Zoé
Chapter 4: Walking on a leash, a real challenge!
Zoé wants to teach Moka to walk on a leash, but it's not so simple! How can she teach him?
Reading difficulty
Zoé wants to walk Moka with her new leash. She's very happy!
"Are you ready, Moka?" she said, taking the harness.
Moka wags his tail. He jumps around. Zoé opens the door.
But Moka stops abruptly. He doesn't want to go out.
He lowers his ears. He's afraid.
"Come on, let's go!" said Zoé.
Moka doesn't move. Mom says, "He might be scared. Encourage him gently."
Zoé squatted down. "Come on, Moka! It's lovely outside!"
Moka hesitates. Then he takes a few small steps.
But suddenly, everything changes! Moka starts shooting very hard! He runs everywhere. Right, left. He sniffs, then takes off again like a rocket.
"Not so fast!" Zoé shouts.
Moka doesn't listen. He pulls, he stops, he starts again. Zoé struggles to keep up. Her arm hurts.
Then Moka sees a jogger. He wants to run after him!
"Moka, no!" Zoé shouts.
The jogger stops and laughs. "Your dog has a lot of energy!"
Zoé goes home. She is sad.
"It was too hard," she said.
Mom says, "Training a dog takes time. Nobody succeeds on the first try."
In the evening, they search on the Internet.
"Look! There's a learning group in the park on Wednesdays!"
The following Wednesday, Zoé and Moka went to the group. There were other children with their dogs. Some were pulling too. Others didn't want to move forward. Zoé felt less alone!
A woman, Madame Leroy, teaches them how to do it. "When he pulls, you stop. When he walks well, you praise him."
First times are difficult. Moka learns, but he forgets quickly.
But after several Wednesdays, something changes. Moka no longer pulls! He walks well next to Zoé.
"He understood!" said Zoé, very proudly.
Now, Zoé and Moka go to the group every Wednesday. They walk well together. Zoé talks with the other children.
One day, Mom said, "Look how good you two are together now!"
Zoé nods. "We're a real team!"
But soon, it's back to school. Zoé will be going back to school all day.
What will Moka do all alone at home while Zoé is in class?
"Are you ready, Moka?" she said, taking the harness.
Moka wags his tail. He jumps around. Zoé opens the door.
But Moka stops abruptly. He doesn't want to go out.
He lowers his ears. He's afraid.
"Come on, let's go!" said Zoé.
Moka doesn't move. Mom says, "He might be scared. Encourage him gently."
Zoé squatted down. "Come on, Moka! It's lovely outside!"
Moka hesitates. Then he takes a few small steps.
But suddenly, everything changes! Moka starts shooting very hard! He runs everywhere. Right, left. He sniffs, then takes off again like a rocket.
"Not so fast!" Zoé shouts.
Moka doesn't listen. He pulls, he stops, he starts again. Zoé struggles to keep up. Her arm hurts.
Then Moka sees a jogger. He wants to run after him!
"Moka, no!" Zoé shouts.
The jogger stops and laughs. "Your dog has a lot of energy!"
Zoé goes home. She is sad.
"It was too hard," she said.
Mom says, "Training a dog takes time. Nobody succeeds on the first try."
In the evening, they search on the Internet.
"Look! There's a learning group in the park on Wednesdays!"
The following Wednesday, Zoé and Moka went to the group. There were other children with their dogs. Some were pulling too. Others didn't want to move forward. Zoé felt less alone!
A woman, Madame Leroy, teaches them how to do it. "When he pulls, you stop. When he walks well, you praise him."
First times are difficult. Moka learns, but he forgets quickly.
But after several Wednesdays, something changes. Moka no longer pulls! He walks well next to Zoé.
"He understood!" said Zoé, very proudly.
Now, Zoé and Moka go to the group every Wednesday. They walk well together. Zoé talks with the other children.
One day, Mom said, "Look how good you two are together now!"
Zoé nods. "We're a real team!"
But soon, it's back to school. Zoé will be going back to school all day.
What will Moka do all alone at home while Zoé is in class?
Ever since Moka became part of the family, Zoé has been imagining the long walks they'll take together. She pictures herself walking proudly through the village streets, Moka trotting obediently by her side. Today is the big day: she's going to take him outside for the first time with his new leash.
"Are you ready, Moka?" she exclaimed joyfully, grabbing the navy blue harness.
The little dog wags its tail enthusiastically, hopping on the spot. Zoé carefully attaches the leash, checks that everything is properly adjusted, then opens the front door with a big smile.
But no sooner had she taken a step than Moka stopped dead in his tracks. He planted all four paws on the threshold and categorically refused to move forward. His ears flattened back, his tail lowered, and he raised his eyes to Zoé with worry.
"Come on, come here!" she encourages him, gently pulling on the leash.
But Moka remained frozen, like a stone statue. Tail down, body stiff, he didn't move an inch.
Zoé frowned, bewildered. "Why is he refusing to move forward?"
"Perhaps he's afraid of the outside world," suggests his mother, who is watching the scene. "Try to encourage him gently, without pulling on the leash."
Zoé crouches down to Moka's level, gently pats the ground and says in a reassuring voice: "Come on, Moka! You'll see, it's lovely outside!"
The little dog hesitated for a long time, scanning alternately Zoé and the street. Finally, he took a few timid steps forward.
Zoé smiled, relieved. But her relief was short-lived.
As soon as Moka gains a little confidence, his behavior changes completely! He suddenly starts pulling in all directions! He runs from one side of the sidewalk to the other, stops abruptly to sniff a bush, then takes off again like a rocket towards a post.
"Hey, not so fast!" exclaimed Zoé, caught off guard.
She tenses on the leash, trying to keep her balance. Moka is practically dragging her behind him. He pulls to the right to sniff a tree, then pivots sharply to the left, stops abruptly in front of a post, then takes off again. Zoé's arm is stretched taut, her shoulders are starting to ache.
"He's pulling way too hard!" she grumbles, casting a desperate look at her mother.
"That's normal, he doesn't know how to walk on a leash yet," explains the mother patiently. "He needs to be taught."
Zoé tries a new method: she stops abruptly every time Moka pulls too hard. At first, the little dog doesn't understand, but little by little, he starts to slow down a bit.
But just as Zoé regains some control, Moka spots a jogger running on the sidewalk. And without hesitation, he decides he must go and meet him!
"Moka, no!" Zoé shouts.
Luckily, the jogger stopped in time with a smile. "Your dog is full of energy!"
Zoé returns home discouraged, with the feeling that she has missed out on her first walk.
"Why was it so complicated?" she asked. "I tried, but he keeps pulling, he runs everywhere... I'll never manage it!"
His mother placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know, training a dog takes time. Nobody succeeds on the first try."
That same evening, Zoé did some research on the Internet with her mother.
"Look!" Zoé suddenly exclaimed. "There's a learning group in the park every Wednesday afternoon!"
The following Wednesday, Zoé and Moka went to their firstsession. Around them, several children are there with their dogs. Some are also pulling on their leashes, others refuse to move forward. Zoé feels less alone!
A dog trainer, Ms. Leroy, greets them with a warm smile. "Welcome! Here, we learn to walk on a leash while having fun!"
She explains the basics to them: "A dog must understand that you are the one guiding it. When it pulls too much, you stop. When it walks well, you praise it."
The first sessions are complicated. Moka learns, but he forgets quickly. Zoé has to repeat over and over again.
But after three or four Wednesdays, something changes. Moka no longer shoots; he walks beside her, his gaze fixed on her.
"That's incredible! He understood!" exclaims Zoé.
Ms. Leroy agrees. "Dogs are intelligent, but they need a good guide."
From that day on, Zoé and Moka joined the group every Wednesday. They walked in harmony, chatted with the other children. Moka became more social and Zoé felt more confident.
One day, his mother watched him with pride. "Look how good you two are together now!"
Zoé nods. "It wasn't easy... but now we're a real team!"
But something is going to change. School starts soon. Zoé will have to go back to school every day.
What will happen to Moka when Zoé is in class all day?
"Are you ready, Moka?" she exclaimed joyfully, grabbing the navy blue harness.
The little dog wags its tail enthusiastically, hopping on the spot. Zoé carefully attaches the leash, checks that everything is properly adjusted, then opens the front door with a big smile.
But no sooner had she taken a step than Moka stopped dead in his tracks. He planted all four paws on the threshold and categorically refused to move forward. His ears flattened back, his tail lowered, and he raised his eyes to Zoé with worry.
"Come on, come here!" she encourages him, gently pulling on the leash.
But Moka remained frozen, like a stone statue. Tail down, body stiff, he didn't move an inch.
Zoé frowned, bewildered. "Why is he refusing to move forward?"
"Perhaps he's afraid of the outside world," suggests his mother, who is watching the scene. "Try to encourage him gently, without pulling on the leash."
Zoé crouches down to Moka's level, gently pats the ground and says in a reassuring voice: "Come on, Moka! You'll see, it's lovely outside!"
The little dog hesitated for a long time, scanning alternately Zoé and the street. Finally, he took a few timid steps forward.
Zoé smiled, relieved. But her relief was short-lived.
As soon as Moka gains a little confidence, his behavior changes completely! He suddenly starts pulling in all directions! He runs from one side of the sidewalk to the other, stops abruptly to sniff a bush, then takes off again like a rocket towards a post.
"Hey, not so fast!" exclaimed Zoé, caught off guard.
She tenses on the leash, trying to keep her balance. Moka is practically dragging her behind him. He pulls to the right to sniff a tree, then pivots sharply to the left, stops abruptly in front of a post, then takes off again. Zoé's arm is stretched taut, her shoulders are starting to ache.
"He's pulling way too hard!" she grumbles, casting a desperate look at her mother.
"That's normal, he doesn't know how to walk on a leash yet," explains the mother patiently. "He needs to be taught."
Zoé tries a new method: she stops abruptly every time Moka pulls too hard. At first, the little dog doesn't understand, but little by little, he starts to slow down a bit.
But just as Zoé regains some control, Moka spots a jogger running on the sidewalk. And without hesitation, he decides he must go and meet him!
"Moka, no!" Zoé shouts.
Luckily, the jogger stopped in time with a smile. "Your dog is full of energy!"
Zoé returns home discouraged, with the feeling that she has missed out on her first walk.
"Why was it so complicated?" she asked. "I tried, but he keeps pulling, he runs everywhere... I'll never manage it!"
His mother placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know, training a dog takes time. Nobody succeeds on the first try."
That same evening, Zoé did some research on the Internet with her mother.
"Look!" Zoé suddenly exclaimed. "There's a learning group in the park every Wednesday afternoon!"
The following Wednesday, Zoé and Moka went to their firstsession. Around them, several children are there with their dogs. Some are also pulling on their leashes, others refuse to move forward. Zoé feels less alone!
A dog trainer, Ms. Leroy, greets them with a warm smile. "Welcome! Here, we learn to walk on a leash while having fun!"
She explains the basics to them: "A dog must understand that you are the one guiding it. When it pulls too much, you stop. When it walks well, you praise it."
The first sessions are complicated. Moka learns, but he forgets quickly. Zoé has to repeat over and over again.
But after three or four Wednesdays, something changes. Moka no longer shoots; he walks beside her, his gaze fixed on her.
"That's incredible! He understood!" exclaims Zoé.
Ms. Leroy agrees. "Dogs are intelligent, but they need a good guide."
From that day on, Zoé and Moka joined the group every Wednesday. They walked in harmony, chatted with the other children. Moka became more social and Zoé felt more confident.
One day, his mother watched him with pride. "Look how good you two are together now!"
Zoé nods. "It wasn't easy... but now we're a real team!"
But something is going to change. School starts soon. Zoé will have to go back to school every day.
What will happen to Moka when Zoé is in class all day?
Ever since Moka joined the family, Zoé has been excitedly imagining the long walks they'll take together. In her mind, she sees herself walking proudly through the village streets, Moka trotting obediently by her side, attracting admiring glances from passersby. She imagines exploring the paths of the municipal park, discovering new places, experiencing countless adventures alongside her faithful companion.
Today is the big day she's been waiting for: she's going to take it outside for the very first time with its brand new leash, the one she chose with her mom at the store. Her heart is pounding with anticipation.
"Are you ready, Moka?" she exclaims joyfully, grabbing the navy blue harness hanging from the coat rack in the entrance.
Sensing the excitement in her young owner's voice, the little dog wags her tail with boundless enthusiasm, hopping about with contagious energy. Zoé carefully attaches the leash to the harness, checks that everything is properly adjusted, then opens the front door with a big smile, ready to set off on her first official adventure, her heart swollen with anticipation and pride.
But no sooner had she taken a step onto the threshold than Moka stopped dead, as if petrified. He literally planted all four paws on the doorstep and categorically refused to move an inch. His ears flattened back, his tail dipped considerably, and he looked up at Zoé with eyes filled with palpable worry.
"Come on, come here!" she gently encourages, pulling slightly on the leash to encourage her to follow.
But Moka remained absolutely frozen, as if he had become a stone statue. Tail down, body stiff, he didn't move an inch, visibly terrified by this vast, unknown world stretching out before him.
Zoé frowned, taken aback by this totally unexpected reaction.
"Why is he refusing to move forward? I don't understand..."
“Perhaps he’s afraid of the outside world,” suggests his mother, watching the scene from the doorway with an understanding smile. “Don’t forget that Moka probably had some difficult experiences before coming to us. The outside world might seem threatening to him. Try to encourage him gently, without pulling on the leash, so as not to startle him.”
Zoé understands and adjusts her approach. She crouches down to Moka's level, gently taps the ground in front of her with her hand, and says in a warm and reassuring voice: "Come on, Moka! You'll see, it's really lovely outside! There are lots of interesting things to discover!"
The little dog hesitated for a long time, scanning alternately Zoé's encouraging face and the unfamiliar street stretching out before him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he took a few timid and cautious steps forward, as if walking on eggshells.
Zoé smiled broadly, relieved to see that Moka trusted her despite her fear. She stood up slowly, ready to begin the lovely walk she had so longed for.
But his relief is very short-lived.
As soon as Moka gains even a little confidence and realizes that the outside world isn't going to swallow him whole, his behavior changes completely. As if freed from an invisible weight, he suddenly starts pulling in absolutely every direction! He runs frantically from one side of the sidewalk to the other, zigzagging in a totally unpredictable way, stops abruptly to intensely sniff a particularly interesting bush, then takes off like a rocket toward a lamppost that has caught his attention.attention.
"Hey, not so fast!" exclaimed Zoé, completely taken by surprise.
She tenses on the leash, gripping the leather with all her might, desperately trying to keep her balance against this four-legged tornado. Moka seems to have completely forgotten she exists, or at least that she's attached to the other end of that leash.
He literally drags her behind him, as if she were nothing more than a cumbersome accessory. He veers sharply to the right to sniff a tree, then pivots abruptly to the left to observe a butterfly, stops dead in his tracks in front of a utility pole, then dashes forward again at full speed toward a new point of interest. Zoé's arm is stretched taut like a rope about to snap, her shoulders are beginning to ache, and she struggles to keep up with the frenetic pace set by her overexcited companion.
"He's pulling way too hard!" she grumbles, out of breath, casting a desperate look at her mother who is following them a few meters behind, visibly amused by the scene.
"That's perfectly normal, darling," her mother patiently reassured her. "He doesn't know how to walk properly on a leash yet. It's something that takes practice and training. You have to teach him gently, consistently, and repeatedly."
Zoé, determined not to give up, then tries a new method she vaguely heard about somewhere: she stops dead in her tracks and refuses to move forward every time Moka pulls too hard on the leash. At first, the little dog seems not to understand this sudden resistance, but little by little, after several successive stops, he begins to slow his frantic pace, vaguely realizing that there might be a link between his excessive pulling and these forced pauses.
Zoé is starting to regain hope. Maybe after all, it won't be so complicated!
But just as she begins to regain some control of the situation, to feel that they are finally finding an acceptable rhythm, Moka spots a jogger in the distance, running calmly on the opposite sidewalk. And without the slightest hesitation, without the smallest warning, he instantly decides that he absolutely must go and meet him, right there, right now, immediately!
"Moka, no!" Zoé shouts with all the authority she can muster in her voice.
But it's no use. Moka pulls with all her might on the leash, leaping towards the jogger with unwavering determination.
Fortunately, the jogger, used to enthusiastic dogs, stopped in time with an understanding smile. He chuckled softly as he watched the little girl struggle with her overexcited dog. "Your dog is really full of energy! You can tell he's still young and discovering the world."
Zoé sighed deeply, her face red with effort and slightly embarrassed. It all seemed so simple, so natural to the other owners she regularly passed in the neighborhood, strolling peacefully with their perfectly trained dogs.
She returns home completely discouraged, with the burning feeling that she has missed her first real walk with Moka.
"Why was it so complicated?" she asked her mother, wearily removing Moka's harness. "I really tried my best, but he keeps pulling, running around, stopping suddenly... I'll never manage! I'm just not cut out for this!"
Her mother tenderly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You know, my darling, raising a"Training a dog is a process that takes time, a lot of time, and an enormous amount of patience. No one, absolutely no one, gets it perfectly right the first time. Even professionals had to learn, and they made mistakes at the beginning."
That same evening, refusing to give up, Zoé conducted extensive research on the Internet with the help of her mother. They consulted specialized websites, watched educational videos, and read discussion forums.
"Look, Mom!" Zoé suddenly exclaimed with renewed hope. "There's a dog training group in the city park every Wednesday afternoon! They teach dogs how to walk on a leash!"
The following Wednesday, their hearts pounding with a new kind of anticipation mixed with apprehension, Zoé and Moka went to their first group session. The atmosphere was immediately reassuring.
Around them, she discovers several children her age accompanied by their dogs, all facing similar difficulties. Some dogs also pull frantically on their leashes, others stubbornly refuse to move forward, and a few bark excessively. Zoé instantly feels less alone, less inadequate. She's not the only one facing these challenges!
A professional dog trainer, Ms. Leroy, a woman with a warm smile and a soothing voice, welcomes them kindly. "Welcome everyone! Here, we learn to walk on a leash harmoniously, but above all, we have fun! Dog training should remain a shared pleasure."
She patiently explains the basic principles to them: "A dog must understand that you are the one guiding it. When it pulls, you stop. When it walks well, you praise it."
The first sessions remain complicated. Moka learns, but regularly forgets. Zoé has to repeat the same exercises over and over again.
But after three or four Wednesdays of consistent effort, something wonderful happens. Moka hardly pulls anymore. He walks calmly beside Zoé, his gaze fixed on her. A true bond develops.
"That's incredible! He really understood!" exclaims Zoé, her eyes shining with pride.
Ms. Leroy agrees. "Dogs are intelligent. But they need a patient and loving guide. And you are becoming that guide for Moka."
From that day on, Zoé and Moka joined the group every Wednesday. They walked in harmony, chatted with the other children. Moka became more social, and Zoé felt increasingly confident.
One day, their mother watched them with pride. "Look how good you are together! You really make a great team."
Zoé nods, stroking Moka. "It wasn't easy, I even wanted to give up... but now we're a real team!"
But a new challenge is approaching. Summer is coming to an end. School starts soon. In a few days, Zoé will have to go back to school.
And a worrying question begins to nag at him: what will become of Moka during those long hours he will be alone at home, without her? How will he react to this daily separation?
Today is the big day she's been waiting for: she's going to take it outside for the very first time with its brand new leash, the one she chose with her mom at the store. Her heart is pounding with anticipation.
"Are you ready, Moka?" she exclaims joyfully, grabbing the navy blue harness hanging from the coat rack in the entrance.
Sensing the excitement in her young owner's voice, the little dog wags her tail with boundless enthusiasm, hopping about with contagious energy. Zoé carefully attaches the leash to the harness, checks that everything is properly adjusted, then opens the front door with a big smile, ready to set off on her first official adventure, her heart swollen with anticipation and pride.
But no sooner had she taken a step onto the threshold than Moka stopped dead, as if petrified. He literally planted all four paws on the doorstep and categorically refused to move an inch. His ears flattened back, his tail dipped considerably, and he looked up at Zoé with eyes filled with palpable worry.
"Come on, come here!" she gently encourages, pulling slightly on the leash to encourage her to follow.
But Moka remained absolutely frozen, as if he had become a stone statue. Tail down, body stiff, he didn't move an inch, visibly terrified by this vast, unknown world stretching out before him.
Zoé frowned, taken aback by this totally unexpected reaction.
"Why is he refusing to move forward? I don't understand..."
“Perhaps he’s afraid of the outside world,” suggests his mother, watching the scene from the doorway with an understanding smile. “Don’t forget that Moka probably had some difficult experiences before coming to us. The outside world might seem threatening to him. Try to encourage him gently, without pulling on the leash, so as not to startle him.”
Zoé understands and adjusts her approach. She crouches down to Moka's level, gently taps the ground in front of her with her hand, and says in a warm and reassuring voice: "Come on, Moka! You'll see, it's really lovely outside! There are lots of interesting things to discover!"
The little dog hesitated for a long time, scanning alternately Zoé's encouraging face and the unfamiliar street stretching out before him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he took a few timid and cautious steps forward, as if walking on eggshells.
Zoé smiled broadly, relieved to see that Moka trusted her despite her fear. She stood up slowly, ready to begin the lovely walk she had so longed for.
But his relief is very short-lived.
As soon as Moka gains even a little confidence and realizes that the outside world isn't going to swallow him whole, his behavior changes completely. As if freed from an invisible weight, he suddenly starts pulling in absolutely every direction! He runs frantically from one side of the sidewalk to the other, zigzagging in a totally unpredictable way, stops abruptly to intensely sniff a particularly interesting bush, then takes off like a rocket toward a lamppost that has caught his attention.attention.
"Hey, not so fast!" exclaimed Zoé, completely taken by surprise.
She tenses on the leash, gripping the leather with all her might, desperately trying to keep her balance against this four-legged tornado. Moka seems to have completely forgotten she exists, or at least that she's attached to the other end of that leash.
He literally drags her behind him, as if she were nothing more than a cumbersome accessory. He veers sharply to the right to sniff a tree, then pivots abruptly to the left to observe a butterfly, stops dead in his tracks in front of a utility pole, then dashes forward again at full speed toward a new point of interest. Zoé's arm is stretched taut like a rope about to snap, her shoulders are beginning to ache, and she struggles to keep up with the frenetic pace set by her overexcited companion.
"He's pulling way too hard!" she grumbles, out of breath, casting a desperate look at her mother who is following them a few meters behind, visibly amused by the scene.
"That's perfectly normal, darling," her mother patiently reassured her. "He doesn't know how to walk properly on a leash yet. It's something that takes practice and training. You have to teach him gently, consistently, and repeatedly."
Zoé, determined not to give up, then tries a new method she vaguely heard about somewhere: she stops dead in her tracks and refuses to move forward every time Moka pulls too hard on the leash. At first, the little dog seems not to understand this sudden resistance, but little by little, after several successive stops, he begins to slow his frantic pace, vaguely realizing that there might be a link between his excessive pulling and these forced pauses.
Zoé is starting to regain hope. Maybe after all, it won't be so complicated!
But just as she begins to regain some control of the situation, to feel that they are finally finding an acceptable rhythm, Moka spots a jogger in the distance, running calmly on the opposite sidewalk. And without the slightest hesitation, without the smallest warning, he instantly decides that he absolutely must go and meet him, right there, right now, immediately!
"Moka, no!" Zoé shouts with all the authority she can muster in her voice.
But it's no use. Moka pulls with all her might on the leash, leaping towards the jogger with unwavering determination.
Fortunately, the jogger, used to enthusiastic dogs, stopped in time with an understanding smile. He chuckled softly as he watched the little girl struggle with her overexcited dog. "Your dog is really full of energy! You can tell he's still young and discovering the world."
Zoé sighed deeply, her face red with effort and slightly embarrassed. It all seemed so simple, so natural to the other owners she regularly passed in the neighborhood, strolling peacefully with their perfectly trained dogs.
She returns home completely discouraged, with the burning feeling that she has missed her first real walk with Moka.
"Why was it so complicated?" she asked her mother, wearily removing Moka's harness. "I really tried my best, but he keeps pulling, running around, stopping suddenly... I'll never manage! I'm just not cut out for this!"
Her mother tenderly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You know, my darling, raising a"Training a dog is a process that takes time, a lot of time, and an enormous amount of patience. No one, absolutely no one, gets it perfectly right the first time. Even professionals had to learn, and they made mistakes at the beginning."
That same evening, refusing to give up, Zoé conducted extensive research on the Internet with the help of her mother. They consulted specialized websites, watched educational videos, and read discussion forums.
"Look, Mom!" Zoé suddenly exclaimed with renewed hope. "There's a dog training group in the city park every Wednesday afternoon! They teach dogs how to walk on a leash!"
The following Wednesday, their hearts pounding with a new kind of anticipation mixed with apprehension, Zoé and Moka went to their first group session. The atmosphere was immediately reassuring.
Around them, she discovers several children her age accompanied by their dogs, all facing similar difficulties. Some dogs also pull frantically on their leashes, others stubbornly refuse to move forward, and a few bark excessively. Zoé instantly feels less alone, less inadequate. She's not the only one facing these challenges!
A professional dog trainer, Ms. Leroy, a woman with a warm smile and a soothing voice, welcomes them kindly. "Welcome everyone! Here, we learn to walk on a leash harmoniously, but above all, we have fun! Dog training should remain a shared pleasure."
She patiently explains the basic principles to them: "A dog must understand that you are the one guiding it. When it pulls, you stop. When it walks well, you praise it."
The first sessions remain complicated. Moka learns, but regularly forgets. Zoé has to repeat the same exercises over and over again.
But after three or four Wednesdays of consistent effort, something wonderful happens. Moka hardly pulls anymore. He walks calmly beside Zoé, his gaze fixed on her. A true bond develops.
"That's incredible! He really understood!" exclaims Zoé, her eyes shining with pride.
Ms. Leroy agrees. "Dogs are intelligent. But they need a patient and loving guide. And you are becoming that guide for Moka."
From that day on, Zoé and Moka joined the group every Wednesday. They walked in harmony, chatted with the other children. Moka became more social, and Zoé felt increasingly confident.
One day, their mother watched them with pride. "Look how good you are together! You really make a great team."
Zoé nods, stroking Moka. "It wasn't easy, I even wanted to give up... but now we're a real team!"
But a new challenge is approaching. Summer is coming to an end. School starts soon. In a few days, Zoé will have to go back to school.
And a worrying question begins to nag at him: what will become of Moka during those long hours he will be alone at home, without her? How will he react to this daily separation?