The day was clear & hot when I arrived down at the docks in Toronto to get some pics of what old vessels were about. It was as I drove along the pier road that I saw the tug tied up and boarded up telling me that she was up for sale or scrap. Fair enough I thought, so I drove through the gate to the empty lot and parked near the gangway. Got my camera ready, stepped out, walked up the gangway and onto her decks, walked around her took some shots then decided that that was that and it was time to go Made it to the gangway and that was as far as i got as sitting there at the bottom was a big black German Shepard sitting there very quietly looking up the gangway. Well I thought and started down the gangway and when I got half way down he stood up and growled making me stop and go back. Seems I was in a bit of a dilemma here as i looked at him, wondering. Then I thought foolishly that perhaps I could jump ship from the bow onto the dock and get around the fence, good plan I thought, so I walked to the bow and got ready, but low & behold my friend got up and moved with me and sat down looking at the bow. Jeez I figured this wont work, so plan B eh?? I then walked to the stern of the tug to see what options were there and alas my friend got up and sauntered across the lot to the stern and sat down. Quietly The thing that was starting to annoy me more than anything was the fact that this dog never barked, didn't run back and forth barking his fool head off, no he just quietly go up and walked to where ever I was, plopped his ass down and sat and looked at me. That was it. Nothing more. So for the better part of 3 hours I was held captive buy a quiet dog who had manners who never moved except when I did or if I started down the gangway all he did was stand up face me and growl then sit down when I retreated back up the gangway. Whats a guy to do eh. It was near the end of the 3 hours when this man walks into the yard and up to the gangway, looks at me and says, " Your in a bit of a tight spot it seems." to which I nodded and said yes seems so. He laughed a bit snapped his fingers said in a firm voice, " Heel " to which the dog obediently did so then he said come on down. I grabbed my camera bag and started down and came to the bottom where this big dog was who when i stepped onto the lot he got up sniffed me me then licked my hand then sat down. The guy explained to me that the dog was an ex military guard dog who he had owned for about 3 years, the tug was his being sold and he and the dog traveled on it. He also went on to tell me that he had been watching me for the last hour from the building at the end of the lot as he had come in to do his paperwork for the week, and that the dog lived here on weekends for the purpose of guarding the place. Guard it he did and well, has to give him Kudos on that it seemed. Anyway we talked a bit more, became friends with the dog then left to head home wondering how many others had been stopped by this very polite yes serious dog who did his duty well for his owner. Life never ceases to amaze me...............thanks for the peek