Chanyeol is a horrible parent.

He can barely look after himself. Why did he think he could look after another life?

Ignoring the tugging at his hood, Chanyeol lies on the floor just off-center to his little living room, willing the smell of urine and feces and dug up earth to waft away through the open window. Maybe the feathers torn from their pillow are snow, and he’s actually far away, on the slopes of the Alps. He hasn’t been snowboarding in a while.

“You know,” he says, “I’m so tired... You’re a real .” Rolling over, he faces his puppy. Toben leans close to sniff his face and his nostrils. “Thanks.” The puppy pants in his face, tail wagging fast.

Before adopting Toben, Chanyeol did research. Blogs and videos from other pet owners who trained their pets to dance, retrieve particular items, flip over, give hugs… It all looked so simple. So manageable. So possible.

But his puppy is a little .

Toben doesn’t like his crate. He hates sleeping alone, but when he’s in Chanyeol’s room, he whines and cries and assumes that every time the man moves means it’s time to play. Anything not nailed down is a toy, and if it is immovable, it’s got to be claimed as his.

The sheer number of cleaners is amazing and a little overwhelming. Chanyeol has a few select products that he recognizes from home, and he does occasionally use them, although the usual extent of his cleaning is wiping surfaces down with a paper towel and vacuuming the floor and furniture to pick up crumbs. Even pet cleaning products are varied and specialized.

A kind employee suggests a few different things and lends a sympathetic ear to Chanyeol’s woes, although he’s not sure the girl believes him, as she coos over Toben in the shopping cart.

He is cute. He’s lucky he’s so cute. His dark curls frame bright black eyes and a little black nose. Chanyeol chose a bright collar both for its music note pattern and for the contrast. His harness is black with a tuxedo print on the front. Classy.

Toben chews the little bow tie off on the way home.

Toben also chews through his leash. It used to be 183 centimeters. Measuring it after he found it in pieces, Chanyeol discovered four centimeters were missing. Panicked, he called the vet, but they said to monitor the puppy and to come in if the leash pieces didn’t pass naturally.

They did, thankfully. Grossly, but thankfully.

There is just a lot that Chanyeol, a newbie doggie daddy, doesn’t know and needs help with. He’s asked his friends, and Baekhyun has been somewhat helpful, having his own dog, but even he admits to deferring to pet retail employees and the vet more often than not.

Monryong is also better behaved than Toben.

All he can do is his best, and if that means lying on the floor every so often and just willing his soul to return to his body after finding yet another destroyed bed or pile of poop just off of the potty pad laid out on the floor, then so be it.

Toben whines at him, an aborted bark that squeaks in pitch. He wants something. He’s trying to communicate. Chanyeol’s eyes water. He sneezes.

“You wanna go outside? Go potty where you’re supposed to?” The puppy yips again, bouncing to his feet. “Alright. Let’s go outside.” He pushes himself off the floor and scoops the Poodle into his arms; it’s easier than trying to get him to step into his harness.

The puppy squirms enough in the hall that Chanyeol nearly drops him. Just what he’d need: An emergency trip to the hospital for breaking his dog.

“Just hang on; we’re almost outside.” An older woman smiles at Toben. Chanyeol nods with a less sweet smile and sighs when she’s inside her own apartment. Everyone loves his puppy, which he’s happy about, but if only they knew the monster behind the cute haircut and matching-leash-and-harness-of-the-week. He’s almost forgotten what a good night’s sleep is.

Outside, Toben pulls so much he’s hopping on his hind feet. “Are you intentionally trying to strangle yourself? You’re getting nowhere fast.”

Uncaring, the puppy persists until distracted by the scent of something in the rocks lining the sidewalk, then the weeds among the flower beds, then a dirty sock someone must have lost a long time ago. Once he pees on everything and continues to empty his bladder as he charges towards some trees—leaving a trail to follow home—Chanyeol pulls the leash enough to redirect him towards their usual destination.

Their apartment building is one of a cluster of similar apartments making up a complex on the corner of a block. Surrounding them are small businesses, a convenience store, and a couple coffee shops. There’s also a preschool with a playground open to the public after school ends.

Between the apartments and downtown is a large park. Trees surround its perimeter, enclosing a grassy field—often used for fairs and outdoor concerts—and a pond Chanyeol avoids, because the last thing he needs is for a goose to attack his too-dumb-to-know-better Poodle.

Their walks are more stop-and-go than an actual walk; Toben has to sniff everything and greet everyone and taste every bit of old food he finds on the ground.

He finally works up the urge Chanyeol wanted to avoid in their home. The puppy squats and stares at Chanyeol, who politely watches the birds overheard. A squirrel spirals up a tree trunk just to drop its acorn. What a mood.

He knows the puppy is done when he hears the scratch of feet over the ground, kicking up bits of dirt and grass. Chanyeol reaches into his pocket for a plastic bag, and he thinks nothing of it as the loop of the leash slides down his arm—

—except Toben senses the slack and assumes he’s free.

He takes off with a great burst of renewed energy, slipping free of Chanyeol entirely and bolting away.

All thoughts of keeping the park clean are wiped from Chanyeol’s mind. He;s dumbfounded for a moment, then a truck honks at a car sitting for a second too long at a traffic light.

“Toben!” Even his long legs can’t keep up with the energetic speed of the puppy. Thankfully, he seems to have a destination in mind that is not the busy street. Following a slight arc, Toben bounces at the edge of a group of dogs clustered around a man’s feet.

A few other Poodles sniff Toben curiously. A familiar Corgi wags its , faced with a friend. The man looks up from his phone and immediately laughs.

“Hello, there! Are you being naughty, running away from your dad?” He picks up Toben’s leash and waits for Chanyeol to plod to a stop, dropping forward with his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

“Thank you… Sorry—He got away from me.”

“It’s alright. He’s safe. These guys are all friendly and patient with puppies.” He offers Toben’s leash, and Chanyeol loops it over his wrist and finally stands upright again.

He sees more than the man’s feet for the first time, and he is gorgeous.

“I’m Kim Jongin.” Baekhyun’s dog walker. He’s said Jongin’s great with dogs but surprisingly did not go into any detail about how hot he is. “These are Mongryong, Jjangah, Monggu, Meokmul, Byul, Jjangu, Huchu, and Vivi.”

“Park Chanyeol. This little is Toben.”

Jongin laughs. “He’s a puppy; they’re all s as puppies. The goal is they grow out of it with training.”

“Have yours?” Chanyeol asks, eyeing the crew clustered around the man’s feet.

“Oh, they’re not all mine! I’m a dog walker and sitter. Only the three light Poodles are mine. The Corgi is—”

“I actually know Mongryong.” The Corgi stills at his name, ears alert. “His dad’s my friend.” Ex-friend. The traitor is keeping such a skilled, handsome dog whisperer to himself.

“The two in matching sweaters are Comme Des and Garcon; Adam and Eve share a leash.” He twists and shows his backpack, which actually is something like a baby sling holding a Dachshund. “This is Roo. She can’t keep up, sometimes. The black and gray ones are my ex’s. He should be here to pick them up in a few minutes.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have any keen insight or words of wisdom for a new puppy owner, would you?”

“Sure! I can—” He smiles suddenly, brightening even more like a sunflower under the summer sun. “Oh, here’s their dad.” He raises his free hand to wave, closing his fist tighter around the leashes as the dogs all begin to wag their tails and dance eagerly.

Whatever glimmer of future romantic possibility Chanyeol saw with Jongin quickly dims. While the Poodles’ dad is a man, he’s pretty much Chanyeol’s complete opposite. Jongin apparently prefers short men with monk hairstyles and an affinity for black on black outfits. Chanyeol feels like a cover for a Lisa Frank book, wearing a neon hoodie and sneakers; even his hair is blue.

“...and this is Park Chanyeol and Toben, his new puppy.”

Chanyeol blinks. What are they talking about? The other man is bowing; Chanyeol hurriedly mirrors it. “Hello.”

“Your puppy is really cute. He reminds me of Meokmul.” The black Poodle wags his tail and dances, eager to be picked up.

“He was just asking for some tips on new dog ownership,” Jongin remarks. “Do you have anything to add? These two were your firsts.” He rubs a curly ear between his fingers, giggling when the dog chases his hand to .

“I guess don’t freak out? It’s a new situation for them, too.” That’s a good point. Chanyeol looks down at Toben. He hadn’t thought of that. “You need a lot of patience and understanding, but it’s worth it. You’re showing initiative by asking questions, though; I’m sure you’ll be fine.

“Thanks for watching them, Jongin.”

“No problem. We like having them.” The men hug, careful of the dog on Jongin’s back, and the man whose name Chanyeol completely missed leaves with a Poodle trotting by either heel.

Witchcraft. That’s the only explanation.

They’re left with silence and a sea of dogs and differences between them. Two dogs watch a car rattle by; one raises her fur and growls softly.

“Kyungsoo hyung’s right; you’re just as new to Toben as he is to you. Set boundaries and stick with them.” He folds his legs to sit on the grass, lap immediately filled with Poodles. He shrugs out of the straps of the sling and pulls a leash from its pocket to clip to the dog’s neck, allowing her to roam with her friends. “Can I ask why did you adopt him?”

Chanyeol isn’t as graceful sitting; he’ll probably have a big grass stain on his . Rather than join him, Toben is trying to find room to be close to Jongin. Mongryong the Corgi sits with Chanyeol, instead, always ready and willing to play the part of lap dog.

“Uh...I was lonely, I guess. I’d always wanted a dog, but my parents wouldn’t allow one.” He shrugs a shoulder to his ear. “I’m allergic. Figured as an adult no one could tell me no, so I found him. We get along well; like, he’s never growled at me or anything. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong that he keeps destroying everything and won’t sleep at night.”

Jongin nods sympathetically. “That is rough.” Byul paws at his leg, annoyed by another’s persistent sniffing, and he lifts her against his shoulder. “I’m no behaviorist, but I’ve been around dogs my whole life. You can do everything by the book and prepare for any problem or concern but still be caught off-guard. He could be destroying things because he’s bored; he could be destroying things because of their smell.”

“He could be destroying things because he’s a little bastard.”

Jongin catches a snort behind his hand and nods.

“Some are his own toys, though!” They were advertised to keep a dog entertained and withstand frequent chewing. Blatant lies. “I can’t afford buying a new toy every time he rips the head off of one.”

“It can get expensive. I’d suggest staying away from soft toys like plush ones, at least while he’s a puppy and teething. Bones, antlers, and the rubberized types should hold up longer and are safer if ingested. Dogs are natural chewers of anything they can get their mouths on.

“Try looking for a toy you can both play with, like a rope or tennis ball. Engage him and then reward him.”

That makes sense.

“How old is he?” Letting Byul down, Jongin gently lifts Toben, who immediately leans forward to try and stick his tongue up Jongin’s nose. The man isn’t disgusted and just turns his head, laughing. There are cute dimples in his cheeks.

Chanyeol shakes his head. “I’m honestly not sure. I think the shelter said he was about ten weeks?”

“That sounds about right; he doesn’t look all that old. A puppy should never leave its mother and littermates before they are at least eight weeks old. If you’re planning on having him neutered—which could help his behavior a little—it can be done around six to nine months old.”

Maybe he should be taking notes. Or recording their conversation, because he’s not paying close attention to what his neighbor is actually saying.Since when are people this attractive covered in dog drool, fur, and who knows what else?

Toben whines and paws at the man’s face. Before Chanyeol can scold him, the man catches the paw and kisses the little toes. “You’re really cute, you know that? You’re lucky. Your dad’s going to go gray because of you.” He passes the Poodle back to Chanyeol.

Mongryong steps on Chanyeol’s crotch trying to get closer to Toben; he pushes them both onto the grass to sit up on his knees.

“How do you get all these dogs to listen to you?”

“Practice and patience. Like I said: I’ve always been around dogs. I think they see me as one of their own. Like wolves, they’re pack animals. I’m their alpha leader and treat provider.”

“What about when they’re naughty?”

“Correct the behavior. Sometimes, they just need a time out, like Byul here. She was getting annoyed earlier could’ve snapped at him sooner or later. She’s done it before, and sometimes that can be okay? She’s setting her own boundaries, and the others need to respect that or face the consequences.

“If it’s something like ripping up a pillow or going through the trash, and I catch them, I’ll use a spray bottle of water. Finding it afterwards...there’s not much to do that they would understand. They’d just think you’re mad and not understand why, so patience is very very important.”

Toben cowers when Chanyeol yells at him. He must look like such a beast, towering over such a little thing, still a baby.

He’s such an awful dad.

“If you’d like,” Jongin says slowly, spinning the collar around a white dog’s neck, “I could help you with Toben sometimes. He could join our walks—a tired puppy is a non-destructive one, or we could set up playdates with my own dogs.”

“That’d be great! I’ll take all the help I can get.”

“I actually live in the building behind yours; I’ve seen you and Toben before, while out walking.” How blind must Chanyeol be to have missed such a man so close?

To be fair, when he’s out with Toben, he doesn’t look at much else. His mouthy puppy has chewed through his leash before, after all; Chanyeol needs to be vigilant and available to catch the rascal at a moment’s notice.

“I could give you my number, and we could set something up?” Parenthood has made Chanyeol a little delusional, perhaps; or that really is a dusky pink blush over Jongin’s cheeks, and he’s flirting. He nuzzles his face into the Dachshund’s fur, ears red, and Chanyeol struggles to control his face.

But Jongin is too stinking cute.

As he fumbles for his phone, Toben tries to follow a woman on roller blades, but Mongryong’s sitting on his leash. Chanyeol loops the leash more firmly around his wrist and opens a new contact before passing it to Jongin.

“Evenings work best for me,” Jongin comments, “but we can just play it by ear.” He holds up a hand, taking a photo when most of the dogs look up at it, and hands the phone back while passing out treats. “Feel free to message me anytime, though, if you have questions or...whatever.”

“Thanks.” Chanyeol gets to his feet and picks up Toben. It’s easier to coolly carry him away than be led to every rock, bush, and bird dropping in the roundabout way home. “We should be going, now…” There’s a pile of poop to clean and a mess at home to sweep up as well as a replacement pillow to order.

He offers pets to the dogs he can reach and waves to Jongin, who waves a fat paw back. “Good luck, Chanyeol. Maybe see you soon?”

“Definitely. I’ve got my hands full; I’m relying on you, now!” He nearly trips, walking backwards, but manages to save himself and his dignity.

“I suppose I have you to thank for allowing me to meet the man of my dreams,” Chanyeol remarks to Toben. He feels the Poodle’s tail wag; the puppy is surprisingly relaxed in his hold, not struggling to be put down as quickly as usual. “Next time we’re at the bakery, I’ll let you pick out a treat for yourself, okay? We could do that more often, if you’d stop tearing apart the house.” He looks at his puppy, who stares back, tongue hanging between his teeth.

Really, he is lucky he’s so gosh darn cute.

While he can barely look after himself, Chanyeol is determined to do the best he can for his puppy. If that includes Kim Jongin, the dog whisperer, all the better for everyone.

a/n: Written for round one of EXO Home 4 U. (prompt no.133 domestic au where chanyeol raises a puppy thinking it’d be an easy job but puppy ends up breaking everything and he cries in his room when toben escapes and helpful neighbor jongin carries toben back and assists with training him afterwards)

Pet parenting is hard. Talk to your vet, trainer, behaviorist, or even just read some books about the pet before as well as during their adoption.

As someone working pet retail, please don't rely on us. We are actually not trained experts. ;;x;;