Just　Timid

My dog can do a few kinds of tricks such as "Shake", "Stay", "Sit", "Lie down" and so on. However he never does them outside. He has to pay attention to everything outside, so he can't hear me, I think.

He is too nervous to meet strange dogs without barking at them. He doesn't bark at the dogs familiar to him, though. He is scared of birds, cats, old people walking with sticks, covered moterbikes and so on.

Moreover, however favorite food he is given outside, he won't eat it on alert. Though everyone says to him, "How polite you are!", in fact he is just timid.

（To Helen,
　　Thank you for teaching me how to say tricks of dogs in English.)

私の犬は「お手｣｢待て｣「おすわり」「ふせ」などの芸が出来ますが、外では絶対にしません。外にいると、あらゆるものに注意を払わなくてはならないので、私の言うことを聞く余裕がないのだと思います。

とても臆病なので知らない犬に会うと必ず吠えます。知っている犬には吠えませんが。鳥や猫や杖をついて歩いているお年寄りや、カバーがかかったオートバイなども怖がります。

それに、外ではどんなに好きな食べ物をもらっても、警戒して食べようとしません。皆は「なんて礼儀正しいのかしら」、と言いますが、実はうちの犬は単に臆病なだけなのです。