by John Tovey
‘Surprise!’
The room was packed with all my friends and family waiting for me. In the centre of the dining table was a huge birthday cake, made especially for dogs. It had my name and a huge number one written on the front in special doggy icing. Niki had even stuck a candle on top, which she lit and told me to blow out. I puffed up both cheeks, filling them full of air, and gave it a big blow. The flame flickered, swayed to one side, and then went out.
‘Make a wish!’ Niki called.
She was standing behind me with the rest of my family, who cheered and clapped along.
So I made my birthday wish – to be the best guide dog in the world and make everyone proud of me – but I didn’t tell anyone because I wanted it to come true.
‘I want to sing “Happy Birthday” to him!’ Kilty barked, pushing through the crowd like a diva.
Stan groaned, dipped his head, and flattened the tips of his ears.
‘As if we’ve not suffered enough,’ Bonnie complained to Max, who for some reason was dressed in a stiff white formal shirt, complete with a bright purple dickie bow.
Meg noticed me looking over. ‘He wanted to look smart for you,’ she whispered. ‘But you know Max, he always gets it wrong. When I said it was a party, he got all dressed up. I had to stop him from wearing his dinner jacket.’
Max grinned proudly, his shirt collar biting against his brown furry neck.
‘Nice shirt,’ I remarked, pointing to it.
‘Oh, thanks! I bought it especially. I wanted to look smart, what with it being a special occasion and all.’
An awful shrill sound filled the room: Kilty had begun.
‘Yappy birthday to you, Yappy birthday to yoooouuu, Yappy birthday, little Dezzy Boy, Yappy birthday to yooooouuuuuu!’ her voice screeched, as everyone willed it to end.
When it did, we all clapped and cheered loudly, but only because it was over.
‘Thanks, Kilty.’ I blushed. ‘Hey, I like your new collar!’
Kilty flushed a little and clasped a tiny white paw to her neck. She patted the diamanté collar fondly.
‘It’s from an admirer. I don’t know who, but me money’s on Harry Styles. I’m certain it’s from him.’
I tried not to smirk. Her new necklace wasn’t from Harry, because it was from me – it was a leaving present. Only when I’d handed it to Bonnie, I’d sworn her to secrecy. Just then, the doorbell rang and everyone started to bark wildly.
‘Who is it? Perhaps it’s another guest?’ Max panted, excitedly.
‘I’ll get it,’ Niki grinned as she headed for the front door.
Seconds later, we heard voices in the hallway. We waited, our ears straining, listening out for who it could be. Just then, the living room door swung open dramatically, brushing against the carpet. A solitary figure paused, standing there with a sour look on his face: it was Roger.
‘Don’t!’ he said, holding up a paw as he swept into the room. ‘I know what you’re all thinking, but don’t say a word!’
Everyone stopped to look at Roger, who was wearing…
No, surely not, it couldn’t be… could it?
‘Er, Roger,’ Stan said, clearing his throat and breaking the awkward silence. ‘Why are you wearing a pink tutu?’
Roger sighed, rolled his eyes and flopped miserably to the ground. ‘That’s why I’m late. Sorry, Dez,’ he said, turning to me to apologise.
‘It’s okay,’ I insisted.
Although I tried my best not to stare, I couldn’t take my eyes off his sparkly tutu, though.
‘It’s her, isn’t it?’ Roger moaned, pointing a disgruntled nose towards Mavis, who was talking away to Niki in the doorway. She was blissfully unaware of her pet’s obvious discomfort. ‘She said if I was going to a party then I had to wear a party dress, and this,’ he said, fluffing up the skirt between both paws, ‘is what she made me wear.’
‘Er, and is that nail varnish I can spot with me old mince pies?’ Winston piped up from the back of the room.
‘Mince pies?’ Roger asked, a little puzzled.
‘Eyes!’ we all chorused.
The Yorkshire terrier nodded his head, held out a paw and studied it glumly.
‘It is. But I managed to stop her from putting two pairs of pink ballet pumps on my paws at t’last minute.’
‘Poor Roger,’ Max sympathised. He lifted up his front paw and loosened the oversized dickie bow from around his neck.
Roger sighed wearily. ‘Aye, when she tried to do that, I reckoned t’nail varnish were least of me worries.’
The room fell silent as his eyes darted around, waiting for someone to laugh or poke fun, but no one did because we all felt sorry for him. Roger was our friend and right now he was upset. He lifted his sad little face and stared at Winston.
‘Nice shirt, by the way.’
The bulldog stood up proudly, back as straight as an iron rod as though he was on parade. ‘It’s made from a Union Jack flag,’ he barked as he patted a paw against his heart. ‘I’m proud to be British, and proud to be a bulldog.’
Roger nodded and turned. As he did so, he spied the cake in the middle of the table.
‘Oh, I didn’t miss t’candle being blown out on t’cake, did I?’
‘You did, but don’t worry, I’ll get Niki to cut it up and then we can all have a slice,’ I reassured him.
‘Just a slither for me,’ Kilty called. ‘I’m watching me figure, pet.’
‘Not too much for me, either,’ Willow added, batting her eyelashes in Stan’s direction, ‘…because someone’s taking me out for dinner.’
‘Whooooooo!’ we all chorused.
Stan blushed as Niki appeared with some paper plates. She cut up the cake and handed everyone a slice. Soon we were all tucking into bowls of water and plates of home-baked doggy birthday cake.
‘NOM, NOM, NOM!’
‘Shame it’s not strawberry-flavoured, eh?’ said Stan, giving me a nudge.
‘Don’t!’ I grunted, in between mouthfuls.
‘I see you’ve still got the one white paw then.’
‘I know!’ I muttered, lifting it up. ‘Talk about standing out from the crowd.’
‘So,’ said Stan, hoovering up the last crumbs of cake. ‘When do you go to big school?’
‘Monday, although I have to say, I’m a bit frightened.’
‘Why?’
‘What if I’m rubbish, Stan? What if I get everything wrong or say the wrong thing? What then?’
‘But you won’t. You’ll be great, because it’s what you were born to do.’
I shook my head. ‘And then there’s Niki, Jon and the children, I’m gonna miss them like mad!’ I mumbled, my voice quivering as my eyes brimmed with tears.
Stan lifted his head out of his water bowl and straightened up.
‘Look, son. You were frightened when you first arrived here, and look how many friends you’ve made. Everyone loves you!’
I glanced around the room. Stan was right – it was packed with all my doggy pals. Kilty was at the back, holding Roger’s tutu down with two paws as he tried to wriggle out of it.
‘And you’re sure I can have it, if we get it off in one piece?’ she was asking.
‘You can burn it, for all I care,’ Roger moaned.
Winston was in a corner, chatting to Meg and Max, while Willow was standing next to Bonnie, who was already munching through her second slice of cake.
The whole gang was there.
‘Okay, you’re right. It’s just… well, I just don’t want to make a fool of myself, that’s all, because being a guide dog is all I’ve ever wanted to be.’
‘And you will be great,’ Stan insisted, patting me on the back. ‘Although right now, you’ve got a great big crumb on the side of your mouth.’
I stuck out my tongue to try and lick it off, but there was nothing there.
‘No, the other side,’ said Stan, pointing.
Within a nanosecond it had gone.
‘Come on, cheer
up, Dez!’ he coaxed, wrapping a paw around my shoulder. ‘Besides, I thought this was meant to be a party.’
‘Er, it is.’
‘In that case, we need some MUSIC!’
‘Ooh, can we have some Snoop Dogg?’ Max panted, as he raced over. ‘I love a bit of gangster rap!’
‘Nah,’ Winston barked. ‘Let’s have “Who let the dogs out… who hoo hoo hoo hoo…”’
Everyone howled until the whole room was in an uproar. Niki walked over to the side and plugged the iPod into a speaker dock. The sound of ‘Dog Days Are Over’ by Florence and the Machine filled the room.
‘Oh, I love this one! Wanna dance, pet?’ Kilty said, bouncing over and grabbing me by the paw before I could say no.
Stan winked at me.
‘I’d love to.’ I blushed.
We danced all afternoon and played lots of party games, but all too soon it was time to say goodbye.
‘So, I guess this is it then, guys. I’m off to big school on Monday,’ I sighed sadly, shrugging my shoulders.
‘You take care of yourself,’ said Marvellous Meg, stepping forward to give me a hug first. ‘And don’t forget to call.’
‘See you then, mate!’ Max said, punching me a little too hard on the shoulder. ‘Oops, sorry! I don’t wanna damage you before you get there, eh?’ he chuckled, before spinning around in circles.
Just watching him was enough to make me feel dizzy.
‘Bye then,’ Meg waved, pulling Max by the shirt collar.
‘Woof!’ he barked excitedly, and then they were gone.
‘Take care, pet,’ Bonnie sobbed, pulling me into a huge hug.
‘And don’t forget to text me,’ Kilty insisted, pointing at her phone. She looked a little red-eyed, as though she’d been crying.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked.
‘I’m fine, pet. I’ve just got summat in me eye,’ she sniffed. She dipped forward to kiss me on the cheek. ‘Now don’t forget, will ya? You’d better text us!’
‘I will,’ I promised, trying to compose myself. ‘And I’ll look out for you on X Factor,’ I said, crossing my front paws.
Kilty smiled as she and Bonnie headed for the door.
‘Take care, bin lid,’ a gruff voice boomed, making me turn sharply.
‘Thanks, Winston.’ I grinned.
‘Come on, Rog, time we were off, eh?’ he said, glancing down at his little mate.
‘Hey, your tutu! What happened?’ I asked.
Roger held up a paw against the side of his mouth and whispered to me secretly: ‘Kilty and I, we ripped it, getting it off, so I flushed it down the toilet!’ His gritted little teeth flashed as he whispered through them. ‘But don’t tell anyone, will you?’
I crossed my heart with my front paw. Just then, Mavis shouted.
‘Rachel, Rachel, where’s my little princess? Oh, there you are!’ she beamed, scooping Roger up in both arms. He twisted his head to look back at us and rolled his eyes skywards.
‘See you later then, lads. And good luck, Dez! Let us know how you get on, won’t you?’
‘I will, Rog,’ I promised, waving as Winston followed him to the door.
Willow stepped forward in the now-empty room and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.
‘Good luck, Dez. We’re all rooting for you!’ she said, swiping a paw in front of her.
She turned to face Stan and fluttered her eyelashes.
‘…and I’ll wait for you by the door, handsome.’
Soon, there was just Stan and me left, although somehow it felt awkward because neither of us knew what to say.
‘Well, I guess this is it. Put it there,’ he said, holding out a front paw for me to shake. ‘I have to say, it’s been a real pleasure – showing you the ropes, park life, and all.’
‘And I’ve loved every single second of it!’ I said, taking his paw firmly in mine. ‘Thank you, Stan! Thank you for teaching me how to become a proper dog. If I grow up to be a patch on you, then I’ll be happy.’
Stan shrugged. ‘Shucks, I dunno what to say, but you’ll be great! Now, get yourself off to that Guide Dog School and show them how it’s done.’
‘I will, Stan, and I’ll make you proud of me, I promise.’
CHAPTER 11
BIG SCHOOL
‘I don’t think I can watch,’ Niki sobbed, as she kissed me goodbye at the front door.
I was standing there, waiting for the car to arrive to take me to big school, the suitcase on the floor by my side.
‘I’ve packed your teddy and your blankie,’ Niki said, trying to put on a brave face, but I knew how upset she was. She was rubbish at hiding how much she loved me and I was the same.
I’ll miss you all, I choked, wiping a solitary tear from my eye before anyone noticed.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a car horn beeping outside: it was time.
‘I love you, Dez,’ Niki wept, giving me a cuddle.
I nuzzled against the side of her neck and licked her face.
Love you too, Niki. What am I going to do without you, Jon, Sam, Harry and Molly? I fretted.
Soon it was time as, one by one, I said goodbye to my puppy-walker family. To be honest, although I was excited about going to big school, I didn’t want to leave. I knew Guide Dogs would write to Niki to let her know how I was getting on, but I also knew how much I was going to miss her, the rest of my family and my gang of mates. I waved out of the window after I climbed into the back of the car. As it wound its way along the street, I held my head high and tried to be brave as I watched my family disappear off into the distance. My stomach clenched with anxiety.
What if I mess up again? What if I don’t make any new friends?
I felt scared because I didn’t know what to expect or just how difficult it would be. All these worries swam around inside my head as the car trundled along the road. We’d been driving for around forty-five minutes when the driver indicated, slowed and turned into a car park. I was clipped onto a lead and taken inside. Although I tried to act grown-up and brave, inside my belly was rumbling with nerves. Once I’d been checked in, I was taken to the National Guide Dog School, which housed dozens of other young, but almost adult, pups about to start training.
‘Ah, I see we have a new recruit,’ a voice barked as soon as I entered the room.
I glanced up to see a German Shepherd dog.
‘Now then, solider,’ he barked, prodding me sharply with a cane. ‘You are here to learn. This will be your kennel, which you will sleep in, but keep it clean at all times. Do I make myself clear?’
‘Yyy… yes, sir!’ I woofed, standing to attention.
‘Good, good! That’s what I like to see, a young dog who knows his place.’
I felt my knees wobble.
‘Now, get yourself unpacked and report for duty at 12.00 hours at the front of the kennels. I need you over there. See?’ he said, pointing towards the front of the room.
I took a huge gulp and nodded to indicate that I’d understood.
Blimey, I didn’t think Guide Dog School would be this strict…
‘Righto! Well, we have rules here, young man. Rules which must not be broken…’ he said, striding up and down in front of me, barking orders.
Suddenly a voice interrupted him in full flow.
‘Oh, Major, that’s where you’ve got to! I was looking all over for you,’ a woman sighed, clipping on his lead. ‘Now,’ she said, straightening up. ‘I hope you haven’t been bossing the little ones around.’
‘B–but, this is preposterous,’ he snorted angrily. ‘I was just telling this new recruit…’
‘Come on, Major. It’s time for a walk,’ she said, leading him away.
My body relaxed as the breath I’d been holding came rushing out.
‘Ignore him, Dez. He likes to think he’s in charge.’
The voice sounded so familiar it made me turn in my tracks.
‘Vesper!’ I gasped.
‘Alright, bro?’ he grinned, fist-bumping my
paw. ‘We wondered what time you’d get here.’
‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Who else is here?’
‘Vinnie, Vicky, all the family… Everyone apart from Vi.’
‘Violet, oh, I know.’ I nodded. ‘She texted me to tell me what had happened.’
Vesper shrugged. ‘Yep, it’s a shame but Mum says Violet’s doing really well as a buddy dog. She’s changed, our Violet, she’s finally grown up.’
‘You mean she’s nice now.’
A voice called from behind him: it was Vicky. She was standing with Vinnie. I ran towards them both to give them a hug.
‘It’s great to see you,’ Vicky said, her eyes filling with tears. ‘I’ve really missed you.’
‘Me too,’ I admitted.
‘Not too close,’ Vinnie said, holding up a paw to halt me. ‘I’ve not been well and…’
‘Oh, Vinnie!’ I laughed, pulling him close. ‘You never change.’
‘But you do,’ Vinnie sniffed. ‘You look, well, you suddenly look all grown-up.’
‘I guess we all do,’ Vicky agreed, as we looked each other up and down.
We talked long into the afternoon as the others warned me what to expect.
‘There’s lots of walking – and fun! But you have to train hard. You have to pass all your exams if you want to become a guide dog,’ Vesper explained.
‘Just because you came top of your class,’ Vicky teased.
‘Naturally,’ Vesper said, polishing his nails against the fur of his chest, ‘and so will all of you, because we’re related, so it’s in the family!’
The following day, I began my training. I was taught how to follow simple commands. Niki had already taught me the basics – how to eat my food on the blow of the whistle, how the words ‘busy, busy’ meant to go for a wee, but now I had to learn how to walk in a straight line and with no pulling on the lead. I found that especially hard because I was always in such a rush to get to the next place. Then I was taught my left from right, which, unlike the others, I found easy, thanks to my white left paw. I was given my very own personal trainer to work with, who was lovely. There were six of us in total taught by the same woman. Once I’d got to know her, she introduced me to the metal harness, which I’d be expected to wear once I became a guide dog. Unlike others in my group, I didn’t flinch when she first put it over my head. I didn’t flinch because I knew I’d get a treat.