General Johnson

2015

9 x 6 x 22

Looking at myself for a long time as I have, I’m what some humans call a “yapper”.

I cannot keep my mouth shut when I sense anything that might be bad and that might be coming my way. Ms. Mary, my owner and soul mate, said that I was that way when she brought me home from the adoption center and that’s the place where there is enough uncertainty to put all dogs on red alert. But when I look at myself real hard, it wasn’t the adoption center that made me as I am; I was born a “yapper” and I’ll die a “yapper”.

But over the years, I have learned not to yap as much. Ms. Mary has said to me a thousand times as I sat on her lap, “Shush, shush, shush, it’s okay; don’t be scared, we will be all right.” Gradually the message took; I still get the feeling but I don’t give in to it and the feeling gradually goes away. Humans get this feeling also. Last night Ms. Mary and I were coming home and a policeman pulled up behind us and touched his siren button. I nearly jumped out of my skin and Ms. Mary (us dogs can read body language real good) tensed up and then gradually relaxed as she said to herself, “Don’t be scared. We will be alright.” And we were. That’s the way it is with Ms. Mary and me.

I’m a lot of other things also. One of the other things is that I am “lovey dovey”. I was born a “lovey dovey” and I’ll die a “lovey dovey”. The other dogs at the adoption center could not beat it out of me even being as fluffy and little as I am. I am in a warm and easy home with Ms. Mary. Sometimes she carries me around in her purse. That’s not to say we don’t have our differences. With all of our giving and receiving, I get more “lovey dovey” each day. That’s the way it is with Ms. Mary and me.

Hattie Mae:

I like to go over to Ms. Mary’s house and play with the General.