Fighting Dog

1

At first, there were tails, lots of small wiggly tails attached to small ugly wrinkled butts, they were my brothers and sisters. We climbed on each others heads to get to the best food source from our mother as she lay there accepting of all our rough and tumble antics, we played when we were awake and chased our dreams in our sleep. Mother was somewhat reserved in showing us affection always seeming to be more engaged in her own world, her eyes dull and somewhat sorrowful, like she had to many stories of bad times, as pups we remained oblivious to the outside world. That was until we gradually started disappearing one by one. Faces looked down on us with critical eyes as we looked back with curiosity. Brothers and Sisters were picked up by soft paws of these strange faced animals and never returned, I was picked up and evaluated a couple of times but these things seemed to say things incoherent to me before replacing me back in the cage.

'Mummy, what's going on, why am I the last of us?' I asked my mother.

'You are runt, last born. You won't live for long and you're useless to anyone. That is what the people talk of you on evaluation. You are subject to be bait for those worthy to live.' Her response was cold and her bitter words stung.

With so many questions that went unanswered the last information she gave me was to learn the way humans talk, and if I stand a chance at life it is important to do as I am ordered. No matter what, be steadfast and unstoppable.

My mother was taken away that day, I was left in the cage alone, the people who gazed at me as they passed had no interest. But being as I was in the same room as them I gradually picked up their language. My owner at the time threw me chunks of raw meat, its blood still oozed, I had yet to be weaned and I could merely nibble at the meat with my needle like teeth. My owner watched me closely after mother was taken from me, sometimes when it was just me and him he would talk to me he would say things like "You're a shit dog you are, not worth a penny. How the fuck am I meant to get money if you're a runt?"

I wagged my tail in response, not sure of what he was saying, but for some reason he never seemed to respond to my happiness. That was until the buzzer to the door went and he opened it to a rather large man apparently named Tom. Tom was here to take me away, I could feel it in the atmosphere, like an inner knowing that my life would change from this short moment.

'This him then?' Tom pointed a stumpy finger at me, I was so happy to see him I knew he would come for me. My new best friend.

'Aye, that's him.'

'He has a nice blue pelt. Who were the parents?'

'Grand Jack' Was all my current owner said not needing to mention my mother, he rose his eyebrows, making them dance up and down.

'Proper champion genes there then, guessing he's won more than five consecutive wins?'

'Oh aye, that's why he be called Grand Champion and not Champion.'

'Right, I'll pay for him then.' Tom started rummaging through his deep trouser pockets, my current owner looked on with hungry eyes. Then Tom handed him the paper.

'One thousand pound? For a runt?'

'Want more?' Tom asked.

My current owner shook his head and gestured to my cage, my safe place. Tom plodded over and grabbed my scruff and lifted me out. I wiggled in his slightly firm grip and wagged my tail excitedly. We were going home, I had found my owner.

'You intend to fight him?'

'Well, I have another pup about his age, I'll see what happens, if one of them don't make the ring they can be bait for the other.' Tom explained factly.

'You thought it through plenty.'

Tom grinned slightly then headed to the door with me in his arms like a carpet. As the door to my birth home slammed shut behind us I had no idea what to expect when I got home, from what I had heard from some of the other dog owners there were things called tyres to chew on, and treadmills to run on. It all sounded so fun and I couldn't wait to join in with the fond memories they recalled.