Through My Eyes

Home

Here I am again. Taking part in my daily routine of waiting for them to get home. I lay on the couch, staring out of the window. I spend my days constantly looking back and forth from the window to the clock. I can't tell the time yet but one day I aspire to be able to be able to do so. I'll be able to make sense of all those little squiggles on that dot on the wall. I'm only one years old you see, so I've got plenty of time to learn. 'Bang!!' Comes a loud crash from the kitchen. I jump off the couch and sprint into the kitchen, aka, to me as, 'The Fine Restaurant'. Oh, it's just her. The babysitter. She's so clumsy. Always knocking things over and smashing everything. I don't know why mum and dad allow her to look after me, she can't even look after herself! Every morning mum walks over to her and says, 'Now you take good care of my little Sammy'. I watch her as she looks down on the mess she has made, and she glares right at me. I put my head down and walk back into the living room. I can't be dealing with her today. I lay down for a couple of seconds and then to my surprise, they're back! Mum and dad are back! I run up and jump at them. "Mum! Dad!" I shout with excitement. "Hey baby!" Mum says patting me on the head. "Hey buddy!" Dad says, giving me a slight pat on the head before walking into the kitchen. He's always more excited to see the babysitter than me. I often wonder why. Why does he favour her over me? She's so small and so fuzzy. She struts around the house knocking everything over like she owns the place and he just cleans up after her and doesn't say a thing! Mum likes her too, but she likes me more, I can tell. He kneels down and starts to stroke her sun-burnt coloured orange hair, well, I think it's orange, I can only see black and white you see. I start to shout with excitement "Walk me, walk me, walk me!". "Calm down dog!" Dad says laughing. Oh, did I not mention? I'm a dog. An enormous, fierce and intelligent dog! My legs are at least 20cm from the floor and my paws are bigger than the coffee table coasters that the babysitter chews. My eyes are wider than the sky and they twinkle like diamonds, if I do say so myself. Although, mum doesn't describe me that way. When we're out on a walk and another mum asks her what 'breed' I am. Whatever that means. She looks at me, proudly, and says, 'He's a beagle'. I don't know why she says that. Why doesn't she describe me like I actually look? I've looked in the mirror plenty of times and all I see is this great, huge, hunk of a dog looking right back at me.

Me and dad have been in training for a couple of months now. We're headed to the big green forest today. At least, I think it's green. Mum says that Dad brings in green grass stains on his shoes. I love it at the big green forest. I sometimes sit and watch all the children play on the high metal things stuck in the ground whilst dad stops and get his breath back. I wish I could play on those toys like the kids do. It looks so much fun! If only they'd let me try! I have hands and feet just like everyone else. Sure, I'd definitely be able to hold onto those sticks in the sky. I can just see it now. Me, running through the grass, as fast as a lion, getting ready to pounce. I sprint, getting faster and faster as I near the sticks and then... I jump! I grip onto the sticks and swing! I swing like a monkey, grabbing each stick and flying in the air! I soar through the sky and all the way up through the clouds until I reach outer space! "Sammy?" Dad shouts. I come out of my daze and prick my ears up preparing to listen to him. "Ready to train, Sammo?" He asks. I jump off the couch like a bird and run towards to him. He puts on my lead and off we go. We start off lightly, just a small jog. We do this until we get to big green forest. We stop for a minute, whilst dad gets his watch ready and takes a few deep breaths. My eyes lead me straight to the monkey sticks. I plead with dad, 'Please, please, please let me swing on the sticks dad! I can do it I promise! Just one go and I'll come straight back! Can I dad, can I?'. "Shush Sammy, you'll scare the kids!" Dad says sternly. I let out a small whelp and lie down the floor, my head touching the sun kissed floor. Oh, how I wish he would just let me try! I continue to watch the others play until it's time to go. "You ready, puppy?" He asks me. I stand up strong and tall. 'I'm ready!' I declare. He presses the button on his watch and off we go. We run past thousands and thousands of green trees, swaying in the warm breeze. I love this time of year, when I can sit on the floor without my feet going cold. I can play in the garden and hunt! One of my favourite games is Army Training! I once saw mum and dad watching something on the talking box in the living room. There were people on the box, running around and throwing themselves onto the floor. They rolled, jumped and ran everywhere! They dashed through the bushes as quick as lighting! This is the game I play in the garden. I roll around the grass and I tiptoe around, staying as quiet as a mouse. I crawl all around the grass making sure I reach every corner of the garden. I'm only allowed to do this in Summer. The white fluff is too wet and cold in Winter. And mum shouts at me in Spring because it's too muddy. I didn't mean to make a mess that time. Honest! The mud just stuck to my hands and feet!

We're running through the forest when I lose my concentration. "Hi Jack", Nathan shouts as he runs past us. We see Nathan all the time when we're out training. He's training for the Marathon too. I don't know if it's the same Marathon or not. Dad says hello back, but neither of them stop to chat with each other. They wouldn't ruin their timing for anything! Running like this reminds me of my puppy days. I often think back to that day, the day mum and dad found me. I was in a small pen with all my brothers and sisters. We'd been there for what felt like eternity. One by one, my brothers and sisters got taken away. By the end, there was only me and my little sister left. I was born second to last and my sister was born last. The man who looked after us back then when we lived in the pen, often called my sister the 'Runt of the litter'. Whatever that means. He wasn't that nice to my sister, he said that they'd be stuck with her. The man had a daughter. She seemed excited whenever he said that. Maybe they did keep her in the end. One lucky day, dad showed up to the pen. I wonder how he knew I was there? Anyway, he came strolling over to the pen. "Not much choice left, I'm afraid" the man told Dad. "That's okay" dad said. "He's perfect" he said as he looked at me. I jumped up at the pen and licked Dad's hand. And with that, dad picked me up, handed the man some paper and took me home. I shouted bye to my sister as Dad carried me away. She whelped and tried to jump out of the pen, but the walls were too high for any one of us to jump out of. I wonder whatever happened to her? I hope she found a mum and dad like mine.