James Enters a Dog Show

"It's a private booking rather than a show and I don't want to completely spoil the surprise. Howevee, I do have a costume for you which may give you a clue!"

James breathed a sigh of relief. He had got the impression he would be expected to spend the virtually all of these assignments naked.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure, it's here" Amy reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a spiked dog collar and handed it to James with a playful giggle "There you go. Make sure you don't lose it. You'll be naked without it!"

An hour or so later Amy's car pulled up to a large gate and buzzed on the intercom.

"Yes?"

"Amy Turner and James MacDougall. We're here for the dog show!"

"Oh how wonderful, do come in!" the well spoken woman's voice was suddenly filled with excitement as the gate opened and Amy drove onto the grounds of what could only be described as a mansion. James and Amy walked up the path to the entrance where they were greeted by a butler. Neither James nor Amy had ever seen one of those before in real life.

"Ms Frobisher-Smyth will be with you shortly" the man announced in an upper class accent "Can I get you a drink?"

"We're fine, thank you" Amy answered for both of them.

"Very well"

The butler left and moments later a large, well dressed woman of around sixty entered the room. She walked over, introduced herself as Eleanor and shook both Amy and James' hands enthusiastically.

"So, I just want to be sure you fully understand the nature of this booking before we begin" Eleanor asked.

"You want to enter James into a dog show, and have him competing against actual dogs?" Amy checked. This was the first James had heard of it but Amy had already ordered him to remain calm and polite at all times and to only speak when he was directly spoken to while they were here.

"Yes, it's not an official competition obviously. But some of my lady friends and I have an annual competition with our pets and, well, my darling Sylvia passed away a few months back. I haven't been able to bring myself to replaced her but, after seeing your advert I love the idea of having James compete in her place."

"Well, we can certainly accommodate that" Amy smiled.

"I need to be clear though. There is to be no play acting or role playing involved. James must completely believe he is a dog and behave as such at all times. He will retain his human IQ to counteract the physical disadvantage he will face against real dogs in this competition. But the only human language he will understand will be direct commands from me. He will live as a dog between events, eating his food from a bowl and such. It is a three day event so he will sleep in the kennels with his competitors overnight. And, of course, he will not be wearing anything beyond a collar and leash."

"That is all absolutely fine" Amy answered amiably "If you can give me a room to prepare James in, when I bring him back to you he will be your very own show dog!"

"Oh, well that's wonderful!" Eleanor looked delighted as she shook Amy and James' hands once more "And don't worry James, you will find I am a tough but loving owner and an excellent trainer. You are going to win this thing, I'm sure of it!"