About a Dog

Once upon a time, there was a Dog. The Dog didn’t have the best beginning. When he was just a puppy, the Dog Catcher found the Dog and took him to live in a shelter. One day, a family got in their car and drove a long, long way, just to see the Dog. They had heard a lot about the Dog from many other people, and they believed that this Dog would be just the right dog to join their family. When they met him, they petted him, and ruffled his ears, and told him they loved him already. It didn’t matter to them where he came from. It didn’t even matter that some people referred to him as a Stray. The family saw way, way beyond that. To them, he was a Special Dog. They decided to take him home. They believed that this Dog would be just the right dog to join their family.

The family took very good care of the Dog, and as he grew, it was clear he was anything but average. Just as they had suspected, he was Special--and it almost seemed like the more they cared for him, the more Special he got.

The family always made sure the Special Dog had all the food and water he needed to stay healthy. Some days he had special treats—bones and fresh fruit and vegetables, (which, strangely enough, were his favorite.) When his family took him on walks in his new neighborhood , his coat shone and his teeth gleamed. They petted him and ruffled his ears and told him they loved him. People always commented on what a Good-Looking Dog he was.

He also had a lovely Backyard to play in. There was a huge, leafy tree to bark up, and plenty of squirrels and birds and cats to chase through the other trees. The Dog believed he owned the Backyard and he patrolled it proudly to keep his family safe. The family watched the Special Dog grow up. They loved him with all their heart and gave him everything he needed to be happy and loved.

One day, something terrible happened. Very early in the morning, when the Special Dog was just waking up, the snow fell and the wind blew and he heard a huge cracking sound in His Backyard. He wanted to go investigate, but his family called him back in the house. The Special Dog was very confused. Usually the family let him go out any time he wanted to. Why was the family keeping him from His Backyard? Just then, he heard another c-r-a-a-c-k and his big huge tree—the favorite tree he barked up-- split right down the middle like a stalk of celery.

The Special Dog was stunned. There was a glass door in the back of his house, that the family always used to let him out into His Backyard. He would always sit at the door patiently and wait for them to open it. But, now, all he could see out the glass was a huge forest of branches. The door wouldn’t open anymore. His Backyard was gone.

The Special Dog panicked. He cried and he whined and jumped, but no matter how many times he motioned for his family to open his door, it stayed locked. His Backyard was gone and he was trapped in the house.

A little while later, the family led the Special Dog across the house and into another room. It was a room that the Special Dog didn’t go into much, because THE CAT lived there. THE CAT stayed in a separate part of the house because he didn’t think the Dog was all that Special. The Special Dog never really understood this, but he accepted it all the same.

The Special Dog saw another glass door in THE CAT’S room, but it didn’t look anything like his door. Of course, he knew it couldn’t lead to His Backyard, because, it looked completely different. All he could see outside were branches from the big tree and a small patch of grass. The family could open this door, though and they motioned for the Special Dog to go outside.

The family tried many things. They talked to the Special Dog nicely and petted him. They pulled on his collar. They offered him treats. But, there was no way the Special Dog was going out that door. Finally, they got the Special Dog’s leash and hooked it to his collar. They pulled gently on the leash till they got him just outside the door. He stood out on the cement patio, sniffed the tiniest edge of the grass and then ran back inside.

The Special Dog searched and searched for His Own Backyard, but it was not to be found. He went back to his old door and cried and whimpered and whined and looked at his family. But there was nothing to be seen but a forest of branches. The family kept trying to take him back to the other glass door. They would open it and try over and over to coax him outside. “Go out and play, you Crazy Dog!” they said. But, there was no way he was venturing out into those tree branches and that little spot of grass. If only he could find His Backyard. Then, everything would be okay.

“You are going to have to go potty, sometime!” the family said.

The Special Dog didn’t understand any of the words except “potty,” He agreed that might be a good idea, but he wasn’t taking any chances. This time, when they let him out the other glass door he ran as fast as he could to the very edge of the grass, went potty and ran back inside.

It wasn’t His Backyard, but he certainly felt better.

That week, the days dragged on and the routine was the same. The Special Dog would stand at his back door and cry. The family would lead him to the other glass door and try to encourage him to go outside. Except for going potty once in a while at the edge of the grass, the Special Dog refused to go any farther. There was no playing. No more chasing squirrels, no more harassing cats on the fence, no more running through his back yard on patrol. It was all gone. Where had the family taken His Backyard? How could they be so mean to him? Why wouldn’t they bring it back? He would sit for hours staring out one door or the other. One wouldn’t open and the one that did, didn’t lead to His Backyard. It was a different life now.

Of course, some things were still the same. The family always fed him on time, and gave him plenty of fresh water. They brushed his coat till it was glossy and they took him out on walks. They petted him and ruffled his ears and told him that they loved him. Strangely enough, they also always insisted on taking him back to that other glass door and trying to coax him outside.

But, of course he wouldn’t go out. If only they hadn’t taken away His Own Backyard. If only things could be the way they used to be.

A few days later, a strange man came to the house, with a loud, noisy stick. The stick made huge whirring noises that the Special Dog didn’t really like. He thought wistfully about the days when he would’ve chased someone with a stick like that right out of His Backyard. He could hear the noise, and sometime even see the stick, but there was no way he was going out the door. Because it wasn’t His Backyard. So, what was the point?

A strange thing happened while that man was there. The more noise the stick made, the more the forest of branches began to change. Maybe it was shifting or maybe it wasn’t. The Special Dog couldn’t be certain, but, it did get his attention. It wasn’t like having His Backyard, of course, but it least it broke up the boredom.

The next morning, the Special Dog woke up and the family gave him his water and his breakfast like they always did. They petted him and they ruffled his ears like they always did. They told him they loved him, like they always did. Then, he went to sit at his back door--like he always did.

And then, something changed.

Because, when the Special Dog looked out the back door, it was back. His Backyard was BACK! This time the family slid open his own back door and he shot outside like a bullet. He ran round and round and round His Backyard. He came back to the family and licked them and then ran back outside again. He immediately set about sniffing all over the place. Yes, it seemed to smell like His Backyard. It did look a little bit different though. His favorite tree was gone, there was a huge pile of fat logs on the side of the fence and there was sawdust and little bits of branches everywhere he looked. But, the birds and the squirrels were out in the other trees, and everything else was just like he left it. Now, he could finally run and play again! His Backyard had returned. His life could go back to being the way it always was.

From the yard, the Special Dog looked back at his family standing by the door. Crazy Family! Why had they taken His Backyard away? Didn’t they know how much he needed it? Imagine trying to get him to go out that other door to the other place! How ridiculous they were! He was glad they had come to their senses, but he was still confused. Why change things when it was so much better to just leave them the same? To think of all those days he’d been trapped in the house without His Backyard. For what? He was proud he had held out and refused to step out into that other place. It was so much better to stay right where he was, and cry and whimper and whine and stare at his family for days until things returned to normal. Surely they could see that now! He had hated being in the house all that time, but he knew he had been right all along and that was very, very important to him.

Sometimes that’s very important to me too. But, I guess I shouldn’t read too much into this.

It’s just a story about a dog.