I could tell he was smiling, and nothing made me happier than having a happy pup.
Itossed and turned last night as I tried to think of ways to talk to Dusty about the possibility of a procedure that could give him some more permanent puppy features. I prepared myself for kickback, which I understood; it was his body. He had a good relationship with his family and still saw them often. So it couldn’t be anything that they would see.
Dusty loves being outside, and even though it was summer here, we still tried to get outside for some playtime in the mornings. Just like Johnathan, Dusty loved to play ball. I bought him a blue one to match his pup gear, and we played fetch each morning. I threw the ball, and it ricocheted off one of the tree trunks and landed in the garden. Dusty gave chase until he saw where it came to rest.
He whimpered and turned to look at me as he sat at the edge of the pathway. I got out of my chair and headed over to the garden. I winced as I saw him kneeling in his ready pose on the concrete pavers. When I reached him, I put my hands on his shoulders and rubbed on them.
“Thank you for waiting and not going into the garden, Dusty boy,” I praised.
He held his paw up for me to shake. I held it in my hands and pointed to the grass.
“Dusty, from now on, I’d like for you to kneel and wait on the soft grass. I don’t want you to hurt your knees, boy.”
I guided him to the grass and patted his head.
“Good, Dusty boy. Wait here, and I’ll get your ball.”
On my way to find Dusty’s ball, I walked past Johnathan’s orange ball. I smiled at it, as if I were telling him hello. The orange ball was a reminder that I was a better person now, and I needed to do what was right with Dusty. I found his blue ball and tossed it toward the other side of the yard. Dusty took off after it while I went back to my chair. He brought the ball over to me, and I decided to take a stab at the conversation that had been on my mind.
“Okay, rest for a few, Dusty boy.”
He sat on his fluffy pet bed that we kept outside for naps and times like these. He entertained himself for a few minutes by rolling the ball back and forth between his paws while I stroked his back.
“Ted called yesterday while we were in the pool,” I started. Dusty looked up at me and nodded, acknowledging that he recalled. “You may speak, Dusty. I want to talk with you about something.”
“Okay,” he said and set his ball out of arm’s reach on his bed and turned to face me. “How is Ted?”
“He’s good. He was calling to tell me that a couple of those asshole guys who hurt you tried to come back to the club. Of course they were turned away.”
“That’s good to hear. I don’t think they were truly into the dynamic and were just messing around. They’re a danger to anyone there.”
“I agree. They won’t be a problem there anymore.” I reached up and rubbed under his jaw. “I love you, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. In fact, sometimes I’m afraid that I’m going to hurt you. Unintentionally, of course, but the worry is there.”
Dusty reached up and put his paw on my leg. I imagined that he was probably frowning under his mask and hood.
“I know you won’t hurt me, Gabe.”
“I’m glad, Dusty. But I don’t want you hurt at all.”
“I don’t understand. What’s wrong, or what are you trying to tell me? Are we breaking up?”
“No!”
I leaned forward just enough to lift the patio chair and turn it so I was facing Dusty. I reached forward and unbuckled his collar and then gently removed his hood and mask. I wanted to be able to see all of his reactions instead of wondering what facial expressions hid behind the mask.
“Don’t worry, Dusty boy. I want to be able to see you.” I reached down and tapped his kneecaps. “I worry about the wear and tear that being a pup might have on you down the road. I like you on your knees so much.” I laughed and shook my head at my words. “Let me rephrase that—I love you on your knees, especially with your hot mouth on me. But I worry about what kneeling on the ground will do. I don’t want you bruised or aching when you stand. I care about you very much.”
Dusty’s chocolate eyes moved back and forth between my eyes. He looked sad, as if I were taking away his pup status.
“But I love how we are. I love being able to be your pup. I know you respect me and think of me as your equal partner. But I love being your pup, and I don’t want to give that up,” he explained.
I leaned over and pressed my forehead against his. I smiled and then kissed his lips softly.
“I don’t want you to stop being my Dusty boy. I simply want to make you as comfortable as can be and help your body be as sturdy as possible.”
Dusty relaxed and finally showed me his playful smile.
“Whew. I was starting to worry that this was some kind of break-up talk.”
