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leg didn’t know how to turn. So she fell down. She scrambled up and tried again, more slowly.
    I feel bad , she realized. Not my leg .
    I feel worse than you , Angus said. We should go to sleep .
    All right .
    They lay down together in the grass by the porch steps, where the sun could warm them and the barn cats would leave them alone.
    A few days later, when the dogs felt normal and good again, and Sadie had gotten so used to having four legs the same that she almost forgot she had ever had a cast on one, training began. After breakfast, before the day’s work, Mister and Missus took the dogs out to the grassy lawn in front of the barn. They had both read the training book, so they knew both masters had to train both dogs.
    â€œOnly a few minutes at first,” Mister reminded Missus.
    â€œI read the book, too,” she reminded him.
    â€œI’ll go first, then you,” he told her.
    â€œWe start with Sit,” she told him.
    Mister removed Angus’s red collar and replaced it with the choke chain collar. Then he clipped on a leash.
    Missus and Sadie sat together on the grass, and watched.
    Angus looked right at Mister, and waited.
    â€œAngus, Sit!” Mister said.
    What?
    â€œSit!” Mister said again.
    Angus stared right at Mister, waiting to understand.
    Mister pulled up hard on the leash.
    What? The chain closed tight around Angus’s throat. What? What! Angus stuck his muzzle up into the air, trying to loosen the collar, and that lifted his whole head up, which lifted his shoulders up. All that lifting made his haunches go lower and lower, until he had his rear end down on the ground with his nose still pointing high into the air. “Good dog,” Mister said, and then he lowered the leash and the collar was comfortable again.
    â€œGood dog,” Mister said again. He bent over and rubbed Angus on the shoulder. “Good dog, good boy.”
    Angus stood up and shook himself; he was good, everything was all right. He licked Mister’s hand.
    Mister stood up, too, but instead of walking off to get to work, he said, “Angus, Sit!”
    What? Again? But—
    Before Angus could even start to wonder, Mister jerked up on the leash and the chain tightened. Immediately, without even thinking, Angus lifted his nose and lowered his rear. Then Mister bent down and praised him again. “Good, good dog. Good boy.” He scratched Angus behind the ears. “What a good dog.”
    This time Angus didn’t lick Mister’s hand. This time he stood up a little more slowly, and wagged his tail a little cautiously, because he wasn’t sure what would happen next, although he thought he might be able to guess. And he was right.
    â€œAngus, Sit!” Mister said.
    Before Mister could pull up on the leash, before the choke chain collar could tighten around his neck, Angus put his rear on the ground. “All right!” Mister said, and he sounded excited. He crouched down in front of Angus, and pulled gently on his ears in the way Angus liked best. “Did you see how quickly he caught on?”

    â€œI saw,” Missus said. “But I have to say, I’m not sure Sadie was paying attention.”
    â€œBorder collies are good learners,” Mister said. “Although she probably won’t get it as quickly.” He stood up then. Angus stood up, too, and waited in front of him, watching his face.
    Mister took a couple of steps backward, still holding onto the leash, then said, “Angus, Sit!”
    Suddenly, Angus really understood. He understood and he obeyed. He sat.
    Mister was very excited. “What a good dog. What a smart dog. You are really something, Angus.” He stroked and patted Angus, rubbing with both hands up and down the fur on Angus’s shoulders. “You really are something.”
    They did Sit! two more times, and then Mister said, “That’ll do!” Mister took the choke chain collar from around