A savage wolf’s power,

Is rendered meaningless,

By a retractable red chord,

In the same way,

That a yellow Labrador’s,

Truck-chasing antics,

Are cut short,

By a stiff jerk,

A wag of the finger,

And a stern “no.”

Strength is nothing,

Without a capacity,

For restraint.

Without it,

Barks and bites,

Grow tenfold,

Get old,

And lose effect entirely.