As a teenager, sometimes what Jared wanted most was to get away from everyone and have some time to himself.
As a dog, the notion of being solitary was distressing. Jared may not have realized it, but his canine instincts kicked into high gear whenever a situation made him feel alone. He needed to feel like part of a pack, albeit the members of his newly-adopted family, the Hendersons, filled in as substitute pack members to dull his craving for company and companionship.
When the lonely feelings became too bad, Jared did like dogs had done for eons. He opened his mouth and began barking. He barked, constantly, for most of the night.
The next morning, not a person at the Henderson breakfast table looked glad to be there. Outside the large bay window, where Jared had wandered when he heard the first stirrings, he listened with his acute canine hearing and picked up the entire conversation.
"What are we going to do about that dog?" Mrs. Henderson asked. "He barked all night. I'm surprised we didn't hear from the neighbors."
"Well, it wasn't fair to make him sleep outside," Alex objected. "Shaggy wanted to sleep in my room."
"Shaggy is too big an animal to keep inside a house," Mrs. Henderson said.
"But, mom," Cassie said. "It isn't fair that he has to stay in that little fenced corner of the yard."
"We did that for Muffin," her mother said, referring to the poodle that had been her dog when she first married her husband. Although Cassie and Alex had seen photos of Muffin, the poodle had passed from the scene when Cassie was very young and Alex hadn't even been born. But Muffin also explained Mrs. Henderson's belief that only small dogs made good pets.
"Don't worry," Mr. Henderson announced. "I need to stop by a store and pick up some things, but I've got a way to solve the problem that will let Shaggy have the full range of the yard."
"Now, dear, we can't let him roam free," his wife said. "It's against city ordinances." Of course, she didn't mention that the sheepdog might also wander into traffic.
"Just leave it to me, dear," her husband promised confidently. "I'll see you later this evening."
Jared was curious when he watched Mr. Henderson exit the house and get into his car. He gave a glance in Jared's direction and told him to have a good day.
Before leaving for school, Alex showed up with the leash to walk him. Wanting to get it over with, Jared quickly got down to business and Alex returned him to the fenced portion of the yard. "Sorry, boy, but dad promised us he was going to find a way for you to have more freedom."
A few minutes later, Mrs. Henderson drove Cassie and Alex to school, and Jared was left alone again. He wondered if he should try to escape and get back home.
Sure, he had enjoyed his time with the Hendersons, and he was grateful that he hadn't ended up as Cy's dog. He was certainly going to remember seeing Cassie naked, although it irked him that it had been for such a brief time. But he needed to get back to his real family where he could try again to communicate with his brother, who might be able to help him find his way back into human form.
Unfortunately, he found no way out of the fenced yard. He found some shade as the sun rose higher in the sky and spent his time alternating between napping and pacing the perimeter of the fence, searching unsuccessfully for weak links. He figured he would have to wait for hours, but Mr. Henderson actually surprised him by arriving home, having taken some time out of his lunch break to make some purchases and return home with them.
When Mr. Henderson stepped through the gate, he ordered the sheepdog to come to him. Jared had no choice but to obey like any subservient pet. Before Jared even realized what was happening, Mr. Henderson removed the collar from about his neck and replaced it with a heavy-duty plastic collar equipped with a small, lightweight square box. He adjusted the collar and gave Jared an approving look. "I saw this advertised on TV," he said to the sheepdog. That's when Jared noticed a small item in Mr. Henderson's hand that looked similar to a remote control for a television.
He walked over to the gate and stepped outside, but left the door ajar. Jared followed, but as he started to step through the gate he felt an electric jolt deliver a serious shock. He yelped and leaped back.
Mr. Henderson stepped back through the gate, closing it behind him. He chuckled. "That worked better than expected. As soon as I drive in some stakes around the yard, I can activate them, too. You'll like that, boy. Then you can roam the entire yard, but any time you try to leave the yard... BLAM! You'll get a shock!"
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jared thought to himself. Cassie's dad must be some sort of sadist!
"Yeah, way less expensive than building a bigger fence," Mr. Henderson said aloud.