Good Dog, Aggie
Written by Lori Ries, Illustrated by Frank W. Dormer,
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Aggie is a good dog.
She runs fast.
She is a good eater.
But she does not listen.
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“Bring that back,” I say. “I need that for school!”
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“My dog ate my homework,” I say.
My teacher does not believe me.
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After school I take Aggie outside. We have a talk.
“You are a good dog, Aggie, but you do not obey.
You do not come when I say come.
You do not sit when I say sit."
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"I am going to send you to school. Doggie school."
“Ruff!” Aggie says.
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Doggie school is at the pet shop. Daddy takes us there.
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There are big dogs, little dogs, spotted
dogs, scratching dogs.
Aggie sits on the floor.
I sit on a chair.
The teacher is
very nice. She pats
all the dogs
on the head.
Aggie jumps up.
“No jumping,”
the teacher says.
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The teacher gives us a treat to hold.
“First we will learn SIT,” she says.
She shows us how with her dog.
Aggie sniffs my hand. She tries to take the treat.
“No, no, Aggie,” I say.
It is our turn. “Sit,” I say.
Aggie does not. She jumps up.
“No, no, Aggie,” I say.
“It is not time to play.”
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The teacher gives us
another treat.
“Now we will learn STAY,”
she says.
She shows us how with her dog.
It is our turn. Aggie sees the treat.
“Sit,” I say. She does.
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“Stay,” I say. Aggie does not. She sees another treat. That treat is closer. Aggie jumps up and runs to it.
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“No, no, Aggie!” I say. “That treat is not for you!”
Aggie runs.
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She runs under one dog.
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She jumps over another dog.
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Now all the dogs run. They run and bark. The treats fly up, up, up.
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All the dogs stop.
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The teacher gives me
a box of treats.
“You teach Aggie at home,”
she says.
“I think Aggie is going to like school,” I tell Daddy.
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Aggie in Training
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I fill my pockets with treats.
“We will work today,” I tell Aggie. “We will work on SIT and STAY.”
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“Sit, Aggie,” I say.
Aggie sits. I give her a treat.
“Stay,” I say.
Aggie does not. She sees something. She sees something gray.
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“Ruff! Ruff!” Aggie runs fast.
“Come back!” I say.
The squirrel jumps into the tree.
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I take Aggie back to the yard.
“Squirrels are not for you,” I say.
I am ready to try again. “Sit,” I say.
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Aggie does not. She hears something. She hears something green.
“Do not eat the grasshopper, Aggie.”
Aggie sniffs. The grasshopper jumps. Aggie jumps, too!
“Silly Aggie,” I say, “grasshoppers are not for you.”
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Training is hard work. I stop to scratch Aggie's ears.
“Come here, Ben!” Mr. Thomas calls. “Come let me see Aggie!”
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“Yes, sir,” I say. “But you cannot see Aggie. You cannot see.”
“I see with my hands,” Mr. Thomas says.
“Aggie is a fine dog! Soft coat, floppy ears..." Mr. Thomas laughs. “And of course, a long, wet tongue!”
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Mr. Thomas shows me how to hold the treat high so Aggie can't take it.
“Sit,” I say. Aggie sits.
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“Stay,” I say.
Mr. Thomas holds Aggie while I back away. Then Mr. Thomas backs away, too.
Aggie stays. She sniffs. She smells something. Aggie smells something orange.
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“Ruff! Ruff!” Aggie runs and runs.
“Oh, Aggie, not again!” I say.
“Hissssss!” says the cat. It jumps on top of the fence.
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I take Aggie back to Mr. Thomas.
“Aggie will not learn,” I say.
“She will learn,” Mr. Thomas says. “But it will take time.”
“Maybe Aggie does not like SIT,” I say.
“Maybe she does not like STAY.”
My red ball rolls out of my pocket.
Mr. Thomas hands me my red ball.
“Maybe she likes playing fetch,” he says.
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“Fetch, Aggie!” I say. Aggie runs fast.
Aggie is a good dog. And she will learn. Someday.
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“Today we will go to the park,” I say.
“We will practice SIT and STAY.”
I clip Aggie's leash to her collar.
We pass the bookstore. We pass the shoe store.
At the hat store, we see a lady.
“What a cute dog!” the lady says. “Does your dog do tricks?”
“She is learning SIT and STAY,” I tell the lady. "Sit, Aggie,” I say. Aggie sits.
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“Stay, Aggie.”
She does not. Aggie sees something. She sees a dog.
“RUFF!” says Aggie.
The leash slips out of my hand.
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“RUFF! RUFF! RUFF!” says Aggie.
Now she sees three dogs!
“No, Aggie!” I say.
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Aggie runs through the store. I run after her. The hats fly up, up, up. One lands on her head.
“No! No!” I say. “That hat is not for you!”
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Aggie runs back to the dog.
"RUFF!" she says.
Aggie sees three dogs, and three hats!
“Out!” says the lady.
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Aggie runs and runs.
The hat flies off her head.
“Aggie!” I yell. “You are a bad dog!”
Aggie stops. She looks sad.
I pick up her leash. I am sad, too. I do not want a bad dog. I do not want Aggie to do bad things.
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We walk to the park. I sit on a bench. Aggie sits next to me.
“I am sorry,” I say. “You are not a bad dog. But you must learn.”
Aggie looks at me. She wags her tail and tugs at my shirt.
The red ball sits in my pocket. I pull it out.
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“This? You want this?” I say.
“Ruff!” says Aggie.
I hold the ball up high.
“Sit, Aggie,” I say. Aggie sits.
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“Stay,” I say.
Aggie does.
She stays watching the ball.
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“Get it, Aggie! Get the ball!” I throw it hard.
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Aggie runs and runs. She comes back with the red ball.
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“Sit, Aggie,” I say. She does.
“Stay,” I say. Aggie stays. She stays and stays watching the ball.
“Get the ball, Aggie!” She runs and runs. Aggie brings me the ball and sits like a good dog. She sits and stays and runs after the red ball.
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“Good girl, Aggie!” I tell her.
“You are a good dog!”
