[Guild] Fearful Pup

Rob had some homework to do. He had set a goal for himself to spend some time with some of the newer hounds in their kennel, trying to bond with them a bit before evaluating them for their preferred jobs. Somehow, he and Ollie had ended up with a veritable stable of hounds, and he still wasn't quite sure how. And while it was easy to just keep training his favorites, that was hardly beneficial for all of them in the long run, so he was determined to spend some time each week with the new arrivals.

 

Today, he had chosen to take Gilt, Crumb and Sphinx to the weekly Trainer's Guild meetup. 

 

Gilt was almost brand new to them, a hound that Ollie had purchased from a merchant not long ago, and was turning out to be quite a perfect addition - exceptionally smart, sweet, and eager to please. He had taken to following Rob closely and seemed incapable of taking his eyes off his handler for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

 

Sphinx was a lovely hound they had bred out of one of Rob's favorites, and she was beautifully put together, with a level head and a wonderful disposition. Little seemed to faze her, and she seemed to love nothing more than to join Gilt in his clever games.

 

And then there was Crumb. No obvious flaws in her conformation, lovely drive, blue and fluffy. But when it came to courage, she didn't have it in spades. She was a little flighty, particularly with strangers, and Rob hoped that by bringing her out with two of her bolder kennel mates, she might gain a little bit more confidence.

 

They arrived at the meeting, which today was held in a corner of one of Azzaru's parks, and Rob began by bringing Gilt, Sphinx, and Crumb to heel.

 

Gilt immediately fell in line, eyes fixed upon Rob. Sphinx seemed happy to comply, but seemed a bit distracted. Crumb obeyed, but Rob could see in her eyes and the way her head swiveled that she was a bit concerned about the other humans and hounds in the vicinity. Whenever she perceived that someone had come too close, she would shrink down and crowd herself up against Rob's leg, trying to look small.

 

"Eyes," he said. The sound of his voice was enough to temporarily distract Crumb, who glanced up at him. "Good!" he immediately praised her and popped a treat into her mouth. 

 

While Crumb munched on her treat, Rob distributed some to Gilt and Sphinx.

 

That seemed to be enough of a signal to Gilt, who from then on kept his eyes glued to Rob as if his life depended on it. Sphinx quickly seemed to figured out that looking would earn her a treat, and she began to check in periodically with her wide, expectant gaze.

 

Crumb didn't catch on quite as fast. As they walked the perimeter of the meeting area, Rob kept an eye on her tail and ears. Every time they seemed to droop or she looked like she was about to drop into a crouch, he'd asked for eyes. Crumb would respond, because she was still a good girl, and he would praise her and ply her with treats.

 

After a couple of rounds, he thought Crumb looked more relaxed and happy. Gilt and Sphinx were having a visibly great time as they chowed down on treats, so Rob decided it was a good time to bring the pack a touch nearer to the other handlers. He shrank their perimeter by about a foot, walking in closer proximity to the other trainers. Crumb's guard started to come back up as she watched a strange handler go by with his hound, and she started to wither.

 

"Eyes!" Rob said brightly, attempting to distract her. The blue hound seemed to think for a second, and then she shifted her gaze away from the stranger and over to Rob. "Good girl!" he shoved a bunch of treats into her mouth and gave her a pat.

 

Gilt and Sphinx wagged their tails, happy to be told that they were all good girls.

 

Rob moved them forward again, and together they repeated the process a few times, until Crumb was able to pass the other handlers at this distance without startling. It was a happy time, and Rob was pleased to see her beginning to feel more at ease around the other handlers. By the time he called it a night, he was very proud of how far she had come.