New Tricks for Rascal (5 page)

Chapter Eight

Ellie Downhearted

“You can’t give up!” cried Christy. It was morning break on Wednesday, the day after Ellie’s awful class, and she had just finished telling Christy the whole dreadful story.

“Haven’t you been listening?” Ellie thumped her hand on the arm of the bench they were sitting on. “Ow. That hurt. Amelia was right, Christy. Rascal
was
useless. He wouldn’t do any of the commands properly,
and he made me look totally stupid in front of everyone.” She shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about the show.”

“So that’s it?” Christy looked horrified. “You’re going to stop training him?”

“I’m not
training
him!” Ellie said wearily. “I’m just being dragged all over the hall by him!”

Ellie heard the sound of someone laughing, and looked up to see Amelia walking towards the bench. “I’m so glad you’re giving up, Ellie. Saves me a job. I was coming to tell you that you really have to stop puppy-training. You’re just ruining the class for everyone else.”

“I’m not,” Ellie said, but then her voice wavered. She gulped and blinked back
her tears. She would
not
let Amelia make her cry.

“You waste Jo’s time when she ought to be helping the others,” Amelia went on.

“That’s what training’s for,” Christy snapped. “Dogs who actually need it. If you’re so perfect, why are you in the beginners’ class?”

“Goldie is a beginner too, but she does what she’s told. That little rat of Ellie’s is never going to learn anything.”

Ellie bounced up. “Rascal is not a rat! He’s a beautiful dog, and you’re just
mean
!”

“Yeah, Rascal’s gorgeous, and clever, too,” Christy put in. She grabbed Ellie’s hand, and squeezed it.

Luckily, the bell went just then, and Amelia turned on her heel and stalked away.

But as they walked back into class, Ellie was pink-cheeked with fury. “I’m not giving up now,” she told Christy. “We’re going to show her. I
will
get Rascal to learn, even if we have to practise every minute of the day!”

Mum brought Rascal to meet Ellie and Max from school, and Ellie made an
extra-special
fuss of him. Christy joined in, too. Then Jessie and Lydia from their class came over and wanted to stroke him, and Rascal started to get really excited, jumping and yapping, and scrabbling at their legs.

Ellie asked Mum to pass her the packet of Rascal’s special treats. “Sit,” she said firmly, holding a treat above his nose. And he did! Rascal stopped yapping, and sat beautifully for the girls to pet him.

“Good boy!” Ellie was so pleased she felt like giving him the whole packet.

Christy rolled her eyes. “I thought he
hadn’t learned anything, and you were giving up?”

Mum overheard. “Ellie! You can’t! You’ve done so well with him. He walked to school beautifully, even when one of those big lorries he usually barks his head off at drove past.”

“See?” Christy nudged her.

Ellie nodded. “I suppose it’s been happening gradually and I haven’t noticed. But he really was terrible in yesterday’s lesson.”

“Everyone can have bad days,” Mum said firmly. “It’s just a pity you’ll have to miss the next class.”

Ellie looked up at her in horror. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, Ellie,” Mum sighed. “Didn’t you listen to what Dad said this morning? He’s got to go to a meeting on Friday, and he won’t be back in time. I’d go, but Max has a football match, and I’ll have to take him.”

Ellie felt desperate. She couldn’t miss the class! Not when Rascal was finally getting the hang of it. What if he forgot everything?

She had a brainwave as they passed Grandad’s on the way home. “Mum, can I ask Grandad to take us?” she asked hopefully.

“That’s a good idea.” Mum nodded. “Let’s go and see if he’s in.”

Grandad was delighted with the idea, and said he’d been meaning to ask if he
could come and watch a lesson. He promised to pick them up in plenty of time on Friday.

Ellie told Grandad all about her problems with Amelia, and about Jack and Hugo on their way to the class. “I’d never seen such a big dog. You just won’t believe the size of him,” she said. “About fifty times bigger than Rascal.”

Grandad nodded. “I love Great Danes. They’re so gentle.”

But even though he had been warned, Grandad still gasped at the sight of Hugo.

“Has he got bigger since Tuesday?” Ellie asked Jack, laughing.

Jack nodded. “He’s growing so fast. But he still wants to sit on my lap like he’s tiny! Is this your grandad?”

“Nice to meet you, Jack. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can both do,” Grandad told them, sitting down at the side of the hall. “Don’t look so worried, Ellie. Rascal’s going to be brilliant.” He beckoned her close and whispered, “Which one’s that Amelia you told me about?”

Ellie pointed to Amelia and Goldie, and
Grandad nodded. “Mmm. Looks snotty. And that spaniel’s nervous, look at her ears twitching. Rascal may be naughty, but he knows he’s loved, and that’s important. Don’t let her bother you.” He folded his arms firmly.

Somehow, having Grandad there to watch, smiling as they walked to heel down the hall, and giving her an approving nod when Rascal sat first time, was really encouraging.

Ellie gave him a hug at the end of the class. “You were a huge help,” she said. Then she added shyly, “Grandad, I’ve got this special trick I’m teaching Rascal for the dog show. I put a treat on his nose, and he doesn’t eat it until I say he can. Well, that’s what’s supposed to happen, he hasn’t got it quite right yet.”

Grandad looked thoughtful. “Sounds like it could take rather a lot of practice.”

Ellie sighed. “I know, and there’s not much time before the dog show. I just want Rascal to be perfect.”

Grandad put his arm round her. “I think perfect’s a bit boring, myself.”

Chapter Nine

Stage Fright

At the next class, Jo reminded everyone that the show was next Tuesday. This lesson, they were going to go through the tests they’d be doing.

“Me and Rascal will come last in everything,” Ellie muttered to Jack.

Jack shrugged. “Only in the tests Hugo doesn’t. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Dad seemed to think so too. He told Mum about it as soon as they got home.

“You don’t need to come and watch. I don’t think it’s going to go very well,” Ellie told her worriedly. “I’ll be nervous, and I’m sure that makes Rascal naughtier.”

But Mum had other ideas. She announced at breakfast the next day that the whole family would go.

“Ellie’s been working really hard,” she said when Max tried to protest he had football practice. “We need to be there to support her and Rascal.”

Ellie had a piece of toast halfway to her mouth, and it stayed there as she froze in horror. “But I don’t want everyone to come and watch,” she blurted out.

Lila nudged Ellie. “What’s up? You’ve gone really pale.”

“I think I might be sick,” Ellie muttered. “It’s going to go horribly wrong and everyone will laugh at me.”

Lila looked at her thoughtfully. “I’m sure it’ll be OK. Rascal’s been quite good recently. When was the last time he ate something he shouldn’t have?”

Ellie nodded. “I still feel sick, though.”

Ellie was giving Rascal a last groom in the garden just before the competition, to make him look perfect. She had spent the whole weekend practising and hoped Rascal would be on his best behaviour.

“There. At least you
look
beautiful,” she told him, smoothing his lovely ears.

Lila came down the path. “Found you. Look, I’ve got you a present.”

“Me?” Ellie looked surprised.

“You and Rascal. Because you’ve been so nervous about the show. Go on, open it!”

Ellie tore open the pretty pink paper, and hugged Lila. “A new lead! Oh, Lila, it’s fab! Now he won’t have to wear his chewed one.”

“And a new red hairband for you, look. You can wear it with that red stripy T-shirt, and then you and Rascal will match.”

Ellie tried on the hairband, and Lila nodded approvingly.

“You’re the best sister,” Ellie told Lila, hugging her again. “I feel loads better already.”

There were lots of dogs at the show. Jo had put her three beginners’ groups together to make it more of a competition. Ellie and Rascal were last in each section, just after Jack and Hugo. Waiting was making her nerves even worse. The judge, a lady called Anne, looked so serious as she took notes.

But when it was finally Ellie’s go to show off walking to heel, Rascal did it perfectly, even though he was jumpy. Ellie saw Grandad making thumbs-up signs at her, and beamed at him.

After that, Rascal had to let the judge stroke him, to show that he was friendly. At least that wasn’t something Rascal had a problem with, Ellie thought proudly, as Rascal charmed the judge with little wags of his tail.

But now, as they waited for their next turn, Rascal started to prance about, whining excitedly.

“Take him for a little walk outside if he’s getting bored,” Jo told Ellie, as she saw her trying to calm Rascal down. “I’ve just said the same thing to Jack and Hugo. I’ll send someone to call you when it’s getting close to your turn to show off ‘sit’ and ‘stay’.”

Ellie nodded gratefully. The village hall had a field and some trees at the back, so she headed out that way. She could see Jack jogging towards the trees with Hugo, and she set off after them.

“Let’s go, Rascal!” she said encouragingly. But Rascal had other ideas.

The hedge that ran around the side of the hall was full of interesting smells, and he dug his claws in firmly.

“Rascal, come on,” Ellie tried to sound fun and bouncy, but Rascal shook his head hard and suddenly twisted out of his collar, racing away towards the hedge.

Ellie chased after him. She could see his little white tail sticking out of the hedge, and she reached in and grabbed him carefully with both hands.

As she pulled him out, she gasped. Her beautiful, perfectly groomed puppy was absolutely covered in thick, smelly mud.

“Rascal!” Ellie wailed. “What have you done?” She looked back at the village hall, her eyes wide with horror. Any minute now
she was supposed to show off Rascal doing his “sit” and “stay”. He couldn’t possibly go back in like
this!