I saw darling dog stretched out on the carpet, chewing. Chewing what? I wondered. Not his green ball, no. it wasn’t his stuffed Lamb, hedgehog, or teddy-bear; not his “safe, unflavored teething ring,” not the blue Kong tire, or the yellow monkey’s knot rope toy. What was it?

Not that we needed oxygen. No, no. Perhaps the carpet needs +Oxygen but we are following the wisdom of Cesar Millan. We are creating “perfect obedience from day one through rules, boundaries, and calm-assertive leadership.”

When Scooter rolls from his crate to lift his wiggling self into the lap of the person who so kindly rose at 5am, as he plants licks on the person’s cheeks, plans change.