Who could have known?
The ride was NOT what I expected. Instead of a smooth, relaxing ride, it was horrendously bumpy, the cart threatening to break any moment. Absolutely terrible! I must issue a complaint to the academy.
We went past several training rooms and the kennels. It wasn't all that bad with food and toys, but I didn't fancy being trapped in a glass cage all night.
As soon as Jake stopped, I immediately jumped out of the dangerous cart and prepared to run away. But Jake had come prepared.
"Hazel, fetch!" He threw a juicy, delicious bone into a room. I tried to resist, but soon my dog sense took over. Licking my lips, I ran towards the bone. Before I could get to it, I heard the door slam. NO! I was tricked!
A sign on the door read: Training Area for Particularly Fussy Dogs.
Fussy? I am not fussy. I'm just a queen, that's it. A proper queen. I tried to make a break for it, but the door was tight shut.
I sighed. This was going to be a long day.
I was in a well-lit room, consisting of some scattered toys, dog treats and a chart of commands on the wall. They did their best to make the room look hospitable, but the harsh light, concrete walls and hard floor were a bit intimidating.
The first person I saw was a young woman, her brown hair tied in a loose ponytail. I read her name tag. A Kate, huh? Hmm... suspicious.
I knew 3 Kates already, all of them evil. The first Kate was Mandy's sister, who tried to make me wear a terrible blingy dress for humans. The second Kate was Kai's drama teacher, who suggested I be part of the play. Plain evil. And the third Kate was a dog who liked to bully everyone. Luckily, she moved away to a different town. Now this Kate was trying to make me OBEDIENT! As if I wasn't already.
Kate introduced herself as Kate Winders, then said something about nice doggies who got treats. I wasn't that compelled to obey, since the 'treats' were dry, tasteless dog biscuits.
After putting me on a leash, she tried teaching me simpIe commands like 'sit', 'stay' and 'down'. I would not budge a whisker. No way, not for that pile of dung! She sighed in frustration. All of a sudden, her face brightened up with an idea.
Almost the moment she left, I heard a familiar bark. A small, spotted shape came into the room. Rose! Finally! I had waited hours for this moment!
I circled her joyfully, nudging and sniffing her. She had absolutely no reaction. What had these cruel people done to my friend? I whimpered, worried she was injected with something that made her act like this.
Suddenly, Rose gave a loud bark. I jumped. She doubled over, giggling uncontrollably. Then, she tackled me playfully, making me yelp in surprise. My friend was fine! It was all a prank.
With a cunning smile, Kate said 'sit' again. I obeyed; I couldn't be disobedient in front of my friend! She'd laugh at me and start teasing me, but not this time!
I was an angel, working through the commands and jumping through hoops with ease. Kate looked satisfied, and opened the door. Rose immediately took a run for it. She ran out the door, and I was about to too, when BAM! The door slammed right in front of my face. What a way to treat a queen!
I started growling at Kate, ears laid back and eyes narrow with fury as I prepared to lunge. Kate acted first, but not in the way I expected.
With a snap of her fingers, a curtain behind her opened, revealing an amazing sight: a chair with purple cushions, all the food I could eat, and a mound of toys! I bounced over delightfully.
After rejoicing in my new luxuries, Kate opened the door. Finally! Gripping my leash tightly, she led me past many other rooms. We kept on walking until I could see a speck of sunlight at the end of a corridor. Even Kate couldn't stop me from going out into the open! I sprinted like a cheetah, Kate yelling for me to stop. At last, I emerged in an open field, lush grass all around. The feeling of the grass beneath your paws! The feeling of the evening sun grazing your back! The feeling of... a huge Great Dane looming over you?