There’s a dog on my mail delivery route who has, for the past year, approached me with a mixed message. He’ll bring a ball or stick and lay it at my feet. But as soon as I make the tiniest move towards the toy, he snatches it up and hops away. I never pressed the issue. “No? Okay then.” He’d repeat that three or four times. “Throw it for you? No? Alright.” Then, having his fill of testing me for the day, he’d walk back to the house.
Last week, he lay the ball at my feet and… took a step back. I picked up the ball. He looked at me with a bit of residual doubt about trusting this stranger. But I threw it immediately. He caught it and, satisfied that I had not betrayed his trust, walked back to the house.
I love this job.