I WAS ON THE LADDER TRIMMING BRANCHES WHEN MY DOG BIT MY PANT LEG AND PULLED ME DOWN—THEN I REALIZED WHY HE HAD ACTED SO STRANGELY. I remember that day clearly. The morning sky was heavy and gray, and although it looked like rain could fall at any moment, I was determined to finish trimming the old apple tree. The ladder was already leaning against the trunk, and I didn’t want to postpone the task any longer. I had barely climbed a few steps when I felt a sudden tug at my pants. Startled, I turned around and saw my dog trying desperately to climb the ladder behind me. His paws slipped on the metal rungs, his nails scraped loudly, and his eyes—wide, focused, almost pleading—never left mine. I tried to laugh it off, telling him to get down and stop fooling around, but he only became more persistent. His teeth gripped my pant leg again, pulling so sharply that I nearly lost my balance.

At first, irritation bubbled up inside me. I thought he was just being playful or demanding attention. But as he continued tugging, bracing himself against the ladder with surprising strength, something about his behavior unsettled me. The look in his eyes wasn’t playful—it was urgent. As though he was trying to warn me. I tried to climb again, but he repeated the same action, pulling me back with even more determination. My heart pounded. If he startled me at the wrong moment, I could fall and seriously injure myself. Frustrated and confused, I decided the safest thing was to put him on his chain for a few minutes. He lowered his head as I led him to his kennel, and for a moment I felt guilty. Still, I needed to finish the task, and I convinced myself that once he calmed down, everything would be fine.

I returned to the ladder, took a deep breath, and placed my foot on the first rung—only for a cold chill to run through me. The moment I shifted my weight and touched the ladder, the ground beneath it gave way. A hollow crack echoed, and the entire ladder tipped forward, sliding toward the weakened soil that had softened overnight from underground water. Had I been standing on it even a few seconds earlier, I would have fallen directly onto the stones and tools below. I froze, staring at the ladder lying on its side. The realization hit me all at once: my dog had sensed the danger long before I did. All those attempts to pull me down, all that stubborn behavior—it wasn’t mischief. It was instinct. It was protection.