“Beep. Beep. Beep.” It’s go time!
As soon as my dad started getting out of bed, I jumped up, accidentally waking my sister Karai. I stretched and shook off the last of my bad dreams. I needed to get downstairs. I was so thirsty. As soon as my Dad opened the bedroom door, I bolted. I have to be the first one down the stairs. Always.
Oh! Hi! My name is Freddy, and I’m the most lovable standard poodle you’ll ever meet. Okay, back to my story because it’s a good one.



I ran to the back door and sat, not so patiently, by my water bowl. It was empty, of course. My parents always say I don’t know how to control myself when it comes to water. I’m not really sure what that means. All I know is that I LOVE water. Sometimes I dream I’m in a pool filled with water, and I just keep drinking and drinking, and the pool never gets empty. It is heaven.
Finally, my dad walks toward the back door, but he doesn’t fill the water bowl. Instead, he opens the door, which was the right choice. As always, I must be first, so I ran through the screen door, making sure I beat Karai.
“It is I, Freddy, the all mighty poodle, and this is my land. If you are here, you better leave now!” I yelled as soon as my paws hit the deck.
There are always birds and squirrels hanging out in my yard, which is just rude. I made sure to pee right next to the garden. That way, any potential intruders will know not to enter. Then I sprinted as fast as I could around the yard, running multiple laps. My backyard is huge, which is great because I can get my exercise in every day. I just have to make sure not to walk too close to the fence. There are these plants with poky things on them, and it hurts when I get too close. I think I heard my parents call them roses. Whatever that means. Now it was time to sniff everything to make sure no intruders were here last night.
“Freddy!” my dad yelled for me to come back into the house. That was my cue to find a spot to poop. I did my business and made my way back to the house. I waited on the deck until he let me in.
As soon as I got inside, I smelled her. I checked the cookie room, but she wasn’t there. I walked through the kitchen and living room, nothing. There was only one more room left to check. I charged at the bathroom door and it flew open. And there she was, sitting on the toilet. The love of my life… my mommy!! Oh boy, do I love her so much. I quickly made my way toward her so I could get my morning rubs.
“Good morning Freddy! You’re such a good boy,” she said as she rubbed my head and ears.
After a few minutes she stopped, so I quickly put my paws on her hand to let her know that wasn’t long enough. I wanted more rubs. She rubbed my head again, and then I left the bathroom.
I walked to the back of the house where, like magic, my water bowl was filled. I drank as fast as I could because, like I said before, I LOVE WATER. My dad stopped me after a while and made me sit until my next pass. I sat down, and then, out of nowhere, I heard something. A soft “pfff” sound. Where did that come from? Did that just come from me? I slowly turned my head and looked behind me, trying to figure out where that mysterious sound came from. My mom and dad were laughing.
“All the boys in this house are always farting,” my mom said with a smile.
I sat there with my ears drooped and my head low, waiting for one of them to give me the okay to drink more water.
“Okay, go ahead,” my dad said.
I drank and drank as fast as I could until the bowl was empty. That was not enough water, so I sat there patiently, waiting for the bowl to be refilled. My mom looked at me and told my dad I looked like Eeyore. What is an Eeyore? I thought to myself. It didn’t matter, because a few seconds later, there was more water.
The morning went on like usual. Nicholas, my older brother, came downstairs and got ready for summer camp. My mom and dad worked out and then got ready for work. My mom didn’t make her lunch today, which meant she was working from home. Those are my favorite days because I get to spend the entire day with her.
Nicholas and Dad left for the day, and then Mom, Karai, and I settled into the cookie room. As Mommy worked, I plopped onto the floor right next to her. I had to make sure my head and paws were on the bottom of her chair. I love being so close to her, and I also need to protect her by making sure the chair doesn’t start moving while she is trying to work.
After a few hours, Mommy got up from the desk and started putting on her gardening shoes, which meant one thing, she was going outside, so I had to join her. I spun around multiple times in excitement. She put on her sunglasses and gardening gloves and opened the back door. As usual, I must always be first, so I bolted through the screen door, beating Karai.
“It is I, Freddy, the all mighty poodle, and this is my land. If you are here, you bett—”
“Freddy. No. Freddy. No barking,” my mom said, cutting me off.
“I’m just trying to warn off any intruders and protect you, Mom!”
“Freddy, no barking or you’re going inside.”
I quickly stopped and decided to get my exercise in by running as fast as I could around the entire yard, from the basketball hoop to the soccer net on the other end. As I did this, Mommy moved the crates in front of the garden gate and entered the garden.
“Freddy, come! Come!” she yelled in fear. I came running as fast as I could and saw it right away. There was an intruder in her garden—and the worst kind—a squirrel. Not on my watch. I ran toward it, yelling,
“Get out of my mommy’s garden now or feel my wrath!”
It quickly scaled the chicken wire. It was fast. I followed it around, yelling at it, making sure I didn’t touch any of Mommy’s plants. I was so focused on the squirrel’s movements I didn’t even notice Mommy had left the garden.
A few minutes later, she was back with a large stick in her hand. She started hitting the outside of the garden, trying to scare the squirrel, I assumed.
“Okay Mommy, I have a plan. You keep hitting the garden to scare the squirrel, and I’ll chase it all around until it leaves your garden,” I yelled out.
Mommy kept following the squirrel, hitting the frame of the garden, and I ran as fast as I could toward it. I almost caught it, but she yelled and stopped me. I’m not sure why. I could tell Mommy wasn’t happy and was scared of the squirrel. I must protect her at all costs. She went back inside, so I continued to chase and yell at the intruder.
“Leave at once! I will catch you and this will be the last time you ever step foot here. You’re ruining my mommy’s plants and you must pay. This is my land, and if you do not leave now, you will feel my wrath!” I yelled.
Mommy came back with the hose and tried to scare the squirrel by spraying water near it. As much as I wanted to stop my chase and try to drink water from it, I continued after the squirrel. And then, out of nowhere, the squirrel ran out of the garden as fast as it could. Naturally, I darted after it, almost catching it, but Mommy stopped me again.
“Freddy, you are such a good boy. You are my hero. Thank you for helping Mommy get the squirrel out,” she said while rubbing my head.
Or at least I think that’s what she said. I wasn’t really paying attention because I was just so proud of myself for protecting her and really enjoying the rubs.
I wandered the yard and watched her while she cut flowers and brought them into the house. I love when Mommy is happy, and I know that flowers are one of her favorite things. That’s why I always pee next to the garden, to warn off the intruders.
We went back inside, and I was rewarded with water and a bone. I ate the bone on my bed and realized how tired I was. I went back into the cookie room, plopped down next to Mommy, and let myself dream. Days like this are the best kind, the kind where I get to help, get treats, and just be near the people I love. It was time to enter dreamland, you know, the place where I can sit in a pool while drinking unlimited amounts of water and it never runs out.
Paradise.



Feel the Wrath!! I LOVED this story!! Hahaha