Excerpt from Chapter 12: Quiet Rebellion

Disappointed over not having play time in Puppy Continuing Class, Izzy decides to stage a quiet rebellion…

Now, I was never one to really think things out before acting, so this plan never really had success written all over it. Since that possibility hadn’t stopped me before, I wasn’t going to let it stop me now. So, toward the end of the class, I assumed a defiant, down position on the floor of the facility. The rebellion had begun as soon as my hind quarters hugged the floor as if anchored by sheer will power.

One by one, the dogs left the building while sending soulful glances in my direction. Their eyes expressed either admiration or guilt because the rebellion was left up to me to sustain. Any gain on my part would be theirs, yet total punishment would be mine. Not such a bad outcome for an onlooker, but I didn’t care. I had an important goal, and that goal was to win play time in Puppy Continuing.

In hindsight, I never once thought about how I would convey my demands to the instructor, the assistants and B.C. All they saw was a defiant pup who was refusing to leave the building. What was I thinking? Apparently, little or no thought went into this endeavor. Once my hind quarters hit the floor, I wasn’t able to extricate myself from the situation with any sense of pride. So, I just did nothing but hug the floor while various methods to move me were attempted.

Happy voices with encouraging words and the nearby scent of dried liver filled my nostrils as the adults tried to lure me from my silent protest. Since positive reinforcement was the key element in this training facility, I knew that I was safe from being physically dragged from my position on the floor. Nevertheless, what happened next was completely unexpected and caught me totally off guard.

When happy voices and gourmet treats didn’t work, the humans decided to leave the building without me. One by one, they headed toward the back door of the facility. While I hugged the floor at the other end of the room, they decided to shut off the lights one section at a time. Apparently, there is no fair play in quiet protests, and I never saw that tactic coming.

As the lights were gradually turned off, I was left in the dark by well-trained challengers. I could tell that this was not the first time a pup led such a singular revolt. Not only were the humans prepared for my quiet rebellion, they were also experts in this form of puppy warfare.

Keep reading! Izzy Come… Izzy Go is available at local independent bookshops and online at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com.