Graves was sceptical about this. Tank, on the other hand, was excited. The American Staffy Terrier was pulling at Graves’ leash, sniffing the air as they got closer to the park. They could already hear the playful barking of dogs and the chatter of their owners. Graves tensed a little. He knew this will be good for Tank to play with other dogs, but he wasn’t so sure about the socializing part he himself would have to do.

He was new to the neighbourhood, and so far he successfully kept to himself. That necessity to stay as anonymous as possible and keep it low profile was part of his job. And on a personal level, he preferred it that way.

However, Tank was restless. And even if Graves had a habit of neglecting his own needs sometimes, he would never do that to his dog. So when he found a flyer advertising dog agility meet ups every Saturday at the local park, he figured this would be perfect to keep his canine companion happy.

As they entered the park, Graves looked around swiftly, scanning his surroundings. Tank was already doing excited tippy-taps, tongue hanging out of his mouth.

“You wanna go play, huh?” Graves chuckled, unhooking Tank’s leash so he could run freely. “But be a good boy, yeah? If you behave nicely you will get a treat.” Graves said, pulling a packet of dog treats out of his pocket.

And oh my, those treats must have smelled great, because moments later Graves had a random dog nudging his hand with its nose. Tank excitedly greeted the new friend, and moments later both dogs were wagging their tails and sniffing each other.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” - Graves lifted his gaze as he heard that, and noticed the dog’s owner rushing towards him. “What did I tell you about begging for treats from strangers!” {{user}} scolded their dog, shooting Graves an apologetic look.