Nixi followed along with Shuffles, checking out all the cool stuff. The aisles were lined with neat things, toys and pillows, and even some treats. All of it was so awesome to find in one place, and the best part was that they weren’t alone.
Other peoples and their dogs wandered about, checking out toys and trying out beds and things of this nature. The echo of dogs barking from somewhere else in the store told everyone else that they were dogs and were wondering if all the others were dogs too. Basically, there were a lot of things going on all at the same time, and each dog to their own tale.
Nixi and Shuffles were busy checking out the edge of an aisle with all the balls. There were balls with bells, some that had other balls inside of them, ones with ropes so you always knew where to find it, and even a ball that was shaped like a box. All sorts of cool things. But that wasn’t really where their attention was.
The tiny birds bounced around beyond the fenced area, chirping and dancing happily as they chased and scratched the ground. It was a strange sight to the pups, but it was so cool. It was as if squeaky little chew toys were bouncing around, waiting to be played with. But there was the fence.
“Will they let us in?” Shuffles whined, pawing at the fence, wanting one of the little chicks to play with him.
But no, there would be no dogs allowed. There were rules here, and the ladies beyond the fence would not let their tiny chicks play with the pups. Neither would Brandon allow the pups to get too close of a sniff.
When the pups wouldn’t stop negotiating for a playdate with the squeaky chicks, Brandon decided they needed to move on and check out something else. Apparently the toy aisle just wasn’t as interesting as the chirping critters.
So the group moved on to other areas of the store. There were tons of beds here, and one was bound to be just the right size for Shuffles. It was probably a good thing to check out since Nixi was getting tired of sharing hers with the still-growing pup that was occupying more and more space.
But there was something to sidetrack hanging around the next corner. There was a spot fenced in where no dogs were allowed. But beyond the fence was a man tending to the rabbits. The pups had never seen such things and wanted to play with the fuzzy fluff balls that bounced around.
Nope. Playing was forbidden here as well. Apparently the bunnies were just for looks, not for sniffs and chases. No matter how smoothly shuffles proposed his play-plan to the man who was herding up the rabbits, the no-dogs allowed policy stood fast.
When the pups refused to stop staring through the fence, Brandon tugged the pair along to another spot, this one hopefully wouldn’t have some strange distraction.
The coast was clear and the pups focused on the food aisle. There were so many flavors and sorts to choose from and more than any dog could ever eat in one sitting. But picking and choosing which ones they wanted wasn’t really up to them. That didn’t stop them from putting some of them on their wish lists.
Brandon escorted his friends down the way, pointing out which ones seemed appealing to him, but what did he know, he was a peoples. The dogs sniffed around, dancing back and forth checking out the lower shelves and wondering what was high above. Everything seemed to be going so smoothly.
Then they reached the end of the aisle and saw them. Oh yes, it was them. It had to be them all along. Brandon wondered how it could not have been them. But it was them, and both pups were happy as could be that it was them.
The children were petting and playing with every dog that came their way. They dipped down and inspected the short dogs with a back rub, and grabbed and hugged the big ones with a tug on the ears. But if there’s anyone out there that knows how to play with a dog, it’s a children.
Nixi and Shuffles were no exception to slip by without playing with the group of children that were wandering around the store. These ones didn’t have any fence around them and unlike the others, the parents did say that this time, dogs were allowed!
Author:
Jason Duron is a short story writer and author of several fiction stories. Curious and lovable as dogs can be, the Adventures of Rocky, Nixi and Dante give you a chance to see daily life from a “dog’s eye view” and share in their thoughts. Please enjoy, and we hope that you’ll feel free to comment and give us insight into your dog’s very own adventures.
