Putty the Pudgy Pup

I woke this morning to the sound of my family getting ready for the day. "I wonder what they do all day?" I thought and then cracked one eye open. It appeared I was alone. Good, no one in sight. I grabbed a shirt off the bed and started running all over the house with it, swiping up a few dust balls along the way. That's when I heard the noise. I still don't know what it is exactly, but I don't like it because when I hear it I know I'm in trouble. I don't know how I know that, but I do. Next thing I know I felt the wop of a newspaper across my backside. I dropped the shirt and ran under the kitchen table. Why did that always happen when I had something in my mouth? As I was waiting to see what, if anything, would be my punishment, I was pounced upon from behind. It was Pepper who managed once again to avoid the trouble I was in because she slept a little later. If she had not been sleeping, she would have been right there besides me, fighting over the shirt, but somehow, as she always does, she would disappear a split second before we were caught doing whatever it was we were doing wrong. She was up, she was ready and she was willing to play so I chased after her. I figured if I was going to get in any more trouble over the whole shirt thing, I'd have a little more fun first. My name is Putty and I'm the greatest cocker spaniel in the world. No, really I am. Pepper is one too, she thinks, but she doesn't look as good as I do.

After a long session of playing keep away with Pepper with one of the gazillion toys she has managed to spread all over the house, I heard the familiar sound of that thing they put around my neck when we go away from the house. I ran to the noise and happily waited as the big guy put the thing around my neck. Sometimes I end up someplace where I somebody else cuts all my hair off or someone looks me over and sticks things in places I don't like, but today was going to be a good day. The view from the car window that day was different and I didn't know where we were going but I was excited just the same. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the car stopped and the door opened. I jumped out with all the energy of a pup even though I was almost seven. I smelled something strange and was curious to know what it was. I sniffed and sniffed until the scent got stronger and all of a sudden there were lots and lots of dogs everywhere. I soon remembered we had been here before and that it was lots of fun. I tried running after a few dogs, but they kept running away from me and telling me to get away from them. Eventually I gave up trying and went back over to the big guy that brought me here. Pepper was no help as she took off with a group of larger dogs as soon as we got here. I was miserable and looked to the big guy for comfort, rubbing my head against his leg.

Soon, some of the other dogs came a little closer and I could hear them calling me names. I overheard one refer to me as Putty the Pudgy Pup. I didn't feel pudgy, but it hurt my feelings just the same. I know I'm better than any of the other dogs at this park and here they are shunning me. Pepper finally came over to me trying to get me to play, but I told her I was too good and didn't want to be mixed up with this mutt crowd. That wasn't the truth though. I wanted to play, but no one wanted to play with me. It wasn't much longer that the big guy realized I wasn't having any fun so we returned home.

I went home that day very upset. "Why wouldn't anyone play with me?" I asked Pepper. She just laughed at me and said it was because I was so full of myself and the other dogs knew it. "But what can I do Pepper?", I asked. She explained to me then that the other dogs could sense my attitude and they were also annoyed about the time when I told them not to mess my coat up. (That wasn't fair though, it had rained all night and the whole park was muddy. I thought it was a reasonable request.) Anyways, they told her they didn't want to play with me because I'm so stuck up and full of myself and to worry about my coat was not being a dog. They told her I might as well be a cat. How insulting! "Pepper, you know, as I know, that I am better than those dogs," I said to her. She laughed again and started to walk away shaking her head. "What?" I yelled after her. She turned for a second and replied, "That's what your problem is. You might be better than them and you might not, but at the dog park, you check your high and mighty attitude and join in as an equal to the other dogs. That's what you can do to make friends with them next time we go to the park." As I headed to my favorite sleeping spot, on a soft lump on the bedroom floor, I thought about what Pepper said to me. As I lay dreaming I found myself back at the dog park. This time however, I bounded in with all the energy of a puppy and threw myself into the first dirt pile I could find. Soon I had the attention of the other dogs and I yelled to them, "Come on guys, let's play tag and I'll be it for as long as you like." They seemed to like that idea and we played and played the rest of the day.

When I woke later that day I realized what I had to do. Luckily I heard that familiar sound again and soon found myself at the dog park. I did just what I had done in my dream and guess what, it worked. The other dogs ran and ran and ran while I chased after them. Eventually they allowed me to wrestle with some of them and roll around in the dirt and grass. Pretty soon I had more pals than I could have ever imagined and we planned to all play again the next time we were there. I was so happy being a part of the fun and decided that no matter how much better I knew I was than other dogs, I would never let them see that side of me. I wanted to be part of the group, not a snooty outsider having no fun. As far as when I was home though, that's a different story. I'm still the king of the castle, but I let Pepper think she is sometimes and we've been having a lot more fun together ever since. I'm such a happy dog!