Canine Training (1/2)

Writers: Ames, Clancey
Date Posted: 10th May 2011

Characters: C'jex, Dysali
Description: C'jex and Dysali get to know each other as they train their dogs
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 3 of Turn 6

"Malty! Where are ya girl?" C'jex called out. Hearing a rather happy
barking sound, he picked up his pace and rounded a corner and almost
ran smack dab into someone else.

"Oh, hello. Sorry about that," He glanced around her and saw his dog
happily barking with a new playmate. "Hi Dysali," C'jex greeted her,
recognizing the greenrider from his wing. They'd flown together but
hadn't really interacted much outside of drills and practice. "That
your dog?" He asked, inclining his head towards the brown dog that
seemed to be wagging its tail with much enthusiasm. "I think my Malty
likes your pup there." He chuckled as he watched his own dog dancing
around trying to play with the other pup.

Dysali was on her way to take Wags out for a game of fetch-the-stick,
intending to have a little fun. She had been so mopey over the last
several months, but no one had really noticed, or she didn't think so.
The friends she and D'ren had had together seemed hard for her to
have alone. Maybe she just needed all new friends..

There. She was able to think of him without a particularly sharp stab
of pain in her heart.

But even with that, she didn't think she was hardly ready for another
lover. But friends... maybe.

So out to the beach she was headed, but her mind was clearly elsewhere
and not on her canine and his behavior. He slipped his collar and
went tearing around the corner and she started after him belatedly
realizing she heard him barking. She wasn't paying attention though
and the 'thud' as she collided with someone else nearly knocked her
off her feet.

It took her a moment to focus on her wingmate, C'jex. She hadn't
known he had a canine, but then she didn't know anyone in her Wing all
that well. She stumbled into a smile and a hello. "Hello, C'jex...
I'm sorry too. I wasn't paying attention." Her gaze slipped over
Malty and Wags to see them "Yes, thats my Wags. He .. ahh.. isn't
very well trained." Her cheeks colored. She had never been able to
quite figure out how to get him to behave. He minded her when Lillyth
was near, but that was because he believed the green dragon might eat
him. And she might. Lillyth did _not_ like her canine. "They do
seem to be getting along well. " By now the two were definitely
romping over each other in the corridor.

"I was just taking him out for a game of fetch-the-stick. Maybe
Malty can join us and they can keep each other distracted so we don't
have to chase them all over the Weyr?"

Now why had she asked him that? Shards!

Oh, right.

New friends.

No time like now, she guessed, to start making some.

He'd quickly tried to steady them both before either of them fell. His
eyes took in the collar and her words. He, of course, had no collar or
leash for Malty, having trained her himself, he could get her to obey
him without a leash. Well, most of the time.

"Malty and I would be happy to join you and Wags. Perhaps I can even
help with that training bit. I've always been good with animals."
Turning he gave a whistle and almost immediately Malty stopped her
antics and stood, panting and watching him. Even Wags had stopped.
Tapping his thigh, he watched Malty contemplate her new friend and his
request. In the end she gave him and bounded over to his side. C'jex
bent down and gave her a good pat on the head. "Come on girl, Dysali
and Wags want to play with us."
Rising he gave her a nod. "Lead the way, we're anxious to join you."

She led him almost happily out to the beach, noting that it was good
to have company. Even better to have attractive, male company! She
rolled her eyes at herself, though, and quickly dismissed thought.
She surely wasn't ready for anything but a friend.
Surely?

They arrived out on the beach then and Dysali let Wags go. The
canine took off like a shot, running happily up and down the beach.
He grabbed a stick, though, and came back to them, tossing it at her
feet. He loved to chase the sticks. She took it up in her hand,
waving it around and turned to smile at C'jex. "Can you really help
me with training? I'lan helped me a little in the beginning, but I'm
afraid I didn't keep up what he taught me and now he's nearly
unmanageable! Lillyth and I would be forever grateful to you, if you
would help us, C'jex. Lillyth keeps threatening to eat him, and I'd
prefer to keep him in one piece."

Malty happily bounded after Wags, chasing the brown canine eagerly.
She didn't bring him a stick, but rather watched as Wags did so, her
own tail wagging eagerly. She would chase the other dog for the stick,
make it a race and a game. Malty loved games.
"Sure," C'jex replied, laughing at the dogs' antics and Dysali's
words. "I'd much rather we don't see dragons eating canines around
here!" He quipped. "So what did I'lan teach you before? Maybe I can
work from what you already know."

She smiled at his words, but then Dysali blushed, shaking her head.
"He helped me teach him to go outside for .. you know, and he helped
me teach him to sit. But thats as far as we got. " To be honest,
she'd been too depressed at the time to worry about training her
canine and now he was wild, though he was friendly at least.

"I ... ahh.... was distracted by some other things at the time, and
there never seemed to be time or ability to train him further. I
took him from a rider that didn't want him, and before that he'd been
abandoned by his people. Poor little guy had a rough first 6 months
until he came to live with Lillyth and I. I hope its not too late,
he's over a turn now." She glanced sideways at C'jex, glad that there
was something for them to talk about, to carry the conversation.

Making new friends was going to be hard, she thought...

C'jex frowned, hearing about the canine's past. "We can train any
canine, regardless of how long he's been off on his own. It just might
take a bit longer. Let me see what I can do." He whistled and patted
at his side for Wags. Malty immediately did what she'd been trained,
but the rather rambunctious brown nearly tried to jump _up_ on C'jex.
While it _was_ rather amusing he knew where to start.
"Good girl, Malty," he said patting her head. Then he looked at
Dysali. "Why don't we work on teaching him _down_. So that if he jumps
up like that again on you or anyone else he will know that it is not
acceptable unless they ask him too." He paused and looked at her.
"It's not going to be easy to train him and at times you may feel like
the bad guy. Are you up for that?"

Last updated on the May 16th 2011

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Canine Training (1/2)