Paul Coover
06-14-2007, 03:20 PM
This is part of an idea that I came up with to write Riley's story, but from his point of view. Although I can take credit for the idea, I can not take credit as the author. This piece was written by my wife and edited by myself.
HOME, By Michelle Coover
A fence, that’s all I ever really see, is this fence. It’s not metal and it’s not wood but it keeps me in this small prison while I watch the other dachshunds run and play. They can fetch and tug and most importantly run free. I know I could do those things too but something much bigger than this ‘baby-pen’ as the peoples call it restricts me. Its my back, it wont move, my hind-legs don’t stand up, I REALLY want them to but they won’t listen to my pleas. Everyday I watch peoples come in this house I holler at them but they come in anyway and they usually take another dog away. Where do they go??? The dog looks happy; they wag their tail, and Yip! I can do that too!! Look at me! My tail is wagging too and I can Yip louder than any dog in here.
The peoples that are caring for me give me these sticky white things that are really fun to chew. They are called ummmm… marshmallows. They sometimes take me out of the pen and let me try to chase a ball, I love that time! It is always the same in that my feet drag behind me and I get rug burns on my skinny knees. As a matter of fact, compared to the other dogs here all of me is skinny. But don’t get me wrong, I’m fed well, I even get my own food bowl and water bowl, it’s in the pen though. I get a lot of my own things which is really nice; I have my own clothes, nicely woven sweaters that keep me so warm and comfy, the two bowls, and my very favorite thing: my toy!! It’s a rope bone, it’s got great bright colors; the peoples say; its shredded just the way I like it. I can grab onto it and hold on just as well as any dog. The colors of it I don’t really care about though to my eyes its just a different shade of gray, the most I care is that its fun.
There are a lot of fellow dachshunds here, they aren’t related to me though, and my parents and siblings are far from here I suppose. There is an old dog named Sally whom you can tell cause she’s pretty big and straggly haired, there are a bunch of younger ones. One is black, there are twins, and oh my just so many… I think the peoples counted seven. The others do try to play with me when I can come out of my pen; they aren’t mean to me or anything. Its funny though, dogs come and go here, except for the basic seven that my caretaker keeps as her own. She hates to see dogs like me disowned and homeless, and from what I hear through bark and whimper is that some peoples make us dogs go to sleep forever. That scares me. I don’t want that, when I’m ready for a long sleep I’ll take it myself thank you, no help needed.
This caregiver lady has pictures of other dogs like me all over her house; she reads letters to us dogs. The letters and the peoples words I don’t understand but I know it makes her happy. I’m very observant in that way, I hear the tones that peoples give off. These letters that she reads have the pictures in them that she hangs in her house. So I still don’t understand; where are these dogs? I think a couple I remember from what feels a lifetime ago, but where are they? Are they on a long sleep? I hope not! Are they in a prison like me? Again, I hope not! Or maybe they went to a happy place where you get scratched on your tummy and rubbed behind your ears. Oooooohh, that’s where I hope it is, if so I want to go there. I love to be picked up and pampered more than most dogs. I don’t need luxuries like a sparkly collar or fancy dog food, I just want to be held and loved and…
“ Riley” I hear and my ears go up and I tilt my head almost completely sideways. Remember that that’s my name. “ Riley, you have some potential owners coming over.” The caregiver said in that happy voice. So I don’t really know what she said but I ran in a circle in the pen with my ears still up. She picked me up and held me and rubbed behind my ears, I just trembled with joy.
The next day I saw the sunbeam come through the back window where we were allowed to go outside to ‘do our duties’. The caregiver held my rear legs up so I could go; it was an odd feeling to have your rear held by someone as you went but its what had to be done.
“Its your big day today Riley” I heard my name again and looked back at her. She smiled at me and waited till I was done.
The sunbeam had all but disappeared when peoples came in the door; I gave them a big hollering. They looked at me. Them and the caregiver pointed at me and talked, then the caregiver brought them over to me. The other dogs were fascinated, they sniffed and yipped, me on the other hand don’t always like new peoples. I’ve had too many mean peoples. The new peoples were looking at me and I kept hollering at them but they wouldn’t go away. They quickly reached their hands in and I snapped at them. They didn’t like that, maybe they would leave me alone now and go away. The caregiver spoke to them some, but then the new peoples left. ’Good no one is gonna hurt me again’ I thought as I watched them leave.
“Well Riley it looks like you’ll wait a bit longer to get a home.” The caregiver said to me but this time she was sad, and that made me sad. She scratched behind my ears and pet me but I felt so sad still.
Home??
Where is my home? Isn’t it here? Am I bad? Do I deserve a home? I should, right? All dogs have a home and these ones are happy here, so do I belong?
It was another typical day in my life; I had almost forgotten the whole home thing. This is where I should be, right here, in safety with lots of dogs. I love to play with other dogs, they can run but I can still play up a storm outside my pen. The caregiver had my toy out and I was tugging it with her then another dog would come up holler at me and I’d holler back. It was all in fun though. Then that strange sound came off the thing by the food place. I hollered at it as it went ring- ring I didn’t know what to ever expect of it. The caregiver looked happier as she talked and I wagged my tail and spun in circles. She put the ‘ringer’ down and said,”Riley you have another chance!” she picked me up and hugged me.
I was happily lying in my pen under my blankets and in my sweater with my toy when I heard a knock, which meant more strange peoples. The caregiver opened the door and there was three peoples and… wait, a dog like me, except bigger and fatter. I hollered at all four of them and the caregiver brought them in, as usual. Who is leaving this time? The new peoples had their dog on a leash and called him, ack this darn peoples language, T-bone? SeeBoe? Kebo, I think that’s what they said, Kebo. They sat on the caregivers seat near the food place and they talked to her, and they kept saying my name. Why are they talking about me? Saying my name? Then I saw them pick up Kebo and pet him and scratch behind his ears. They said ‘paw’ to him and he handed them his paw.
Humph show off dog.
I hollered at them all again and again but they never left!!! Why wont they leave? It seems forever that they are here, and I am getting tired so I go to lie down in my pen.
Finally they all get up, they are going, wait, no, they are letting their dog off the leash. Another dog abandoned, wait, no, two of the new peoples are now near my pen. I don’t bother to holler though, they say my name and they smile then the lady peoples reaches a hand in, and I snapped at it, she pulled back and I thought I won again. Then the caregiver picks me up, she hands me to the man and the lady with him picks up Kebo. I forget about snapping and want to sniff Kebo. He’s a big dog, for a dachshund, looks half like a beagle in his ears and legs, but that’s it. Similar coloring to me I think, most peoples said I am a reddish brown, still looks a different shade of gray to me. The man starts to rub my ears, that feels good! He pets me! Then after a movement of the sunbeam he hands me to the lady with him and he holds Kebo. She smiles at me and says my name in the tone that I like, that happy peoples tone. She then pets me and rubs my ears and belly. I got so comfortable that I lost track of the sunbeam. I even tucked my head under the ladies arm, which is my favorite spot, I feel safest there. Its warm and I can hear the peoples heartbeat. I am so happy I fall asleep.
A lot of sunbeam time passed and the new peoples got up and got ready to go, they put Kebo on a leash and were gonna leave. No!! I like these peoples don’t go! I like the Kebo! No don’t go! Then they took my toys and blanket and clothes! They are taking MY stuff!! Then caregiver picks me up and gives me to the man, what? I don’t get it. Oh, I’m leaving!! The caregiver pets me on the way out and I get into a car with new smells. I am excited! This IS where the other dogs went, to a happy place full of rubs and pets and playing!! We left the caregivers while the sun was still in the sky but we drove so long I fell asleep under the new lady caregivers arm. I never thought I could say that, but I feel loved here by these new peoples, even by Kebo who is hollering at me, I guess because I took his seat on the lady peoples lap. He hollered for a long time and the lady caregiver pet him to and talked to him and she called me is brother. Brother?? Hmmm. A brother, I like that. I guess that makes the lady my ‘mom’ and the man my ‘dad’. I like that.
My ‘mom and dad’ had with them, which I never really mentioned but they had their ‘grandmom’ with them. She was also very nice to me, petting me, rubbing my ears. I liked her too. We had finally stopped after such a long time, we had breaks to ‘do our business’ but we went to a place, new to me. Kebo was happy though when we got to this place. It had to have been one sun and one moon till we got here but we were here. I had no idea where here was but we were here.
My new ‘mom’ looked to me and said, “ welcome to your new home Riley.” I wagged my tail, they put me down on the floor, took out my toys, gave them to me, Kebo sniffed me. I am HOME!!!
HOME, By Michelle Coover
A fence, that’s all I ever really see, is this fence. It’s not metal and it’s not wood but it keeps me in this small prison while I watch the other dachshunds run and play. They can fetch and tug and most importantly run free. I know I could do those things too but something much bigger than this ‘baby-pen’ as the peoples call it restricts me. Its my back, it wont move, my hind-legs don’t stand up, I REALLY want them to but they won’t listen to my pleas. Everyday I watch peoples come in this house I holler at them but they come in anyway and they usually take another dog away. Where do they go??? The dog looks happy; they wag their tail, and Yip! I can do that too!! Look at me! My tail is wagging too and I can Yip louder than any dog in here.
The peoples that are caring for me give me these sticky white things that are really fun to chew. They are called ummmm… marshmallows. They sometimes take me out of the pen and let me try to chase a ball, I love that time! It is always the same in that my feet drag behind me and I get rug burns on my skinny knees. As a matter of fact, compared to the other dogs here all of me is skinny. But don’t get me wrong, I’m fed well, I even get my own food bowl and water bowl, it’s in the pen though. I get a lot of my own things which is really nice; I have my own clothes, nicely woven sweaters that keep me so warm and comfy, the two bowls, and my very favorite thing: my toy!! It’s a rope bone, it’s got great bright colors; the peoples say; its shredded just the way I like it. I can grab onto it and hold on just as well as any dog. The colors of it I don’t really care about though to my eyes its just a different shade of gray, the most I care is that its fun.
There are a lot of fellow dachshunds here, they aren’t related to me though, and my parents and siblings are far from here I suppose. There is an old dog named Sally whom you can tell cause she’s pretty big and straggly haired, there are a bunch of younger ones. One is black, there are twins, and oh my just so many… I think the peoples counted seven. The others do try to play with me when I can come out of my pen; they aren’t mean to me or anything. Its funny though, dogs come and go here, except for the basic seven that my caretaker keeps as her own. She hates to see dogs like me disowned and homeless, and from what I hear through bark and whimper is that some peoples make us dogs go to sleep forever. That scares me. I don’t want that, when I’m ready for a long sleep I’ll take it myself thank you, no help needed.
This caregiver lady has pictures of other dogs like me all over her house; she reads letters to us dogs. The letters and the peoples words I don’t understand but I know it makes her happy. I’m very observant in that way, I hear the tones that peoples give off. These letters that she reads have the pictures in them that she hangs in her house. So I still don’t understand; where are these dogs? I think a couple I remember from what feels a lifetime ago, but where are they? Are they on a long sleep? I hope not! Are they in a prison like me? Again, I hope not! Or maybe they went to a happy place where you get scratched on your tummy and rubbed behind your ears. Oooooohh, that’s where I hope it is, if so I want to go there. I love to be picked up and pampered more than most dogs. I don’t need luxuries like a sparkly collar or fancy dog food, I just want to be held and loved and…
“ Riley” I hear and my ears go up and I tilt my head almost completely sideways. Remember that that’s my name. “ Riley, you have some potential owners coming over.” The caregiver said in that happy voice. So I don’t really know what she said but I ran in a circle in the pen with my ears still up. She picked me up and held me and rubbed behind my ears, I just trembled with joy.
The next day I saw the sunbeam come through the back window where we were allowed to go outside to ‘do our duties’. The caregiver held my rear legs up so I could go; it was an odd feeling to have your rear held by someone as you went but its what had to be done.
“Its your big day today Riley” I heard my name again and looked back at her. She smiled at me and waited till I was done.
The sunbeam had all but disappeared when peoples came in the door; I gave them a big hollering. They looked at me. Them and the caregiver pointed at me and talked, then the caregiver brought them over to me. The other dogs were fascinated, they sniffed and yipped, me on the other hand don’t always like new peoples. I’ve had too many mean peoples. The new peoples were looking at me and I kept hollering at them but they wouldn’t go away. They quickly reached their hands in and I snapped at them. They didn’t like that, maybe they would leave me alone now and go away. The caregiver spoke to them some, but then the new peoples left. ’Good no one is gonna hurt me again’ I thought as I watched them leave.
“Well Riley it looks like you’ll wait a bit longer to get a home.” The caregiver said to me but this time she was sad, and that made me sad. She scratched behind my ears and pet me but I felt so sad still.
Home??
Where is my home? Isn’t it here? Am I bad? Do I deserve a home? I should, right? All dogs have a home and these ones are happy here, so do I belong?
It was another typical day in my life; I had almost forgotten the whole home thing. This is where I should be, right here, in safety with lots of dogs. I love to play with other dogs, they can run but I can still play up a storm outside my pen. The caregiver had my toy out and I was tugging it with her then another dog would come up holler at me and I’d holler back. It was all in fun though. Then that strange sound came off the thing by the food place. I hollered at it as it went ring- ring I didn’t know what to ever expect of it. The caregiver looked happier as she talked and I wagged my tail and spun in circles. She put the ‘ringer’ down and said,”Riley you have another chance!” she picked me up and hugged me.
I was happily lying in my pen under my blankets and in my sweater with my toy when I heard a knock, which meant more strange peoples. The caregiver opened the door and there was three peoples and… wait, a dog like me, except bigger and fatter. I hollered at all four of them and the caregiver brought them in, as usual. Who is leaving this time? The new peoples had their dog on a leash and called him, ack this darn peoples language, T-bone? SeeBoe? Kebo, I think that’s what they said, Kebo. They sat on the caregivers seat near the food place and they talked to her, and they kept saying my name. Why are they talking about me? Saying my name? Then I saw them pick up Kebo and pet him and scratch behind his ears. They said ‘paw’ to him and he handed them his paw.
Humph show off dog.
I hollered at them all again and again but they never left!!! Why wont they leave? It seems forever that they are here, and I am getting tired so I go to lie down in my pen.
Finally they all get up, they are going, wait, no, they are letting their dog off the leash. Another dog abandoned, wait, no, two of the new peoples are now near my pen. I don’t bother to holler though, they say my name and they smile then the lady peoples reaches a hand in, and I snapped at it, she pulled back and I thought I won again. Then the caregiver picks me up, she hands me to the man and the lady with him picks up Kebo. I forget about snapping and want to sniff Kebo. He’s a big dog, for a dachshund, looks half like a beagle in his ears and legs, but that’s it. Similar coloring to me I think, most peoples said I am a reddish brown, still looks a different shade of gray to me. The man starts to rub my ears, that feels good! He pets me! Then after a movement of the sunbeam he hands me to the lady with him and he holds Kebo. She smiles at me and says my name in the tone that I like, that happy peoples tone. She then pets me and rubs my ears and belly. I got so comfortable that I lost track of the sunbeam. I even tucked my head under the ladies arm, which is my favorite spot, I feel safest there. Its warm and I can hear the peoples heartbeat. I am so happy I fall asleep.
A lot of sunbeam time passed and the new peoples got up and got ready to go, they put Kebo on a leash and were gonna leave. No!! I like these peoples don’t go! I like the Kebo! No don’t go! Then they took my toys and blanket and clothes! They are taking MY stuff!! Then caregiver picks me up and gives me to the man, what? I don’t get it. Oh, I’m leaving!! The caregiver pets me on the way out and I get into a car with new smells. I am excited! This IS where the other dogs went, to a happy place full of rubs and pets and playing!! We left the caregivers while the sun was still in the sky but we drove so long I fell asleep under the new lady caregivers arm. I never thought I could say that, but I feel loved here by these new peoples, even by Kebo who is hollering at me, I guess because I took his seat on the lady peoples lap. He hollered for a long time and the lady caregiver pet him to and talked to him and she called me is brother. Brother?? Hmmm. A brother, I like that. I guess that makes the lady my ‘mom’ and the man my ‘dad’. I like that.
My ‘mom and dad’ had with them, which I never really mentioned but they had their ‘grandmom’ with them. She was also very nice to me, petting me, rubbing my ears. I liked her too. We had finally stopped after such a long time, we had breaks to ‘do our business’ but we went to a place, new to me. Kebo was happy though when we got to this place. It had to have been one sun and one moon till we got here but we were here. I had no idea where here was but we were here.
My new ‘mom’ looked to me and said, “ welcome to your new home Riley.” I wagged my tail, they put me down on the floor, took out my toys, gave them to me, Kebo sniffed me. I am HOME!!!