Chapter 28: The Battle Between Man and Dog

After being clawed a few times by the tiger dog, the muzzle began to loosen. The Xie siblings seemed utterly stunned by the dog’s sudden outburst, frozen in place as they watched the animal paw at its muzzle, entirely unresponsive.

Dog trainers who deal with dogs for years are no strangers to bites, but to have a client injured by a dog right under their supervision is an unforgivable lapse. So when Zhang Congwen saw the siblings’ reaction, he didn’t hesitate—he seized the chain around the tiger dog’s neck and hauled it up forcefully.

His intention was to lift the dog into the air to exert pressure, hoping it would calm down. However, this only served to further provoke the animal’s aggression. The tiger dog let out a low, menacing growl, its eyes flashing with hostility, and instantly lunged at Zhang Congwen again.

Zhang hurriedly instructed everyone to step back, handling the hundred-pound beast alone. The tiger dog thrashed about, repeatedly trying to bite him. Finding the muzzle an impediment once more, it started clawing at it viciously.

With a sharp cough, Zhang yanked the chain hard, the pressure making the animal’s throat ache so it coughed involuntarily. Yet even this didn’t deter the dog from struggling with its muzzle.

Zhang had no choice but to shorten the chain, lifting the dog’s front legs off the ground. This way, the dog’s own weight would make breathing difficult, forcing it to calm down. But even this trick proved futile. Sensing its mobility entirely controlled by the man before it, the tiger dog began to roar wildly, wrestling and circling with Zhang Congwen, showing not the slightest hint of surrender despite the overwhelming pressure.

No matter how violently the dog struggled, Zhang kept a death grip on the chain. Man and beast grappled across the yard, with the dog even being flung into the air several times. The more Zhang subdued it, the fiercer its resistance grew.

The Xie siblings stood dumbfounded; even Song Jiawei was stunned. He hadn’t expected the animal’s issues to be this severe. Compared to this dog, the problematic Tuan Tuan and Andy he’d seen before were nothing. He realized that if this dog attacked him like this, he would have no means to stop it. The thought made cold sweat bead on his brow for Zhang’s sake.

At some point, Xie Julie snapped out of her shock, grabbing her brother with one hand and filming the scene with her phone in the other.

Song Jiawei took his eyes off the siblings for a second, then looked back at the struggle between Zhang Congwen and the tiger dog, his pupils shrinking in alarm. He shouted urgently, “The muzzle is about to come off!”

Perhaps the tiger dog's barking was too loud, or perhaps Zhang Congwen's full attention was absorbed in the struggle, but he didn’t respond to Song Jiawei’s warning. In truth, he hadn’t heard, but he had already noticed that the muzzle was nearly off. The dog’s lower jaw was fully exposed, the muzzle only covering the upper jaw, making it look less like it wore a muzzle and more like it was tearing at one.

Yet Zhang continued the tussle, not because he wanted to ignore the muzzle, but because he simply couldn’t spare a hand. Once the muzzle fell off, he’d be the first to be bitten. All he could do was keep the dog’s attention on himself, hoping to exhaust its energy.

But the tiger dog’s stamina seemed limitless; there was no sign of fatigue. In contrast, Zhang Congwen was beginning to show signs of exhaustion, repeatedly being dragged forward by the brute force of the animal.

Knowing his strength was waning and the muzzle was loosening further, Zhang changed tactics. He swung one leg over the dog’s back, gripped the chain tightly with one hand, and pressed down hard on the dog’s neck with the other, forcing its head to the ground. He put all his weight on the animal, pinning it.

Only then did the tiger dog finally, if reluctantly, calm down. Both man and beast were panting heavily, utterly spent. At last, Zhang realized the dog was at the edge of its endurance, having just been forcing itself onward.

Despite this brief respite, Zhang dared not relax. He quickly called the Xie siblings over to reattach the muzzle. Perhaps the dog truly was exhausted this time, for it offered no resistance as the siblings fastened the muzzle back on.

With the muzzle secure, Zhang allowed himself a moment’s relief, standing up and watching the dog catch its breath.

But barely two or three minutes passed before, unexpectedly, the dog began clawing at its muzzle again. Just as Zhang moved to intervene, the tiger dog leapt at him. Though it couldn’t bite with the muzzle on, the force of the attack nearly knocked Zhang over. Thwarted, the dog resumed pawing at its restraint.

It was clear the tiger dog was highly intelligent. Throughout, it kept attacking the muzzle, aware that its true power lay in its jaws—and the only thing stopping it was the muzzle. If it could rid itself of this restraint, none of these humans would dare challenge it.

Seeing this, Zhang resorted to his previous method, but with a difference: this time, he didn’t just lift the dog by the front chain but also grabbed a fold of soft flesh on its abdomen near the hind legs, hoisting the entire animal into the air.

“Do you want to be put down?” he snapped. “Is that what you want, to be put to sleep?”

Having fought with the dog for so long, Zhang had exhausted every trick he knew. He’d been prepared for a tough battle, but the dog’s issues surpassed even his expectations.

He couldn’t fathom how this family had managed to keep such an animal for so long.

Already drained from their earlier struggle, Zhang couldn’t hold the dog aloft for more than half a minute before setting it back down. As soon as its paws touched the ground, Zhang pressed down on it again.

This time, the dog made no move to resist, as if it had finally accepted temporary defeat. Seeing this, Zhang picked up the chain and led it toward the tree.

To Song Jiawei and the Xie sisters’ surprise, as soon as Zhang tugged the chain, the tiger dog obediently rose and followed him under the tree.

After securing the chain, Zhang turned to the others.

Song Jiawei’s face lit up with delight. “Is it done?”

Hearing this, the Xie sisters were momentarily stunned, but then immediately looked to Zhang Congwen with hopeful smiles.