Cody Read Online Free Page B

All done.” She brushed off her hands. “So, how’s that little Cody doing?”
    “Better,” Lizzie reported. “He seems to understand what I mean by ‘Quiet’ even if he doesn’t always obey. But he’s still pretty wild. The worst part is how he pulls on the leash when you walk him. It’s driving us all crazy! Mom thinks we should try one of those prong collars, but I think they look like they would hurt the dog’s neck.”
    “I know just what you need,” said Ms. Dobbins. “Have you met our newest shelter dog, Roscoe?”
    “Not yet,” said Lizzie. “I’ve heard about him. He’s a big Rottweiler, right?”
    “Big? He’s huge!” Ms. Dobbins laughed. “He’slike a truck.” She put away the mop and bucket and started walking toward the back of the dog room. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
    “Wow!” Lizzie stared into cage number three. Roscoe was a very impressive dog. He was brown and black, with muscles like a bodybuilder, a gigantic, blocky head, and paws the size of hamburgers. Lizzie was not afraid of dogs, but she could imagine that
some
people might be frightened by Roscoe.
    “He’s very gentle.” Ms. Dobbins seemed to read Lizzie’s mind. “Wouldn’t hurt a flea. But he sure can pull when he’s on a leash!”
    Lizzie felt a twinge in her shoulder. If little
Cody’s
pulling had made her sore, how could she handle Roscoe? One of her jobs at the shelter was exercising the dogs. But how would she ever be able to hang on to this big boy?
    “That’s why we use one of these,” Ms. Dobbins said, showing Lizzie a tangle of red nylon webbing that was clipped to the front of Roscoe’s cage.“It’s a head halter.” She opened Roscoe’s cage door and stepped inside. “It goes over his nose, and you clip the leash just under his jaw.” She demonstrated as she was talking. “Now you can walk him easily. It works by putting just a little bit of pressure on his nose, which is very sensitive. Even a little tug on the leash will remind him not to pull.”
    Roscoe pawed at the halter.
    “It’s a little itchy,” Ms. Dobbins explained as she came out of the cage with Roscoe on the leash. “But it doesn’t hurt him or anything. He’ll get used to it soon.” She handed the leash to Lizzie. “Go ahead, take him outside. You’ll see how it works.”
    Lizzie gave Roscoe a pat. “Hello, Roscoe,” she said. “I’m Lizzie. Want to go for a walk?” Roscoe stopped pawing at the halter. His ears pricked up and his stumpy tail started to wag. He looked happily at Lizzie. “Good dog! Let’s go!” Lizzie led him toward the back door that opened into the exercise yard.
    It was amazing! Roscoe didn’t pull at all. And when Lizzie wanted him to stop sniffing at a certain patch of grass, all she had to do was give the leash a tiny tug, just as Ms. Dobbins had said. The head harness was like magic!
    “Do you happen to have one of those things in Cody’s size?” Lizzie asked Ms. Dobbins, when she had finished walking Roscoe. Lizzie’s mom would be arriving any minute to drive her home, where Cody was probably due for a walk himself.
    “I had a feeling you’d ask that.” Ms. Dobbins held out a smaller green version of Roscoe’s harness. “Good luck!”
    “Thanks! I’ll need it,” said Lizzie. “I have a feeling it’s going to take more than a head harness to tame Cody.”
    Ms. Dobbins nodded. “You know what would be best for him? To be adopted by someone who also owns an older, calmer dog. I think your wild Cody needs a role model.”
    Lizzie remembered Maria’s mom saying thesame thing, about how a dog like Simba would be a good influence on Cody. But Simba was a working dog! He didn’t have time to teach a young pup how to act. Then Lizzie thought of another dog she knew, a dog who was just as calm and mature as Simba. Lizzie’s eyes met Ms. Dobbins’s. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    “It’s perfect!” said Lizzie. “It’s like