Change of Command

When I first came home with Daddy, Darla was there. She was the shortest German Shepherd Dog I had ever seen. I mean I was just a five month old puppy and I was as big as her. She claimed to be a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, but I knew a GSD when I saw one, even if they were a midget.

Darla instructed me that she was royalty. Among her many decorations was the Order of the Bucktoothed Yellow Smiley Guy, that she wore all the time. He was a movie star that sometimes came on television. I don't think Daddy liked him, because he always made the television be quiet when Bucktoothed Smiley Guy came on.

Darla even had her own throne chamber that she held court and slept in. She told me it had beautiful tapestries. One day when she was not looking I peeked inside, and I saw her tapestries. She must have really liked Mommy, because she let Mommy wear her tapestries. Darla had an extensive collection of shoes in her throne chamber too.

Because Darla had royal blood, sovereignty came naturally to her. She always demanded a fanfare on a duck call played by Daddy before she would come back in the house. Then she would charge in telling us all to be quiet. When I would chase my ball, she would sometimes lunge out of the hall and demand that I pay homage to her. I always did.

Sometimes I think Darla was a German Shepherd Dog and Badger mix. She had that kind of personality. You never tried to take Darla's bone. She would take your nose off.

Because Darla was the oldest, she was the Top Dog, or as she liked to say the Supreme Imperial Czar d' Bow Wow. When Daddy's breakfast bell went off every morning, it was Darla's job to bark and wake him up so we could get breakfast. She would hustle him to the back door so we could go pee, and get kibbles. Sometimes when Daddy was sleeping on the sofa, she would jump up there with him, and lay on his shoulder. I never got to do that. I guarded his feet.

I guess you are wondering why I'm writing about the Czar d' Bow Wow tonight. She passed on into immortality. We buried her beside little Vivi. I'm not sure what we are going to do without her to guide us. I'm the biggest dog now, and managing this pack under Daddy's direction is not a job for the lily-livered. There are so many things that I should know that I wonder about now. I guess I should have paid more attention to Darla, and less attention to my chew toys when I was younger.

I don't have royal blood like Darla did, and I really don't want to rule from a throne chamber full of tapestries. I would rather just be a puppy and help Daddy find people and go bike riding. Some dog has to be the Top Dog now that Darla is gone though, and I know that Cassie isn't ready for that job. Can you imagine the chaos if she was in charge? Thankfully, the dog pack is just me and her now anyway, and I was already her surrogate mother, so I guess I'll do OK. I just hope I don't forget to wake Daddy up in the morning.