Me: Hey, we’ve always told you you’re gonna be a service dog, so Saturday you go back to Guide Dogs of America and they start your formal training.
Dog: But… but…
Cat: Later, ding dong. I’m off to lay in the sunshine.
Me: There’s someone who really needs you. Someone who’s blind, or maybe a vet with PTSD or a child with autism. There’s several career paths, they’ll find the one that’s right for you. And you’ll get trained so you can help them.
Dog: I was really planning on spending this morning rolling in the gopher carcass MaeMae left on the lawn last night.
Cat: Shut UP! And it’s MINE.
Me: Honey? Cleanup, aisle back lawn…
So our time with Miss M is coming to an end. We take her for her IFT (In for Training) ceremony on Saturday, then she’s off on another adventure.
Are we sad? Yes. Devastated? No. One, we’ve prepared for this since the beginning, and two, we’re kinda looking forward to not having a constant puppy-presence. I mean, puppies are wonderful, but we’re ready for a break. Miss M was a TON of work.
Also, you gotta take her where ever you go, to whatever extent is possible. And this girl has done a LOT. Beloved is terrific about making sure she goes on as many outings as possible (I work, she’s retired).
The 5:15am potty call is getting old. As is the 6:15 or so breakfast. I know, I know, we could have her wait longer for brekky, but I get her being hungry and dang, she can vibrate that crate like it’s a bouncy house.
And she goes back to sleep once her tummy’s full. I, on the other hand, have a few more minutes in bed before flinging myself shower-ward and downstairs to the computer.
Yeah, we’ll miss that yellow monster. I think even MaeMae…
Cat: Oh no I won’t!!
Me: Yeah, you will…
But MaeMae will have a chance to play with other puppies we sit for and we’ll most likely raise another after we do a vacation.
Cat: WHAT?!!!
Miss M is going IFT with two of her litter mates – I know one at least was “career changed” (didn’t succeed as a potential service dog). Of course, there’s always a chance Miss M won’t make it, in which case, we have first dibs on having her as a pet.
Of course we’d take her. She’s a service animal now… she sleeps in her crate, is on a strict diet (our late, darling puggle Abby used to snack off my plate more often than I’d like Beloved to know about, but Miss M gets NOTHING. Kibble, peanut butter and the occasional high-value treat. That’s it), she’s never on the furniture, etc.
Another of her puppy friends got career changed and her family posted a picture on FB of her sitting on the sofa, surrounded by family, wearing a giant sh!t eating grin. That would be Miss M. If she does come back, she’s coming back as a dog.
We have a queen sized bed and with MaeMae, it can get tight. With Miss M…
Cat: The HELL that thing is sleeping with us!!
Me: She’d be a full member of the family. Of course she’d be in the bed.
Cat: How much blood does a human body contain? Like, before an infuriated feline expresses her discontent?
Me: I think we’d need a king size at least…
So, she’s off on her next adventure in a few days. I’ll post pictures.
But if she comes back to us, the very first thing we’re doing is drive-though Starbucks, for the biggest puppachino they can provide… then we head to In-N-Out, for a puppy burger (a burger patty on a tray). We’ll diet tomorrow, eh, puppy girl?
ExaminingMisadventures 