Dog Park

By Kathryn Kazoleas

Gibson the labradoodle is about to begin her first day of training to become a dog park ambassador, something she has been dreaming about her entire life. Dog park ambassadors hold a very high honour within the dog park community and have many important roles to make sure the dog park is a fun and safe place to be. She has so many great ideas and cannot wait to get started.

While Gibson is training alongside lead ambassador and trainer, Meistro the bulldog, things don’t go as planned. Gibson meets challenge after challenge and isn’t allowed to introduce any of her new ideas. Being a dog park ambassador isn’t what she thought it would be so she starts to question whether the role is really for her.

At the end of her very first training shift, and just as she’s about to give up and tell Meistro she isn’t cut out to be a dog park ambassador after all, there’s an emergency at the river. One of the dog park’s new puppies, Clover, has swam too far out and cannot get back to shore. Gibson’s best friend and greatest supporter Stretch the dachshund, convinces her she has to go help. Gibson springs into action, with Stretch at her side and encouraging her the entire time. Gibson saves the day...almost!

Having been swept downstream and far away from the dog park, Gibson is forced to lead the trio back to safety. There’s only one way back and it’s through a dark forest with strange sounds and smells. The sun is starting to go down and everybody is tired and scared. But, Gibson knows she has to get her friends back home, despite what, or who, gets in her way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kathryn Kazoleas
• Release date: Oct 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781777426101

Kathryn Kazoleas

Kathryn Kazoleas is based in Alberta, Canada. She is owned by her easy going and fun loving dog Koa, and her mischievous and cuddly cat Keeva.

Book preview

Dog Park

By Kathryn Kazoleas

Copyright 2020 Kathryn Kazoleas

Smashwords Edition

Licensing Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re sold. This ebook, or excerpts from this ebook, may not be reproduced or copied in any form without first obtaining permission from the author. Thank you for your support.

Cover:

Image: iStock.com/S-S-S

Cover Design: Andrew Sloniowski

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

About the Author

Sneak Peak: Dog Daycare

Chapter 1

It was a bright and sunny day as Gibson rode in the passenger seat of the silver car. Her head hung out the window as the warm breeze blew across her face, whipping her ears up and out to either side of her head like the wings of an airplane. The sensation was exhilarating. Closing her eyes, she drew her lips back in a smile as she let herself imagine she was flying. Her back feet stood on the soft seat while her front paws perched on the window sill. As the vehicle turned the corners sharply, she dug down with her claws to balance herself. The car veered to the right, and then to the left. She always loved this part. She smiled and let her long, pink tongue flap around in the wind. For some reason this always made her human, Tyler, laugh. She didn’t mind though. He always gave her a back scratch when he laughed.

The car engine began to quiet and as it did, Gibson stretched her neck out the window as far as she could. Squinting her eyes to block out the bright sun, she could see dogs running up and down the open fields. She perked up her ears and could begin to make out the enthusiastic voices of her friends as they playfully chased after each other. With a large, deep inhale, she basked in the many wonderful scents that rushed towards her as the car drew closer to the dog park: the rabbits, the squirrels, ah she couldn’t wait.

Here I come! She yelled out the window, her body vibrating with excitement.

Come play ball! One of her friends yelled off in the distance.

I’m almost there! She called back. Right!? She turned to Tyler, her feet sliding off the window sill and landing on the seat. We’re almost there?!

Oh Gibs, Tyler said playfully as he reached over and ruffled the soft golden curls on her back again. You always do get everyone riled up, don’t you?

When she felt the car come to a complete stop, out of pure excitement, she launched herself towards Tyler, wiping her long pink tongue across his face before sitting back against the warm seat. She could feel her bottom bounce up and down as she waited impatiently for the car door to open.

Tyler didn’t know it, but today was an important day and one that she had been looking forward to for a very long time. Each week, the regular pack at the dog park delegated a dog park ambassador. It was a job that held a very high honour within the dog park community. Dog park ambassadors were to make sure all the dogs at the park got along, and that all the humans felt welcomed so they would bring their dogs back. As ambassadors, they were to intervene in any disagreements between dogs, explain the rules to the new dogs and puppies, and were to greet the humans to welcome them to the park.

Gibson had been asking to get involved for months now, but the committee always told her they didn’t need any more ambassadors. But finally, her persistence paid off and they agreed to let her start training. Today was her first day.

Gibson had been up all night thinking about how she would teach the puppies the importance of not jumping on older dogs. She would run up to all the humans, wag her tail and let them pet her. The night before she had even rolled in some mud so Tyler would give her a bath. Although Gibson didn’t really understand what all the fuss over the smell of shampoo and clean fur was about, she knew the humans liked it.

As she imagined the happy faces of the humans petting her, she thought that maybe she would even let them throw a ball for her so they could see what a fun and friendly place the park was. And while she was to intervene should anyone steal a ball that wasn’t theirs, she knew that all she would have to do was to politely explain the dog park ball rules: the one who brought the ball gets first dibs on retrieving it but all dogs could chase it. The ideas rolled through Gibson’s mind and her excitement to start in her new role grew. The committee had given her specifics instructions to wait for lead ambassador and ambassador trainer, Meistro, but she knew that once he saw her in action, she wouldn’t require much training. She. Was. Ready!

When the car door opened, her excitement propelled her off the seat and she ran into the lush green field. Several large, leafy trees stood tall and proud, providing some much needed shade for some of the furrier dogs.