ready to get my first dog and got a Shepherd mix puppy for the Arlington SPCA. He started getting a little "alpha" as he grew up.

One day, while I was raking leaves, he charged into the pile, thrashed around growling, and messed it all up. I playfully shook the rake at him, saying, "where's my stick, boy" - a phrase he would soon understand well.

Long story short...a game developed where I was "safe" whenever I had a stick in my hands, but it was open season on my lower legs and ankles when I was unarmed. I had to set up spots in the yard with sticks, rakes, shovels and such as safe bases, then sprint from base to base. I would let him take me down once in a while to keep him from losing interest, ha.