This week’s yap was with two step-sisters who work in a flower shop in Sebastian. Kallie is a 10-year-old Golden Lab, and she’s calm and friendly. Daisy’s a Golden Lab mix and she’s friendly, too, but wa-ay at the other end of the stick from calm – the puppy end. They have beautiful coats and golden eyes.
They were waiting and wagging at the shop door when we arrived. It smelled great, with flowers everywhere. I wanted to sniff them, and maybe even nibble one, but I was On the Job, so I didn’t.
“Hi, Mr. Bonzo! I’m Kallie. This is my goofy little sister Daisy. She’s just one-and-a-half and she’s still learning that ‘Get Down Now!’ and ‘Don’t Jump On the Customer!’ aren’t just suggestions. But all the customers who come in just laugh and pat her head. This is our Mom, Debbie, she runs the shop and we help. I do most of the official greeting and Daisy helps Mom make deliveries.”
“Happy to meet you. So, tell me how you ladies landed here.”
“Oooo, Oooo, I wanna tell. I wanna tell!” woofed Daisy, jumping almost into my assistant’s lap, then jumping back down fast. “Oops, s’cuse me! Can I tell, Kallie? Can I go first?”
“She’s so excited about everything,” Kallie smiled, then said to Daisy, trying to sound serious, “Daisy, you know what Mom says. I’m gonna start and you practice Sit-Stay! Then it’ll be your turn.”
Daisy did a couple in-place circles, then plopped down on my assistant’s shoes.
“Me and Mom are from Vermont. I was born at a nice breeder and Mom decided to just go look at us new puppies. Well, Mr. Bonzo, you know how irresistible we are when we’re puppies, all noses and big eyes and that Puppy Smell.”
“Yep. Humans love that stuff,” I agreed, remembering my own fluffy puppy days.
Well, Mom adopted me and my half-brother Cody, and we lived up there for a long time. Then we had a sad time ‘cuz we lost Dad and Cody. We had moved down here, and me and Mom decided to get another dog and I suggested getting a Rescue. That’s the responsible thing to do, ya know.”
“You’re so right!”
“We saw a picture of Daisy on the H.A.L.O. website. It’s a pawsome shelter right here in Sebastian. They were gonna take her and some other puppies to a pet store for a special adoption event, but Mom called and put Dibs on her.”
Daisy popped up from under the table. “Come on Kallie. You said I could tell this.”
“Right! Go for it,” Kallie said. “But you gotta sit still.”
Daisy sat. For, like, two seconds. “OK. So. I was a stray, on this scary street somewhere in Texas. That’s a big place with cows and it’s way far away. That way, I think.” She pointed out the door. “I was real little. It’s sorta fuzzy, but I remember still wanting my Mommy’s yummy milk. Then some nice humans picked me up and I was in a cage for a while. Then the H.A.L.O. humans came and got me. We had a long ride. I like riding. Next thing I knew, my Forever Mom brought me home, and now I have a Home and a Big Sister.”
She trotted over to Kallie, who was lying down for a rest by then. After bouncing lovingly on Kallie a coupla times, she trotted back. “And I have an Important Job. Well, two ak-shully. First, I’m the Official Shoe Sniffer: I sniff customers’ shoes to be sure they’re OK. Then, I ride shotgun in the van (I love the van) when Mom delivers flowers. I make sure she has the right flowers and gives ’em to the right humans. and that she doesn’t go faster than 35 in town. That’s very important.”
Just then the UPS man came in and they both greeted him enthusiastically. He pulled some treats out of his pocket, one for each of us. Even though I was working, I didn’t want to appear rude, so I politely accepted it. Daisy sat down for some serious crunching.
Pretty soon, a lady walked in and they both popped back up and rushed over to her, wagging like crazy.
“This is Darlene, she’s a Famous Groomer. We get brushed by our Mom, cuz we have easy short coats, but Darlene does our toenails. All us pooches love her!” said Daisy.
Darlene greeted me and my assistant and said she had wanted to meet me. That made me feel good.
While their Mom was making bunches of flowers, Kallie continued, “We like to walk at Hardee Park. There’s other pooch pals there but we mostly just hang together. I like the dog park, but Daisy’s still a little too bouncy. We love to swim in the ocean. Then Mom hoses us off. At night, Daisy sleeps with Mom and I get the couch. After breakfast, Daisy goes in her crate. Mom gives her a Peanut Butter Kong and she chews all morning. I get the run of the house. Mom goes to work, then gets us after lunch and we work all afternoon.”
It’d been another fun yap. Heading home, I thought I’d ask my Mom if she could get out my old Kong, and maybe find some peanut butter, too.
Till next time,
The Bonz
