Chapter 133: Darkness Before the Eyes, Darker and Darker Still

The first step was to have the owner remove this spoiled, overgrown "baby" of a dog from her arms. Perhaps because Aunt Liu’s presence had been so imposing, the owner, Su Xian, followed Zhang Congwen’s instruction without a moment’s hesitation and set the Shih Tzu down on the floor.

Yet, not even ten seconds had passed before the Shih Tzu began to bark in protest.

Seeing this, Zhang Congwen asked, "Would you like to try stopping it?"

Su Xian’s response left Zhang Congwen feeling as though the world had gone dark: "My husband is better at this; why don’t I let him do it? I don’t really manage the dog much."

"..."

*It’s precisely because you don’t manage the dog and have let it run wild that it ended up like this!* At such a critical juncture, how could she still be unwilling to take responsibility?

Before Zhang Congwen could speak, Aunt Liu chimed in with a sharp, sarcastic edge: "Why doesn’t the mother try to manage the dog herself? Is it because you like the dog more than your child?"

Flushed with embarrassment, Su Xian tried to defend herself: "I don’t know if I can do it right..."

This statement stunned not only Zhang Congwen but also Aunt Liu. Her own child was nearly bitten by the dog, and yet the mother was still fretting about whether she could "do it right"? Even if she couldn't, she could at least try! But she wouldn't even attempt it. What kind of unbelievable parent was this?

Seeing that Aunt Liu was about to lose her temper, Zhu Qingyan quickly shot her a warning look. Having spent enough time with Aunt Liu to understand her temperament, she knew that if she spoke again, the situation would turn ugly. She quickly interjected, "Whether you can do it well or not, you have to try. You’ll never know until you do."

Zhang Congwen added firmly, "You must be the one to train the dog this time. If you don't cooperate, I can't proceed. Regardless of my own abilities, you should realize one thing: if things continue this way, there will definitely come a day when your daughter is bitten again."

Under Zhang Congwen’s persistent insistence, the owner finally agreed.

However, Zhang Congwen felt like he was losing his mind for the umpteenth time. The way the owner attempted to stop the dog left him speechless for a long moment: she didn't even stand up, but simply sat on the sofa, lazily calling the Shih Tzu’s name and saying, "Nobody’s there, stop barking."

*Stop barking?*

It would be a miracle if that actually worked! Was this supposed to be "stopping" the behavior? What nonsense! It was no wonder the Shih Tzu feared the husband but treated the wife with such flagrant disregard.

With this kind of approach, even a maggot would become unruly.

Yet, Su Xian didn't think there was anything wrong with her method; she looked at Zhang Congwen with an innocent expression, as if to say, "See? I tried to stop it, and it didn't do a thing."

It took a full five seconds for Zhang Congwen’s brain to process what had just happened and find his voice. "That’s not how it works. Do you really think just saying a few words will make the dog listen to you and follow your instructions?"

Su Xian’s next remark was even more absurd: "It never listens to me anyway."

Zhang Congwen felt lightheaded from a lack of oxygen. *If you know it won't listen to you, why do you even bother doing it that way?*

He took a deep breath, trying to soften his tone. "Since you know that won't work, let's try a different approach. Stand up and try pushing it away."

At first, the owner was reluctant, but under Zhang Congwen’s firm insistence, she eventually complied. However, while her position changed from sitting to standing, she still behaved as if she were pleading with the dog, trying to reason with it as if she could win it over with logic.

Zhang Congwen hadn't expected that he would need to provide psychological counseling just to get an owner to stop a dog from barking. Unable to watch this any longer, he cut her off. "Don't speak. Don't say a word! Just use your foot to nudge it away."

"Isn't that hitting the dog?" Su Xian immediately retorted.

Zhang Congwen took another deep breath and patiently explained, "You don't need much force; just use your foot to push it aside."

Su Xian finally understood and reluctantly agreed. Yet, the nudge was so light and her movement so slow, as if she were terrified of causing the dog any discomfort. Before her foot even touched the Shih Tzu, it leaped back onto the sofa.

"Get it off the sofa," Zhang Congwen ordered.

This time, Su Xian listened, but she misunderstood again, reaching out to scoop the dog up.

"Not by hand," Zhang Congwen corrected. "Use your hand to push it down."

Perhaps frustrated by the constant instructions, Su Xian dropped her indecisive attitude and finally pushed the Shih Tzu off the sofa. It didn't take much effort or trouble; a couple of firm shoves and the dog was off the furniture. It didn't even let out another bark.

"Do you notice anything?" Zhang Congwen asked.

Su Xian, still oblivious to the change in her dog, shook her head in confusion.

Zhang Congwen sighed, patiently explaining, "Dogs are very good at reading body language. Once your attitude became firm, it immediately shut its mouth and didn't dare make another sound."

Only then did the realization dawn on Su Xian. She looked at her Shih Tzu, and the dog, after meeting her eyes for a brief moment, slunk away to its bed, where it began to watch everyone with cautious, furtive glances.

Striking while the iron was hot, Zhang Congwen had the owner call over the family's dachshund and pick it up. The moment she said the dachshund’s name, the Shih Tzu bolted over, positioning itself between the dachshund and the owner, attempting to reclaim her attention as it had done before.

"Drive it away," Zhang Congwen commanded.

Now understanding the drill, Su Xian didn't hesitate with light taps; a few firm movements with her feet sent the Shih Tzu retreating to its bed.

Seeing that Su Xian finally grasped the situation, Zhang Congwen had her perform more provocative actions. He instructed her to pet the dachshund right next to the Shih Tzu's bed, directly in its view. If the Shih Tzu dared to rush over, she was to immediately drive it back. Having mastered the essentials, Su Xian performed well. Every time the Shih Tzu tried to charge, it was ruthlessly sent back.

Witnessing the change in the Shih Tzu, Su Xian’s own mindset began to shift. From her initial resistance to training, she gradually began to appreciate its benefits.

Once the training session was nearing its end, Zhang Congwen explained the family hierarchy as perceived by the dog, and why that dynamic had caused it to become the way it was. It was simple: the Shih Tzu acted out to prove its status was higher than the child's and the dachshund's. That was why it felt threatened whenever they approached the owner and would act out in aggression.

"You must never be soft-hearted with this dog," he warned. He added that the issue could not be corrected overnight and required long-term consistency. It would be best to keep the two dogs separated for better results.

Out of professional conscience, Zhang Congwen offered a final piece of advice: whenever the child was eating, both dogs must be kept in their crates. This was