Dog with a Bone
‘Ace’ was a Rottweiler I knew when I was a kid. He had been bought as a puppy by his owner, Steve, who wanted a guard-dog for his lumber-yard, which was next to my parents farm. I was about fifteen when Ace and I became neighbors.
At first he was just like any other puppy; soft and cuddly and full of fun, but as he grew he developed a mean streak, which could be kinda difficult when he still thought he was a puppy and tried to jump into your arms. Ever tried catching 125 pounds of dog? Steve tried chaining him up, but he howled and barked continually. It became more and more of a problem as Ace grew, it got to the point where he would jump up at anyone who came within range.
While this was partly what Steve had bought Ace for, it did tend to make it impossible for the mail-man, and worse, for Steve’s customers, to visit the yard. In the end, Steve said that he was thinking of having Ace castrated in the hope that would quiet him down. Steve said that if I managed this, he would give me a hundred bucks for my trouble. That evening, I walked Ace home with me, and tied him up in the barn; later, I went out to see how he was; he seemed quite happy in his new home, so after filling his water-bowl I decided to turn in for the night. I untied the rope from his collar, and he responded by immediately trying to jump up me! I decided that I had to show him who was boss, and indulge in a bit of dog-wrestling.
