My Third Post, Bob Allen and In Defense of Teddy

Hi again! My third post. I checked my profile today and found that I have had eight views so far, I wonder who? I know Bob Allen has read my blog and was surprised and pleased to find that I had mentioned him, at least that is what I am going to believe (ha-ha)! Bob - I checked out your website and I like the way you were talking over your music, its a pretty neat effect...I know my friend Natalie (I won't mention her last name in case she wants to remain anonymous) has read it and another friend from Michigan. Who else? Would anyone like to leave a comment? Let me know you visited? No pressure, it just would be nice to know. Okay onto more content : I wrote a short story almost three years ago when we first got our two doggies - Teddy and Arnie. The story is about the youngest dog, Teddy. He is a cairn terrier and a rescue. He still had tons of puppy in him as this story will show. It is a true story and I thought about trying to submit it to the cat and dog chicken soup for the soul publication. I'm not sure if I've got the name right, but you get the idea. Natalie gave me the idea about the chicken soup book and she also gave me the reference I use in the story to a "synthetic gold squirrel" - I need to give credit where it is due! Here's the story, It's called "In Defense of Teddy" :Teddy is my year and a half old recently adopted cairn terrier. He sports tufts of unruly wiry hair that frame big brown puppy dog eyes and a button nose, he is ragamuffin in appearance and manner with a touch of class - is this possible? Extremely intelligent and precocious this spunky terrier is most definitely prone to mischief, and it is mischief that brings me to the need for Teddy's defense!On the day in question, Teddy was on the living room rug with his favorite bone snugly nestled between two front paws; a quaint picture of puppyhood innocence and contentment. With what would prove to be a false sense of security, I went about my usual morning routine. Once absent from the room, I can only speculate as to the events that must have transpired- based on the evidence! New and naive as a pet owner I did not foresee what temptation or possibilies might be in a situation like this for an inquisitive terrier! There was an almost empty pack of cigarettes sitting on the coffee table from my sister's visit the day before with one partially smoked cigarette still in the package. Do other terriers have the mis-conception that they can jump from a sofa to a coffee table like a cat? Teddy must have mastered this art because that is just what he did! When I finished my morning routine I went back to the living room and found Teddy under the coffee table, his bone long forgotten. He was surrounded by bits of chewed up paper and continued to chew happily as I watched. To my dismay I saw the cigarette package shredded all around him and no evidence of the cigarette! I could only conclude due to the over-whelmingly circumstanial evidence, that Teddy had eaten it! I wondered what effect nicotene might have on my little 15 pound terrier and the answer came as I moved in closer. Obviously nicotene had turned my puppy into a wild hunter; all instinct. He had pulled a gold drapery tassel off of the living room draperies and dissected it piece by piece. The mangled remains lay all around him and while Teddy stared at me proudly and unflinchingly it was as if he was saying, "I am not sorry. I am the proud hunter of this synthetic gold squirrel"!I have since referred to this incident as the "tassel massacre". Anyway, I was cleaning up and realized that there was also a cup of coffee left on the coffee table from the morning. It was almost full when I left the room and I wondered now if this had proved to be another temptation for Teddy. I peered into my coffee cup. Sure enough! The contents were drained dry and the cup looked suspiciously like it had been licked clean. Based on the circumstantial evidence I could but come to one conclusion; Teddy had not only eaten a cigarette that morning, but he had had a cup of coffee too!In summary, and in Teddy's defense, I would like to say that I have hope that someday he will mature in his tastes and graduate to a (proper?) high tea! Until then, who can fault him, really for taking a coffee break?Ha - ha! I hope this made you chuckle at least.