said anything, Buttercup started moving forward.
“Come here, Buttercup,” he called, his voice a little higher.
Aaron let go of the lead and Buttercup came to him instantly.
“Good girl,” he said, scratching lightly through the fur at her cheeks.
“Try a few obedience commands with her. She might already know the basics. Oh, here.”
Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out a little plastic bag. He tossed it to Shane, and Buttercup’s ears perked up.
“Jesus, I’m surprised she wasn’t your best friend this whole time,” he said with a laugh, palming a small treat that smelled… well, not great. But probably good to a dog.
“Shows how much she likes you,” Aaron said with a smile.
“Maybe she just isn’t very observant,” he countered with a smirk.
Closing the treat in his hand, he sat up straight.
“Sit,” he said.
“Say it a little more firmly.”
Shane repeated the command, and after a moment, Buttercup sat. He praised her and handed her the treat which she took gently.
He cycled through the basics. Sit. Down. Stay. Come. Heel. The last two were with Aaron’s direction, since apparently he wasn’t doing it right. Buttercup knew sit and down, but she didn’t really grasp the concept of stay. She was really good at come, but heel was another trouble spot.
“We can work on all of that,” Aaron assured him.
Next, Aaron took some toys out of the box and found the one she liked best. It turned out to be a soft squeaky toy shaped like a shark, which Shane approved of. Buttercup might not be the most badass name ever, but at least she liked badass toys.
“I want to test how excitable she gets,” Aaron said, and then he started playing what Shane could only describe as keep-away with her.
She never snapped at him. She never growled or tried to forcibly take the toy. She never lunged or showed any hint of behavior Shane would describe as aggressive. But then, Aaron wasn’t looking for aggression. He was looking for excitability.
Shane frowned, searching Aaron’s expression. But he was unreadable.
“Is it really so bad that she likes to play?”
Aaron looked at him as if realizing he was there for the first time. He flushed before answering. “There’s good play and bad play.”
“And what kind of play is this?”
“Good play,” Aaron assured him with a smile. “She’s excitable, but focused. She wants the toy, but she’s not trying to take it from me. If she can show focus in play, she can focus during tasks. And it will be a good way to reward her.”
Shane felt a wave of relief wash over him. Christ. When had he gotten attached to this dog?
“Is that it, then? Will she be a good fit?”
“One more evaluation.”
Buttercup gave Aaron the toy when he requested it, and he… What the fuck? He put it in his mouth. Shane let out a crack of laughter, earning a glare from Aaron. While he still had the toy in his mouth.
That only made him laugh harder.
“This is serious,” Aaron insisted. After removing the toy.
“Oh yeah, it looks real serious.”
“I have to see if she responds aggressively when I challenge her.”
“Sure thing, Dances With Wolves.”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “Is that the most recent reference you can make? You can’t at least call me the Dog Whisperer?”
“Oh, shit. I didn’t know I was in the presence of the Dog Whisperer,” Shane teased.
Aaron glared at him. Partly. His lips edged into a small smile, and he shook his head. Then he put the toy back into his mouth.
As if Shane needed another hurdle to keeping his amusement in check, Aaron started growling. A real, honest-to-God growl that rumbled in the back of his throat. It was deeper than he would have thought Aaron capable of, and instead of having to force down laughter, Shane found himself having to force down something else entirely.
Aaron wasn’t his type. But when he growled like that…
Buttercup. He needed to watch Buttercup. He drew in a breath, tamped down his
“Come here, Buttercup,” he called, his voice a little higher.
Aaron let go of the lead and Buttercup came to him instantly.
“Good girl,” he said, scratching lightly through the fur at her cheeks.
“Try a few obedience commands with her. She might already know the basics. Oh, here.”
Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out a little plastic bag. He tossed it to Shane, and Buttercup’s ears perked up.
“Jesus, I’m surprised she wasn’t your best friend this whole time,” he said with a laugh, palming a small treat that smelled… well, not great. But probably good to a dog.
“Shows how much she likes you,” Aaron said with a smile.
“Maybe she just isn’t very observant,” he countered with a smirk.
Closing the treat in his hand, he sat up straight.
“Sit,” he said.
“Say it a little more firmly.”
Shane repeated the command, and after a moment, Buttercup sat. He praised her and handed her the treat which she took gently.
He cycled through the basics. Sit. Down. Stay. Come. Heel. The last two were with Aaron’s direction, since apparently he wasn’t doing it right. Buttercup knew sit and down, but she didn’t really grasp the concept of stay. She was really good at come, but heel was another trouble spot.
“We can work on all of that,” Aaron assured him.
Next, Aaron took some toys out of the box and found the one she liked best. It turned out to be a soft squeaky toy shaped like a shark, which Shane approved of. Buttercup might not be the most badass name ever, but at least she liked badass toys.
“I want to test how excitable she gets,” Aaron said, and then he started playing what Shane could only describe as keep-away with her.
She never snapped at him. She never growled or tried to forcibly take the toy. She never lunged or showed any hint of behavior Shane would describe as aggressive. But then, Aaron wasn’t looking for aggression. He was looking for excitability.
Shane frowned, searching Aaron’s expression. But he was unreadable.
“Is it really so bad that she likes to play?”
Aaron looked at him as if realizing he was there for the first time. He flushed before answering. “There’s good play and bad play.”
“And what kind of play is this?”
“Good play,” Aaron assured him with a smile. “She’s excitable, but focused. She wants the toy, but she’s not trying to take it from me. If she can show focus in play, she can focus during tasks. And it will be a good way to reward her.”
Shane felt a wave of relief wash over him. Christ. When had he gotten attached to this dog?
“Is that it, then? Will she be a good fit?”
“One more evaluation.”
Buttercup gave Aaron the toy when he requested it, and he… What the fuck? He put it in his mouth. Shane let out a crack of laughter, earning a glare from Aaron. While he still had the toy in his mouth.
That only made him laugh harder.
“This is serious,” Aaron insisted. After removing the toy.
“Oh yeah, it looks real serious.”
“I have to see if she responds aggressively when I challenge her.”
“Sure thing, Dances With Wolves.”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “Is that the most recent reference you can make? You can’t at least call me the Dog Whisperer?”
“Oh, shit. I didn’t know I was in the presence of the Dog Whisperer,” Shane teased.
Aaron glared at him. Partly. His lips edged into a small smile, and he shook his head. Then he put the toy back into his mouth.
As if Shane needed another hurdle to keeping his amusement in check, Aaron started growling. A real, honest-to-God growl that rumbled in the back of his throat. It was deeper than he would have thought Aaron capable of, and instead of having to force down laughter, Shane found himself having to force down something else entirely.
Aaron wasn’t his type. But when he growled like that…
Buttercup. He needed to watch Buttercup. He drew in a breath, tamped down his
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