Fern sat down on a hay bale and pulled Bear onto her lap. “Okay.” Lizzie sat down next to her. “The truth is that Bruce told the Harris sisters that Bear was lazy and unmotivated. That’s why he gave him up.” Fern nodded. “Bruce can’t afford to keep a dog that doesn’t pull, any more than we can.” “But you said that Bruce was a real serious trainer.” Fern nodded again. “He is. He keeps his dogs tied up whenever they’re not working and never lets them in the house. And he’s very strict. It works for him, though. He wins a lot of races around here.” “Well, I don’t have any experience with sled dogs,” Lizzie said, “but I have trained a lot of puppies. And one thing I’ve learned is that all puppies learn differently. Some learn quickly, some slowly. Some need lots of rules, and others need to be babied a little.” Fern’s eyes lit up. “You mean — you think it’s just that Bruce might not have been the right trainer for Bear?” “Exactly.” Lizzie was starting to talk faster now.
