The Dog Who Barked at Gates

Zuri walked dogs for her job. Every morning she took six dogs to the park. Five of them were easy. The sixth was Biko.

Biko was a big brown dog. He pulled hard on his lead. He barked at bikes, at gates, and at birds. Last week he pulled Zuri onto the grass. Her knee hurt for two days.

On Monday, Marek asked Zuri to come to his office. Marek owned the dog company. He sat behind a small desk with a worried face.

"Biko's owner sent me a message," Marek said. "She asks how he is."

"What do I tell her?" Zuri asked.

"Tell her he is too hard," Marek said. "Then we stop. You get an easy job."

Zuri did not answer. She thought about Biko at the park gate. His legs shook and his eyes were wide. He did not look bad to her. He looked afraid.

"Give me one week," she said. "I walk him alone, very early."

Marek looked at her for a long time. "One week," he said. "Then you tell her the truth."

That night, Zuri sat in her kitchen. She wrote a plan on a piece of paper. Go slow. Stay calm. Take cheese. She put the paper next to her keys.

On Tuesday, she came to Biko's house at six o'clock. The street was quiet. The park was empty. She put cheese in her pocket.

Biko pulled at first. Zuri stopped and stood still. She did not shout. When the lead went loose, she gave him cheese. They walked ten steps. Then they stopped again.

Her arm was sore and her coffee was cold. She wanted to go home. But Biko sat and looked at her, and she stayed.

The five easy dogs waited at home. Their owners sent short, cross messages. Zuri walked them late that day. She did not like it. But she did not change her plan.

On Wednesday, a boy rode past on a bike. Biko barked once. Zuri gave him cheese and said his name softly. He looked at her, not at the bike.

On Wednesday night, Marek called her. "Is it working?" he asked.

"A little," Zuri said. "He is slow, but he tries."

"My other clients are cross," Marek said. "I need good news."

"You get it on Friday," she said.

On Thursday, they walked to the gate. Biko stopped. His legs shook. Zuri sat down on the path beside him. She waited. After a minute, he sat down too. Then he walked through the gate with her.

On Friday, Biko walked next to her around the park. The lead stayed loose. He barked at one bird, and that was all.

At seven o'clock, Zuri sat on a bench. Biko put his big head on her shoe. She took out her phone and wrote to his owner.

"Biko is not a bad dog," she wrote. "He is afraid of noise. We walk early. He learns fast. Please let me keep him."

She pressed the button to send it. Her hands shook a little. Then she called Marek.

"Well?" he asked.

"I tell her the truth," Zuri said. "Biko stays on my list."

Marek laughed a little. "Then walk him on Monday," he said. "Same time."

Zuri stood up and held the lead. Biko stood up too.

"Come on, Biko," she said. "We have five more dogs to meet."