Give the Dog a Bone!

Give the Dog a Bone!

‘What made you bring that mutt home with you Jeff? Don’t you think I have enough to do? You said it was only going to be a temporary thing while you tried to find its owner but it’s already been three months.'

‘He's no trouble, he doesn’t mess the place up. What harm is there in him? I brought him home because I found him wandering the streets hungry and lost.’

‘Oh, he doesn’t make a mess eh? Who is it that has to vacuum dog hairs from everywhere and I don’t think it’s good for the baby to have a dog living with us when we live in an upstairs apartment. It can’t be healthy.’

‘He's had all his inoculations and he's been wormed so I can't see how he's a health risk. As for living in an upstairs apartment, it’s better than wandering the streets and possibly getting run over. The people who live in the area where I found him said he’d been hanging around for about three weeks scavenging.'

‘Well, he gets under my feet.’

’Roseanne, I can’t do any more, I take him out three times a day for his walk so what are you complaining about? You don’t even have to feed him. I do it all and as for Millie she loves him and he is very gentle with her.’

‘Yes, but he’s an Alsatian and they don’t have a very good reputation, besides which, he’s far too big for an apartment.’

‘Well, we’ve had him three months now and as I do everything for him and he is good with the baby there is no need for him to go. I will make sure that you don’t have to put yourself out in any way.’

‘Oh, so you’ll vacuum then, will you?’

‘If that is what it takes for him to be allowed to stay, then yes, I’ll vacuum.’

‘I’ll hold you to that. Even so, Jeff, don’t you think he would be better off with someone who has a garden?’

‘How do we know he didn’t come from someone who had a garden? At least with us he will have a permanent home.’

‘Oh, so I don’t get a say in this, then?’

‘Yes, you do, but he has given us no reason to cast him out and back to roaming the streets.’

‘I’m not saying we should do that. No, what I think is if we advertise him in the local paper and in the local shops someone might claim him or someone could offer him a home with a garden. Surely that would be better for him?’

‘First off, I’ve done everything humanly possible to try to find his owner but no one has come forward. Second, as I’ve already said, it doesn’t necessarily follow that someone with a garden can offer him a better home than he has with us.’

‘So, I’m to be stuck with him, am I?’

‘What’s your problem?’

‘You are my problem. It’s all very well you saying we’ll keep him and you will be the one looking after him but what about when you are at work? Who is it then left with the bloody great hairy thing? Shedding his hair everywhere and I’m forever brushing my clothes down. I’ve even had to give up wearing black trousers.’

‘Oh dear, that is a pity, black trousers and no dog or a dog and no black trousers? What a dilemma?’

‘You can be a sarcastic bastard…’

‘And you can be a selfish cow!’

‘How do you make that out?’

‘How long have we been married now? Nearly ten years and in all that time you have known I have wanted to get a dog. We even talked about it before we got married and at the time you didn’t raise any objections to the idea.’

‘That’s because back then I didn’t have a baby to consider. That is if we discount you of course.’

‘Who’s the one being sarcastic now then?’

‘I’m only giving as good as I get.’

‘Oh, let’s stop this bickering. You know how desperately I want to keep Zack and I will take full responsibility even to the extent that I will vacuum before I go to work. How does that sound?’

‘Okay, but we’ll just see how long that lasts.’

‘Just look at him with Millie now. He’s letting her pull herself up using his body as support and I’ve seen him stay with her when she’s trying to walk as she steadies herself by grabbing him if she feels she’s about to fall. What dog would do that?’

‘Yes, I agree, the dog's remarkable! He should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize!’

***************************************************

Three months pass with Jeff and Roseanne still not in agreement about the dog but Zack is still living with them. Then one day Jeff is home late from work and he has an evening appointment with a client so he is in a hurry.

‘Rosie, I won’t have time to eat but while I have a shower can you lay out my blue suit, white shirt and that new blue and white striped tie?’

‘Yes, Oh Great One, it’s not enough that I have a baby to look after, a dog I don’t want but I also have to be at the beck and call of its master.’

Nevertheless, she did as Jeff asked but when she returned to the sitting room she could see no sign of little Millie whom she had left playing happily on the floor. But then terror struck as she looked at the open window. Surely the baby couldn’t have climbed up there.

‘Jeff, Jeff! The baby’s gone!’ She screamed.

The abject terror obvious in his wife’s voice made Jeff throw on trousers and a shirt as he raced out to see the situation for himself. It was true, the room was empty with no sign of the baby or the dog. He rushed over to the window and looked out. Ashen faced he turned back to his wife and said almost in a whisper.

‘Rosie phone for the emergency services, I’m going down to the street.’

‘Why…what, where…’

‘Millie and the dog are both out on the ledge. Whatever you do…don’t call her or Zack! I’m going to take the quilt off our bed and get help from some of the people already gathered down there. We can hold it out like a safety net until the fire brigade or whoever gets here.’

With that he strode purposefully from the room and Roseanne, visibly trembling, made the telephone call before she crossed the room to look out of the window. The sight that met her made her gasp involuntarily. Her child, her baby, was crawling towards a corner of the building and if she got there she would never be able to negotiate that corner. Roseanne knew the toddler mustn’t go forward but she couldn’t come back either because the dog was behind her.

Roseanne, her breath coming in shallow gasps, looked down to the street and could see Jeff and three other people holding the quilt out in case her baby fell. Then all of a sudden she could hear the emergency vehicles as they came into view with lights flashing. She was afraid the noise and the lights would attract her child’s attention but to her amazement the dog had reached the child and was gently pulling her back by her nappy. Ever so slowly the dog inched its way backwards as the crowd below watched with bated breath. Next minute Jeff was back in the room and flew to the window. He stood ready to grab the baby just as the dog inched his way beyond the window to allow for the child to be safely hauled inside and handed to her distraught mother as Jeff now helped the dog back into the room.

The baby seemed quite unperturbed by her experience but mother and father just clung to her and each other as they realized what a lucky escape they had just had. They stayed like that for almost ten minutes before they could bear to let go of the little girl. When they did finally let go Roseanne looked over every inch of her baby to make sure she was unmarked. At the same time Jeff gave the dog the once over. Both appeared to be fine. Jeff cancelled his appointment as he felt his wife needed his support after the trauma she had suffered earlier. However, he was somewhat surprised when after they had eaten their meal Roseanne came into the room wearing her coat.

‘Where are you going?’ asked Jeff, ‘I would have thought you had enough excitement for one day and would be too tired to venture out.’

‘I told Mum I would pop over tonight just for a quick chat and I’m already late so I need to get moving if I’m to be back before bedtime. You’ll be all right looking after the baby till I get back?’

‘Yes, or course I will but I shouldn’t tell your mother about this evening.’

‘No, I won’t. She would only worry and be forever ringing up.’

Roseanne then went to the baby’s room and took a quick peek at her daughter who was sound asleep with her thumb in her mouth. When she went back into the sitting room the dog was sound asleep at Jeff’s feet. She gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying out of the flat.

Once outside however, she made no attempt to catch the bus which would take her to her mother’s. Instead she walked fast towards a shop she knew would still be open. She purchased what she wanted and quickly made her way back home.

On reaching the apartment she let herself in and found Jeff sound asleep in an armchair with Zack still lying at his feet although the dog did acknowledge her return with a quick swish of his tail which woke Jeff up.

‘You’re back early,’ he said looking at his watch, ‘you’ve barely had time to catch the bus.’

‘That’s because I didn’t catch the bus.’

‘Oh…why not?’

‘Because I wanted to get this,’ she said, holding out a small box which Jeff took from her before looking inside. There, sitting on top of a royal blue silk inner lining, was a shiny new name tag in the shape of a bone. On it was Zack’s name with their name and a telephone number.

‘You bought this for Zack? Does that mean there will be no more talk of him going to the pound?’

‘Jeff, I wouldn’t part with that dog for all the tea in China and India put together. Oh, and it will be my privilege and pleasure to vacuum in the morning so you don’t need to do it any more and can we please take it in turns to walk him.’

End