Level Two. Experience.

Level Two. Experience.

By Michelle Lloyd.

New One and Lana were out for one of their walks.  It had been a lovely trip that had taken them to the nearby park and Lana in all her puppy passion had gotten a bit too eager to try scratching at every tree for a look at any wildlife that may have been about.

It had been a tremendous walk but it was getting late and as Dad explained Mum would not be too happy if they made it back muddy and later than planned.  They all agreed to make their way home and set about it.  A few minutes in and New One noticed that Lana was dragging her paws a bit.  He watched and saw her padding over towards another enticing tree, no doubt because of a stray furry animal she may have caught a glimpse of hanging out there.  New One knew he should call her back and continue following Dad but something in him wanted to give Lana that extra few minutes walk time.  As Dad got further and further away New One started to dawdle a bit himself and then ran over to where Lana had gotten herself sniff scratch and almost super glued with interest to a tree.

It was a bit of chaotic time that ensued as New One went over to get Lana who then started to run after a furry park inhabitant.  New One heard his Dad calling for them but instead of shouting back to him where they were he felt his priority was with Lana, who needed him.  He followed his puppy all the way through most of the park and by the time she stopped and he could pause for breath, it had gotten scarily dark and they were much further off the path to the car park than New One had realised.

It took a few doggy sneezes and shakes and for New One to get Lana back on her lead before the panic started to settle in.  Poor Lana looked at New One with a glum kind of guilty expression.  New One heard the calls out for him but decided that rather than shout for his Dad to find them and no doubt tell them off, he could get them back to the car himself.  It would be fine!  He knew what he was doing.  He could look after Lana and himself.  At least that way when they got back to the car park it could look like the delay on their part was totally deliberate and less like they had done anything wrong.

At least that had been the plan.  New One started off wandering down the nearest home looking like patch of grass…Lana at his side, they both attempted a car park retreat.  Only as they walked the surroundings looked less and less familiar but New One still did not want to admit defeat.  Instead on they went and even when Lana started to whine and whinge New One felt that avoiding the telling off from Dad and probably later Mum would be worth it.

It had gotten very dark by the time New One and Lana, tired and weary, sat on the damp grass.  He could not have felt worse and there were no shouts out for either of them.  New One started to feel bad about not telling his Dad where they had been and instead of feeling like he should get them back himself would have been sooo glad to hear his Dad’s voice again…  As he started to feel the tears come on, that was the moment when Lana dog pricked up her ears, in that motion she did when she had heard something of interest.  New One sure hoped that it was not another furry animal that had got her ears up like that and a few beats of his heart later he found out exactly what it was that she had heard.

Dad took New One and Lana aside and after quite a lecture about how silly they had been, finally they could go home.  Mum was not any less angry and both Lana and New One had to agree that what she said did make sense.  Even after having explained that he had only been doing what he thought was right, New One heard in his own voice the doubt he had about his explanation.  Trying to avoid a telling off had put them in serious danger.  New One did feel ashamed and his parents, after a little time, seemed to appreciate how sad both Lana and he were about what had happened.  The experience they explained to him had been an important one and that as long as he used that to build on his understanding of what to do and what not to do, then at least that would have been something for him from which to have learnt.  It was not the error in judgement but more what he did about it that could be the difference between danger and safety.