Bill told Christina. “And if you follow them, everything should work out perfectly. First, don’t ever look him in the eye, at least not now. He’ll view it as a challenge. Wait till you get to know him first. It’ll take a while, probably a month. But in the meantime: no eye contact. Second, don’t touch him. He really doesn’t like affection. Occasionally I’ll give him a nice pat on the back, but that’s me, and I’m the leader around here. He might nip at you or growl, so just keep your distance for the time being. And third, don’t ever show fear to him, not for a second. Because the minute you do that, he knows he’s won, and he’ll bully you for the rest of the summer.” Christina eyed Kong as he was held by Bill, who while nearing sixty, was still fit enough to handle a 150-pound dog. A slight growl hovered in the dog’s throat, as if he were on the verge of releasing it into a full-force bark. From the side of his mouth a tiny strand of drool dangled, also seemingly poised for something more disastrous.
