Chapter Fifteen: Refusing to Accept Reality

"What do you mean by that?" Chen Na asked directly, her tone somewhat unfriendly.

"I've been watching how you interact and play with Andy, and I've noticed several times that Andy shows signs of reluctance. But you ignore his needs entirely and just do as you please," Zhang Congwen replied seriously, even dropping the formal address in his speech.

"I'm playing with him because I like him. Is that wrong? And he's my dog; I don't see any reluctance from him," Chen Na retorted immediately.

Zhang Congwen pointed out each issue, "When you lift his front legs, he often pretends to bite you—that's a clear example."

Chen Na dismissed it, "That's just him playing with me."

Zhang Congwen shook his head and replied in one breath, "That's not play—he's expressing his unwillingness. He doesn't want to hurt you, so he only pretends to bite. And when you arrange him in various poses and he whines, that's not him being coy, it's him begging for mercy. Besides, when you hold him in your arms, he often struggles. You can't say that's play or affection, can you?"

"That…" Chen Na was at a loss for words. The first two actions could still be explained away as playfulness or affection, but she couldn't find a good reason for the struggling. The only consolation was that Andy's struggles were usually mild, so she always assumed her beloved Alaskan Malamute was just a little uncomfortable, but still within an acceptable range—so she ignored it.

"Even so, that doesn't prove I'm stressing him out. I've never hit or scolded him, so where would the pressure come from?" As she realized she couldn't win the argument, Chen Na quickly shifted the topic.

Zhang Congwen shook his head again. "It's not only hitting or scolding that causes stress. For example, you insist he stays by your side at all times, always under your watchful eye; that's also a kind of pressure. It's like some parents who, no matter how old their children are, must keep them under constant supervision and don't let them live independently. That too creates pressure."

In truth, Zhang Congwen didn't like using human analogies when training dogs, because dogs and humans are fundamentally different—dogs shouldn't be treated as if they were people. Yet, sometimes he had no choice, as it made things easier for people to understand and relate to.

"So what? I haven't noticed any problems with Andy," Chen Na argued stubbornly.

"A normal…" Zhang Congwen started to say "a normal dog," but then remembered Chen Na disliked anyone calling her dog a 'dog.' After a moment's thought, he managed to find another phrasing. "A creature like Andy should be free and relaxed at home, sometimes playing or running around on his own. But from what I've observed during my visits, Andy's attention never leaves you. He shows no interest even in strangers like us. That says a lot."

"You told me before that Andy is reluctant to come home after going out. The reason is simple—he knows that once he's home, he'll have to suppress his instincts. Only outside can he truly relieve his stress. Still, for a creature like Andy, constantly under pressure, a walk isn't enough to relieve it. That's why he bit someone at the Peace Wetlands Park yesterday—it was a way to vent his stress."

"Are you saying Andy bit that little girl to relieve his stress? That's impossible. Clearly, the little girl provoked him. Andy is so well-behaved; he would never bite someone unprovoked," Chen Na objected immediately, refusing to believe Zhang Congwen and insisting the problem was with the little girl.

"Were you there to see it?" Zhu Qingyan, who had been quietly listening like a delicate flower, was actually quite upset. As a fellow dog owner, Zhu Qingyan believed that no matter the circumstances, if her dog bit someone, it was her dog's fault—and her own for failing to supervise. At best, outsiders could be assigned secondary responsibility.

She couldn't stand people like Chen Na, who insisted on shifting blame onto others.

Faced with Zhu Qingyan's somewhat unfriendly tone, Chen Na remembered she was an acquaintance introduced by her husband's friend Wang Duoxian, so she curbed her temper and replied honestly with a frown, "Andy ran too fast that day. I couldn't keep up. I didn't actually see what happened."

Hearing this, Zhu Qingyan grew even angrier. Chen Na hadn't even seen what happened, yet she insisted it was the girl's fault, showing not a hint of remorse.

Sensing an argument brewing, Zhang Congwen quickly interjected before Zhu Qingyan could speak again. "It's not just the little girl. Your daughter is in the same situation."

"Impossible. How could Andy bite his little sister out of stress?" Chen Na immediately refuted, not believing a word. But halfway through, her voice faltered—after all, the fact that Andy had bitten her daughter was undeniable.

Zhang Congwen felt a headache coming on, finding communication nearly impossible.

In the end, he switched tactics to prove his point. "Do the other members of your family interact with Andy the same way you do?"

Seeing that Zhang Congwen had dropped the biting incident for now, Chen Na regained her composure. "No. Only my daughter likes to play with Andy. My husband doesn't care much for him, and only occasionally teases him. The elders in the family have always had reservations about keeping Andy, so they don't like him much."

"Then ask your family what Andy is like when you're not home," Zhang Congwen suggested. Fortunately, her family wasn't like her, or things would have been much more difficult.

Chen Na quickly took out her phone and texted her husband. The reply came swiftly. Zhang Congwen couldn't see the message, but from Chen Na's surprised expression, he could guess its content.

As a housewife, Chen Na spent most of her time with Andy and was rarely away, so she always assumed Andy was the same whether she was home or not.

Only after reading her husband's reply did she realize things were not as she thought. In her absence, her Alaskan Malamute would behave as Zhang Congwen described—relaxed, wandering and playing freely around the house.

Even then, Chen Na refused to accept the truth, endlessly searching for excuses in her heart.

Zhang Congwen sighed inwardly. He had said all there was to say. Andy's future depended on Chen Na's willingness to change. After all, he trained dogs, not people.

Besides, Andy had already grown accustomed to living under his mistress's gaze; seeing change would not be easy.

So he suggested, "Why don't we take Andy outside for a walk and observe his behavior outdoors?"