Now Bring Me That Horizon

Barley, a dog, stands happily with a large expanse of green grass stretching out behind her.

During the first few weeks of owning a dog you have rescued, there’s a push-pull process of taking measured risks to find out who, exactly, this dog that you’ve welcomed into your life really is. Barley seemed very attached (following us from room to room), so it seemed plausible that she might be the sort to stay close in general. So it seemed reasonable to see how she would behave off leash in a mostly-enclosed courtyard behind our apartment. We figured that would be a good place to reinforce her recall and get her doing so on verbal command. So, cautiously, we unhooked her, at which point she sighted a gap between the buildings and sprinted, ignoring our shouts and racing out of sight around a corner almost immediately. In the Yakety Sax montage that followed, it all came into focus: Indoors, Barley preferred not to be left alone. Outdoors, however, it’s up to you to keep up with her.