My dog mommy is a Labrador Retriever and my dog daddy is a Pointer. I was adopted by my human mommy (I call her Mommy) when I was eight weeks old. The first place we went was to see Dr. Burns at Flower Valley Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Burns hugged me and kissed me. He said to Mommy, "Ethel Frances is very healthy and very sweet. What breed is she?" Mommy answered, "She is half Lab and half Pointer. That is why she is so beautiful." I felt so proud hearing them say such nice things about me.
Now I am seven years old. Mommy talks a lot. When we are out alone, without my sisters, Mommy talks about me. She likes to talk to people we see while we are out walking. Usually they start talking first. They almost always say, "Oh, what a beautiful dog! What kind is she? Is she nice? What is her name?"
Mommy answers, "Thank you. She is half Lab and half Pointer. Her name is Ethel Frances and she is extremely nice. She is a wonderful dog." I look up at Mommy, smile, and wag my tail as fast as I can. That is how I say thank you, since I can't talk. Those conversations were the best -- until the other day.
Mommy was talking to me. "Ethel Frances, isn't it a beautiful day! You are such a good girl and I love you very much!" After Mommy finished talking, she started singing songs that she made up about me. Mommy thinks her songs are great. I don't agree, but I don't want to hurt her feelings so I turn my head to the side and laugh to myself.
We walked down the block and turned the corner, and met up with lady and her tiny poodle. "Oh my," the lady said. "What a big dog you have there. What kind is she?" Mommy patted my head and replied, "This is Ethel Frances. She is half Lab and half Pointer. She is seven years old. How old is your little poodle and what is her name?" Instead of answering Mommy's questions, the lady said, "My dog is a pedigreed poodle. Yours is just a mutt." I heard two words that I had never heard: pedigreed and mutt. I looked up at Mommy and drew my eyebrows together. Mommy knows I do that when I don't understand something.
My sister Isabel Victoria is a Jack Russell Terrier. Both of her parents are Jack Russell Terriers. I always thought it was kind of boring if both parents are the same breed. I thought that being two breeds made me special -- until that lady called me a mutt. I figured out from her conversation with Mommy that pedigreed means both parents are the same breed. Dogs that have more than one breed are called mutts. I have to admit that I do not like the word mutt. It sounds nasty. It sounds like having more than one breed is not good. That lady hurt my feelings.
I stopped listening to that conversation. I hung my head and held my tail still because I was sad. Mommy talked to the lady a little bit more. Then she looked at me and saw how sad I was. "Ethel Frances, you look so sad! What happened? Why are you sad? I know you can't answer me so let me think a minute." She stood and thought for a few minutes. "Ethel Frances, are you upset because that lady called you a mutt?"
I looked up at Mommy, stared in her eyes, and wagged my tail. Mommy understood that I was sad because the lady called me a mutt. "Oh, Ethel Frances. I am sorry that lady hurt your feelings. People shouldn't call people (and dogs) names. Mutt isn't such a nice word. If she had to say something, she should have said that you are a mixed breed. She thinks her pedigreed poodle is better than a mixed breed. We know better, though, don't we. Ethel Frances, in our home it doesn't matter if the dogs are made from one breed or a hundred. What matters is that you and your sisters are sweet and such good girls. Try not to pay attention to people who say mean things. Just remember that you are wonderful and I love you."
Mommy always gives good advice. I hope no one hurts my feelings again, but if someone does, I will just remember that Mommy loves me and I love her!
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