Rusty's Tale

A short story from a different Point of View. One is that dogs (the protagonist in the story) are not completely colour blind, while they do not see the range humans do, can can see some colour. Secondly the term bitch in this context as spoken by Rusty is not meant as a derogatory term. When the term is used derogatorally it is generally by the supporting characters.

Still looking for an editor if anyone is interested.

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My name is Rusty and my best friend is John. His bitch is Jane but he calls her 'Dear' or 'Sweetums'. He never called her 'bitch' until recently and I am trying to find out why.

I have lived with John and Jane since I was removed from my mum a long time ago. I do not know exactly how long but I think is was three or maybe four pine tree events ago. It seems every cold season they put up a pine tree indoors and put shiny things on it. First time I thought they did it for me to mark my territory like they mark their territory in that small room next to where they sleep but John was very cross when I started to make my mark and swatted me on the nose with a paper cylinder. I trust John so I never tried it again. There are plenty trees outside anyway.

At about the second tree event John got very excited with Jane and picked her up and hugged her very close. When someone would visit he would excitedly talk to them and Jane's name would be said much more often, he would point at her belly and he would rub it. Jane was also happy to have this attention. John does not rub my belly since I was no longer a pup but he does scratch me behind the ears and rub my back often, I love John. Some time after the tree event Jane's belly started to swell and I understood she was going to have a litter. This excited me and I realised that I needed to step up and protect the family from outside threats.

Jane threw her litter during the hot season and unfortunately there was only a single pup but it was a male or boy as John often said. Jane did not birth at home in their nest but away from the house. I don't know why, but John did show the boy to me when they brought him home. Jake they called him. John would let me play with the new pup but only carefully as it seemed that he was crippled as the pup did not walk on either four or two legs like John and Jane. When John was around I would sniff Jake and gently lay next to him and Jake would make little soothing noises. I like Jake and was determined to protect him. If John was not around Jane would make me stay away from Jake often putting me outside while making angry noises at me.

Each morning John and I would do the rounds near the house and I'd marks the territory also checking to see if any other dogs had made any marks that I could consider threatening. So far nothing had come about so I was pretty happy. John would leave for a while during the sunshine time or day as I learned to call it. During the dark time or 'night' I'd hear the communications from the nearby dogs, sharing Intel of the neighbourhood. Every now and again I'd learn about a new dog or pup making residence or an old dog or bitch moving out or dying. Life was good.

The pup, Jake, started to get better and after some time he started to walk on four legs and after that he would hold on to some of the chairs to stand on two legs. Another tree event was close and this time John and Jane were very excited again but not because Jane was expecting another litter. They put lots of colourful boxes near the pine tree and they would show them to Jake but Jake was not allowed to touch them. Then one day they all gathered near the tree and they would sing and started opening the boxes. Jake was allowed to tear the paper off some and he got some toys, a ball, a small human figure, a box with wheels that Jake pushed along the ground. John showed him how to do it. John also gave me a box and helped me open it. It was a new collar, very nice it was too, I am very proud of it. Jane pushed her face to John and held him close. I believe it was called kissing. It made John happy so it makes me happy too. At the night some of John family came over and had food, 'dinner' they called it. Some of the people would drop food on the ground and I made sure to clean it up for them. Jane did not like that I did that, maybe she wanted to eat it?

After this Jake started to get stronger again and was able to walk without holding onto things. He became more interesting and I was able to play with him more. He would throw things away and I would bring them back, I do not know why he would throw them but he seemed happy that I gave them back each time. Sometime we would run together or chase each other around on the grass area at the back of the house. Life was good.

One day John came to me and held me close he made noises at me often speaking my name. He seemed sad but I don't know why. Then he got in his car and left. Jane was also sad but Jake was like me and did not understand. John did not come home that day. He was also not home the next day, or the day after. I needed to do my daily patrol but without John, I could not. I was worried and started to be close to Jane, I tried to ask her where my best friend was but she pushed me away. She put me in the yard, I looked for Jake but she did not put him there with me. I was sad and called for John and Jake, quite loudly. Jane came outside and screamed at me so I hid in the corner under a tree. I was left outside for another day and night. Jake would come play for a bit but his mum called him inside too soon each time.

Then I heard John's car and I was excitedly jumping up and down. My best friend was home. He came into the yard and hugged me and we jumped up and down. We played for a bit and then went inside. Life was good again. The next day we went on patrol. Not much had changed. There was a new smell, a dog had moved in, a bitch about the same age as me. I wondered if we could be friends. I left a mark to say hello.

That night on our night patrol I saw the bitch with her friend. I pulled on the lead to led John know I wanted to say hello. John listened to me and we walked over to them, I sniffed her and found her delightful to smell, I think she had the same thoughts about me. John and the other man made noises and touched each others hands. I think that is how they say hello. Not sure why they just do not smell each other. They talked for a while, I got to know Lucy. Lucy and her friend just moved here after her friend's bitch got upset at them and pushed them away from their house. The friend, she calls him Paul, had a few bitches and was mating with one when June, that was Paul's bitch's name, came home. She was very upset and started to throw things at Paul so he took Lucy and left the house.

We would occasionally meet Lucy and Paul during our patrols and one day Paul came over, with Lucy, to our house for dinner. Lucy and I played outside with Jake until Jake was put to bed. I started to wonder when Lucy would get into heat, I had not yet mated with any bitches and while I could occasionally smell the pheromones the bitches were always kept out of reach. It seems that no dogs where allowed near them during their season. It must have been frustrating for them too. Poor girls.

John came to me again and held close and made the same noises as last time he went away for a while. This time I knew what going to happen, I would be sent outside again. I realise that I would not see Lucy during this time because Jane would not patrol with me. The next day however, Jane put me on the leash and we went on Patrol, Me, Jane and Jake in his wheel chair thing. We saw Lucy and I started towards her. Jane held me back but we did go towards them, I smelled and said hello to Lucy. Jane and Paul pushed their faces on each other and I wondered why, she had only done that with John before. Lucy and I did our greetings until Jane moved on. We did not stay out long but went home soon after, our patrol had not finished.

That might Paul came over but not with Lucy. He smelled different, he had put on some fake pheromone, Jane had also put on fake pheromone but she only used that one when she was going somewhere with John. Was she going somewhere with Paul? Where was John? Jake was already in bed and Jane pushed me outside. I heard music inside and then it went quiet. The noises in the bedroom where similar to the noises that occasionally came from there when John and Jane were alone. This time the talking was different, I only understood the word bitch as spoken by Paul. Was Jane now Paul's bitch? Does John know? After a while I heard the front door and I raced to the side to see Paul leaving. His pheromone had changed, I know that smell, it was the smell of human mating. I guess Jane has moved away from John, I wondered when she would move out? As long as Jake and John stayed with me, I would be OK.

John came home, he had not changed from last time, he played with me in the back yard. Later that night he started to yell at Jane he also called her a bitch, he had never done that before. Jane ran out of the house and she was crying.

Jane came back the next day and John was still upset but they did talk, Jane cried a lot. After this time Jane slept in a different room. The next day on patrol I saw Lucy again. John looked at Paul and walked towards him quite quickly. John hit Paul and Lucy now off the leash ran away. I wanted to follow her but John held me quite tightly. Paul was lying on the ground while John put one foot on his chest and made angry noises at him. I could smell the fear from Paul. I growled a bit to support John. Paul has obviously done the wrong thing. Then he started to smell a bit like Jake just before Jane put new clothes on Jake. I suspect that Paul lost control of his bladder. When John lifted his foot Paul ran away.

A few days later during our patrol we saw Lucy without Paul. She slinked over and I realised she was quite hungry, I begged John to let her come home with us, somehow he knew what I wanted and he picked her up and we went home. Lucy stayed with us, we never saw Paul again. Jane started sleeping in Johns room again.

Lucy went into heat sometime after that and we experienced our moment of passion. John took me to a man who examined me and stabbed me with a sharp stick, I slept for a while and when I woke up I had a cone on my head. I could not clean myself. When John took it off I noticed that I was missing some thing but I cannot remember what it was.

Then the next tree event happened. Lucy threw a litter of four pups, they looked like me, I am very proud and protective of my bitch and pups. Jane spoke to John and he got very excited again like the previous tree event before Jake came. I think that life is good again.