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Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Carol Reiter: Monkey's back in business

After a couple of years on a shelf, one of my dogs' toys has been rediscovered.

Yep, the screaming monkey has a new owner.

The horrid little toy that Jan insisted on owning back when she was just a little pup has raised three puppies since that day in a pet store when Jan discovered it. The monkey was Jan's favorite toy when she was a puppy, and then Peg discovered it and made it her favorite.

Then the little monkey just kind of hung out for a couple of years, growing dusty and sad because its doggy owners had grown up.

Until Moss came along.

Moss is a total toy-loving dog. All he wants to do is play toys. I swear that if he could talk, the first words out of his mouth would be "play toys, mom. Just want to play toys."

I have filled Moss' world with every type of toy imaginable. From stuffed animals that make no noise whatsoever to squeaky rubber toys to tennis balls, this speckled dog has had toys in his life since the day he came home with me.

But the screaming monkey had been put away when Peg reached adulthood, and I kind of forgot about the poor toy.

Until the other day. I was looking for a book, and instead found the monkey. I picked it up, dusted it off, and made it scream.

Man, did I get Moss' attention. He had been contentedly chewing on an old slipper when he heard the monkey. Both of his big ears went straight up, and he slammed into my room, looking for whatever had made that wonderful noise.

I showed Moss the monkey, and asked him if he wanted it. What a stupid question.

That was the beginning of a few days of me slowly going crazy and Moss being in seventh heaven. Normally, the blue-eyed pup likes to chew on a toy that makes an annoying squeak, especially when I'm on the phone. I have had more than one conversation when the person on the other end asks me what in the world that horrid noise is. When I tell them it's just Moss playing, they beg me to take the darn toy away.

Well, if they thought the squeaking toy was bad, they should hear this darn monkey.

The screaming monkey quickly became Moss' favorite toy. He carried it around, slept in the crate with it, and wanted to take it outside.

I, being the big meany that I am, would not let Moss take the monkey outside, because I knew it would get lost. So I would grab the monkey and slam the door in Moss' face.

But I couldn't stand that cute little face looking forlornly at the back door, waiting quietly until I let him back in where he could play with the monkey. I would let him back inside, and he would grab the monkey and find a hidey-hole and chew on the monkey.

So for the past couple of weeks, the other dogs and I have been gritting our teeth and dealing with an obnoxious pup and his screaming monkey. It makes Jan and Peg crazy, and sends Len under my bed in a black mood.

But I know that Moss will grow up, like Peg and Jan did, and the screaming monkey won't be such a big hit anymore. So I deal with the noise, knowing that all puppies eventually become sedate older dogs.

I am trying to enjoy Moss' puppyhood, something I didn't seem to be able to do with Peg and Jan. I love the old dogs, I truly do, but I have to admit that I am totally enjoying Moss as a puppy.

So I deal with the noise, and the mess, and watch my ugly little pup turn into a semi-handsome adult border collie, and know that someday I will look back and wonder where in the world the time went.

Enjoy that monkey, Moss. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying you.

Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or creiter@mercedsun-star.com.