K-9 College

By Fred
When asked how we could possibly give up Bingo, we like to compare ourselves to parents who see their child go off to college. Most people seem to understand the analogy but are still not quite satisfied. They often squint at us as if to say, Of course, you want your children to leave home, but not your dog.

Since we don't actually have children, we are just guessing how it feels for a parent. I knew, from the start, that letting him go would be hard, especially for Cheryl, who is not so tough as she seems. Yesterday, when she said We got the letter and when I looked into her face, I knew she meant a letter from SEGD telling us that it's time for Bingo to come in for training. She asked me, in her pouty voice and face, to write this post, so I know she's feeling down. Give her a hug when you get a chance.

We've got until July 6 with Bingo, though--plenty of time for new adventures. The crying (there will be crying) has not yet begun in full force. On July 2 we get a new black lab female puppy and the cycle starts again, a chance for us to become better puppy raisers thanks to the tips we've learned from Jennifer and all the puppy raisers in our group.

Among other things, Bingo has squeezed 12 people years into one dog year at Berkeley Prep, where he has graduated with honors and some special distinction for not having destroyed any significant piece of furniture at the school. He even made it into the faculty section of the yearbook. Good boy!

Now Bingo is enjoying his summer break before college like any normal teenager, lazy and clueless, unaware of what's to come and unaware of how much we want him to succeed. Here we are on the back porch, listening to the frogs in our fish pond.