Chapter 138: The Dog Owner Is the Real Problem

"Can you not hold onto this dog?" Zhang Congwen asked with a cold expression.

Zhang Congwen understood why Cheng Xing was acting this way. Apple was wearing a prong collar, and Cheng Xing was afraid of hurting her dog by pulling on the leash, so she didn't dare to exert any force. However, in this situation, the prong collar was not only useless but actually encouraged the dog's tendency to bite people and other dogs. Without the collar, Cheng Xing might have at least attempted to intervene; with it on, she was too afraid to do even that.

Before Cheng Xing could offer an excuse, Zhang Congwen continued, "You remember the substances I told you about that could kill a dog, right? You should know the consequences. Setting those aside for a moment, if you can't bring yourself to be firm, then I will have to train it for you. You saw the force I used just now. If you care about your dog, you had better train it properly. Once it is trained, there might come a day when you can take off that prong collar."

Without wasting further words, Zhang Congwen instructed the two dog owners to return to their starting positions and repeat the previous step.

The owner of the Corgi had originally considered withdrawing, fearing that Apple would bite their dog since Cheng Xing was so unwilling to discipline her own pet. However, after witnessing Zhang Congwen’s assertive stance, the owner immediately dismissed that thought. While the Corgi's owner was willing to cooperate with the training, they had long been dissatisfied with Cheng Xing. Seeing her and her dog in this predicament, they had no intention of missing the show. Moreover, Zhang Congwen had already proven that with him present, the Corgi would not be harmed. Why not stay?

Once everything was ready, Zhang Congwen signaled for the owners to lead their dogs toward each other again. Just like before, the moment the two dogs passed each other, Apple suddenly turned to look at the Corgi. Perhaps traumatized by Zhang Congwen’s intervention, Apple did not lunge immediately this time. The Corgi, being steady and calm, looked away the moment it felt Apple’s gaze, showing no interest in a fight. In the end, no conflict occurred.

Zhang Congwen was somewhat surprised to see this. Even with his intervention, it was remarkable that Apple had stopped acting out after only one lesson, not even attempting to lunge. The fact that the dog changed so quickly proved one thing: the primary issue was not the dog, but the owner.

With this assessment, Zhang Congwen told Cheng Xing to pull her dog further away. Cheng Xing was still afraid of hurting her dog; she fumbled with the leash, switching it between her hands, looking completely flustered. Seeing this, Zhang Congwen took the leash from her, demonstrating while explaining.

"When you take it for a walk, don't be afraid of causing it pain. The most important thing is to hold the leash firmly with your hand like this. Constantly switching hands as you do only gives the dog a chance to break free. And if the dog doesn't listen, you only need to give a sharp tug like this to easily control it."

As he spoke, seeing the dog drifting away from him, Zhang Congwen gave the leash a firm tug. Because of the prong collar, Apple let out a yelp of pain. Cheng Xing felt a pang of heartache and instinctively reached for the leash, but a single look from Zhang Congwen stopped her.

"Do you know how to use the leash now?" Zhang Congwen said. "Stop worrying about hurting your dog and think more about the dogs your pet has bitten. Hold the leash tight and maintain control."

The real estate developer of Xingrong Residential Complex had only given Zhang Congwen one day for this training, and he had already wasted too much time on this owner. He had to speed up the training while seizing every opportunity to correct the owner’s mindset. He had learned this method from Song Jiawei; the goal was to instill a sense of urgency in the owner and make them realize their mistakes.

After demonstrating the leash technique, Zhang Congwen had the two dogs walk again. Using his method, it was evident that Apple had shifted from hunting for prey to keeping its focus entirely on its owner. Having experienced the bite of the prong collar, it didn't dare glance at the Corgi, even actively avoiding its gaze. Seeing the change in her dog, Cheng Xing still felt a bit of pity, but she no longer felt the same hesitation about using the collar as she had before.

Seeing that the time was right, Zhang Congwen moved on to the next stage. After the Corgi and its owner left, he had Cheng Xing remove the muzzle from her dog and let her walk it around the field freely. However, he set one condition: whenever she wanted to change direction, she had to give the leash a tug. It didn't need to be hard; she just needed to ensure Apple could feel the tension.

Apple’s progress was rapid. A gentle tug from Cheng Xing was enough for Apple to turn and look at her, then walk obediently by her side, matching her pace. Zhang Congwen then instructed Cheng Xing to pull back on the leash, stop walking, and give the command to halt. Sensing the pull, Apple stopped immediately, looked at its owner, and sat down.

"Do you think Apple is behaving better now or before?" Zhang Congwen asked.

"Now," Cheng Xing replied, unable to hold back a smile.

"Then you must maintain this state from now on. And remember to fasten the muzzle securely. After a month or two of this, once it forms a habit, you can try taking off the prong collar, but keep the muzzle on. If its bad behavior ever returns, you must put the collar back on until the issue is completely resolved."

With that, Zhang Congwen didn't waste any more time and headed toward the home of the final dog owner. The last owner kept a Pomeranian. Judging from the pre-recorded video, this owner seemed relatively normal compared to Cheng Xing, not some bizarre case that was impossible to deal with.

However, it had to be said, this owner was still quite peculiar. The dog's problem was biting. Despite being small, the Pomeranian's biting was severe. Since being adopted by its owner, Xia Lu, it had bitten over thirty people in its four years of life, making it no less dangerous than other vicious breeds.

Initially, Xia Lu hadn't taken the biting seriously, as the injuries had generally been minor. Even after she began living with her boyfriend, Qiu Tianshi, and the dog bit him repeatedly, she didn't pay much heed. It was only recently, when the Pomeranian nearly bit through Qiu Tianshi's lip, that he decided to hire a professional trainer. Xia Lu had originally refused, leading to a massive argument. It was only when Qiu Tianshi threatened to break up with her that she reluctantly agreed. Even then, she kept stalling. It wasn't until the Dog Language Training Base offered to partner with the Xingrong complex that Qiu Tianshi seized the opportunity to sign them up secretly, making them the final household on Zhang Congwen's schedule.