Sid could hear people clapping and laughing and he glanced around the ring. This was nice! Lots of people were looking at him. He stepped out smartly, his tail swishing and his ears pricked at a jaunty angle.
Bella stopped in the middle of the ring and Sid looked up at her with hopeful eyes. He could smell that she had treats. He hoped they were going to do the walking on his hind paws – that meant lots of treats. It was his favourite game.
“Come on, Sid, up!” Bella said, holding a treat over his nose, and Sid stood up at once. The treat was just a little higher than his nose, but he knew Bella would give it to him in a minute. He skittered across the ring, and looked round in surprise as everybody started clapping.
“Good boy! And again.” Bella led him back across the ring, and this time they stopped in the middle to do a twirl, which made the audience laugh. The laughter was very loud, but it was a good noise and Sid panted happily. Just the last bit now, and then he was pretty sure Bella would give him the whole handful of treats. He watched carefully, waiting for Bella to pat her knees. If he did it too soon, Bella might fall over – that had happened once in the garden.
“Come on, Sid!” Bella patted her knees, and Sid launched himself at her joyfully, leaping into her arms for the big finish.
“Well done!” Bella whispered in his ear, as she fed him all the chicken flavour crunchies, and listened to everybody clapping. “You were great. But you’d better not get any fatter, Sid, or we won’t be able to do that last bit…”
“He looks so smart with a red rosette on his collar,” Sarah said admiringly. “He ought to have another one for the ‘Dog the Judges Would Most Like to Take Home’, though. You were robbed!”
Bella shrugged. “I knew there was no way he was going to beat that Golden Retriever,” she said, munching her sandwich and trying to ignore Sid, who was doing his best impression of a prizewinning dog who had never, ever been fed. “That was the soppiest dog I’ve ever seen.”
“Even more lovey-dovey than Sid when he wants sandwiches,” Dad agreed. “No, Sid. Not even for a champion red-rosette winner.” He chuckled to himself. “I still can’t believe you kept all of his tricks a secret, Bella. It was amazing.”
Mum nodded. “I was so proud of you. Oh, it’s nearly time for the ‘Waggiest Tail’ class.”
Bella hauled Sarah up off the picnic blanket, and Mum passed them Sid’s lead.
Bella looked thoughtfully at Sarah as they walked across to the ring. Her friend kept looking longingly at all the dogs they went past. Bella hadn’t realized until now how much Sarah must be missing her grandad’s dog. “Do you want to take Sid into this class?” she asked suddenly. “I know it’s not the same as having Alfie, but I think you should. You worked on training him, too. And it was you who suggested we should look for a show with fun classes!”
“Can I really?” Sarah asked, her eyes shining excitedly.
Bella nodded. “Definitely. Sid loves you, so it won’t bother him. Look, it’s that same nice lady calling out the names. I’ll explain to her – I’m sure she won’t mind.”
Bella pushed the lead into Sarah’s hand and hurried over to the lady sitting in the corner of the ring to explain. She could see Sarah crouching next to Sid and stroking him lovingly, so she was sure she’d done the right thing.
Bella dashed back. “She says it’s fine,” she told Sarah. “The class is about to start – come on. Over here.” Bella pushed Sarah into the right place in the line of dogs, and watched proudly as they all walked into the ring.
“Where’s Sid?” Tom asked, looking round worriedly as he and Mum and Dad came over.
“I let Sarah take him,” Bella said. “You don’t mind, do you? You did say you didn’t want to be in the show.”
Tom shuddered. “I definitely don’t mind. Sid looks like he loves all the attention, but I’d hate it.”
When it was Sarah and Sid’s turn Sarah rubbed the perfect spot on Sid’s spine, and he wagged his tail so hard he nearly fell over.
“And we have a clear winner there,” called the announcer. “Yes, the judges are going for Sid! Handled by one of his best friends – Sarah! Well done, Sid and Sarah!”
Chapter Eight
Bella jumped up and down, clapping, and Sarah hurried back to her with scarlet cheeks, clutching another red rosette. “You won!” Bella hugged her. “You see, I knew I was right to get you to go in. Sid’s a champion. Two firsts!”
“What’s the next class, Bella?” Tom asked. “Whatever it is, I think your friend Megan’s in it.” He pointed across the ring to where Megan was lining up with Coco. “Oh, ‘Cutest Puppy Under Nine Months’. Well, she is cute. She doesn’t look very happy about it, though.”
Coco was pulling, and pawing at her lead, as though she wanted to get away. Megan was trying to calm her down, but she looked worried, too, and Coco was whimpering.
“Poor thing, I don’t think she likes how noisy it is,” Bella said anxiously. “Oh no!”
Coco had been pulling and scrabbling at her collar so much, and now she slipped right out of it. She stood there for a second, looking bewildered by her sudden freedom and the noise. Megan tried to grab her, but a little boy screamed because he’d dropped his ice cream, and Coco shot away with a squeak. She bolted along the side of the ring towards Bella and Sarah, and then darted out through a forest of feet and off into the rest of the field.
“Coco!” Megan wailed, dashing after her, but she was blocked by all the other handlers and dogs going into the ring.
“We have to help catch her!” Bella gasped. “Look after Sid, Sarah.” She pushed and squeezed her way through the crowd of people and looked around anxiously for Coco.
The little spaniel was cowering by the side of an ice-cream van, obviously terrified. Bella walked over to her, trying to be slow and gentle – she really wanted to grab Coco before she ran off again, but if she moved too fast, she’d just frighten her away.
“Dog treats!” Bella gasped, realizing she still had half the pack in her pocket. “Hey, Coco… Look what I’ve got.” She held out a few, rattling them gently and murmuring some soothing words to the nervous little spaniel. “Pretty girl, yes, look. Yummy treats. Pretty Coco, come on then…”
Coco eyed her worriedly, but she could smell the treats, and the girl’s voice was gentle, not cross. She wanted Megan, but she was frightened of all the noise, and she didn’t dare go back and find her. She crept slowly forward and sniffed at Bella’s hand, and then she started to nibble at the crunchy biscuits.
Bella ran a gentle hand over Coco’s head, still murmuring soothing words, and then as the puppy munched the last of the treats, Bella picked her up.
Coco wriggled a little, but Bella was holding her carefully, tight enough that she couldn’t squirm away.
“We need to find Megan, and your collar,” she whispered. “Hey, look, Coco, there she is!”
Megan was racing towards them, with tears running down her cheeks. As soon as Coco saw her, she wriggled eagerly, stretching out of Bella’s arms to reach her. Megan hugged her, and Coco licked her chin, and nuzzled at her neck. Bella laughed – Coco might not like the dog show, but it was obvious she adored Megan.