One night I slept off without locking up, Maisky kept watch at the door. Ththe sense of responsibility inculcated into him through training kept him securing my place for more than 4 hours till 3 AM when the intruder happened. For this honourable act I rewarded Maisky with a sumptuous meal of stewed bones, rice and yoghurt the following day.

en about 3 AM I was roused from sleep by his loud barking under my bed. I opened my eyes to behold a man right inside my room, and I acted instinctively throwing my reading chair, which was by the bedside, at the intruder. He jumped out the room, and I quickly rushed and pushed the jam-lock-door to.

Then my heart started to dance to Maisky's frenzy barking. I was almost going into cardiac arrest trying to quieten my dog who by now was bent on not leaving the security of the room. He was very afraid of the intruder whom he believed was out there waiting to get him.

Maisky's barking was so intense, my heart beat synchronized it, sweat poured from my pores like leaking plumbing pipes. Under very severe cardiac pressure, I opened the door and quickly took Maisky's chain, jammed the door back to and then began the labour of getting Maisky out from under the bed. I did eventually, chained him, and the fight to take him outside was not an easy one. My heart beat speed was killing me as it danced to the machine gun rhythm of Maisky's barking.

Then I got the idea of a saving grace. Maisky loves me so much, so I feigned and slumped to the floor, and immediately Maisky's barking turned to whining, its tail wagging as he came licking me all over compassionately, my heart beat slowed down, and soon normalised.

Maisky saved my property from the thief, and I saved myself from heart attack by dropping the panic induced aggression against a dear friend. Come to think of it, why should Maisky have agreed to be taken outside when the intruder was also out there in the dreadful night?

Consider the fact that he was the one who had a good look at the intruder and knew how mean the intruder was or had actually acted during their confrontation.

For the first time we lay together in the same room that night wondering about the intruder and what his intentions had been, with Maisky intermittently growling ?honnnng!? And I was very proud of him.

ADVANTAGE OF DOG TRAINING

It should be noted that had Maisky not been trained he would definitely have wondered away since he was unchained before I slept off. But the sense of responsibility inculcated into him through training kept him securing my place for more than 4 hours till 3 AM when the intruder happened. For this honourable act I rewarded Maisky with a sumptuous meal of stewed bones, rice and yoghurt the following day.