Editorial

"Children & Pets" program launches Pet Care Education for Schools

Kempen Kembiri

Training Your Dog

Leo the Lionhearted

Leo the Lionhearted

By Anna Edward

My mum's birthday was as good an excuse as any to bring in another pet into the home. She had oft late been mentioning how 'cute' the spitz dogs were - a medium-sized breed that looked very much like little white foxes with sweeping bushy tails and cute sharp muzzles. It was all I needed really.

A quick chat with my veterinarian assured me that I would get the pick of the litter when a heavily pregnant spitz delivered. The puppy that I took home was almost small enough to sit on the palm of my hand and looked like a white powder puff! My mum took one look, and she was sold.

We called him Leo and he made himself at home right away. When night came, Mum insisted that we cordon him off in the kitchen to prevent him from getting up to mischief. That's when our troubles really began.

It started with a little bit of whining that would stop the minute we opened the door to check on him. Then, he got a little bit more adventurous and started pawing the door. The silence that followed each time we yelled lasted only a few minutes. What with the whining and intermittent yapping, interspersed with the consistent scratching of the door, Mum and I soon gave up any pretence of sleep!

We decided though that it would be best to ignore Leo as we did not what him to think that he was top dog. "He'll drop off to sleep soon enough," Mum said confidently. But he didn't - for three nights running! By then, Mum and I were both running ragged especially since I needed to work during the days. As for Leo, he was a bundle of energy that greeted us enthusiastically as we opened the kitchen divide door each morning.

On the fourth day, Mum and I decided that a new strategy was called for. "Don't let him sleep during the day," I admonished her. This, we found out, was easier said than done. Mum put Leo on a lead and dragged him around with her as she did her daily chores. Each time he tried to curl up on the floor, Mum enticed him to stay awake with a new toy, a biscuit, a tummy rub - basically whatever it took to keep him from falling asleep. Did it work? Not exactly, because Leo then mastered the fine art of falling asleep on his feet. He would close his eyes and then eventually begin to sway on his feet as he nodded off!

Well, we both thought. He's so sleepy he'll definitely sleep soundly tonight. No such luck though. When nightfall came, Leo was back to his old tricks. "That's it!" I told my Mum. "Enough is enough". I knew if something wasn't done, we'd both end up falling ill.

And so it came to be that Leo, a little puppy hardly three months old, got his way and had his bedding shifted into the bedroom that Mum and I shared - and we all slept happily ever after.