It’s a beautiful fall day and a fun trip to Dallas is in the works. I know the drill when Mama is packing . I know we’re going on a trip when she begins to pack the car. When my kennel goes in the car I get sooooo excited. I love road trippin’! Since I was just a pup and only a few months old I’ve been going on trips to Dallas and The Woodlands. I have cousins in each town. BIG cousins. I figure we’re going to Uncle Craig’s who has two big Irish Crème Golden Retrievers, Felix and new pup Coco. Felix is lots of fun and we wrestle and play quite well together. Little Coco is still just a bit wild as she’s still a pup. On this particular trip Mama tells me there’s a nice lady in Dallas, Patty, who will be keeping me. Mama says that Patty has some pups of her own and is an incredible animal lover. You see, Coco had recent surgery and should not be wrestling; therefore Mama decided to let Ms. Patty keep me. Patty had kept one of my older brother pups before when Mama had to evacuate for hurricanes. So Patty was not a total stranger to Mama. I always trust that Mama makes good choices for me so no worries here. It’s been an uneventful drive up to Dallas as always. We made our usual potty stops. Yawn…..I’m ready to be there. “Are we there yet?” Finally we turn onto Strait Street in Dallas. My goodness, it’s beautiful here. Great big houses and beautiful lawns. Just down a ways Patty lives on a cul-de-sac. Great walking spots around this neighborhood I can tell. Mama said Patty will take me on walks every day. Fun stuff. We finally arrive at Ms. Patty’s and Mama gets me on the leash for one last potty time before we ring the bell at her house. “Listen…..do I hear dogs barking? Mama, I hear dogs barking as in the plural sense. Does Patty have dogs?” Yes, Dallas, Patty has dogs, Mama tells me. We ring the doorbell and Ms. Patty opens the door. Now I hear lots of dogs barking. We enter the home with Mama holding me and I gasp when I see so many dogs. Eight dogs total! Mama! You’re gonna leave me with eight other dogs? I’ll be eaten alive! I’m so little! Mama tells me to settle down. The first dog to greet me is Rally. Rally only has three legs and is a shepherd mix. Did the pit bull, Tasker, bite her leg off? Mama, I ain’t staying I say as I snuggle real tight under her arm. What, not another german shepherd mix. Laramie comes grinning, wanting to play. Oh no, another german sheperd mix, Stryker, is licking my feet! There’s another Belgian shepherd with the sweetest eyes, Chose is her name. Well, Chose looks really sweet. Another 3 dogs are nearby, Elsa and two others that, well, I didn’t get their names. I mean, I am a little overwhelmed. I’ve never been in the room with eight dogs! Actually six or seven cause Ms. Patty kept the pit in another room. A real sweetheart was Tasker the pit but thanks Ms. Patty. Whew. And just like that after Mama gave Ms. Patty all my likes and dislikes she was gone. For four days! I ran for my kennel, my safe spot. It’s gonna be a long four days. Rally, the sweet three legged dog came over and befriended me quickly. She explained how she lost her leg and that the pit bull didn’t bite her leg off. Well, that was a relief! Rally also explained how much fun it was at Ms. Patty’s house. Fun, with eight dogs? Yes, fun, Rally said. Rally coaxed me out of my kennel to meet the other dogs. Ok, I can do this. Like I said Mama always knows her stuff. One by one Rally introduced me to Laramie, Stryker, Elsa, Chose and the other two. I met Tasker the pit by barking across the divider as Rally had me to do. Tasker is a great pup but sometimes gets a little nervous when meeting strange pups so Ms. Patty thought it best to keep us separated a bit. Thanks, Ms. Patty! Geez, this is gonna be a really fun experience. Things are so organized. Water bowls everywhere, food bowls everywhere when it’s time for dinner. The first day went great. Ms. Patty leashed up five dogs at once. What? How can she manage five dogs on a walk? Let me just tell you Ms. Patty is the dog whisperer! She speaks our language for sure. I have never seen anyone like her. She teaches us all how to get along and take turns. She is so sweet. By the first night I knew I was gonna be ok. I snuggled in my bed that night thanking the good Lord for my sweet Mama. I knew she would never leave me any place that would not be the best. And this home is just the best! The next few days went by way to quickly. I was having so much fun I didn’t want my stay to end. We took walks every day. Rally and I became best friends. When Mama came for me I didn’t want to leave. Thanks Ms. Patty for this fun experience. I can’t wait to see Ms. Patty again!