Chapter 117: Unexpected Praise

“Dogs are supposed to be colorblind, right? How can they be sensitive to colors?” Song Jiawei asked, puzzled.

Zhang Congwen rolled his eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed, but still explained, “It’s true that dogs are colorblind, but they’re not blind. They can still distinguish the most basic colors, like black and white.”

Song Jiawei pondered, “So if a yellow dog bit it, would it not be able to tell the difference?”

Zhang Congwen didn’t want to waste time talking to someone so clueless and instead said to Tong Chaoren, “Since the main issue is with the dog itself, let’s go outside to some places where there are more dogs and observe.”

The three of them quickly sprang into action, preparing to take the Great Dane out.

But when Tong Chaoren pulled out the leash, Zhang Congwen immediately stopped him.

The leash was very short—shorter even than the length of the Great Dane itself.

Zhang Congwen asked, “Do you have a longer leash?”

Tong Chaoren shook his head. “No, I don’t. I was worried it might cause trouble outside, so I threw away all the longer leashes. Right now, I only have this short one at home.”

Zhang Congwen explained, “You really should use a longer leash. Giving the dog more room to move will actually help it become more stable. Walking a dog isn’t just about burning its energy; it’s also about relieving stress and giving it some entertainment time. Using a short leash restricts its space and doesn’t help release its tension at all.”

Just as Zhang Congwen was about to ask Song Jiawei to fetch their own leash from the car, Song Jiawei eagerly brought one over.

After fitting the leash on the Great Dane, another problem arose.

Zhang Congwen noticed that the dog strongly resisted wearing a muzzle. Tong Chaoren tried several times to put it on, but the dog just turned its head to avoid it.

Looking at the muzzle, Zhang Congwen said, “Go back to the car and bring the largest muzzle as well.”

Then he explained, “This muzzle is too small, especially now that the weather is warming up. Dogs sweat through their tongues and paws, and such a small muzzle will prevent it from releasing heat. Over time, it will come to dislike wearing the muzzle. Forcing it to wear this small muzzle could even cause heatstroke or fainting.”

The more Zhang Congwen learned about the Great Dane’s living conditions, the more he realized the dog was under considerable stress.

Although it lived in a villa with a yard, its life was more like that of a prisoner, confined with nowhere to go. Despite the good living conditions, the dog’s long-term accumulated stress, with no outlet, would eventually erupt through extreme behaviors.

So Zhang Congwen changed his plan and, putting the dog walking on hold, told Tong Chaoren, “The problem isn’t just the dog’s training—you also need to improve its living environment.”

Pointing to the fence, Zhang Congwen said, “Your yard is actually suitable for raising a large dog like this. But there are a few things you need to fix. The fence is too low and not sturdy enough. You need to replace and raise it. Ideally, it should block the dog’s view of the outside world to reduce external stimuli. Then you won’t have to keep it tethered all day; just let it play freely in the yard.”

Seeing Song Jiawei bring the muzzle, Zhang Congwen added, “Choosing a muzzle isn’t just about whether it fits. You also have to make sure the dog can open its mouth comfortably inside.”

He demonstrated by holding the muzzle himself.

To help the Great Dane adapt more quickly to the new muzzle, Zhang Congwen placed treats at one end of it, so the dog had to put its mouth inside to get the snacks.

This was to build positive associations with the muzzle and reduce its resistance to wearing it.

After several rounds of training, Zhang Congwen began trying to put the muzzle on the dog.

He took it off shortly after putting it on each time. After repeating this process several times, the Great Dane clearly grew accustomed to the muzzle and no longer resisted.

Once everything was ready, Zhang Congwen led the Great Dane out of the yard.

As soon as they stepped outside, the dog bolted forward.

Zhang Congwen planted his feet firmly and stopped, pulling the dog back beside him.

After several repetitions, the dog finally relaxed, and Zhang Congwen continued walking with it.

They reached an open area with few people, and Zhang Congwen stopped again.

This wasn’t because the dog was about to bolt, but rather because he wanted to play with it there, allowing the dog to be in a very relaxed state for training.

This also helped rekindle its excitement, so he could then calm it down through training.

The playtime lasted only about ten minutes before Zhang Congwen found a spot to sit.

The Great Dane naturally lay down on the ground.

Tong Chaoren looked surprised.

When he had taken the dog out before, it was always overly excited and never so calm and quiet.

However, this calmness didn’t last long.

A golden retriever appeared in the distance.

Even though it was still far away, the Great Dane instantly became excited and tried to run toward the golden retriever.

Zhang Congwen grabbed the leash immediately.

But the dog’s strength was so great that even sitting down, it pulled Zhang Congwen up.

He struggled to control the leash and almost lost his footing.

Seeing Tong Chaoren about to scold the dog, Zhang Congwen quickly said, “Don’t. Don’t scold it.”

“Good boy, well done,” he said instead.

No one expected Zhang Congwen not only to prevent Tong Chaoren from reprimanding the dog but also to start praising it.

Even Song Jiawei didn’t understand what Zhang Congwen was trying to do.

Though the dog had calmed down, the earlier scene nearly knocked Zhang Congwen to the ground.

Luckily, he was physically strong; otherwise, he would have been thrown off balance.

Wouldn’t such a serious incident call for scolding the dog?

Noticing their confusion, Zhang Congwen explained, “The dog didn’t actually chase after the other dog. In situations like this, the owner must remain absolutely calm to help the excited dog settle down quickly. The more agitated the owner becomes, the more excited the dog gets. Dogs often misunderstand their owner’s emotions when excited, so staying calm is the best choice.”

He continued, “At first, you called this Great Dane a vicious dog, but from what I observe, it’s not. It just lacks socialization training and doesn’t know how to interact properly with other dogs. That’s why some behaviors appear aggressive. It’s not just you thinking this; other dogs think so too, which causes frequent conflicts. In reality, it just wants to play with the other dogs.”

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Congwen added, “Let’s end today’s training here. Regular walks are fine now, but the next thing to address is the dog’s socialization. This kind of training requires cooperation from other dogs too. I’ll prepare for it and notify you in a few days.”