‘Happy Birthday to you, Jakita….’

Momma sang. How the heck was I to know? No one told me that it was my birthday! What is that exactly, anyway?   Ooohhh, the day I was born, the day a dog like me raised the bar on the WWDA (World Wide Dog Association). Hallelujah!

Momma, tell me that story again.  Oh yeah, like Baby Jesus, I was born in stable (sort of, kind of) where cows, horses, piggies, chickens, and lots of barn cats lived.  I remember it now.  The horses stamped their feet and whinnied, the cows mooed, the chickens cackled, the pigs oinked and the cats stayed out of sight. Now I remember, little Brother Fidel, his twin and my Fuzzy Wuzzy Big Lil Sister.  I was the brains, the leader. As soon as I could scramble out of the makeshift pen, I was gone, my three siblings in hot pursuit. Our tired Baby Mama just shook her head, said good riddance and fell back to sleep.

Oh, I was wily.  Those horse hooves looked big, and the cows seemed way high-strung.  Maybe they needed to be milked. No way we would risk our lives going near them.  And funny thing when the chickens saw us coming, they took off  squawking, like we were the enemy.  Go figure. We loved the kitties but Mama Cat wanted us nowhere near them so we would sit and watch them tussle and I would think, ‘I want one of those when I grow up.’

So that left Mama Pig and her piglets.  They looked like fun. We clambered in, played around and fell asleep, along with the piglets, resting on Mama Pig’s ample belly.

Yes, I remember those days and the separation anxiety when we were removed from the barn and taken to a holding station in order to be delivered to forever homes. It was incredibly confusing.  I was the boss, until Momma took me home, read the book on the latest, greatest way to develop a puppy.  It seemed I was too dominate and it was a most appalling trait that had to be corrected consistently. You don’t say? What served me well in the barnyard, was apparently frowned upon in a forever home.

Goes without saying, I thought I was perfect and was about as impressed with Momma as she was with me.  It took work and perseverance.  In the early days I admit every night between 6pm to 8pm I would rip around, jumping, growling, snarling, chewing just like I did in the barn.  Momma and RIP Daddy would fence me in to whatever room they were in, talk soothingly to me and somehow, as time passed, it lulled me in to changing my perspective.  Oh, I still would do naughty things, like bolt through an open door but I started to feel guilt when I saw how worried they looked as they tried to round me up.  Now a days I worry about Momma so would never ditch her.  If she says STOP, I stop. Anyway, where the heck would I rather be?

Yes, life turned out grand.  In my forever home I got my wish – all the cats I can handle (well, knowing my talent, I could look after a few more) and I love them just as I thought I would all those years ago in the barn.  I got my Momma and my Wonder Boy.  I miss RIP Daddy (how far is heaven, Momma?).  Face it, I got the life of Riley.

And today on my 6^th Birthday, Momma celebrated the occasion by spreading out a blanket on the floor,  and a sheep skin.  My birthday present was the cutest little purple just fit perfect in my mouth Care Bear and a two bite cupcake  to eat.  I can not remember when I had more fun…well, chasing squirrels, maybe. But face it, Who doesn’t like surprises….and cup cakes? We got to do this more often Momma, deal?