This afternoon, as the sun broke through at the end of a rainy and cloudy day, I took Red and Lenore out for a long walk on a hill near the farmhouse. It was quiet and beautiful. Sometimes cars and trucks come around the bend. “Stop,” I will say and the dogs will lie down where they are, or “Lie Down,” which means to freeze and lie down in place. This, in case, the dogs are too far ahead of me to call back. Cars and trucks can see the dogs from a good distance, but so many people do not slow down at all. “Come now” means run quickly to me and then sit and stay in place.

The dogs are wonderfully responsive to this protocol, now when they hear a car or truck – usually before I do- they turn and come to me, sometimes just sit down and wait. In the country, we can walk our dogs off leash on country roads, it is a beautiful thing. But even here, it demands vigilance and training. Lenore and Red get it, I trust them almost anywhere. Red always responds, Lenore might take a second or two if her nose is onto something.