exchanged grins. That sounded perfect.
Just then, the little dog sighed, yawned and opened his eyes. He looked round at his mother and wriggled his bottom indignantly to tell her to get off. Then he heaved himself up and peered round, his tail wagging shyly. Who were all these people staring at him?
“Oh, he’s so beautiful…” Georgia whispered, then turned to her mum and dad. “Look at him, isn’t he perfect?”
He really was like a perfect miniversion of his mum, curly ears and all. He was golden and white, with pretty white patches on his back and a scatter of sweet brownish-gold spots around his shiny black nose. His eyes were nearly black too, and very bright and curious-looking, topped off with long whiskery eyebrows that made him look like a little old man.
Everyone had agreed that he was the perfect puppy, and Lara had said that they could come back and take him home the very next day. It was a few weeks before Georgia and Adam’s birthday, but they didn’t mind having their present early. As Georgia pointed out the following day, as they carefully carried the puppy out of Lara’s house to put him into the new pet carrier in theback of the car, they were lucky to have him at all. If they had waited any longer, there might not have been any puppies left.
“And he’s lucky to have us, too,” Adam said. “I bet he wouldn’t have liked anybody else as much. Oof!” He laughed, and wiped off a smear of lick, as the puppy gave him a wet dog-kiss across his chin.
“That’s what we should call him!” Georgia said suddenly. “Lucky! It’s exactly right!”
Soon Adam and Georgia couldn’t imagine not having Lucky. He was very friendly, and played endless games of chase and fetch with them in the garden. He loved running so much that he’d bound up and down, and then just suddenly flop down on the grass and fall asleep, absolutely worn out. Georgia called it his “off button”; it made her burst out laughing every time.
But although Lucky loved chasing about the garden, Adam and Georgia had learned that cocker spaniels shouldn’t really go for proper walks until they were about four or five months old. Adam had read it in thebook they’d bought, and on a special cocker spaniels website. Georgia hadn’t believed him at first.
“Why not?” she’d demanded.
Adam had shrugged. “It says they love long walks when they’re older – lots of long walks – but you mustn’t wear them out too much when they’re little. Just exercise in the garden.”
Now that they had Lucky, Georgia could understand why both the website and the book had suggested it. Lucky was still quite a small dog, but he was getting heavy. If they’d gone on a long walk and he’d switched off like he did when they were playing, he’d be a real armful to carry all the way home. But now he was nearly five months old he wasn’t getting nearlyso tired, and Mum and Dad agreed that he was ready for a proper walk, just so long as they were careful not to go too far.
Luckily, the park was close enough that they’d be able to carry the puppy home if he did get really worn out.
Adam opened the front door, and Lucky sniffed the air outside. The front garden smelled different to the back – more cars, and there was definitely a cat hanging around somewhere. He looked up at Georgia hopefully. Were they going out?
She laughed at his eager little face. “Come on!”
Adam ran down the path to open the gate, and Lucky gave an excited squeak.
“Try and remember not to let him pull!” Mum called, as she locked the front door and hurried after them. Georgia and Adam had started going to puppy obedience classes soon after they brought Lucky home. They’d spent a lot of time working on walking to heel, but Lucky was so excited at going somewhere new that there wasn’t much chance of him doing that now.
“Oh, yes.” Georgia quickly grabbed a dog treat out of her pocket, and held it in front of Lucky’s nose, moving it back so
Just then, the little dog sighed, yawned and opened his eyes. He looked round at his mother and wriggled his bottom indignantly to tell her to get off. Then he heaved himself up and peered round, his tail wagging shyly. Who were all these people staring at him?
“Oh, he’s so beautiful…” Georgia whispered, then turned to her mum and dad. “Look at him, isn’t he perfect?”
He really was like a perfect miniversion of his mum, curly ears and all. He was golden and white, with pretty white patches on his back and a scatter of sweet brownish-gold spots around his shiny black nose. His eyes were nearly black too, and very bright and curious-looking, topped off with long whiskery eyebrows that made him look like a little old man.
Everyone had agreed that he was the perfect puppy, and Lara had said that they could come back and take him home the very next day. It was a few weeks before Georgia and Adam’s birthday, but they didn’t mind having their present early. As Georgia pointed out the following day, as they carefully carried the puppy out of Lara’s house to put him into the new pet carrier in theback of the car, they were lucky to have him at all. If they had waited any longer, there might not have been any puppies left.
“And he’s lucky to have us, too,” Adam said. “I bet he wouldn’t have liked anybody else as much. Oof!” He laughed, and wiped off a smear of lick, as the puppy gave him a wet dog-kiss across his chin.
“That’s what we should call him!” Georgia said suddenly. “Lucky! It’s exactly right!”
Soon Adam and Georgia couldn’t imagine not having Lucky. He was very friendly, and played endless games of chase and fetch with them in the garden. He loved running so much that he’d bound up and down, and then just suddenly flop down on the grass and fall asleep, absolutely worn out. Georgia called it his “off button”; it made her burst out laughing every time.
But although Lucky loved chasing about the garden, Adam and Georgia had learned that cocker spaniels shouldn’t really go for proper walks until they were about four or five months old. Adam had read it in thebook they’d bought, and on a special cocker spaniels website. Georgia hadn’t believed him at first.
“Why not?” she’d demanded.
Adam had shrugged. “It says they love long walks when they’re older – lots of long walks – but you mustn’t wear them out too much when they’re little. Just exercise in the garden.”
Now that they had Lucky, Georgia could understand why both the website and the book had suggested it. Lucky was still quite a small dog, but he was getting heavy. If they’d gone on a long walk and he’d switched off like he did when they were playing, he’d be a real armful to carry all the way home. But now he was nearly five months old he wasn’t getting nearlyso tired, and Mum and Dad agreed that he was ready for a proper walk, just so long as they were careful not to go too far.
Luckily, the park was close enough that they’d be able to carry the puppy home if he did get really worn out.
Adam opened the front door, and Lucky sniffed the air outside. The front garden smelled different to the back – more cars, and there was definitely a cat hanging around somewhere. He looked up at Georgia hopefully. Were they going out?
She laughed at his eager little face. “Come on!”
Adam ran down the path to open the gate, and Lucky gave an excited squeak.
“Try and remember not to let him pull!” Mum called, as she locked the front door and hurried after them. Georgia and Adam had started going to puppy obedience classes soon after they brought Lucky home. They’d spent a lot of time working on walking to heel, but Lucky was so excited at going somewhere new that there wasn’t much chance of him doing that now.
“Oh, yes.” Georgia quickly grabbed a dog treat out of her pocket, and held it in front of Lucky’s nose, moving it back so
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