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Having lost old Cinders, our Mini Schnauzer, we were all very sad for quite what seemed like a long time. Star carried around Cinders old shirt and I cuddled Star every chance I got. She was really sad.
Jessie with Star
It was very odd having the big bed all to myself as Star wasn't allowed on the bed cause she was too big. I was only allowed up there now and then, mostly when Jodi wasn't there. I think Star sheds more than me, although I have overheard Jodi saying that she could build 3 dogs with those fur balls that tumble down through the hall even though it was frequently vacuumed! Still, it was lonely being on that big old bed without Cinders. (Note: Mini Schnauzers do not shed.)
Jessie
Then, Jodi got a phone call and had to leave us for a family emergency. We were happy to be with Smokey, but now we missed Jodi too. While Jodi was gone, Smokey had a surprise for all of us. One morning, he seemed very happy and was whistling a tune as he left in the car. It had been nine months since we had seen Smokey so happy. Star noticed immediately that something was different in Smokey's demeanor and her mood seemed to lift a bit also in anticipation. I had no idea what was going on, but even Coco cat was sitting at the window watching for Smokey to return. Something big was up, I was sure!
A little while later, we heard Smokey's car drive in the driveway. The door to the garage slowly opened and in walked Smokey with a black and silver fluff ball with a face. We were all excited to see exactly what that thing was. A new toy, I wondered? Smokey sat down on the sofa, and we all came over for a good sniff. It was a puppy! But even though he was young, he was still bigger than me. I let out a very big snort and sneeze to make sure that thing new I was there and I wasn't going to take any nonsense from him.
Captain and Jessie
Star came over, gently sniffed him from head to tail and began licking him all over. She had accepted him, and so I would too. Actually, he was kind of fun. A very curious guy who seemed unafraid and very bold. He was a Standard Poodle, he was 12 weeks old, and Smokey named him Captain - Cappy for short.
Jodi had always crate trained all of us as puppies, and I was sure that Captain would be in Star's crate that evening. At bed time, Smokey put Captain in Star's crate, gave him a soft toy, and went to bed. The crate was always kept in the bedroom with Smokey and Jodi. But Captain missed his Mom and his brothers and sisters, and began to whine a little. At first, Smokey ignored it, but the whining got louder and seemed so sorrowful. Then it became a howl! Even I, who was laying at the coveted place right next to Smokey (while Jodi was gone), started to worry about the little guy. I looked up at Smokey who was reading and wondered what he was going to do. If he didn't do something pretty soon, none of us would get any sleep.
Smokey got up and picked up Captain, took him outside for a potty break one more time, then brought him back to the bedroom whereupon he nestled Captain right between the two of us. Oh Lord! If Jodi knew about that, she would be having a real fit for sure. No dogs were supposed to sleep on the bed. She had made it abundantly clear to Smokey on a few occasions. Just then, the phone rang. It was Jodi calling to check in with Smokey to see how we were all doing. Just then, Captain started fussing a little bit again. "Shhhh, I nudged Captain. You'll get us all in trouble!"
Jodi asked, "Smokey, what is that noise I hear in the background?" Captain was supposed to be a surprise and a gift for Jodi. "Sounds just like a puppy! You didn't get a puppy, did you?"
"Well, ahhhhh, kind of, " replied Smokey. We were all so sad over the loss of Cinders, I thought it would be good for all of us if we got another puppy."
"Hmmm....What kind of puppy did you get?" asked Jodi
Relaxing a little bit now, Smoky answered, "He's a Standard Poodle. You know, the ones that are the big dogs. I got him from our friends Henry and Jean who run our boarding kennel . Remember the ones we saw at their house? They raise, train and show them."
Jodi groaned a little and said, "Yes, they're nice, but they're too foo, foo, fa, fa with sauce. If we were going to have another big dog, I favor German Shepherds like Star."
"But I got him for you," Smokey replied, "As a surprise."
"Well, he can be your dog. What did you name him?" Jodi asked.
"His name is Captain, but you can change it if you want," he said.
"No, Captain is fine. You don't have him on the bed with you, do you?" Jodi inquired.
"Well, sort of, kind of.... yes he is. He was crying in the crate, and I felt so bad for him, so I brought him up with Jessie and me," Smokey replied.
"Jessie's up on the bed too?" she asked in a tone that told Smokey she wasn't too happy.
"Yes, just for tonight. Everyone seemed to need a little extra love tonight, and even Star came over and rested her head on the bed. But she's not up here too! Smokey quickly said.
"OK." said Jodi. "I'll call you tomorrow night. I will have to be gone for a week. Can you manage with everything and a new puppy?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," Smokey replied. "We'll all be just fine."
And we were. The new addition to our family had immediately lifted all our spirits, and I could sense that there was a lot more to come ahead.
Star-Jessie-Captain
Watching Captain interact with Smokey and the other pets, I had a feeling he would win over Jodi's heart too. How could you not like this guy? He was such a ball of fire and now I would have someone to play with again. I really looked forward to Jodi coming home....
