After Dare’s initial panic faded, he was surprised at how easy it was to work with the kid. Perhaps it was because Shane didn’t constantly bombard him with questions that he was able to relax and just focus on what they were doing. In a way, he though it was almost like having one of the dogs following him around all day, like a silent companion. At first, Dare was uncomfortable talking to the kid as they cleaned out the cages. He didn’t know what to say so he simply told Shane what he was doing and why. But Dare quickly realized that the boy picked up on everything he said and saw Shane was applying the advice to the work they did. From then on, it got easier. The kid might not have responded with words, but Dare noticed that every time he forgot himself and swore or said something that was probably inappropriate, Shane giggled. Because he liked the happy sound, Dare found himself saying stupid stuff just to make Shane laugh as they continued to work. After they were done cleaning the cages, Dare took a few of the dogs out for a walk around the pond.
