Just a Puppy That Doesn't Understand

Just A Puppy That Doesn’t Understand

My name is Lord Dartanyan Sebastian Girard. Well at least that’s what it was when I got my new owners. I look like a fox but with lots of puffy fur. I’m a dog. I guess I forgot to mention that. Anyways, I’m writing this story about myself, well maybe it is about Blaze, either way this story is for anyone who has ever lost someone that they loved. In my case this someone is Blaze. Blaze is another dog. She was owned by my new owners: the Girards. But to start this story I need a beginning and what a better place to begin then my birth. The ultimate beginning.

I don’t remember actually being born but I remember being a tiny little puppy and hanging out with my newly born brothers and sisters. We would wrestle and chase each other. Things that puppies were supposed to do. It was great. However, I got bored of the same mindless games over and over. Too monotonous for my taste. I needed some variety and some sophistication. I never thought anything like variety or sophistication would ever come to me but boy was I wrong.

A few weeks after my birth a family came in and played with me and my brothers and sisters. Actually, many families came to play with us but only one family sticks in my mind. I didn’t know their names at the time but later I found out that they were the Girards. Such a nice name. Well, they were very nice people and they kept looking all of us over. It made me nervous but they seemed nice. I knew their intentions couldn’t have been bad. In fact, a few more weeks later, when they adopted me I knew for sure their intentions were good. They just wanted to know which one of us they wanted to adopt. And it was me. This was the happiest day of my life. Especially after I got to their house.

I walked in and instantly I noticed the scent of another dog. A female dog. Oh yeah. Male dog on the prowl. I guess my nose wasn’t completely grown in yet because I didn’t smell the fact that she was an older dog. This saddened me at first but later I forgot completely about it. Blaze and I became good friends. Blaze is the female dog owned by my new owners. She became a mother, sister and friend to me. She was there to help and guide me but also to play with me and no matter what she never let go of her need to take care of me. A true mother-sister-friend.

Getting used to living with the Girard’s was hard at first. Sometimes I would do things and I would get yelled at. One day I found a monkey stuffed animal and started chewing on it. It was great fun. My teeth felt good, I was passing time, everything was good about it. At least I thought it was. As soon as one of the Girards walked in the room I heard screaming. It was the oldest man of the Girards. The one they all called “Dad.” I didn’t know why he was screaming. I was just a puppy. I didn’t understand. However, I looked at Blaze and she wasn’t chewing on anything. I thought about it and realized that I had never seen her chew on anything. So maybe we weren’t supposed to chew on anything. As I watched Blaze more and more I realized that it wasn’t that we weren’t supposed to chew anything, we weren’t supposed to chew things that aren’t ours. Sometimes they would give Blaze a bone and she would chew on it.

One day I had to go to the bathroom so I went. No problem, right? Wrong! I got yelled at for that too. What was so wrong with going to the bathroom? I definitely can’t learn to hold it. What did they want? Why were they yelling? I was just a puppy. I didn’t understand. Maybe Blaze understood. After all, she was an older dog. I watched her and waited. Eventually I saw her run to the door. I followed. “Dad” let her out so I went after. She bolted out into the yard and went to the bathroom. So, they want us to go to the bathroom outside. I get it now. Blaze was such a good teacher.

I learned a lot from copying Blaze. It was great. I hardly ever got yelled at when I copied her. So, naturally, everything she did I wanted to do to. If Blaze got to go for a walk, I wanted to go for a walk. Sometimes, Blaze would go into “Mom’s” van and ride around with her. I wanted to go for rides too. Rides were awesome. Especially with Blaze. The greatest part was that we got treats when we came home.

One day “Mom” and “Dad” got Blaze prepared to go on a ride. I wanted to go with her. It was only fair. I tried and tried to tell them but they didn’t listen. I ran over to the window as I watched them drive away and I kept screaming to them but they couldn’t hear me now. I just laid myself down and pouted. It just wasn’t fair.

A long time later, I heard the van pull up. “Mom”, “Dad” and Blaze were back. I was still upset that I couldn’t go on the ride but I wanted to see Blaze and play with her and find out more rules. After all, I was just a puppy who didn’t understand. And I couldn’t understand without Blaze. I watched the door closely as “Mom” and “Dad” came in. Wait, where was Blaze? “Dad” shut the door behind him. “No!” I screamed at him. “Blaze is still out there! Let Blaze in! I still have stuff I need to learn and games I need to play!” But “Dad” never opened the door. Him and “Mom” just sat down. I ran up to them with a confused look in my eyes. “Where’s Blaze?” I asked them. “Mom” just looked down at me with tears in her eyes and said something to me. I couldn’t understand her. I didn’t speak human. I wish Blaze was here. I was just a puppy and I didn’t understand her. Blaze could understand. She could teach me what they were saying. But Blaze wasn’t here to teach me. “Mom” just pet me and continued to cry. I wish I knew what she was crying about. I wish I knew why Blaze wasn’t with them.

Later that day I found Blaze’s collar on a table. But I couldn’t find Blaze. I waited and waited for her to walk in that door. Every time someone left I hoped they would bring Blaze back. But they always came in without her. At this time I didn’t know that Blaze was now dead. It took me weeks and weeks, maybe even months or years to figure this out on my own. It was hard to learn without Blaze here to teach me. After all, I was just a puppy and I didn’t understand.