Letters To Gavin: All About Max

Dear Gavin,

I am not opposed to you having a new puppy, but how long will he be here? He cries a lot. Gramma says that he is lonely for his brothers and sisters. Do I have brothers and sisters? I don't remember that far back. I don't mind the crying so much, Gramma will pick him up and hold him. That's the part I don't like. She goes on and on about his puppy breath and how sweet he is and how cute he is. I do not care to hear this. And, if that isn't bad enough, Papa holds him, too!

All the people in the kampground think he is so cute. Then they say that he looks like me. That's okay. After all, if he looks like me and he is cute, then I am cute, too. And I was cute first.

Gramma took Max outside to play with all of us dogs. She was watching, so we had to be on our best behavior. I took this opportunity to get to know him. This is how dogs get to know each other. Emmy was ignoring him as much as she could.

While he was checking out something on the ground I sniffed his front end while the puppy called Toni watched. She was hoping he found something she could dig up. Gramma has been scolding her a lot. Gramma says she is running out of stepping stones to cover Toni's holes. I don't have a problem with the holes myself, but Gramma says that she could step in one and break her foot or her leg or her hip or even her arm. That would be bad for us dogs, cause then Papa would be in charge of taking care of us. I think I will have a long talk with Toni .........

Before I have that talk with Toni, I have to have talks with your puppy, Max, and teach him lots of stuff before you get him. This is a fire hydrant. Dogs like to pee on these. When I first came here, I was amazed that Oscar had his very own fire hydrant. Most dogs have to go for walks to find one, but ours is right there in our yard! For a long time Oscar let me think that Papa put that fire hydrant there just for him. I believed everything Oscar told me at first, even when he was teasing me. Emmy says that I was really gullible. I like that word, gullible. Your new puppy, Max, is gullible. I could have told him anything and he would believe me ............ but, I didn't.

He is cute, I suppose. He cries the same kind of tears I do!!

The puppy called Toni and I sat him down and told him some of Gramma's rules. We thought he was paying close attention, but he made a puddle on the floor as soon as we came in!

Toni still would like to play catch with your puppy. Gramma saw her sneaking up behind Max. "I am watching you, Toni, don't even think about pouncing on him!" said Gramma. She tried to say that she was not thinking that, but Gramma knows better .......... Gramma knows everything!