Cocoa by Ellen Miles Read Free Book Online

Charles watched in horror as Cocoa barreled toward them. But the puppy did not run to Judge Thayer. She headed straight for Dawna and skidded to a stop as Dawna bent down to meet her.
    “Okay, there, girl,” Dawna murmured to the big pup as she stroked her. “Easy, now. Let’s calm down and take it easy.”
    Charles looked at the judge. The tall man wore that same happy-sad expression Charles had seen at WinterFest.
    It was time to clear the air. “Judge Thayer,” Charles asked, “are you going to take Cocoa home soon?”
    “Charlotte and I have been talking about that,” said the judge slowly. “We love Cocoa very much, but we know she is really too much dog for us to handle. We think Cocoa deserves a home with someone who can keep up with her.” The judge looked straight at Dawna. “Someone like Dawna. When we saw her run into your arms after your relay race, we just knew. Our beloved Cocoa belongs with you.”
    “Really?” asked Dawna, straightening up. She smiled. “I would love to give Cocoa a home. But only if you promise that I can bring her to visit you when I come to your home to help you finish up your physical therapy. And when you’re allhealed, we’d still want to visit as often as you’d like. What do you say?”
    Judge Thayer and Charlotte looked at each other, nodded, and smiled. “I’d say that sounds perfect,” said Judge Thayer.
    Charles noticed that the judge looked more happy and less sad as they all watched Dawna hug Cocoa. He knew it could not be easy for the judge and Charlotte to give up their beautiful dog — but he also knew that it was the right decision.
    “Wonderful,” said Mom, setting the last of the platters of food on the table. “Now that we’ve got that settled, why don’t we eat?”
    Harry sat next to Charles at the table. “A pretty good day all around, wouldn’t you say?” Harry asked. “And now I get to sit with one of my favorite people and eat my favorite dish from China Star.” He reached for the platter of HouseSpecial chow fun. “You know,” he said, “I never really had a favorite there and I always wanted one. Then I overheard you ordering this, so I tried it. It’s great! Mind if we have the same favorite?”
    “Not at all,” said Charles, grinning as Harry passed him the platter. “Not at all.”

An energetic dog like Cocoa can be a real handful, but there are ways to help a rambunctious puppy calm down. Try to stay calm yourself; if you squeal and raise your hands, the puppy is more likely to jump up on you. If you stand still and just turn away if she does jump, it will help her learn that jumping is not okay. Pet your puppy with long, easy strokes and speak in a low, soothing voice. Take your dog to puppy kindergarten or dog-training classes. Puppies aren’t born with good manners — they need to learn them. Plus, the trainer there will have lots more ideas to help you deal with your wild child.

 
    Dear Reader,
     
    I have a fan named Sarah who writes once in a while to tell me about her puppy Toby and all his adventures. She gives me updates on everything from the day she first brought him home, to his first collar, to his first Christmas. Toby is a chocolate Lab just like Cocoa (Toby is short for Toblerone, a kind of candy bar), and he is full of mischief. He likes to chew up his own doggy beds, play with his toys, and race around with his dog friends. Once he jumped into the fish pond at a friend’s house! Luckily, Sarah is in a 4-H club where she does a lot of dog training, so I bet Toby will grow up to be a very well-behaved dog.
     
    Yours from the Puppy Place,
    Ellen Miles
     
    P.S. For another sweetheart of a puppy, check out SWEETIE.

DON’T MISS THE NEXT PUPPY PLACE ADVENTURE!
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