Amelia strode into the room at her customary brisk pace, absently swinging a leash in one hand. Her stride didn't falter in the slightest as she took in the sight of Jen crouched naked on the floor. Betty hurriedly stood up and greeted her employer.
"Jen is all ready for you Ms. Lockehart. I found nothing notable during her exam and she was well behaved during her grooming. I think she will be an excellent student."
"Thank you Betty. I knew I could trust you with this. I know that Finance has been stingy lately but I think I might be able to swing that raise for you. Profits are up and with our new star pupil I feel like we will really have a strong finish this quarter."
Betty beamed while Amelia knelt down to examine Jen more closely. Jen was feeling more and more like a dog as Amelia checked her hair and pads to ensure that they were up to her exacting standards. She almost lost her composure when the older woman rolled her onto her back and ran her fingers through her newly trimmed pubes but the fierce look on Amelia's face kept her in check. Apparently satisfied with Jen's grooming she began vigorously rubbing her belly. Jen squirmed under her touch.
"Are you sure we can't use the tail?" Amelia asked. "It would certainly complete the illusion if we did."
"I'm sorry Ms. Lockehart, but I can't approve it. It might be alright for short periods but leaving a plug in long term could be detrimental to her health. It would definitely make housebreaking her difficult as well and I already foresee enough problems with that. We'll reserve the tail for special occasions."
"I guess you're right." Amelia sighed, "This will have to do then. She already exceeds expectations."
Amelia stood up and pulled Jen back onto all fours again. She attached the leash to a ring on Jen's collar.
"Come, Jen. We have a lot of work to do. Your official training will begin tomorrow, for today I will simply instruct you on my expectations and get you settled into your kennel."
She began walking towards the door, though at a much slower pace. Jen realized that Amelia was deliberately slowing so that she could keep up and not be choked by the lead. She began to crawl after her new teacher. When they reached the door she turned to get one last look at Betty who waved and smiled at her. Amelia gave the leash a gentle tug to regain her attention and the two of them left the exam room and began walking down the hallway.
"I am pleased to see that you are acclimating to your role so quickly." Amelia said as she lead Jen further into the building. "It will be much easier for everyone involved if you maintain this attitude."
Jen opened her mouth to thank her but Amelia cut her off.
"Don't speak. That is one of the rules you will be following while in our care. There has never been a recorded case of a dog speaking any human language and it will not start under my roof. You will speak only when commanded, and then only as a dog would. Am I clear? Speak!"
Jen was caught off by the command. She hesitated briefly before attempting a response.
"W-woof?" she stuttered out.
"Woof?" Amelia said, incredulous, "Have you ever heard a dog actually go woof? That is for children's cartoons and humorous novels. Real dogs bark properly. Now, again. Speak!"
Amelia stood in the hallway for over thirty minutes instructing Jen on how to properly bark. Several other employees came by, drawn by the noise and the oddity of the situation, but Amelia simply sent them on their way with orders to complete their assigned tasks. Jen felt humiliated by the stares of these strangers, but oddly excited as well. She was learning to be a proper dog. This was starting to be a little... fun.
When Amelia was satisfied with the quality of Jen's barking she led her on again while Amelia dictated the rules that she would be living under.
"You seem to be getting the hang of barking, that is good. From now on I expect there to be no human speech from you unless there is a dire emergency. If you disobey there will be punishment. You are expected to remain on all fours during your time here. You do not have hands, just paws, so no trying to pick things up or open doors. Your meals will be served the same as your fellow students: in a bowl. You are expected to dine as they do. When you are not in training or enjoying free time in the yard you will be in your kennel. That is also where you will sleep."
Jen's head was spinning. There was a lot to take in. There was also something that needed to be let out. She opened her mouth to ask to use the restroom but remembered herself in time and shut it again. Amelia hadn't specified what her punishment would be for speaking and she didn't want to find out directly. But nature was calling and Jen couldn't hold it off for too long. Amelia must have noticed how distracted she was. She halted and stared down at Jen with a quizzical expression. Jen simply gazed back up at her hopefully, willing her to understand. Finally Amelia seemed to comprehend something and began leading Jen down a short side passage that ended in a thick steel door. The door had a keypad mounted next to it and Amelia typed in a code too rapidly for Jen to see. The door swung open and she was led out into a large courtyard.
"Do your business." Amelia ordered, detaching the leash.
Jen just gaped at her. Do her business? Out here?!
"Well," Amelia snapped, "If you have to go then do it now. You won't be able to anywhere else except for the pad in your kennel at night. Or did you think we trained dogs to use a human toilet?"
She nudged Jen with her knee.
"Go on. Pick a spot and squat. Don't worry about cleanup, we have staff for that."
Jen gulped and crawled out into the grassy space. There were a few trees and bushes around the edges and here and there were scattered tennis balls, knotted ropes, and other assorted dog toys. She briefly wondered if she should lift a leg at a tree before remembering that only male dogs did that. Bitches squatted. She looked at a few of the bushes but thought better of it. Amelia would probably think she was trying to act human if she hid behind a bush. She finally settled on a patch of grass that looked a little greener than its surroundings and squatted down. It was difficult. Jen wasn't pee-shy, but she hadn't exactly had an audience before either. Finally, after a bit of coaxing and straining, she let loose a stream of pee into the grass. It was oddly liberating, pissing under the blue sky. When she had finished she absently reached sideways for the toilet paper that wasn't there before realizing her mistake. She weighed her options and decided that a dog wouldn't care and turned to crawl back to Amelia's side.
"Good dog." Amelia praised her. "You did seem to lollygag a bit but I can't fault you since this is your first time doing this. It is your first time, right?"
Jen withered under her accusing stare but manged a nod. Amelia expression turned stern.
"There will be none of that now." she snapped. "Nodding and shaking are human gestures. You will not use them. Assume all my questions are rhetorical and act accordingly."
Jen stopped herself from nodding in acknowledgment.
"Good. Let's go back inside. I want to introduce you to some of your trainers before kennel time."
---
Jen was comforted by the fact that all of her trainers and carers were women, it made her nudity a bit more bearable. Amelia had some rather strange ideas about training and only allowed men to train and care for the male dogs while women had the bitches. During the introductions one of the trainers joked that Ms. Lockehart would hire eunuchs for the neuters if there wasn't such a shortage of them. Amelia almost, but not quite, smiled at this. Jen noted that all of the staff referred to Amelia as Ms. Lockehart and while they seemed relaxed on the surface you could clearly see that merely being in her presence had them all tense with awe. She also met some of her fellow 'students.' They were a range of different breeds from the diminutive Tina, a teacup chihuahua, to Angel, a massive great Dane that towered over Jen. Each trainer had 2 or 3 dogs assigned to them which they trained in shifts while the carers supervised and attended any dog not actively being trained as well as the boarders who were just there to be watched while their owners traveled. Jen would be trained by Amelia herself alongside the other dogs and trainers and the carers would be responsible for her whenever Amelia was not present.
By the time introductions and explanations were over it was getting quite late. Amelia took Jen to the kennels to get her settled in for the night. The kennels were very much like the ones Jen occasionally saw on TV. There were several rows of concrete cells with bars across the front. Most of them were quite roomy, clearly designed for larger breeds, with stacks of more cage-like ones for the smaller ones. Jen was lead to one of the largest cells and given a brief tour. On one side was a plush dog bed big enough for her to curl up comfortably. In the corner next to the door was a bowl for food and a small fountain for fresh water, nothing but the best for their guests after all. The back corner had a pad laid out. Jen recognized it as a training pad. They had put one of these in Rex's crate while they were housebreaking him. Amelia informed her that that was her bathroom until someone came to let her out in the morning. Jen stared at it apprehensively, unsure if she was willing to use it.
"I am afraid I must leave you now." Amelia said. "I have to get to my own home for the night but I will return early tomorrow so we can begin your training. I will leave you in here until then. Dinner will be served shortly. I have instructed our resident chef to prepare appropriate food for you since I doubt you would find the usual fare very palatable."
Jen's stomach simply gurgled in response, she hadn't actually eaten anything since breakfast.
"I am glad to see that meets your approval. Good night Jen. I will see you again in the morning."
Amelia closed the gate and secured it before walking out of the kennels. Jen looked at the lock. It wasn't complex at all. If she wanted to she could pull herself up and undo it even with the kneepads and gloves impeding her. She decided it wasn't worth it, especially because she could see several surveillance cameras along the top of the walls. With a heavy sigh she flopped sideways onto the dog bed. It was very soft. She guessed, correctly as it were, that the cushion was memory foam or something equally expensive. She lay there, as sprawled out as she could be with the pads, and waited for whatever was coming next.