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Rocky's New Home
Great Woods Puppy Kennels were in a strange place called Massachusetts, very far from Rocky's home in Edmonton, Canada. He was born on April 20, 2001. His mommy would feed him and keep him warm in their little box and he felt so safe with his two brothers and three sisters.
When Rocky was first born he couldn't see very well and everything was so big and exciting. So many new smells that Rocky didn't know what to sniff next. It was fun playing with his brothers and sisters as they rolled in the hay of the big barn. His mommy would watch them play and people would come in to feed mommy and make sure we were not getting in any trouble, like the night that little Rocky got lost in the hay and cried and cried until a people came
and saved him.
Rocky felt afraid when he was alone. He felt afraid when he heard loud noises too. The first time Rocky heard the man people start the tractor in the barn Rocky thought the barn was falling down. It was so funny when he saw his mommy howling in laughter watching Rocky and his brothers and sisters running in different directions trying to find a place to hide. Mommy always knew the right thing to say to make you happy again.
Rocky's favorite fun things were wrestling with his brothers and chasing his tail. He would go in circles until he would fall down laughing while the barn just went in big circles. It was so much fun.
After a few weeks, mommy gathered Rocky and his brothers and sisters together because she had something very important to tell them. Very soon they would all be leaving on trips. Rocky thought that sounded like fun.
"What's a trip mommy?
"You are all getting old enough now that you will be getting your own people family. They will love you and take care of you and you will love them very much."
"Wow" Rocky thought. My very own people family. That sounded so exciting.
"Will I still live in the barn with you mommy?" Rocky asked as his brothers and sisters looked to mommy for the answer.
"No" she said.
Rocky suddenly became scared. He couldn't go anywhere. Who would keep him warm at night and who would feed him when he was hungry? Who would come find him when he got lost in the hay?
"Mommy, I don't want to go away, I'm afraid."
"I understand Rocky." His mommy said.
"I remember when I came to the barn a long time ago with my new people family. I was very afraid, but they loved me and took care of me and I was very happy."
Rocky didn't get it. How can you be happy with people? He was a dog and he liked other dogs. People were too big. They had giant feet and they made scary noises. They smelled funny too. Only his mommy smelled just right.
Just as Rocky turned to ask mommy when this would happen he felt a hand lift him out of the crate. Then two of his brothers too were put in this small box.
"I'll take these three for my kennel." Rocky heard the man say.
What's a kennel?
"Mommy save me!" Rocky barked over and over. Finally Rocky and his brothers got tired and they snuggled very close to each other to stay warm and fell asleep.
You see Rocky and his brothers and sisters were born in a breeding kennel. Rocky's mommy and daddy had him so he could go live with other people to make them and him very happy, but Rocky was too little to understand what was happening yet.
The trip to Massachusetts took several days in the new people's car. There were so many new smells and Rocky missed his mommy and the barn. He and his brothers would cry when it got dark because they didn't know where they were. They were always very safe because the new people were taking very good care of them but Rocky was too lonely to understand.
Finally they arrived at a place that smelled a little bit like the barn where Rocky was born. There were a bunch of new doggy friends. They didn't look like Rocky but they were little too. Rocky noticed that every time the people came into the room the other puppies would jump and bark. They would be so excited. Rocky asked the other puppies what was happening?
"When the people come in it is to feed us or to pick us."
"What do you mean pick us?" Rocky wanted to know.
"You have to yell so the people notice you if you want a nice new home. We can't stay here. This is where people come to choose which one of us they want to take home."
Well, the only home Rocky wanted was with his mommy. So he was going to hide in the corner and not make any noise so maybe they would send him back to his mommy!
The other silly puppies started jumping and acting stupid again. Here come another people. The lady was laughing and tickling the other puppies.
"Good they don't see me." Rocky thought.
Suddenly the giant man reached down and picked Rocky right out of the box. The wood chips were sticking to his hair.
"What kind is this?" Asked the giant man.
"A Maltese. Very adaptive and friendly dog."
Rocky didn't feel friendly. He was scared. He would never see mommy at this rate.
The lady took Rocky and tickled his belly. Rocky couldn't help it and he laughed.They put Rocky on the floor and the man rolled a ball.
"Well, if I have to be here, I might as well play." And Rocky chased the ball and bounced around forgetting how lonely he was for a minute.
"We like him." Oh no. They were putting Rocky into a small box with a fence in the front. Now they were going outside. They were sending him home. Oh boy!
It didn't take long for Rocky to see he was not going to see mommy. He was going to a new barn. They rode in the car and the new lady snuggled her nose with Rocky's nose.
"Hey that tickles," Rocky giggled.
Suddenly they were getting out of their big tractor (Rocky didn't know what a car was) and taking Rocky into a new barn. This barn was very clean and smelled very nice. These people were funny. They tickled and played and made Rocky laugh.
They gave Rocky a bed all his own and a bowl for his food with his name on it and they loved him and hugged him every day.
Rocky was very happy now. He could think about his mommy and not be sad because he loved his new people and his new barn very much. They were kind and they kept him warm and gave him food. They even played with him everyday.
That night when Rocky went to bed he said a little prayer for mommy, daddy, and his brothers and sisters that they might all be happy just like him. He loved his new family.
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Rocky and the Christmas Monsters
It was the weekend after Thanksgiving. Nana peoples decided she was going to put up something called Christmas decorations. Papa people wasn’t smiling like Nana was. Nana said to Rocky that this was going to be so much fun! Oh Boy … Rocky liked to have fun.
Papa people put on his coat because it was cold and rainy out and went to the garage. Rocky watched through the window as he moved the car tractor into the street. Then Papa took out a funny long thing with sticks in it and climbed up into the garage roof … Nana people called it a loft. Rocky wondered if a loft was friendly. Puppies were scared of everything you know!
Papa people piled a bunch of big boxes at the door of the house barn and Nana people started bringing them in one at a time. Wow! Look at the fun paper and pretty colors … Rocky would take the paper and run around the table and Nana and Papa peoples would chase Rocky in circles. This was a lot of fun.
Nana people thought it would be a good idea for Papa to take Rocky for a walk while she emptied all the big boxes. There was so much to do and Rocky thought it would go much faster if he could help.
Going for a walk was fun too. Rocky could smell all the wonderful things outside and chase the birdies when they landed on the fence. Birdies could fly … wow … it would be so much fun if Rocky could fly too. Would that make Rocky a birdie … oh no … Rocky likes to be a puppy so maybe he doesn’t want to fly after all? Would you like it if your puppy could fly? Rocky started to laugh as he dreamed about his ears flapping like birdie wings!
Papa people was going up the walk toward the door so that meant we were going back to help Nana people empty boxes so she could chase Rocky around the table. When Rocky came back in the house, the warm air made Rocky sleepy so he thought he would take a little nap before helping Nana. Rocky went to his bed and fell fast asleep.
Rocky woke up a little while later and Nana and Papa peoples were singing songs as they were hanging toys on a big tree. Wow, Rocky didn’t know a tree could grow that fast? It wasn’t even there when Rocky went to sleep and “cawoofy” there is a tree in the barn house. Maybe Nana people did magic. Rocky decided this was fun so he started taking tree toys and putting them in his bed.
Funny Papa people kept taking the toys from Rocky’s bed and putting them on the tree. Maybe Rocky should climb the tree. That would be fun! So Rocky crawled under the big tree and started to climb … this was fun.
What was that? Nana people is yelling “Oh no … Rocky!”
So the tree moved a little bit. Rocky thought it looked better sideways anyway because he didn’t have to climb so high. Papa people didn’t agree and he chased Rocky around the table again. That was fun! All Rocky has to do to play chase anytime he wants is to climb the tree. Weeee! Here comes Papa … trying to catch Rocky again! Weeee! … Around the dining room table and under the bed … between Nana people’s legs ... this is the most fun ever! This is so much fun!
Rocky was getting tired and it was getting confusing in here with the tree laying down and paper all over the dining room. Rocky thought it was very nice for Papa people to put Rocky in his box with the gate so nobody would bother Rocky while he rested from all that fun. So Rocky fell asleep again listening to the pretty music and Nana and Papa peoples hung more toys on the tree while they laughed and had fun. “Christmas decorations were fun!” Rocky thought as he dreamed.
When Rocky finally woke up he was hungry so he went to his bowl and had some crunchy food and water. Papa people must have opened the gate door while Rocky was asleep. When he finished, he turned and sat at the kitchen door to scratch his ear and lick his lips as he looked around the room. Where was Nana and Papa people? Was it let’s go to dinner honey again? Then Rocky looked and saw the big tree … it was all covered in toys again and it was standing very tall. Wow!
Rocky decided he should look around to see what else was new. He could hear Nana and Papa people talking. They were downstairs decorating the barn family room with pretty papers and toys. Rocky was sure they needed help! Rocky decided to walk down the stairs, but as he got to the top of the stairs he spotted something.
Rocky had to be careful because he knew that there were monsters around because he could hear them at night when it was dark. This was a happy day so Rocky didn’t want a monster to eat him now! He slowly walked to the top of the stairs and he saw it! Oh no! It was a monster! A Christmas monster! It was all white with a dress and big wings and the hands were reaching out trying to catch Rocky! See how it stood still waiting for Rocky to walk by.
Rocky went to hide behind the chair and there was another monster. This one was a little bigger than the white monster. He had long white hair just like Rocky, but he wore a red coat and roared Ho Ho Ho! This was the scariest of all. Rocky hid under the dining room chair. The monsters weren’t moving but Rocky knew this was the end. They would finally eat him if they could catch him. Oh No!
Nana and Papa people came back up stairs. Rocky wanted to show them he was brave so he barked at the monsters very loud so Nana and Papa peoples could see Rocky was protecting them even though he was very scared! Why were Nana and Papa laughing! Rocky didn’t think this was funny at all! Papa people came to pick Rocky up. Rocky was shaking because Papa people was walking toward the fat Ho Ho Ho monster. Oh no! Papa people was going to feed Rocky to the monster!
With his other hand Papa picked up the Ho Ho Ho monster and let Rocky sniff him. Well, he wasn’t so scary. He didn’t even move. Hey! He was just a statue! What a funny joke! Nana and Papa did a joke on Rocky. They were really laughing. Well at least Rocky wasn’t going to get eaten today. These were just decorations!
Silly Rocky! He had been afraid for no reason. He should know by now that Nana and Papa people loved Rocky and would never let a monster eat him. Rocky licked Papa people’s face all up as Papa tickled Rocky’s belly.
Yea woofiedoo! Christmas decorating is soooo much fun … without the monsters of course.
Rocky Sleeps Alone in the Dark
The early days for Rocky with his new family were full of new experiences. A people family adopted Rocky and he was happy because the food was really good and they played and tickled him all the time. He loved to chase his pink and green ball across the room.
One thing he did not like was sleeping alone in his box with the gate. He didn’t understand why he needed to sleep in a box with a gate. It became very hard to not go to the bathroom anytime he wanted because he did not want to mess up his bed. When he lived in the other barn he could go to the bathroom anytime he wanted but the big people didn’t want Rocky to do that in their house barn. Rocky had to yell when he wanted to go to the bathroom.
The people were very strange because they liked it when Rocky yelled to go to the bathroom but they didn’t like it when he yelled at the little people visitors. That’s how doggies talk, they yell because they don’t say any words. It was hard to figure out what the people wanted sometimes.
When Rocky went to the bathroom in the people’s house barn they would pick Rocky up and take him outside in the yard. That was dumb because he was already done. What a waste of time. Why did they do that do you think? People were very silly, Rocky thought to himself.
When night would come and Nana people put Rocky in his box with a gate Rocky would cry for a long time those first days in his new barn house. Lights would come in the window and make funny shadows on the walls that looked like monsters. Sometimes noises would come from the hole under the barn house and it would get warmer. Rocky thought it must be a giant dragon. Oh my! Rocky thought the dragon would eat him. Silly Rocky didn’t know about furnaces to keep the house warm.
Rocky had a baby lamb and he would take his lamb and hide behind it in his box and go to sleep. The lamb would protect Rocky until Nana people got up when it was getting light and take Rocky outside. Why didn’t the people care if Rocky wet the ground outside the barn but they hated it in the barn? People were very strange, thought Rocky.
One night Papa people put Rocky in his box with the gate and him and Nana people walked out of the barn and locked the door. It wasn’t even really dark yet. Oh no! They were leaving Rocky here to starve and never go to the bathroom again. Rocky was afraid he would explode later.
Every noise made Rocky afraid. Rocky could hear people talking outside but they were not Nana or Papa people.
”Oh my, they must be monsters and they’re going to eat me.” Thought Rocky.
When the door finally opened it was Nana people and she took Rocky out of his box and tickled and kissed him. Rocky felt so happy that the people in his barn were back. Where did they go? Why did they leave Rocky? Didn’t they know that there were monsters that loved to eat little puppies?
Well, at least they were home now. What is going to dinner honey anyway? People do such strange things. Rocky talked to the lamb about it but neither one could understand what it meant. Rocky really liked his fuzzy lamb because he could bite him and shake him and the lamb never said anything.
Rocky still loved his new people and his new barn, but he didn’t know what was so special about going to the bathroom outside. Very silly he thought. He also didn’t understand why he couldn’t play in the house barn and do what he wanted at night. There were so many neat paper things to tear and make noise with. The other thing was if the monsters tried to eat Rocky he could run away.
Now Rocky had never really seen a monster but he knew they were here somewhere. He could hear them roar outside at night when Nana and Papa people were asleep. Papa people called them traffic. Papa people told Rocky the traffic was very dangerous. Look out for the traffic monsters.
The food was really good here so Rocky decided he would be patient with Nana and Papa people while they learned how to take care of Rocky the way Rocky wanted. He could tell they really loved him.
Rocky couldn’t wait until tomorrow because Nana people said Rocky would meet a new friend called a vettanan or something like that. The vettanan was going to give Rocky new stuff like a shot and a check up. What do you think a shot is? It sounded like so much fun!
It’s so hard to train peoples.
Rochy and the Vetanan
Rocky just loved being a puppy because Nana and Papa peoples were so much fun. Rocky had some favorite things he liked to do. Rocky really liked running through the house so nobody could catch him. Sometimes Nana and Papa peoples wouldn’t want to chase Rocky so he would borrow something to chew. It was funny how Nana peoples would give Rocky puppy cookies to chew but when he borrowed something from Nana peoples closet she would chase Rocky all over the house. WEEEEEEEWOOFEE !!!
Nana peoples would get so tired and ask Papa peoples to help. Rocky just loved to make Papa peoples chase him around the table. Nana peoples would yell for Papa peoples to catch Rocky before he swallowed the fun thing. Silly Nana, Rocky can’t eat fun things. They’re just for chewing and making Nana and Papa peoples chase Rocky until he was tired. Silly Nana peoples.
Rocky also loved hiding under the blankets when Nana and Papa peoples went to bed. It was real woofdedoo fun to lick Nana peoples feet when she was trying to sleep. She would lift the blankets and try to catch Rocky but I could hide behind Papa peoples … he was so woofy big. Papa peoples would hide Rocky until Nana peoples closed her eyes so Rocky could sneak over and tickle her toes again. Silly Papa peoples was Rocky’s secret partner for tickles. He even liked to tickle Rocky on the belly. Silly Papa was so woofunny.
Rocky really liked to sit next to Papa people’s chair at feeding time for the peoples. Papa peoples understood that puppies were always hungry. Puppies don’t even need to like the taste of something. If a puppy can chew it he will swallow it. Eating was so much fun.
This feeding time for the peoples Nana and Papa were chewing on something called port hops. Rocky thinks they are connected to bunny rabbits maybe. Nana peoples pointed her finger at Papa peoples and said not to give Rorky any port hops. OOPS! Too late Nana peoples. Papa dropped a port hops on the ground under the food bench and Rocky ate it all up. It was soooo woofy good!
Papa people looked at Rocky and shut one eye. Maybe something was wrong with Papa peoples eye. Oh no. Nana peoples asked what the wink was about? What do you think a wink is? Anyway, Papa peoples made believe he didn’t know what Nana peoples was talking about. Rocky is a puppy. He didn’t know what anyone was talking about! Woof woof
That night while Rocky was in bed with Nana and Papa peoples he got a big belly ache. OOOOOOWEEOOO … Rocky was sooo sick. He even had a temperature Nana peoples said. What’s a temperature anyway?
Nana and Papa peoples talked and they decided Rocky had to go to the vetanan for a checker. Rocky didn’t want to go anywhere. Rocky just wanted to hide in Nana peoples bed and cry wooooeeee! My belly hurts!
Papa peoples picked Rocky up and they took Rocky in the people tractor. Oh know. They are taking Rocky away because he was a bad puppy! Nana people was holding Rocky very close so maybe she really wasn’t mad with Rocky.
We got to another people barn where the vetanan lived with a bunch of other animals. Even cats! Oh know, not cats. Mommy warned Rocky about cats. They better leave Rocky alone or he will bark very loud and scare those stupid cats. Grrrrrrr … woooooooof my belly hurts … dumb cats grrrrrr.
The vetanan had whiskers under his nose just like Rocky. Do you think the vetanan was a puppy once? The vetanan put Rocky on a cold table. Ouch! The vetanan poked Rocky with a stick and said he had a flavor. Silly vetanan. Rocky didn’t care how he tasted because no vetanan was going to eat this puppy! Grrrrr
Then the vetanan touched Rocky’s belly with a cold round thing connected to the vetanan’s ears. Wow his ears were longer than Rufus!
The vetanan asked Nana peoples what Rocky ate the day before. Silly Vetanan. Rocky tries to eat everything he can find! Nana peoples told the vetanan that Rocky ate a porta hops from Papa. The vetanan told Papa peoples it was very bad to give little dogs like Rocky porta hops. The venatan said little puppies like Rocky can’t eat fat things like porta hops. Gee woofie … it didn’t look fat, it was so little. The Vetanan said Rocky had something bad in his belly from it and he took this pointy stick and stuck Rockie with it. Rocky was so afraid! Rocky was getting ready to cry when Nana peoples picked him up. Gee woofie … Rocky never felt the pointy stick.
The vetanan said Rocky could only eat chicken broth for two days. Yuckiwoo … what’s chicken broth! That sounds like something for chickens. Rocky likes to chase chickens.
Nana peoples told Papa peoples he had to be good and never give Rocky port hops again. They wanted Rocky to be healthy for a long time. Rocky really liked the port hops but he didn’t like the bellyache! WOOOOFEE …
Rocky is so glad Papa and Nana people take such good care of Rocky. Puppies are very loving you know and they always trust their people owners to take care of them. It’s even better when they like to chase puppies for fun. Catch me Papa peoples! Weeeeeeeeeewoofie!
Copyright; Al LeBlanc, 2003 Reprint with permission only
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