A boy and his dog

Now that the girls are close to getting a dog, I thought I'd share the story of my first dog.

I was only 9 years old. So young. So full of promise. So lazy. Toot (my grandma) thought that a pet could teach me responsibility. We agreed that a dog was the way to go.

I knew exactly what kind of dog I wanted. Really, it was the same kind of dog any boy wants. Brave. Strong. Masculine. I took this all into account and went to Toot. "Toot, I want a poodle". Well she laughed and laughed, finally saying "No really, what kind of dog do you want?" I reiterated that I wanted a miniature poodle. She shook her head and said okay. I think part of her died that day...

So the next day, Toot comes home with a completely white miniature poodle. I thought for a moment- what is the perfect name for a spotless white poodle. Spot, of course! I knew that spot and I would become great friends.

Toots never liked the name spot. She said we should call him "Humpy". I never got that reference. Anyhow, we played all day, and went to bed exhausted. I awoke the next morning, feeling little wet pats on my cheek. I thought to myself that every boy should be so lucky as to awake to his new best friends soft doggie kisses in the morning. I kept my eyes closed and enjoyed Spots affection for a moment longer.

When I finally opened my eyes, I was horrified to see little doggie hips repeatedly thrusting toward me. "Cheese and Crackers!" I thought "that pink thing hitting me in the face isn't spot's tongue!"

That's how I woke up everyday for the next 4 months, until Toot accidentally ran over Spot. I still can't figure out why she parked in the middle of the back yard that day, or the tire tracks all over the back yard...