Sunday, July 01, 2007

New protege


On Saturday, I welcomed a new canine to the congregation. My uncle adopted Bruce, a Lab puppy, from a shelter in Carrollton and stopped by to introduce him to me. "Ayatollah," he said, "I want Bruce to learn from you how to be a 'good dog.' Can you take him under your wing and mentor him?"

"Yes, my human child," I replied. "I will work with your large-pawed pup. For a small fee."

After receiving a biscuit in payment, I took Bruce out in the back yard to get a baseline of his skills. He possessed excellent athleticism and keen ball-fetching ability. He was a fast runner, but not as fast as yours truly. Yes, my flock -- despite this graying beard, the ayatollah can still tuck tail and fly.


Bruce's drinking form -- splashing much of the water out of his bowl -- differed from mine. But it proved effective all the same. Once the humans began to feast on their lunch, Bruce and I made our way inside. The pup displayed food-seeking techniques beyond his years, using his height to full advantage and nearly making off with slices of pizza on multiple occasions. It was apparent that with practice and a slightly refined technique, he could become a true begging prodigy.

Finally, it was time for Bruce to go. His parents had a date with PetSmart and one of those cages the humans like to euphemistically call "crates." I took young Bruce aside. "You are off to a fine start, my canine protege," I barked. "When next we meet, I will introduce you to rawhide."

6 comments:

Sarah said...

If only our Ria had had such sage advice at her adoption. You are wise, my liege.

Anonymous said...

Will you be introducing him to the harem?

Aine

Anonymous said...

Awwwwwww...anyone could look at Bruce and know he's already a good dog! He's beautiful and so very lucky to be joining your family, Bro. Mugsy.

Be sure to invite him over on the days when the city allows you to turn on the water hose!! Black Labs can't get enough when it comes to playing in the water. Don't come out in your yellow ducky get-up though. They're also big into chasing ducks!

You guys do have water now, right??? It has rained at our house almost every day for the last three weeks!!

J. B.

Ayatollah Mugsy said...

Ria is welcome to take online courses, Sarah O. For a small fee.

If all goes as planned, Bruce will someday have his own harem, Aine.

The monsoons are in effect here, too, James Beauregard. Two years of drought, and now the ground is saturated.

Anonymous said...

What a cutie!! I look forward to hearing more about his training. Perhaps we can all benefit.

Pugsley, Buster, Cricket & Daisy said...

Ayatollah,
Glad to hear that you got your protege, Bruce, off to a great start. He will make an excellent member to the congregation.

Respectfully submitted, Pugsley, Buster and Cricket