I was born of the brief affair between my mother, Lady Dunmore Villiche of Rathmore, and another of royalty whose name was unknown to her. She only knew that he had strolled into her life with promises of love and pleasure, and had taken her somewhat roughly in a cage in her kennel. Afterwards, he was in a rush to leave and struggled to separate from their embrace. She never saw him again. I do not find fault with her actions now, because I have learned how the desires of the flesh often overcome the reason of the mind.
In any event, I grew up in a life of royalty, fine care, and the ease of a life aided by fame and fortune, but was destined to the life of a common house pet. Mother said I favored the family, of the surname "Beagle", but I was slightly smaller than the perfect stature. She told me I should be proud of my ancestry, though that ancestry was considered by some other breeds as relatively common and somewhat unsophisticated.
I was but eight weeks old and barely able to chew when Mother informed me that I was to leave her side and strike out on my own. The humans who kept us had found a female of their kind to care for me. Mother assured me I would be fed well, and said that I should try not to miss her. She gave me an affectionate lick on the nose before I was placed in a cardboard box and whisked away into the night.
My new human tried to be as loving as Mother, and in many ways I enjoyed my first night with her. She gave me wonderfully rich food, and rubbed my tummy. I was cuddled until I fell asleep in her arms.
I awoke in abject terror at my surroundings. I was inside the same box that had conveyed me to my new home, and I was alone. Instead of being within the warmth and sounds of my siblings, I was cold and the room was quiet. Quite understandably for one of my young age, fear bested my manners, and I gave voice to my terror in hopes that Mother would come to comfort me. Instead, I was blinded by the bright lights that suddenly flashed on in the room.
"What's the matter, puppy?"
At this point, any company was better than my present state, and I began to jump and wag my tail. I yipped at the thought of more tummy rubs.
"Aw, are you afraid? It's OK, you'll be all right. Now, go back to sleep and I'll see you in the morning."
I heard her leave, and was again plunged into darkness. I did not understand the strange sounds this human made, but I reasoned that my cries had summoned her. Her soft voice was comforting, so I began to whine. In a few moments, I was rewarded by the blinding light and the soft soothing voice.
"You're not going to let me sleep, are you? You're a bad puppy. Well... maybe just for tonight."
I was picked up and nestled against very soft cloth of some sort. There were cushions beneath the cloth that instantly warmed me, and I snuggled into them with all my might. My human's motions were also soothing. She carried me from the room and into another. Everything was dark again when she sat me on a soft surface covered in more cloth. The surface bounced as she joined me, and I toddled up against her and lay down. She was warm and soft, just like Mother, and I could hear her heartbeat. I felt warm and safe, and immediately fell into slumber.
The next morning, I awoke with a very full feeling in my tummy. Mother had taught me what to do. I was loath to soil my bed, and toddled as far as the edge of the surface. At that time in my life, I had not learned the finer points of hiking my leg, and merely squatted to relieve myself. I felt much better, and rejoined my human. I felt I owed her thanks for rescuing me from my earlier discomfort, and began to lavish her with the licks that my Mother had loved so much. A human's nose is not so nice as a wonderful dog nose, but I felt my human deserved to know of my delight. Unfortunately, I misjudged my target and licked her in the mouth.
I was immediately shamed by my ignorance of humans. She sputtered and spat before reaching to hold me at arm's length.
"Puppy, stop that. I know you love me, but it's too early in the morning."
I had thought her to be angry with me, but the tone of the voice sounded playful. I loved to play with my siblings and thought my human to be inviting me to join her in a scamper over the soft surface upon which we lay. There were two large bumps on her body that rose and fell at regular intervals, and I decided to jump on them. To my joy, these bumps were the cushions that had comforted me during the night. So, these cushions were a part of my human. Often, my brothers and sisters and I had played at biting each other. This game served to determine the most fierce of us, and was also great fun. I pounced again and bit at the cloth.
"Ouch, you little shit. That hurt. You can't bite my boobs. You're just a cute little puppy, not a horny guy."
My human had pushed me away and was rubbing the spot I had bitten. I learned at an early age that when one is pushed away, it is an invitation to press the attack with greater vigor, and I commenced to do so. It was my intent to bite hard and hold tight as I would have done with one of my brothers or sisters. I eluded the fending hands, my aim was true, and I clamped down on the cushion with all my might. In my eagerness to play the game to the fullest, I shook my head quickly.
"Ow, ow, ow. Damn, you have sharp little teeth. How am I going to explain this to Jerry?"
She pulled the cloth away and I saw that the mounds were very similar to my mother's udders, although these were far larger, and were completely without hair. The lack of any covering was interesting because the results of my bite were clearly visible as a pinkish spot.
"Shit, now I have a doggy hickey." She picked me up to her face and giggled as she looked me in the eyes. "You need to learn some manners. It's polite to at least ask first."
I saw that she wrinkled her nose as I did when searching for the source of some odor.
"You've messed the bed, too. Bad dog. You'll have to stay in your box tonight."
My human fed me more good food, and changed the coverings that served as her fur. I was placed in the box again, and I heard the door shut. I was again alone, though because it was daytime, became bored rather than fearful. The box yielded somewhat at my attempt to leap over the edge, though I was far too small at that time to accomplish such a jump. I had learned that perseverance pays, and continued my efforts. In a short while, the side of the box buckled. I made one last leap, and the side gave way completely.
I was free! The feeling would have been wondrous had I known what to do next. I sat down to contemplate this milestone in my life. My human was absent, and unlike my other home, no fence was present to confine me. Curiosity overcame hesitance, and I began to explore my new surroundings.
Suddenly, my tummy felt very full again. It was my intention to relieve myself in some inconspicuous place, but the rich food had upset my system. I began running in circles. The urge was upon me in an instant, and I squatted.
My examination of the resultant brown lump revealed nothing of concern, and I began to romp again. On one circuit of the room, I spied a black object lying upon the floor. It was very like one of Mother's toys, so I gave it a tentative bite. The object was very hard, but this hardness was all the more challenging. I bit in earnest, and a small bump on the surface made a click.
Sounds enveloped me. There were human sounds, animal sounds, and sounds of which I knew nothing. My surprise was great when I looked up at a large window that towered over my head. There were humans and at times, other dogs walking about. They appeared very small to me, but any company was better than being alone. I sat and awaited their approach.
The humans in the window often changed instantly into other forms, the strangest of which was a large yellow bird that spoke to me. I was drawn to the window, and spent most of the day observing the humans and other beings that passed before it.
Of course, my delicate system reacted to the rich food upon multiple occasions, and each time I searched for another place to relieve myself. By the time the shadows in the room grew long, my new home had taken on the familiar scent of my Mother's abode. It was very contenting to be once again in familiar smelling surroundings.
The footsteps that sounded in the hall were those of my human, and I bounded to the door to greet her. The door opened and I saw her nose twitch. I hoped she was as pleased by the new odor as was I. My mistake soon became clearly evident.