Hello, my name is Smarty and I am a dog, or at least, this is what the two-legged humans call me and those who look and bark like me. I live with a small family, the Harley who are very nice people even though Mommy Harley shouts at me when I dig out holes in the garden. As you can see, humans do not understand how important it is for us, dogs, to hide our wonderful treasures from others. I bet you are wondering what my treasures are. Well they vary from juicy bones to my favorite toys.

I have never been such a happy creature during all my life. When I was still a puppy, my mother and I used to live as stray dogs. One day, my mother left the field where we used to stay and said she was going to find us food. She never returned and I never found out what happened to her.

After a few hours, a tall creature appeared. He was so different from me. He was tall and had no fur except for his head. He was staring at me and I was certain that he was going to eat me but I had no place to hide and I was growling at him. Instead, he patted my head and I started to wiggle my tail realizing that he did not want to hurt me. He picked me up and took me to his huge Kennel. It was only later that I understood that he was a human and that he lived in a house, like all humans and that his family was called the Harley.

Daddy Harley and his children decided to call me Smarty and they loved me a lot. The little Harley would always play with me and take me to the big park for a walk. Mommy Harley was not happy to have me at first but afterwards, she seemed to have accepted me, even though I could upset her sometimes. I just could not understand what was wrong in using her dress to sleep on. She had so many of them but yet, she was very angry when she saw me rolling over it. She would also force the children to give me baths all the time whenever I would roll in the mud or when she would catch me scratching myself with my paw.

I also made friends with other dogs who also lived with human families. Jazz and Princess are my neighbors and we always hang out at night after the humans went to sleep and our favorite hobby was to empty their dustbins and dig holes to hide our treasures. Sometimes we go out together with other dogs and explore the neighborhood but we never venture too far from home because Jazz says we're supposed to protect our kennels and those of our masters.

As I grew up, I noticed changes in the Harley. Daddy Harley was growing weak and so was Mommy Harley but she looked healthier. The little Harleys were growing up too and soon they all left to build their own kennels and no longer had time for me. Even Daddy Harley was too tired to play but he would always take me for a walk. Mommy Harley also stopped chasing me with her broom as she used to before.

Sometimes Mommy Harley and Daddy Harley would sit in the garden and talk for hours and then Daddy Harley would scratch me behind the ears and say that I would never leave home like the kids.

I have to say that without the Harley Family, I might not have survived in the fields and they saved my life. As they grow old, it is now my turn to look after them the best way a dog can. I have to go now. I can hear Daddy Harley calling my name. It is time for our afternoon walk in the park. I hope that my life was an interesting story.