I blink my eyes open, the smell of kibble waking me, and I see Kate, my owner, preparing breakfast. I feel my tail start to wag, picking up speed. I love Kate, she always gives me food and takes me to the park. Kate is just the best! I get up stretching my short legs, sticking my tail in the air and my chest to the ground. Today is going to be a good day! I jump up and chase my tail around for a few minutes. Kate pats my head as I eat my delicious kibble. Oh boy, I love kibble, kibble is just the best thing ever, well besides my owner Kate and squirrels, and pie, and hot dogs. I finish my food quickly and run to the door grabbing my leash on the way. Kate laughs; it sounds like windchimes and ripples in a still pond. I bark softly to tell her time to go and she clips my leash on my collar. We walk into the clean morning air and I drag Kate over to my tree, my rival a puppy who could not take a hint marked my tree again. Oh well, I think, as I mark my tree.
Then we were off. I am surprised every time we go outside because I am flooded with a thousand different smells all stampeding into my nose at once. I smell the neighbor’s lawn, smelling the chemicals that make it so green. Then I smell something heavenly, and I turn to look at the hot dog stand in wonder, even though I had just eaten I was suddenly hungry. Most humans don’t know about dogs’ preference for hot dogs over almost everything, but Kate did. This fact did not stop her from pulling me away from the wonderful stand. I pull with all my strength, desperate, but it is too late. As the hot dog stand fades from view, I promise it that I will come back. We will arrive at my favorite place, Anderson Park.
We walk in on the thin winding path that leads to the main field. I drag Kate around, tail wagging and smelling all the smells. I go everywhere but the tree with a large, evil-looking dog beneath it. Then, after finding the perfect spot, Kate spreads a blanket and sits down, looking around and then lying down. I rush over and lick her face. She lets out a giggle and scrunches up her face. Satisfied that my job was done, I lie next to her.
Then the wind picks up, blowing from the direction we came. I smell the hot dogs and, almost like I am possessed, I bolt for the stand following my nose. Kate jumps up yelling after me, but I am too far gone. I am about to exit the park before the large dog I saw earlier jumps at me. I run faster than I ever have, like a strong wind flying through the air. Then I run into something. I stop, hearing nothing but the passing train before I look at what I hit. It was the mailbox on … . Wait, what street am I on? I turn in a full circle, checking everywhere, but I can’t seem to find anything familiar. I try my nose, but the only smells are new ones. I walk around and then find that the mailbox, my only landmark to see where I was in this new land, was gone. I start panicking, running around barking, asking for help. After what seemed like forever, rain started falling. I run under a bush seeking protection and curl up. I dream of Kate and hot dogs.
Then hands grab me, shaking the sleep off me and waking me up. I look up at this person, my captor, only to realize it’s Kate! I let out a giddy yip and jump to lick her face. As she hugs me to her chest she whispers, “Never do that again.” Then we walk to the hot dog stand. I give Kate my best puppy-dog eyes and she says, “Fine”; with a sigh and a smirk she buys a hot dog for two.