Sarah had ever seen her.
CHAPTER 6
THAT NIGHT, Grandpa arrived carrying pages of Internet printouts.
"We've got work to do," he said to Sarah, giving Henry a cursory pat on the head.
"What kind of work?" she asked happily. When Grandpa said "work," he meant something fun.
Grandpa set the papers on the coffee table.
"We need some cardboard boxes. Boxes we can cut up. You got any of those?"
"In my closet."
Mom came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. "I assume this is work that is going to involve an enormous mess," she said.
"We'll clean up," Grandpa said. "Go get those boxes, sweetheart."
When Sarah returned with the boxes, Mom was studying Grandpa's printouts.
"Your grandfather," she said, "is planning on giving Henry an IQ test."
"Standard poodles are very smart," he said. "They're the Einsteins of the dog world."
"I didn't think they were
that
smart." Sarah looked at Henry, who was rubbing his head against the side of the couch as though scratching an itch.
"That's what everyone says," Grandpa said. "The only dogs that are smarter are Border collies."
"Which are the dumbest?" Sarah asked.
"Afghans. They're airheads."
"I don't see how you can tell."
"Well, it's like IQ tests for people. They're not foolproof, but you test their problem-solving skills." Grandpa looked over at Henry, who was still scratching. "I have a feeling ole Henry is going to ace these tests."
"What are the boxes for?" Sarah asked.
"We have to make a barrier. Something he can't see over. We need scissors and tape." Grandpa consulted his notes. "And an old blanket. And some buckets. And some dog treats."
An hour later, they'd set everything up. Sarah and her mom stood behind Grandpa's chair, waiting while he
read the instructions one more time. Henry stood beside them, watching them all alertly, seeming to sense that he might be called on to participate in whatever was about to happen.
"Okay," Grandpa said. "Sarah, you got the blanket?"
"Got it."
Grandpa snapped his fingers so that Henry would stand in front of him.
"Henry, sit," he said.
Proud to obey, Henry lowered his haunches to the floor.
"Okay, sweetheart, put the blanket over his head. Gently, so he doesn't panic." Grandpa checked his watch. "We're going to see how long it takes him to shake it off."
Sarah put the gray flannel blanket over Henry's head.
"Don't they put blankets over birdcages so parrots will think it's nighttime?" she asked.
"Shhh," Grandpa said, not taking his eyes off his watch.
Henry stood up immediately. He shook his head, but the blanket still hung over his eyes. He fidgeted some more, dipping his head, and the blanket fell away.
"Nine seconds!" Grandpa bent forward to rub Henry's ear. "Attaboy!"
"Is that good?" Mom asked.
"Under fifteen seconds, and he gets three points. Write that down," he said.
Mom shook her head as she wrote. "I'm having trouble imagining what kind of dog takes longer than fifteen seconds to do that," she said.
Sarah laughed.
"Henry, you ready for your next test?" Grandpa asked.
The dog, leaning hard against Grandpa's hand, did not look ready to stop being scratched.
Grandpa took his hand away.
"Okay, buddy. Okay, now. Time for more work. You ready, Henry?" To Sarah he said, "Sweetheart, let him see you put a treat under one of the buckets."
Sarah held up a bone-shaped doggy cookie for Henry to see. "Now watch, Henry," she said, walking to the far end of the living room, where she'd arranged three overturned plastic sand pails. "See what I'm doing?" She slid the treat under the middle pail.
Henry watched with interest. If Grandpa hadn't been holding him by the collar, he would have padded over to the buckets to have a closer look.
Sarah went to Henry and took him by the collar.
"Turn him around. So his back is to the buckets," Grandpa said.
Sarah made him sit. When he'd stayed put for a few seconds, she said, "Okay," and he rose and went over to the pails. He sniffed at the ground in front of
CHAPTER 6
THAT NIGHT, Grandpa arrived carrying pages of Internet printouts.
"We've got work to do," he said to Sarah, giving Henry a cursory pat on the head.
"What kind of work?" she asked happily. When Grandpa said "work," he meant something fun.
Grandpa set the papers on the coffee table.
"We need some cardboard boxes. Boxes we can cut up. You got any of those?"
"In my closet."
Mom came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. "I assume this is work that is going to involve an enormous mess," she said.
"We'll clean up," Grandpa said. "Go get those boxes, sweetheart."
When Sarah returned with the boxes, Mom was studying Grandpa's printouts.
"Your grandfather," she said, "is planning on giving Henry an IQ test."
"Standard poodles are very smart," he said. "They're the Einsteins of the dog world."
"I didn't think they were
that
smart." Sarah looked at Henry, who was rubbing his head against the side of the couch as though scratching an itch.
"That's what everyone says," Grandpa said. "The only dogs that are smarter are Border collies."
"Which are the dumbest?" Sarah asked.
"Afghans. They're airheads."
"I don't see how you can tell."
"Well, it's like IQ tests for people. They're not foolproof, but you test their problem-solving skills." Grandpa looked over at Henry, who was still scratching. "I have a feeling ole Henry is going to ace these tests."
"What are the boxes for?" Sarah asked.
"We have to make a barrier. Something he can't see over. We need scissors and tape." Grandpa consulted his notes. "And an old blanket. And some buckets. And some dog treats."
An hour later, they'd set everything up. Sarah and her mom stood behind Grandpa's chair, waiting while he
read the instructions one more time. Henry stood beside them, watching them all alertly, seeming to sense that he might be called on to participate in whatever was about to happen.
"Okay," Grandpa said. "Sarah, you got the blanket?"
"Got it."
Grandpa snapped his fingers so that Henry would stand in front of him.
"Henry, sit," he said.
Proud to obey, Henry lowered his haunches to the floor.
"Okay, sweetheart, put the blanket over his head. Gently, so he doesn't panic." Grandpa checked his watch. "We're going to see how long it takes him to shake it off."
Sarah put the gray flannel blanket over Henry's head.
"Don't they put blankets over birdcages so parrots will think it's nighttime?" she asked.
"Shhh," Grandpa said, not taking his eyes off his watch.
Henry stood up immediately. He shook his head, but the blanket still hung over his eyes. He fidgeted some more, dipping his head, and the blanket fell away.
"Nine seconds!" Grandpa bent forward to rub Henry's ear. "Attaboy!"
"Is that good?" Mom asked.
"Under fifteen seconds, and he gets three points. Write that down," he said.
Mom shook her head as she wrote. "I'm having trouble imagining what kind of dog takes longer than fifteen seconds to do that," she said.
Sarah laughed.
"Henry, you ready for your next test?" Grandpa asked.
The dog, leaning hard against Grandpa's hand, did not look ready to stop being scratched.
Grandpa took his hand away.
"Okay, buddy. Okay, now. Time for more work. You ready, Henry?" To Sarah he said, "Sweetheart, let him see you put a treat under one of the buckets."
Sarah held up a bone-shaped doggy cookie for Henry to see. "Now watch, Henry," she said, walking to the far end of the living room, where she'd arranged three overturned plastic sand pails. "See what I'm doing?" She slid the treat under the middle pail.
Henry watched with interest. If Grandpa hadn't been holding him by the collar, he would have padded over to the buckets to have a closer look.
Sarah went to Henry and took him by the collar.
"Turn him around. So his back is to the buckets," Grandpa said.
Sarah made him sit. When he'd stayed put for a few seconds, she said, "Okay," and he rose and went over to the pails. He sniffed at the ground in front of
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