Article August 15, 2016 Issue

When I wanted a puppy

Laura Lapointe

I felt as if I’d been asking for a dog my whole life. But my dad wasn’t sure I was ready for the responsibility, so he gave me a challenge. In the middle of February, he said that I could pretend to have a dog for a week. I would have to do all the things that a dog owner would do, such as taking my “dog” out in the freezing cold, even before the sun came up.

To my dad’s surprise, that whole week I got up extra early to take my pretend puppy out in the snow before 7:00 a.m. And after school, I came right home to take another long, freezing walk. I was so eager to prove I was ready to be a dog owner that I completed this challenge without complaining once.

Not long after that, my dad asked me what kind of dog I wanted. My mom and I did some research about types of dogs and settled on one that seemed perfect. Was this really happening?

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