“Bad thinking?” I ask, unable to hold that back.
“I don’t know how to categorize it,” Maeve explains.
I offer what I think is a reassuring smile because I’m trying to use bravery. A quality I thought I owned, but I’m now thinking maybe it only applies to scary shit and not Maeve. “The puppies await,” I say, pulling open the door into a climate-controlled room with yapping puppies.
A big shepherd greets us as soon as we enter. Macho gives a command and she backs away slowly. Literally, walking backward without taking her eyes off us.
“She’s the mom. These are her babies. She’s just making sure you’re supposed to be here,” Macho explains as Maeve eyes the dog.
“So, uh, they’re good watchdogs then?”
I laugh. “We use them at work. They’re a bit more than just watchdogs. Some are trained to sniff out bombs, others are used to help guard bases overseas. Some do bite work and locate bad guys. Overall, they can do anything you teach them.” Macho turns back to Turner and the tiny little furballs who are wrestling in a large pen with hay.
“Do you think I would do well with a dog? A dog like this, I mean.”
I glance at her sharply. “Are you saying you want a dog for yourself? You go from never wanting a dog in your life to wanting one of the best trained dogs in the world. That’s a pretty large… leap.”
She tentatively puts out a hand and the mother shepherd approaches and sniffs her palm before licking it. “What will you do with her after all the babies are gone?” Maeve asks Macho, raising her voice so he can hear.
“She’ll go to her forever home. We don’t breed many litters because these babies take thousands of hours to train. It’s sort of an anomaly that we have little babies right now. Usually we have a bunch of adolescents in the training program back there.” He stands and motions to another section of the building with runs separated by glass. This place is state of the art, for sure.
“Does she have a home lined up already?” Maeve says, walking nearer Turner and the puppies.
Macho nods. “She’s had a home since the day she was born. All these guys have been spoken for as well. There is quite a long waiting list.”
She deflates, and I’m honestly shocked at her line of questioning. “Lately there’s been some incidents happening.” Maeve swallows. “With Ramona moving out and taking Shadow with her, I’ve been thinking that having a dog like this would be smart.”
She told me on the drive here that Ramona was moving into the apartment above her art studio in town. Someone was recently evicted, and Ramona swept it in record time. I don’t think Maeve is happy about it. She would have been if all the weird shit hadn’t been happening. The dog makes perfect sense now.
Macho holds up one finger. “Seeing as Wilds is my good buddy, I might be able to help you out. Follow me, guys.”
Turner keeps a puppy clutched in his arms, the mother shepherd following him, as we enter the other side of the facility. There are multiple handlers here. Macho stops to talk to one and the man wearing a puffy marshmallow suit points to a run down the hall. Macho motions for us to stay where we’re at because a dog is mid-training, and he leashes a Belgian Malinois and brings it down the hallway to where we’re standing.
“This is Chonk,” Macho says, lips twitching. “He likes food a little too much to be a worker. Let’s take him over to the other side where it’s quieter.” The mother reacts to the male dog by walking nearer to Turner and the puppy until we’re back with the litter.
“Like I was saying, Chonk is a real nice guy. He was a rescue. A military family brought him here because they were moving overseas and couldn’t take him with them. We’ve been trying to train him because he’s beautiful and whip-smart, but we think he’d be happier as a pet. Where there is… lots of food.”
Maeve stoops down to pet Chonk under his scruff. He licks her face. The dog does have a goofy disposition.
“He would be a good guard dog because of his breed, for sure. No pressure. Just an idea if you’re wanting something furry with teeth for your home. He has all of his basic commands and a couple in German meant for… intruders. Wilds is trained in it and could continue helping train him if you both were interested. He’s yours.” He pauses, reading our faces. Mine probably shocked, and Maeve’s evidently beaming. “Leave him here now, and I’ll have Monty work on recall with him just to make sure he’s confident. Take him home when you go.”
“Are we getting a dog, Daddy?” Turner is vibrating with excitement as he turns his attention to Chonk. “He’s the bestest dog in the whole wide world. I can’t believe my dreams came true. Finally! Finally! My birthday wish from my last birthday. Finally!” Chonk is now licking his face with a languid aggression that really only comes from dogs who… like to eat. He’s trying to taste Turner’s lunch leftovers from a couple hours ago.
“What was your dream and your birthday wish?” I could have crushed him by telling him this dog wouldn’t be our dog, but I have an opportunity to peek inside his mind, and I will always, always take that.
His cheeks suddenly blush as he looks from Maeve to me, to the dog. “Oh, nothing.”
“Come on now. All that excitement, it has to be something pretty awesome. Did you wish for a dog for your birthday?”
He shakes his head, keeping his gaze focused on the dog enjoying all the attention. He’s embarrassed, but I don’t know why. “Okay, you can tell me later then.”
Maeve silences me with a look, then goes up on her toes so Turner can’t hear me. “You’ll
