"Farmer's Dog"

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"Wh-wh-what's going on? This isn't part of my schedule!" the black and white terrier barked. He was presently being coaxed into a travel kennel by a flustered, heavy-set man. When coaxing wouldn't work, the man tried stuffing the dog into the carrier. But the resistant terrier only splayed out his legs and refused.

"Come on.....in you go....." the man strained, giving a shove that sent the dog slamming into the kennel.

"Watch it, ugly!" the dog turned to snap.

But the kennel door was quickly shut, locking the terrier in a prison of plastic. He lay down with a huff and placed his finely shapen head on his dainty, showy paws.

"There must be a mistake here, my water therapy isn't until 10," he grumbled, "The Mister will straighten this out."

The room surrounding the kennel was a picturesque foyer of elegant French architecture. There was warmness in the color of the wood floors, the royal red walls and the wrought iron accents adorning the staircase to the upstairs. Indeed it was elaborate for a simple entrance and to Tuxedo the fox terrier, it was the entrance to the luxury that was home. So many lonely days spent traveling the dog show circuit, being felt on by judge after judge, switching handlers so quickly it would make an inexperienced dog pass out; Tux would never show it but he was glad to return home after a long show weekend and eager to return to his regular itinerary. But now he was being loaded up again and had no clue of where he was to be taken.

An exquisitely dressed man entered the foyer with the heavy-set man following behind.

"I just don't know Mr. Madisan. He did seem awful sore about getting in. Think you should reconsider?" the heavy man knelt down to the door of the kennel and offered a hand to Tux through the metal bars. Tux growled and snapped, making it clear that he was not open for consolation.

"Nonsense Howard! I'm sure the poor fellow is ready for an early retirement. He's been so deppressed lately, I think the circuit is sucking the life out of him," Mr. Madisan told Howard. "He'll love Lyonelles and the family I'm sending him to is a respectable one. He's served me well and it's time he found what a real dog's life is like. See that they have all the proper comforts for him when you get there, Howard, and have an easy trip yourself."

Mr. Madisan tapped the top of the carrier twice and wished Tux a quick farewell. The terrier clawed at the kennel door, desparate to return to his spot on his favorite silken couch and sleep the day away.

"Come back here and get me out of this thing NOW, damn it!" Tux barked.

But Mr. Madisan had long since retreated into the sitting room with no intention of returning. Howard grabbed the handle of the crate and whisked Tux out the door to an awaiting luxury car.

"B-b-but I can't LEAVE, I'm booked up with studding appointments and show clinics and massage therapy and....... please please please take me back!" Tux whined loudly.

The car door slammed shut and they were soon moving through the busy New Orleans streets. Tux continued to whine, never stopping a moment for silence.

"Poor fella', he must think he's being shipped off to another show," Howard told himself.

"You idiot! Do you have any idea how many females are on my waiting list? Nevermind showing!" Tux growled.

Before he lost his voice completely, Tux halted his string of high-pitched protests to accept the fact that no matter what he did, the crate would not be opened to his old home's welcoming foyer ever agian. His stomach churned with worry and his shiny black ears drooped; where were they taking him?

They traveled for three full hours, but not once did Tux rest. Rest was impossible when there was so much to wonder and worry about. Finally the passenger door was opened and Tux's leash was clipped to his sleek designer collar. He was led out to find a quaint little white house, raised on brick stilts and surrounded by waving oak trees bustling with squirrels. The yard was littered with children's toys and the porch looked quite inviting with its rocking chair and shaded concrete floors, cool despite the mid-March warmth. The air was different here than what Tux was used to breathing. It was sweet and had a million new scents flowing through it; he could hardly take them all in. Howard led him up the little steps and onto the concrete porch. Before the door lay a dusty doormat with the worn words "Wipe Your Paws" across its bristles.

"How charming," Tux muttered, rolling his eyes.

Howard gave the door a knock. It was opened by a little blonde haired girl about six-years-old dressed in muddy jeans and a smudged purple t-shirt. She squeeled at the sight of Tux and ran to fetch her father. He met them at the door and exchanged a few welcoming words with Howard. All the while, the little girl persistantly tried to pet the adgitated Tux.

"What is this, some kind of redneck daycare center?" he rasped when she finally caught him by the collar. The little girl pulled him close in a tight hug, kissing his velvet ears and stroking his black saddle-marked back. The father, who was a brawny looking man, knelt down to take a look at his new dog. He caressed Tux's head and scratched behind his ears while he was still trapped in the little girl's arms.

"Will he hunt?" the father asked.

"I beg your pardon!" Tux barked.

"He might have a little hunt in him.......somewhere," Howard told him, unsure. "You could try to train him."

"You like him Anna?" the father asked the little girl.

"Oh yes sir, yes sir! Can we have him Mister Howard, can we?"

Howard chuckled, "Of course you can dear; he may take a little time to warm up to a new home but he'll come around."

Tux finally broke free of the little girl Anna's embrace and quickly hid behind Howard's chunky legs.

"Kim!" the father called inside. A kindly-faced woman came to the door. Tux could tell it was the little girl's mother by her zealous reaction.

"Isn't he darling! Look at those sweet little eyes! Oh, he's gorgous, David!" she exclaimed, fondling Tux's ears.

"We'll have him then, I've got the check right here," David told Howard with a grin. He exchanged the check for a folder full of Tux's papers. Howard handed the little girl Tux's leash, nodded to the family and was soon dissapearing into a cloud of gravel and dust. For a long moment Tux was parylized with fear. The only traces of the life he'd always known had just sped down a dirt road, far out of sight and likely never to return as far as he was concerned. What had just happened? The thought stunned him...... he was ditched. In the blink of an eye and not a second more he was somebody else's dog.

Tux was led inside the family's tiny farmhouse. The strong smell of food and dog hit him like a sack of bricks. He sneezed. All of the walls were accented with tacky knick knacks; the tv blared and flashed in the corner of the tiny living room. The little girl tugged his leash and he was soon surrounded by their kitchen's lemon-yellow walls.

"You'll sleep in here Tuxey," Anna pointed to a small dog bed in one of the corners. Three other little beds lined the same wall; a tasty looking bone rested in one. Momentarily forgeting his plight, Tux licked his lips. Rawhide bones were never allowed in his old home as they were far too messy to have around the priceless rugs and furnishings. Little Hannah lifted him up under the crooks of his arms and placed him in his apparently feaux-lambskin lined bed. He decided to humor her and sat.

"That's your spot Tuxey! Daddy and I are goin' to the store to getcha' some food an' dishes of your own," she told him, "You be a good boy and stay here!" She bounded out of the kitchen, leaving Tux to himself. He snorted, "Yeah right"

Tux wasted no time. He snatched up the partially-knawed rawhide and dug in zealously. He plopped down in the bed it was sitting in and continued to chew away when a clicking noise came up from behind him.

"WHAT are you doing in my house and WHAT do you think you're doing with my bone?!?" barked a very adgitated female dog.

Tux dropped the chew and whipped around to find a small Jack Russell Terrier with reddish brown spots masking her eyes and ears. Her hackles were raised; the two were eye to eye and her teeth were ready to give him a piece of her mind. Tux's gaze turned from surprise to challenge. He cooly picked up the bone again.

"Your bone?" Tux teased, the rawhide still between his teeth.

"Put.......it........down," she growled. The female lowered her head, looking eager to fight.

He dropped the bone to his feet and put his paw quickly on top of it, "Uhhhh... no."

The female sprung, going for his neck. She grabbed his scruff and forced him to the ground. He dropped the bone on contact but she didn't let up, clinching down harder and harder on the skin of the back of his neck. Never being in a fight in his sheltered life, Tux had no idea what had hit him. He began to struggle against her grip and soon began to yelp and whine.

"Please please please please please!" he hollered.

The female basicly spit him out. She licked her own paws, desparately trying to get the taste of his fruity shampoo off her tongue.

"Anybody ever told you you taste worse than rusted metal?"

Tux shook himself then backed into the wall, "What the hell is wrong with you?!?"

"I wouldn't bother asking, considering there's so much you'd better started explaining."

"They dumped me off here, I'm from New Orleans."

"City boy, eh?" she laughed, "I shouldn't worry then, you won't be around long." The female turned and struted smoothly toward the kitchen's back dog door.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tux snapped, dashing up and blocking her.

She smiled fakely, "It means everything and everyone is going to roll out the welcome wagon and treat you like royalty." She flitted her eyes seductively and almost floated out of his way. Tux,