Tola Tavener is a Totally Feminine Mini Golden Doodle, about the size of a bag of sugar, curly white coat with touches of gold (APER-cott in Dog Lingo) in her fluffy ears – in which she was wearing pink feathery bows which matched her pink ker-chiff. And she has sparkly dark eyes that can knock you right off your paws. Just sayin’.
Anyway, me an my assistant met Tola at her workplace, where she’s office Morale Maintenance Pooch an Event Supervisor. With a nice lady by her side, she doodle-danced up for the Wag-an-Sniff an gave my assistant several welcoming bumps.
“Good morning! Good morning! I’m Tola Tavener! This is my Mom, Amy! My Dad is Ed! He’s at work elsewhere. Welcome to our office! Follow me to the CON-frence Room so we can CHAT!”
She led the way, an we got settled at a Very Looong Important Table. Tola sat at the Head Chair an, even though she only weighs 10 pounds, there wasn’t any doubt she was In Charge.
“I’m eager to hear your story!” I said.
“I’ll begin then. We have extra pencils if you need ’em. Now then: I grew up in Hilton Head.
It’s an EYE-lun in a state up THAT way (she pointed) called South care-oh-LINE-uh. It’s real pretty. I was Dad’s dog first, an I met Mom when I was a liddle pupper. (Now I’m 4.) Dad named me for another EYE-lun he loves, which is WAY down THAT way (she pointed the OTHER way) in the Briddish VURR-jun EYE-luns, called Tor-TOE-luh. Cool Kibbles, doncha think?”
“Totally, Miss Tola! So, how’d you get here?”
“We drove down to visit an loved it. The beach an all. An this is an EYE-lun, too! We do early-morning beach walks every day. It’s my favrite time of day. It’s kinda magical, I think.
I speshully love those teensy crabs. They’re miss-TEARY-us. I see the sand move, an I sniff an poke around, an I THINK I see one. But then it vanishes. They’re so fast. Maybe they’re invisible. Do YOU think they’re invisible, Mr. Bonzo?”
“I’ve never ackshully seen one, Miss Tola,” I admitted. “I’ve only seen the sand move, now that I think about it. You might be right. Maybe they ARE invisible.” It gave me paws.
“What’s life like so far?”
“Pawsome. When Dad first got me, I totally loved his flip-flops. I’d chew ’em an carry ’em all over the place, an shake ’em to bits. Fortunately for them, I outgrew that. Now I have a Large Amount of stuffies, mostly with squeakers cuz I’m PAR-shull to squeakers. I learned How To Do My Dooty pretty fast, Thank Lassie. Now I have this roo-TEEN: I wake Dad up at 3 or 4 a.m. by licking his fingers. He takes me out to Do My Dooty. Then I jump back in bed with Mom. (I guess I’m a Momma’s Grrrl.)”
“Whaddya do for exercise?”
“I usta go to the Dog Park, but, you see, I’m a Peeple Pooch. So, while the other pooches were tearing around, I’d go from human to human, hop up on their laps an socialize the whole time. So I don’t go there anymore. I get my exercise at the beach.”
“Do you have any speshull pals?”
“I love Miss Tiffany, she works atta place called Bobby’s an she says hello when she brings our foodstuffs to us. My favrite person is Miss Lindsey, she’s Office ree-SEP-shunist. I go with her while she gives the office plants drinks of water, an I say HI to all the office peeple an they all give me TREATS. One time I was Official Trainer for Miss Lindsey’s dog, Bentley, a Scottish Terrier, when he was a pupper. I taught him how to buh-HAVE an be a Good Dog, which is EX-TREEMLY important when you work in an office. I might have taken advantage of him a teeny bit. I might have taken a few of his toys on occasion.”
She looked a little bit rueful. I tried not to smile.
“I have a nap bed on Mom’s desk so, when clients pass by, they usually stop an pat me and perhaps a treat is involved. Honestly, Mr. Bonzo, next to the beach, the office is my favrite place! I can’t wait to get to work. Soon as we arrive, I jump outta the car and run to the door, activate the sensor, zip into the lobby an wait to get let in. Then me an Mom go up to the office. Everybody loves me. It’s SO Cool Kibbles!!!! An guess what? Miss Gina LOVES dogs but she can’t be around ’um cuz she’s uh-LURR-gic, which is SO unfortunate.”
I nodded.
“But,” Tola continued, “since I’m HYPO-allergenic, Miss Gina CAN pat ME! Isn’t that SO pawsome?”
“Totally!!!” I agreed. Everybody knows most humans can’t help but smile when they’re pattin’ a dog. “Do you like travelin’?”
“YES! I’ve visited The Outer Banks, Savannah, the Keys. Woof, Key West was MY PAR-TAY.
I was The STAR! Everybody loved me! An there were, like, a zillion CHIGGENS!! Mom hadda explain I shouldn’t try to socialize with ’em, tho. They OWN Key West. There were also these big lizards called eee-GWA-nuhs. A liddle scary, but cool. But I kept my distance cuz I’m so liddle, an I didn’t know if I looked like lunch to them, you know?”
“That was prudent of you,” I commented. “I like your hairbows. Do you have outfits?”
“NO!” she responded instantly. “Hairbows and ker-chiffs are IT. Mom got me a Dolly Parton cowboy hat once an I was like NO WAY! THIS (she indicated her pink hairbows an ker-chiff) is what I’m wearing to our Tail-Gate party, which I have been organizing. I’ve been So Busy cleaning the floors an making multiple trips to be sure all the snacks an games are in order.”
Heading home, I was smiling, thinkin’ about all the advenchurs an treats that lay ahead for charming, happy Miss Tola, eager for what’s next, full of fun, feathery pink hairbows at the ready.
Till next time,