to be focused on something behind Walter, rather than on Two. "That little runaround he just did is just exactly like he'd been reigned in by an older, more dominant dog."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Walter and Sally and the two boys thought about this for a minute, sort of staring at the woman.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Rufus!" cried Tommy. "It's Rufus, I know it, he's here, he's here, he's watching out for us." Tommy started looking all around them. He'd seen all the movies about ghosts and a ghost of Rufus solved all the problems.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Rufus is dead," said Sally, stating the fact as gently as she could.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"No, it all make sense," insisted Tommy, "especially in the park. No way Two could have scared off those dogs."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I have to say," said the woman, "his theory fits with what I saw." She pointed at Two. "It was just not possible for that little dog to warn off four others like that. There had to be an older, bigger dog there." She sort of shrugged. "Even though I saw no such dog. Who's Rufus?"</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Rufus was the Aussie shepherd we had before Two. He was a magnificent protector for the boys, and it took them all day to tire him out," said Walter.</p><p class="P3"/><p class="P3">"And he was the best frisbee dog ever!" added Tommy. "He caught everything."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Two is the best centerfielder," blurted Chris. Everyone laughed.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The woman turned her attention to Chris. "Well, as crazy as it sounds, the ghost of Rufus seems to be schooling your Two."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The word 'ghost' drew silent 'no way' reactions from Walter and Sally, while both Tommy and Chris were happy to hear it.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The woman could see there was nothing more she could say. She bowed slightly, whirled her spaniel around and walked away quickly.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Now the person who owned the hound came walking up, with the hound on a leash. He did not get too close, as the hound was resisting.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"I don't know exactly what happened there," said the man, "but Shane here is afraid of nothing and he's afraid of something around your shepherd. It's almost as if there's another, bigger dog with him, except we can't see it."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"You mean like a ghost," said Tommy. "A ghost dog." Rufus, but Tommy didn't say this out loud.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">The man nodded at Tommy, then looked at Walter. "Yeah, a ghost, as crazy as that sounds," said the man, "and I don't think you should be bringing ghost dogs to the park. Have a nice day."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Same to you," said Walter, as the man left.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"He wasn't very nice," said Chris.</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">"Nope," said Walter, "and if he and his dog want to stay away from ghost dog park, that's just fine and dandy. Come on, everybody, let's go get some ice cream."</p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P11"><span class="T1">§</span><span class="T2"> ------------------------ </span><span class="T1">§</span></p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">Later that evening, Tommy looked up 'ghost dog' on the Internet. Most of the links referred to a movie about a samurai. Rufus was a warrior but he wasn't Japanese. He tried 'ghost of a dog' but that was some kind of music album by a band he never knew. Then he tried 'dog ghost', and there it was. A video from the park that day, showing the hound running away, being chased by the faintest image of what could be Rufus. Tommy smiled, put away the computer and went to bed knowing Rufus would always be around. </p><p class="P3"> </p><p class="P3">If Rufus was still around, maybe there were other ghost dogs in the park too. Tommy couldn't wait to find out.</p><p class="P9"> </p><p class="P9"> </p><p class="P16"><span class="T1">§</span><span class="T2"> ------------------------ </span><span class="T1">§</span></p><p class="P9"> </p><p class="P9"> </p><p class="P9"> </p><p class="P17"> </p></body></html>
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