"Okay, so..." Roxy looked at Diamond, who's harness was now attached to the toboggan via two tug-lines on either side of her. "I guess we could teach her the commands,"
"Ok..." I stood beside Diamond, holding her lead. "I'll lead her around in a circle and give her different commands, stopping her and walking to match the commands, so that she knows what they mean," I told Roxy.
"Good idea," She looked back at the toboggan. "I'll put my backpack on the toboggan so that it feels like she's pulling something," Roxy dropped her bag onto the plastic toboggan. "Okay, what's sled dog language for go?"
"Well, my mum uses the command 'mush mush' but that command is quite old. Most people use 'hike hike' nowadays," I replied.
"Okay, so if you walk her in a circle and then stop her... What's stop?" Roxy asked, with a smile.
"Stop is whoa. Easy, means slow down," I smiled back. Roxy grinned.
"Hike hike!" I raised my voice and began to jog. I kept up a good speed so that I could walk when I wanted her to slow down. Diamond bounded along beside me. She pulled the toboggan along evenly; it didn't tip over at all. The backpack sat up straight in the toboggan.
"Whooaa!" I called and both Diamond and I stopped almost straight away.
"Great! Now, get her to go faster and then stop her," Roxy thought aloud. I nodded and looked at Diamond. If I said the command before moving, I'd see if she had learnt it's meaning.
"Hike hike!" I commanded. Diamond started to walk. She seemed to have understood, but this was no speed for a sled dog. "Hike hike!" I called again. Diamond speed up a little and I jogged to keep up. I decided to see if she could run faster. "Hike hike!" I yelled, again. This time Diamond broke into a full on sprint, practically pulling me off my feet. I could hear Roxy giggling in the background. "Whoa!" I shouted and, to my genuine surprise, Diamond stopped, immediately. She may never had been well-trained but, like me, she had the sport in her blood. Her great-grandfather, great-grandmother and grandfather were all amazing sled dogs. In fact, most of her family were.
"Good girl," I petted her on the head. "Hike hike!" I got her to keep moving. "Hike hike!" We broke into a jog. I kept the pace for a while before slowing her down. "Easy!" I called and we slowed into a walk. "Whoa!" I stopped and Diamond stopped beside me. "What next?"
"Left and right?" Roxy suggested.
"Haw and Gee!" I smiled.
Roxy and I stayed out practising until it got dark. It seemed as though Diamond would make a fine sled dog. Maybe even a lead dog...
YOU ARE READING
Hearts and Diamonds
أدب المراهقين{The third and final book in the Ace of Hearts series}~ Set nearly fifteen years from Two Hearts, Lani and Ryder are married and now have a son of their own. His name is Adam Eldon, and just like his mother he has a love of all things wolf and dog...
