I barked again I do I know all about moving Plus another thing I’m great at Meeting new friends I can help Mary with that no problem Should I say yes to this one Spark My bottom wagged along with my tail I barked twice I’ll take that as a yes Tasha said Tasha is good at reading my mind She knows me well So our next adventure was about to begin Tasha plunked on the keyboard and grabbed my red Helper Hound vest and name badge My mission to help Mary with her new school jitters and make new friends was launching in 3-2-1 3
CHAPTER 2 Before we go perhaps I should tell you a bit about myself This is how I became a world famous card-carrying Helper Hound I was born in a barn My dad Jasper was a world-champion herding dog a Border Collie from two farms over He was great at rounding up sheep Jasper was also good at roaming around the central Wisconsin farmlands That’s where he met my mom Betsy a beautiful prize-winning Bernese Mountain Dog whose main job was to have puppies Purebred Bernese Mountain Dog puppies that is Puppies puppies and more puppies 4
You’d think the lady who fed my mom would’ve been happy when my brothers sisters and I came along But she wasn’t Since our dad was a roaming Border Collie from two farms over and not a prize-winning Bernese Mountain Dog Mom’s lady sneered at us She called us mutts and mongrels She never even pet us Not that I remember As soon as we were ready which meant as soon as we were munching on puppy food and drinking water and sleeping away from Mom the lady sent us all away Normally she made people pay lots and lots of money for Mom’s fancy puppies but since we were worthless mutts she gave us to whomever would take us For free My first family only kept me for a couple of weeks Today I’m a champ at pooping and peeing in the yard That little corner behind the garage is my favorite spot It’s a fun surprise for 5
the possums who walk back there But when I was a little guy I wasn’t so good at it After a couple of accidents at least that’s what humans call it but I always remember peeing on purpose in the house my first family decided I had to go That’s OK Their carpet was starting to smell funny anyway So off I went This time the family was a lot nicer They admired my good looks Which reminds me have I already told you about my looks My shiny black brown and white coat The way my hair flows when I run The way my white snout shows off the beautiful dirt I’m always rooting around in Let’s just say I’m really handsome Everyone says so Even strangers at the park who don’t even know me And this family even understood my brains Mutt or no mutt I come from quality Border Collie stock and Border Collies are the smartest dogs Don’t believe me Google it 6
