Once upon a time, a father came home from work. He kissed the mother, who was preparing dinner.
The father asked the mother whether she would like to get a puppy. The mother, who had spent the day taking children to and from school, sports practices, and orthodontist appointments, imagined what it would be like to add feeding, housebreaking and cleaning up after a puppy to her already hectic schedule. But the mother was overcome with curiosity. Instead of saying no, the mother asked what kind of puppy it was.
The father, aware of the single answer that might weaken the resolve of his beloved wife, informed the mother that the puppy was a black Labrador. The father offered to take the mother to see the puppy with the understanding that they would not bring it home if she did not like it.
Later that evening the father and mother went to visit the puppy. Against her better judgment, the mother fell in love with the little black puppy. The father took a leash and collar out of his pocket. He and the mother took the puppy home.
The father and mother had three children. The youngest son was interested in the puppy. The oldest daughter was indifferent. The middle daughter cried with joy and asked to name the puppy Daisy. So they did.
The father set up a dog crate in the family room. The father and mother started to house-train the puppy. The puppy was used to living outdoors and had some accidents on the carpet. The mother cleaned them up. Soon the father and mother pulled up the carpet and had a hardwood floor put down instead. The father and mother repainted the family room and replaced the windows.
The puppy learned to be good. She did not jump on people or climb on furniture. One day the puppy went upstairs against the rules. The mother sternly told the puppy to go downstairs. The puppy never went up again.
The puppy learned to “sit,” “lie down,” “stay,” “shake,” and “come.” She learned to “drop” a toy but did not learn to “fetch.” The puppy leaned that “go to bed” meant to lie down in the dog crate. The puppy learned to be obedient.
The puppy loved to take walks. She picked up tree branches to carry around the park. The puppy loved to chew on sticks and rawhide bones and plastic bottles and frisbees. The puppy loved to play tug-of-war with squeaky stuffed animals and to romp in the snow.
One day the puppy started to shake. The mother thought that the puppy was choking. The mother carried the puppy to the car and drove to the animal hospital. When they got there, the puppy was fine. A few weeks later the puppy started shaking again. The veterinarian told the mother that the puppy had ideopathic epilepsy. The puppy had to take medicine called potassium bromide. The medicine would help the puppy to have fewer seizures.
The puppy grew. One day she was not a puppy any more. She had grown into a dog. She still liked to act frisky like a puppy. She still loved to go for walks and carry sticks and chew plastic water bottles and play tug-of-war.
One day the dog got very sick. The veterinarian told the mother and father that the dog had pancreatitis. The dog stayed in the animal hospital for almost a week. When the dog was well enough to come home she had to stay on a strict low-fat diet. The mother and father and children could give her doggy treats. The dog could also have bits of fruits and vegetables. The dog liked baby carrots, cauliflower stems and apple peels. The dog learned to catch treats in the air when the mother and father and children tossed them.
The father takes the dog for walks in the park and rides in the car. The father lets the dog outside in the middle of the night. The father thinks that the dog loves him best.
The middle daughter feeds the dog and gives the dog medicine and baths. The middle daughter thinks that the dog loves her best.
The neighbors take care of the dog and spoil her when the father and mother and children go out of town. The neighbors think that the dog love them best.
The mother buys the dog food and medicine and chew bones and takes the dog to the vet. The mother cleans up the dog’s messes and sweeps up enough doggy hair to knit a brand new puppy. The mother allowed the puppy to come home in the first place. The mother knows the dog loves her best.
The dog will be 8 years old on Wednesday. The dog is slower than she used to be, and sleeps more. The dog is getting a lot of white hairs on her muzzle and belly and even the pads of her paws.
The father and mother and children love the dog more than ever and wish a happy birthday to Princess Crazy Daisy.
