hi justwoody,
This is an enjoyable story. The tone is informal and fits the plot very well. The reader feels sorry for the speaker. The plot makes perfect sense and moves along logically. The conflict is well defined. There is no doubt as to what is going on here. The characters are full and vivid. They come across as real people. The fact that the main character is a dog is a pleasant surprise. The dialogue is sparse but well done. The characters speak like real people. You have described everything vividly and put the reader all the way into the story. The story is well structured and consistent in terms of point of view and tense. There is nothing to distract the reader from enjoying the story. Great job.