You've got to be kidding

Chase's busy first week

            I was cleaning his back paw, I can't even remember why, when Chase let out that startling first cough.  I could not believe that hacking cough had come from my baby.  Of course, the house was in chaos.  Tom, Jackie and Mark were down in the living room.  Aunt Anna had just stopped in to see the new addition when he'd let out that first cough.  I looked into his little face with concern.  At first I thought he was choking on a hair ball or he had picked up something off of the carpet.

            I handed the dog over to Tom while I pulled on my sneakers.  I was going to take him up to the emergency hospital.  Aunt Anna was the one who spoke with the voice of reason.  "He has Kennel Cough."  She stated simply.  "He'll be okay."  She patted my arm.  "They all get it.  Call the vet tomorrow morning and ask them what you should do for it."

            "Are you sure?"  I took Chase into my arms and hugged him close and he coughed again.

            "Positive."  She was smiling.  "He is the cutest puppy I've seen in a long time."

            "Isn't he…"  And we launched off talking about Chase's many antics.  And believe me there were many.

             Chase was an extraordinary pup.  There was no doubt in my mind.  This dog was a genius.  And there was nothing anyone could say that would change my mind.  Within three days he was completely paper trained.  He wasn't yet allowed outside because he hadn't gotten any of his shots as of yet.  And that bout with Kennel Cough had set us back another week. 

            Chase was content in his world, which consisted of only the living room.  Being a mare three pounds, that was all he could handle.  He slept in his crate at night and woke us with his cries in the early morning light as he had to make a trip to the papers.  It was like having a new baby in the house all over again.  And Chase was my baby.  Jackie would roll her eyes when I would tell Chase.  "Go and say hello to your sister."

            "He is not my brother."  She would growl before heading up to her room and her two cats, Jake and Gilly.

            Mark just went along with it.  His attitude was 'so I have another brother, big deal.'  I knew deep down inside that they loved him.  And he loved them. 

            Chase changed the entire household.  After all, he was now the baby of the family.  When you’ve lived in a house full of teenagers for as long as Tom and I have you tend to forget the joy a little one can bring.  Even if Chase was only a pup, he was the best pup in the world as far as I was concerned. 

Every day was an adventure.  It was new to me to have a pup in the house.  There are things that suddenly took on new meaning.  One very important one being that you had to remember to close the door.  And with teenagers in the house, you guessed it; no one seemed to get the concept of closing the door.  Then one day Chase seen opportunity and he took it.

My heart jumped into my throat as I made a grab for him and missed.  He was out the door and running.  As my heart was beating a mile a minute Chase ran around the car and was heading for the neighbor’s yard and freedom.  I still don’t know why he ran but I didn’t have time to think about it.  I was worried sick that some joker was going to come tearing down the street at full speed and hit my baby if he decided to bolt.

“Cookie.”  Tom yelled.  Cookie is the word that Chase knew as treat.

 Chase stopped in his tracks.  I had never seen anything like it.  “Cookie.”  Tom said again and Chase turned around and trotted right over to us.  I scooped him up, showered his face with kisses, and brought him back into the house where he belonged.  And Tom, always a man of his word, gave Chase the biggest cookie he could find.