Guide Dog Mystery (2 page)

“Are there some dogs that fail?” asked Violet.

“Yes. Some dogs are too shy or too aggressive, or just don’t follow the commands. They’re given away as pets,” Jason said.

“Is Zach going to be a guide dog one day?” asked Benny.

“I hope so. How would you like to watch me train him?” suggested Jason.

“That would be great!” said Henry.

Jason went into the kennel. The children noticed that Zach sat up alertly when Jason returned carrying a leather harness. “He knows when he sees the harness that it’s time to stop playing and start working,” Jason explained.

“They take their jobs very seriously, don’t they?” said Jessie.

“They have to,” Jason said. “People depend on them.”

Jason let the Aldens feel the harness before he strapped it onto Zach. The straps around the dog’s body were soft and comfortable, but the handle was firm, with a metal frame inside. Jason explained that a regular leash would be too loose and wouldn’t allow the person and the dog to work together as well.

After he’d strapped on the harness, Jason stood up. “Come,” he called to Zach, his voice firm.

Zach moved to Jason’s left side and stood next to his left leg, waiting for the next command.

“Forward!” Jason said. Zach began to walk forward as Jason followed. “Notice how he walks slightly ahead of me, to lead me,” Jason pointed out. “Other trained dogs are usually taught to heel, or walk slightly behind. But guide dogs need to lead their owners.”

“Watch walks ahead — but usually it’s because he’s chasing squirrels,” said Benny, and they all laughed.

“Right,” Jason said to Zach, and the dog turned to the right. “Left,” Jason said, and Zach turned left.

“What a good dog!” said Violet.

Then Jason dropped a leather glove on the grass as they were walking. He walked a few more steps and then stopped. “Fetch,” he said, letting go of the harness. Zach ran back and picked up the glove in his mouth. Then he came back and stood waiting at Jason’s left leg.

“Good boy,” Jason said, taking the glove from Zach’s mouth. “Fetching is an important skill, in case a person drops something when he’s out with his dog,” Jason told the children. Then he turned his attention back to Zach.

“Sit!” Jason said, and Zach sat right at his feet. Then Jason said “Down!” and the dog lay down on the grass.

Jason broke into a grin. He was obviously very pleased with Zach’s performance. “Good boy,” Jason murmured over and over in a warm, kind voice as he rubbed Zach’s head and back. “We don’t reward the dogs with biscuits when they do well,” he explained. “We just give them lots of praise.”

The Aldens watched as Jason worked with Zach again and again on the same commands. Almost every time, Zach behaved perfectly.

One time a bird hopped across their path. Zach began to bark and chase after the bird, until Jason scolded him. Immediately, Zach returned to his position next to Jason.

“We don’t punish the dogs when they misbehave, we just speak to them in an angry tone of voice,” Jason said. “Soon he’ll learn not to get distracted when he’s working.”

When Jason decided that Zach had worked hard enough, he took off the harness and led the dog back into the yard with the others. When Jason came back out, he had another dog with him.

“Hey, Ginger!” cried Benny.

“I thought you might like to say hello to her,” Jason said. “Let’s take her harness off now, since she’s not working.”

“I’ll help,” offered Jessie, bending over. Benny crouched down next to Ginger, petting her back.

Ginger lay down in the grass next to the Aldens. Jessie stroked her long, golden fur, and Ginger closed her eyes. Suddenly, her eyes opened and she lifted her head.

“Ginger!” they all heard a voice calling.

Ginger got up and raced down the hillside. The children watched as a big black car pulled up at the curb, and a tall well-dressed blond woman got out. “Ginger!” she called again, opening her arms as the dog raced toward her.

“Mrs. Davis!” Jason said angrily, walking briskly down the hill. When he reached the woman, Jason began speaking to her in low tones. While they couldn’t hear what the two were saying, the children could see how angry Jason looked.

“I wonder what’s going on,” Jessie said.

“Jason seemed so nice and friendly, but now he looks like a different person,” said Violet.

The children watched in surprise as Jason grabbed Ginger’s harness and began pulling her back up the hill. “Please stop this, Charlotte,” Jason called to the woman. “I’ve told you it’s just not a good idea! You did a great job with her, but she belongs here now!”

The chauffeur of the car, a young blond man, stared straight ahead.

Mrs. Davis stood silently. Finally she got back in her limousine. “Take me home, Glen,” she said, and the car pulled away.

“Jason — ” Benny called out as he approached.

“I’m sorry, but I have work to do now,” Jason said, walking past the children. He still seemed angry.

“Can we do anything — ” Jessie began.

“Go eat dinner or something,” Jason said. “I’m busy.” And with that he led Ginger into the kennel and shut the door.

“I wonder what that was all about,” Henry whispered to Jessie.

“I don’t know, but there’s definitely something going on,” Jessie replied.

F
ollowing Jason’s suggestion, the Aldens headed to the dining room. It was a bright, pretty room, and the smells coming from the kitchen were delicious. Each table was covered with a clean white cloth and decorated with a small vase of flowers. Tonight was Taco Night, and several students and instructors were enjoying the food and lively music. The children noticed that there were also several guide dogs, each one sitting quietly under its owner’s chair.

After dinner the children took a stroll around the beautiful wooded grounds and then went back to their rooms to get ready for bed.

“I hope all those dogs don’t bark and wake us up the way Watch sometimes does,” said Benny.

But the dogs didn’t make a sound.

The next morning the Aldens ran into Jason on their way to breakfast. He was cheerful and friendly, and he seemed to have forgotten whatever had upset him the night before. After a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon, toast, and milk, the children went outside and watched as Jason worked with Zach and some other dogs.

Around noon, the children ran into Mrs. Carter, who was walking with a girl just four years older than Henry. She was very pretty and had shiny black hair that hung almost to her waist. The girl had one hand on Mrs. Carter’s arm, and in the other hand she held a suitcase.

“Hello!” Mrs. Carter greeted the Aldens. “This is Anna Chang, a student who’s come to start working with a guide dog. I was just telling her about you. This is Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny.”

Anna smiled and said hello as each Alden shook her hand.

“Would you please take Anna up to her room? It’s right next to yours. Then maybe you could all have some lunch,” Mrs. Carter suggested.

“Sure,” said Benny. “I’m really hungry!”

“I bet I’m even hungrier!” Anna said, and everyone laughed. The Aldens knew they had found a friend.

Anna placed her hand on Henry’s elbow so that he could guide her. Jessie took Anna’s suitcase. Once they were in Anna’s room, Anna asked how the room was laid out. Violet showed her where the bed, dresser, desk, and chair were. Anna paid close attention, placing a hand on each. She wanted to be sure she would be able to find everything later, on her own.

During lunch, Anna told the children how excited she was to be getting a guide dog. “I’ve been blind since I was born,” Anna told them, “and I’ve never really felt independent. Whenever I want to go somewhere — to school or a store or a friend’s house — I always have to ask someone to help me.”

“I can’t imagine not being able to just get on my bicycle and go wherever I want,” said Benny between bites of his grilled cheese sandwich.

“It must be really hard,” Violet agreed.

“I’ve seen blind people using canes,” said Henry, taking a sip of his milk. “Have you tried that?”

“Yes, but it’s hard to get around. A guide dog gives you complete freedom. I start college in the fall, and for the first time in my life I want to really be on my own.” Anna smiled broadly as she thought about her future.

“Your dog will be your best friend,” said Jessie.

“Yes,” Anna said. But the children noticed her smile had faded a little.

“What’s wrong?” asked Violet.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Anna said. She picked up her ham sandwich and then put it back down on her plate. “It’s just that . . . I’ve never had a pet before. I hope I’ll know what to do.”

“Don’t worry,” Jessie said. “I’m sure they’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

After lunch, the Aldens took Anna out to the kennel, where she’d been told to meet Jason.

“This is Anna Chang,” Henry said when they spotted Jason.

“Nice to meet you,” Jason said. “I’ll be teaching you how to work with your dog.”

While Jason and Anna were talking, Benny thought he heard a rustling noise in the woods behind them. He walked over to see what it was. He wondered if one of the dogs had gotten out of the yard.

Benny saw someone peering through the trees. The person was very tall and dressed in a dark suit. That’s odd, Benny thought. Why would someone be walking around in the woods behind the kennels? He started to wave, but as he lifted his arm, the person ducked behind a tree, as if he or she didn’t want to be seen.

“Benny!” called Henry.

“Henry, there’s someone — ” Benny began.

“Come on!” Jessie cried. “Anna’s first lesson is starting.”

Not wanting to miss anything, Benny forgot about the person in the woods and hurried over to the others.

Jason was showing Anna the dog harness that he’d shown the children the day before. She felt the leather and held it the way Jason showed her. Then Jason held the bottom of the harness and they practiced for quite a while, with Anna giving the commands he had taught her, and Jason leading her back and forth on the grass.

“Make sure your voice is firm,” Jason reminded her. “The dog needs to know that you’re the boss. Well, are you ready to meet your dog?”

Anna nodded, a nervous look on her face. “I guess so.”

“I’ll be right back,” Jason said. He slipped into the exercise yard and came back out a moment later with a dog on a leash. It was Ginger!

“Here she is,” he told Anna. “Her name is Ginger. She’s a golden retriever with a reddish golden coat.”

Anna reached out her hand and Ginger sniffed it. Then Anna cautiously put her hand on Ginger’s soft back and slowly began stroking her. A warm smile spread across Anna’s face.

“I think you two should have a little time by yourselves, to get to know each other,” Jason said.

“We’ll go stop by Mrs. Carter’s office and see if she has any work for us,” Jessie said.

As they turned to say good-bye to Anna, they saw her sitting on the grass, speaking softly to Ginger. It looked as if she and the dog were going to get along just fine.

“Am I glad you’re here!” Mrs. Carter told the children when they entered her office. “My secretary is on vacation, and I have to run to a meeting.” She quickly explained what she needed them to do: file papers, move stacks of folders, answer the phone. “I’ll be back in about an hour,” she said as she left.

The children set to work sorting the papers on Mrs. Carter’s desk. When the phone rang, they took turns answering it and writing down the messages.

After a short while Benny noticed a shadow through the smoked glass of Mrs. Carter’s door. He wondered who it was and why the person didn’t just come in. Then he remembered the figure he’d seen in the woods. Could it be the same person?

At last, whoever it was knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Henry called.

The door opened slowly, and a man walked in and looked around. He was wearing a dark suit with a flower on the lapel. His hair was neatly groomed and he had a little mustache. He seemed confused.

“Can we help you?” Jessie asked.

“Yes . . . uh . . . I’m looking for the director,” he said at last.