stuff. So he’s good that way. But he’s still very much a guard dog and we’re going to show you just what that means.”
“I thought you had three dogs for us to check out today, including Jojo,” Don said.
“Not after my dad briefed me about who you are and what’s going on with you folks. I was sorry to hear all that, but I knew Jojo was the right one for you. He’s the brightest, the biggest, and, I gotta say, the baddest .”
Ed smiled. Emma laughed.
As the trainer led them along the kennels on the right side of the barn, a Malinois with white whiskers and graying facial fur joined them. The close resemblance to a German shepherd was clear at a glance.
“Who’s he?” Emma asked. “He looks old.”
“Oh, he’s old,” Ed said. “He’s got the run of the place. He’s retired now.”
“From what?” Em asked.
Ed paused and looked at her. “The navy.”
“They have them on boats?”
Ed shook his head. “No, not boats. This guy was really famous once, but not too many people know his name.”
“That sounds like a riddle,” Emma said. “How could he be famous if not many people knew his name?”
“You could be known to most folks as ‘the dog’ on a secret mission that became international news.”
“Was he Cairo, the Malinois that went on the bin Laden raid?” Don asked.
“I could never say that,” Ed replied.
“Could never or would never?” Don asked.
“Could never,” Ed said. “But a right-thinking man or young woman might be okay coming to that conclusion.”
“Really?” Emma said. “My father was telling me about that dog just last night.” She looked closely at the old hound, sounding awed when she spoke again: “So he’s that hero dog?”
“He’s the real deal. I would not mislead you.”
“Is he safe here?” Emma asked.
“You bet. Nobody knows where he’s living out his life in peace. And look at him. He’s not the spry young guy he once was. But you guys don’t strike me as suicide bombers or paparazzi. And your mom knows how to keep secrets,” he said to Emma. “So I’m guessing you can, too. Promise?”
“Yes. Can I shake his hand?”
“Sure. The President did. So did the First Lady.”
Emma reached out, but the old dog lifted his paw and pushed it toward her for a high-five.
“He prefers that,” Ed said.
Emma high-fived him.
A beautiful young black and tan Malinois stood just inside the gate peering at Ed with a look of eager anticipation.
His master opened the gate and ordered Jojo to heel. He minded immediately, coming to Ed’s left side, keeping his eyes on him. The older dog wandered off.
Without looking down, Ed said, “Jojo, sit.”
He turned to Don and Emma. “Let’s walk away.”
Jojo stared intently at the departing trio.
Ed stopped after they’d moved about twenty feet. “You notice I didn’t say ‘stay.’ Just ‘sit.’ This is as basic as it gets, but that’s where we have to start. If you command him to sit, he’ll sit. Don’t confuse that with the stay command. If you order him to lie down, he’ll lie down. The same goes for all basic obedience commands. Forget ‘stay.’ That’s always his default mode.”
“Can I pet him too?” Emma asked. “Or is that off limits?”
“Absolutely you can pet him. Say, ‘Jojo, come.’”
Emma complied. The dog raced up and sat right in front of her.
“Go ahead and pet him,” Ed said.
Emma surprised Don by stroking Jojo’s head confidently, then using both hands to rub his scruff.
Ed ran Jojo, Emma, and Don through the rest of the dog’s basic obedience, which included the command “quiet.”
“What you need to know about the Malinois,” he added, “or a breed like the German shepherd and Doberman pinscher, is that most will naturally protect their families. What we do with our dogs destined for that kind of duty is evaluate them in this regard.”
“How do you do that?” Don asked.
“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.”
That must have
“I thought you had three dogs for us to check out today, including Jojo,” Don said.
“Not after my dad briefed me about who you are and what’s going on with you folks. I was sorry to hear all that, but I knew Jojo was the right one for you. He’s the brightest, the biggest, and, I gotta say, the baddest .”
Ed smiled. Emma laughed.
As the trainer led them along the kennels on the right side of the barn, a Malinois with white whiskers and graying facial fur joined them. The close resemblance to a German shepherd was clear at a glance.
“Who’s he?” Emma asked. “He looks old.”
“Oh, he’s old,” Ed said. “He’s got the run of the place. He’s retired now.”
“From what?” Em asked.
Ed paused and looked at her. “The navy.”
“They have them on boats?”
Ed shook his head. “No, not boats. This guy was really famous once, but not too many people know his name.”
“That sounds like a riddle,” Emma said. “How could he be famous if not many people knew his name?”
“You could be known to most folks as ‘the dog’ on a secret mission that became international news.”
“Was he Cairo, the Malinois that went on the bin Laden raid?” Don asked.
“I could never say that,” Ed replied.
“Could never or would never?” Don asked.
“Could never,” Ed said. “But a right-thinking man or young woman might be okay coming to that conclusion.”
“Really?” Emma said. “My father was telling me about that dog just last night.” She looked closely at the old hound, sounding awed when she spoke again: “So he’s that hero dog?”
“He’s the real deal. I would not mislead you.”
“Is he safe here?” Emma asked.
“You bet. Nobody knows where he’s living out his life in peace. And look at him. He’s not the spry young guy he once was. But you guys don’t strike me as suicide bombers or paparazzi. And your mom knows how to keep secrets,” he said to Emma. “So I’m guessing you can, too. Promise?”
“Yes. Can I shake his hand?”
“Sure. The President did. So did the First Lady.”
Emma reached out, but the old dog lifted his paw and pushed it toward her for a high-five.
“He prefers that,” Ed said.
Emma high-fived him.
A beautiful young black and tan Malinois stood just inside the gate peering at Ed with a look of eager anticipation.
His master opened the gate and ordered Jojo to heel. He minded immediately, coming to Ed’s left side, keeping his eyes on him. The older dog wandered off.
Without looking down, Ed said, “Jojo, sit.”
He turned to Don and Emma. “Let’s walk away.”
Jojo stared intently at the departing trio.
Ed stopped after they’d moved about twenty feet. “You notice I didn’t say ‘stay.’ Just ‘sit.’ This is as basic as it gets, but that’s where we have to start. If you command him to sit, he’ll sit. Don’t confuse that with the stay command. If you order him to lie down, he’ll lie down. The same goes for all basic obedience commands. Forget ‘stay.’ That’s always his default mode.”
“Can I pet him too?” Emma asked. “Or is that off limits?”
“Absolutely you can pet him. Say, ‘Jojo, come.’”
Emma complied. The dog raced up and sat right in front of her.
“Go ahead and pet him,” Ed said.
Emma surprised Don by stroking Jojo’s head confidently, then using both hands to rub his scruff.
Ed ran Jojo, Emma, and Don through the rest of the dog’s basic obedience, which included the command “quiet.”
“What you need to know about the Malinois,” he added, “or a breed like the German shepherd and Doberman pinscher, is that most will naturally protect their families. What we do with our dogs destined for that kind of duty is evaluate them in this regard.”
“How do you do that?” Don asked.
“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.”
That must have
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