a…chicken? “Do I look like a normal Dalmatian to you?” the chicken said. “Spot, you’re a chicken” Lucky objected, and I giggled. “How many times have I told you Lucky, I’m trapped in a chicken’s body, I tell ya I’m a dog!” she argued, I rose a curious brow at this. And I thought I was weird. “Look, Chancey, you just look a little different, it doesn’t make you weird” Lucky insisted. “Then why are they so mean to me?”

“Because of your spirit!” the female pup chirped “your spirit shines with unique qualities that shines so brightly it shines through you making you seem different, but others envy you, so they treat you badly, tormenting your spirit, until it drives you to the point of breaking and then your inner evil will break loose, and you’ll seek revenge on those who hurt your good spirit! You’ll seek revenge, no MERCY!!” My eyes were bulging out of my head by this point, so were everyone else’s “So basically, Cadpig’s saying they’re jealous” the large male pup summed up. “Oh” I muttered “I wish they weren’t, I don’t like it. I just want to fit in.”  Cadpig sighed “but being different is good, Chancey, your uniqueness is what makes you, you” Something fluttered inside me and I looked up at Lucky who was smiling at me. Now I understand! If there was no uniqueness, then we’d all be just the same. What fun would that be? I smiled at them “I get it now, thanks, you guys are the best!” Lucky laughed “we know, now c’mon let’s go play!” We jumped off the hay stacks and ran outside, but were immediately halted by Lt. Pug and Tripod.  “You four deserters!” he shouted glaring at Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly and Spot. “Have a lot of explaining to do! Cadet Chancey, for leaving the Brigade early I want fifteen laps around the Slop Area!” I sat there “What are you waiting for?” My ears flattened a little. “Um…I-I don’t know where that is…” He grumbled about something a moment before speaking to Tripod, “Captain!”

“I’m on it sir!” He nudged me and I obediently followed. It was about ten minutes before we reached a fenced in area, a really large one, with some gross brown, icky, gruel spread all inside it, I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Here we are” Tripod said, I gave him a confused look, he motioned to the slop. “Go run your laps” he ordered I looked between him and it. “In that?” I was completely aghast “That’s inhumane!” He glowered at me “that’s punishment for leaving the Brigade without dismissal”

“Who cares?”

“The Brigade is very important to me, the Lt. and Colonel, and several pups here take it very seriously. You should do the same.”

“Why?”

“I-“ he paused in thought “I’ll tell you after you finish youe laps. I want fifteen around the pen! No breaks! Go!” Yeesh he sounded like Lt. Pug in that moment, I was actually a little scared of him. I jumped in, it was so slippery, I fell flat on my face. “EWW!” I exclaimed, it was like slime on my fur. “Get up Cadet! Go! Go! Go!” I pulled myself up and ran on his order. After nearly two hours, I was coated in gruel from falling so many times, I was sweaty, trembling, and exhausted, but I was done. I hopped through the fence and was immediately blasted by a ton of cold water, the sheer force of it sent me to the ground. “Whoa!” I yelped as Tripod used the water hose to blast the gruel and sweat from my coat, it felt good! After he was done I shook out the water, happy to be my normal white furred self again. “Ok, so why is the Brigade important?” I asked smoothing down my fur. “Because it teaches you” I canted my head to the side, a note for him to continue. “It teaches discipline, rewards for hard work, values, morals, it’s very important for a pup to have, the feeling of accomplishment after you’ve done something, it makes you feel like you’re the best, because you have to do your best.” I could hear the pride and devotion in his voice, he really cared, this was really important to him, and you know what? It should be to me too. I promised myself right then and there that I was going to give Bark Brigade my all, I was going to give it my all, work my hardest, and actually accomplish something.

Tripod walked me back to the barn and we lay down, I was beyond exhausted. “Hey Tripod” I whispered “hm?”

“Thanks”

He turned his head and looked at me “for what?” he muttered sleepily “for teaching me” I whispered to him “for being kind and patient enough to bare with me. You’re really cool.” I lay my head down on my paws and was asleep in minutes, just missing the smile Tripod gave me before he also went to sleep.  

           The next morning I was up bright and early, I felt like a new pup, Tripod, the Co lonel, and Lt. Pug all looked surprised to see someone besides Tripod there early. “Good morning sir” I greeted Lt. Pug as he marched up to me. “Why are you here? I thought you’d be dead in the barn you’d be so tired.” I smiled “I am tired, but I didn’t want to miss Bark Brigade today.” He ‘hmphed’ and walked off, Tripod walked up to me “surprised to see you here” he said simply. “After what you said last night, I decided I should take the Brigade more seriously.” He started to walk off “Tripod” he turned back to me “c-could you be my trainer…I want to toughen up…will you help me?” He looked taken aback, and turned to face fully. “It’ll be tough” he warned “I know, but I need this.”

“Even if it means late hours in the Slop Area?”

I shuddered, but nodded “even if it means late hours in the Slop Area.” He smiled “meet me there after Bark Brigade and we’ll get started. Got it?”

“Yes sir!” I said and saluted him. Bark Brigade was actually fun, tiring, but fun. I loved the athletics, especially running. We did pushups, sit ups ran track, obstacle courses, map reading, and so much more, and I was so tired by the time we finished, I wanted join the other pups for a well earned rest, but I caught sight of Tripod heading for the Slop Area, so I turned Lucky and the gang down and chased after Tripod. It was hard work, he worked me like a slave, instead of fifteen laps he wanted twenty-five, then we moved to the pushups, again twenty-five instead of fifteen, sit ups, I ran the obstacle course four times, and finally five more grueling gruely laps in the Slop Area then he power washed me and we headed to the barn.

It went on like this for weeks each day up at dawn for Early Morning Training, then Bark Brigade, then Evening Training pushing me harder and harder and ended with me collapsing half dead in the bar, but I didn’t do it alone, he often did these exercises with me, turning them into games or races, making me more eager to comply with his wishes. However, no amount of Tripod’s training could have prepared me for what happened one afternoon in Bark Brigade.

“Cadet Chancey, Mooch, get to the starting line!

“Yes sir!”

Mooch snickered at me as he passed and I looked to Tripod, he smiled and winked and I couldn’t help but smile as I lined up. You can do this Chancey, you’re prepared for this, you can finally prove yourself to Tripod! Show him, show all of them! “Go!” We were off like rockets, but I was keeping a comfortable distance ahead of Mooch, and I wasn’t trying hard! We were coming up on the small trail that lead out to the road and the one that rounded  around the track and came back near the finish line. Mooch snickered and cut down the trail “see ya Cadet Spotless!” he sneered, but he went down the wrong trail, that one lead to the road, I would know, I got a face full of gruel for picking it during a late night map reading lesson with Tripod. “Mooch don’t!” but it was too late, I turned sharply and and sprinted down the trail after him shouting for him to stop. He didn’t listen and ended up sprinting right into the middle of the road, I heard it then, the rev of a car engine. “Mooch move!” I shouted, I saw the blue car and in a split second decision I dove, shoving Mooch out of the way, but I wasn’t quick enough to save myself. The car was over me, the tire crushing my left leg, with a sickening crunch, I cried out in sheer pain and terror. The car stopped and slowly backed off of me. I heard the car door open and the lady bent over me, she looked stricken and started crying. “Oh, you poor dear, I’m so sorry!” I whined pitifully as she gently picked me up. I still wasn’t fond of humans, but I wasn’t about to fight her off either. She carried me up to the house, I could hear all the puppies’ panicked voices calling to me, all I could do was moan in pain. She informed Roger and Anita of what happened, Pongo and Perdi looked devastated and were actually crying, for me? I didn’t understand. I managed to find Tripod in the crowd around me he looked horrified, his face was the last I saw before my world faded.

When I finally came back to my senses, Perdi was lying beside me, I looked at her puzzled. “Mama…?” I asked “Chancey?” she