School Days

The girls were very excited. It's a school day after all. Molly jumps in the back of the Orange Toaster and sits staring out the window. Vegas is lifted in to the front seat. She circles and plops down, front paws and head hanging off the seat on my coffee cup. We begin the journey to school. Molly briefly steps on Vegas' head to check out the temperature in the front. She finds it acceptable and slips back to her throne in the back. Vegas is not phased.


We arrive at the school aka doggie day care. We sit in the car waiting for the appropriate time to make a break for the front door. Molly, being a rescue, does not like strange dogs and other than Vegas and her Florida cousins, they are all strange. She has come a long way in the four years she has lived with us but in the back of my mind I wonder, how will she react? She has a fierce bark and there is a moment where you are sure she has morphed into Cujo. You turn to look at the fierce dog she's got her ears back and smiling at you, "What?"

We make our dash for the door without any dog drama. We enter the building and then we stand staged in front of the next set of doors. The three of us stand staring at the door waiting for it to open. It's like being in an elevator. The two of them are wagging their tails, knowing that there is all kinds of fun and dogs waiting just beyond the door. The door opens and I hand over the leashes and they are gone with a "Talk to the Paw" attitude - not even a backward glance. This was not always the case. Molly was almost expelled from school. She would jump the walls.. She would try to boss the other dogs around. If she had been expelled I'm not sure how I would have felt about having this sort of social mark on her record. Would the other dogs have looked at her with a superior attitude or worse, pity? I am proud to say she is thriving and has learned how to play well with others. I believe Vegas pulled her aside and indicated that the best life choice for her was to be a good dog.

When I go pick them up tonight they will have hanging tongues, dog smiles and wet kisses for me. This will be one of the soft, sweet moments that melt my heart.