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Boss
link to my original story
November 20, 2023
I named him Boss.
At the farm, Boss had some space to run around outside, but mostly he was in the house with us. One day we left him in the locked house and went into town. While we were gone Boss tore the house up... pulled down curtains... turned over a table and a chair... there was trash everywhere. When we came home he was laying in his corner on top of a pizza box... facing the wall.
Yeah... I can picture taking a whip to an animal for doing that... but Boss facing the wall... looked ashamed of what he'd done. Stephon may have stepped up to kick that dog's heiny out the back door... so I quickly knelt down and gave that big ole lug a big big hug... and talked to him sweetly...
"I'm so sorry, Boss. I know you were worried. We're home now."
After writing the piece on Boss, it has nagged at me that I didn't
tell the entire story of what happened... the day that we came home
and Boss had torn the house up. The essay made it look like there were
no consequences for Boss... and that all I did was give Boss a big
hug and talk sweetly to him. No... there was more.
Here's the full story.
We had been gone about four hours... and were hoping Boss had
done OK in the house, where we had left him with food and water.
We were anxious to see if everything was alright at the little farmhouse.
We walked through the back door and could see... the mess.
No... I don't remember having to clean up any poop.
I found Boss in his spot... facing the wall... paws on top of a pizza box.
He was fine... but the house was a total mess. I don't remember if
Stephon said anything... because I instantly began being just a
little dramatic...? shall we say...? meaning I used a quiet surprised
and disappointed voice... and spoke about each thing... like...
"What...!! What is this...?!! what a mess...!"
and
"oh, no... the curtains...! and the CHAIR...!"
and
"Trash...?! all over the floor...?! Oh, Boss...
you spilled the trash all over the floor...! What... a... mess."
and
"Boss... this is not good. This is a big mess...!"
I could never have been mean, hateful, or violent to Boss.
So... it was after I did a little gentle dramatic shaming...
that I bent down and hugged Boss.
But then... he had already looked ashamed...
when he realized that we had returned...
and brought a big bag of good dog food with us.
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