Charlie loved his new family, they doted on him, scratched his continuously growing ears and his favorite part, they fed him! There was just one element of concern and it came from the tiniest of the lot, a smallish curly-haired creature who looked like a human but had the behavior of a Tasmanian Devil. The more normal humans referred to him as their toddler.

Apparently, it was ok for this “toddler” to run around screeching, climbing the furniture that Charlie himself was not allowed on and, the get this, actually jumping on it! These things Charlie made peace with, while he found it somewhat unfair, he dealt with it – his little cosy bed was ok after all!

But can you believe it! The little devil pulled his tail! He chased him with his toy tractor and he had the cheek (the cheek!) to take Charlie’s very own squeaky ball away from him – it belonged to him! This was not on, in fact, this is what urged the little fur-ball to let out his very first loud and demanding BARK! What he meant though was, “GIVE ME BACK MY BALL”! Charlie chased the ball, but the smelly little human got to it first. He tried to grab the ball from the child’s sticky hands, but he had the audacity to scream back at him (quite a nasty scream) – all as though Charlie was the one in the wrong.

What Charlie found most unfair, the real cherry on the top, was that the larger sized humans thought this was all ok, they even cheered the “toddler” on as he ran and threw his very own beloved squeaky ball into the air – how dare they! It was at this point that Charlie put up a fight. He yelped and then did something he never did before, he didn’t know that he could do it before! He growled and locked his tight jaws around his beloved ball, which was still attached to the hand of the tiny human. He tugged and tugged with all his puppy might!

Next, two things happened. The human kid giggle with delight (a much better sound than the screeching), and Charlie got his ball back! He won the game of tug-of-war! What was most surprising to him is that he enjoyed it! Game on! He allowed the “toddler” to take his ball once more and again, Charlie wrestled him for the win! Toddlers aren’t so bad after all!

Right now, Charlie lies snuggled up on the lap of the child who used to be his nemesis. “The sticky little boy is not so bad after all,” thinks Charlie, as he receives a kiss on his head and a scratch behind the ears. “I think I have just found my best friend”!

Stay tuned for more adventures with Charlie, the world’s cutest Basset Hound.