This week I innerviewed four Cool Kibbles poocheroos: three Labs anna Gigantic Goldendoodle with the BIGGEST PAWS I’VE EVER SEEN.
We met at Holy Cross Church, where they work as Official Greeters and Guards, whichever is required.
Logan Murphy’s the “old man” of the bunch. He’s 12, a liddle white in the muzzle, paws, an tip of tail. Logan’s a Fox Red Lab, which I’d never heard of. Have you? He says it’s kinda rare (an very trendy).
Emma True’s a sweet, gentle, lady-like White Lab. She’s 10. Hugo True’s 3, also a Fox Red Lab.
The Goldendoodle is Reilly Murphy: the youngest (only 1), a frenly, eager (70-pound) puppy with an all-white coat of tight poodly curls, an the aforementioned pawsome paws.
When me an my assistant entered the office, a buzzer buzzed an, right away, Reilly an Hugo rushed out and plopped their front paws up on the counter to greet us, waggin’ to beat the band, soon joined by Emma an Logan.
As the eldest, Logan was spokespooch. “Welcome, welcome Mr. Bonzo an Mr. Bonzo’s assistant. We’ll yap in the conference room.”
Once there, it was wag-an-sniffs all ’round. Logan did the intros. “This is Debbie True, we all call her Mom. Emma an Hugo live with her. Me an Reilly live here with Father Murphy. We call him Pops. He’s taking Serious Treatments which make him real tired, but he says to say Hello an Welcome.”
All four were still in bouncy-waggy welcome mode, so their Mom brought out a bag of Bully Sticks and passed ’em around. Instantly, the only sound in the room was munching.
“Would you like one, Bonzo?” Logan asked politely.
Usually I don’t accept snacks when I’m workin,’ but it looked like I’d have time while everyone was concentratin’ on their Bully Sticks. “Sure. Why not? Thanks!” I said. And joined the munching.
Snacks dispatched, I asked how their Forever Family had come together.
Logan began. “When Pops’ Golden Retriever, Paddy, went to Dog Heaven, Mom an Pops found me at a Lab breeder in Lake Worth. They liked my unusual color an, of course, my adorable puppy personality. They picked me up on New Year’s Day, 2007. I rode all the way home on Mom’s lap. We were all very happy, but Mom was also kinda squished cuz I was already 14 weeks old an very wiggly.”
“That Fox Red color is Totally Crispy Dog Biscuits,” I remarked. “I’ve never seen it before.”
“Ackshully,” Logan explained, “I Googled, and learned it’s not a separate Lab color. It’s a shade of the Yellow Labs, which can be white, yellow, cream and, of course, the coolest (no offense, Emma), Fox Red.”
“None taken,” Emma said. “Anyway, it’ a matter of taste.” She turned to me. “Mom says she got me Onna Whim. I think that’s kinda like a nap mat. Anyway, I was on it. Mom woke up one Sunday, looked through the paper, and found me in Fort Pierce. I was just 8 weeks old. ‘What the Woof,’ she probly thought. When she arrived to collect me, I was all wet cuz the breeder had this lovely pond and I am, after all, a natch-rull swimmer. Mom didn’t mind. But one time, right after I arrived, I was checkin’ stuff out an discovered this big buncha of water right next to here. So I zoomed over and jumped in. They hadda fish me out. Two times. Mom calls it the luh-GOON. Shortly after that, Mom an Pops got an uh-leck-trick fence and a special collar for me.”
“Me! Me! Me! It’s my turn now, right?” Reilly stood up, an I felt like a Volkswagen parked next to an 18-wheeler.
“Totes, Reilly! Ready when you are.”
“Pops found me at Moss Creek Goldendoodles. Mommy was a Golden Retriever an Daddy was a Poodle. My coat is real poodly. An doncha love my pawsome tail with that big fluffy pompom?” He swished it around. I ducked.
“Truly pawsome,” I agreed.
“An guess what? Every year, there’s a big Doodle Romp up in Maitland. There’s like, zillions of Doodles inna big field, playing and havin’ snacks and contests an stuff. There’s a Meet and Greet, an a Yappy Hour (mostly for the humans, I think). I went to my first Doodle Romp this year. I had the Best. Time. Ever. Then I fell over in a heap in the back seat all the way home.
“Mom says I’m a counter surfer. One time she had a liddle slice of cake she was savin’ for lunch. She put it on the counter. I thought it was for ME, So I, um, I sorta, um … Anyway, Dennis, the Plant Manager, found what was left of it where I had stashed it, over on that little ridge with the bushes. He calls it Hamburger Hill.”
So, I asked them, “What’s your day like?”
Logan said, “We work full time, an we get to attend some special church funk-shuns, like the annual pick-nick. We mingle, an We’re the Clean-Up Crew.”
“I have a BFF!” Hugo chimed in. “Wade. We have play dates at each other’s homes.”
“An,” added Emma, “there’s a liddle pool here we play in. When Reilly bellyflops, he soaks up, like, half the water. Then he runs in to Mom and shakes. (Mom an Pops have a joke: ‘How many Swiffer pads does it take to raise a puppy?’) An we LOVE car rides! Whenever Mom or Pops says ‘Go,’ or ‘Car,’ or ‘Bank’ or ‘Out,’ we get Real Excited an rush to the door. Me an Logan took a super long car ride once when a hurry-cane was comin’ an we hadda uh-VAC-u-ate, which means grab your blanket; one toy; water; and kibbles and Get Outta There.”
Heading home, I was hopin’ I could come back without my notebook, just to play an hang out with Logan, Emma, Hugo an Reilly; an sendin’ Best Woofs to their Pops.
Till next time,
The Bonz
