I started writing full-time in 2009.  My first publication was a short, true story about my dog Leo called, “Leo and the Carrot.” At the time,  I was pregnant with my oldest and working on the first draft of Super Me. While Mike was at work, it was just me and the pup home during the day.

Leo was the best dog ever. (No, really, the very best!)

I met Leo at the Larimer County Humane Society in 2001. He was just a spunky pup back then. Full-grown, but young–maybe a year or so old, when I found him. Leo was BOUNCY.

I fell in love with Leo right away and took him home with me.

He was a happy, sweet, cuddly dog and also very patient, allowing my daughter to crawl all over him and even dress him up.

One morning, while I was working on the newest chapter or Super Me, Leo and I got into a little battle over a carrot.  That battle lasted all day long.

Later I wrote down the tale and submitted the story to a magazine called “Dog Living.” This was the piece that made a published author.

Recently, feeling reminiscent, I submitted the story to the local magazine Prairie Times, who has published a few of my short stories in the past. “Leo and the Carrot” was published in their March2020  issue.

Without further ado, here is the story of my carrot battle with my sweet pup.

Leo and the Carrot

I consider myself to be a pretty stubborn but would have to say that my dog, Leo, is perhaps just as stubborn.

At lunch today, I offered Leo a baby carrot. He sniffed it and decided it smelled good enough to eat and took it from me. I wasn’t sure if he would want the carrot. Some days he likes them and some days he doesn’t. But today I hadn’t just thrown it on the floor for him to find out if he would eat it or if it would end up in the trash. I offered it to him. I let him choose. And he took it.

At this point he announced it wasn’t one of the days that he liked carrots by promptly dropping it on the floor.

I was annoyed. If he didn’t want it, then he shouldn’t have taken it. Since he took it, he was going to eat it, I resolved.

So I played the “I’m gonna get it” game with him for a few minutes. This is a very exciting game in case you haven’t played it. Saying “I’m gonna get it” (the more excitement the better) and “faking out” a snatch, instantly makes the object irresistible.

The game was somewhat successful, resulting in exactly half the baby carrot being eaten by Leo.

A few minutes later, I discovered the half-eaten carrot on the bedroom floor. I acknowledged the carrot piece with a dramatic “Oh no!” for Leo’s sake.

He looked sadly at me, but made no move towards the carrot.

“Leo,” I said, pointing at the orange bit on the floor, “get your carrot.”

He stared at me.

“Leo. Go eat your carrot.”

Nothing.

I decided he was not going to win this one. My husband always says I am way too easy on him and that I should be more authoritative with him. I have to admit he is a bit spoiled. So, I picked up that carrot and pushed it into his mouth.

He spat it out and looked at me.

I picked it up and put it back into his mouth.

He spat it out and looked at me.

I picked it up and put it into his mouth and held his mouth closed. Please keep in mind that I am repeating, “Leo, eat your carrot,” repeatedly, in vain.

He waited until I released his mouth then spat it out and sighed.

I sighed.

We repeated the process again and again until finally he stopped spitting it out. He even flopped over on his side. But as soon as I started to get up, he spat it out again. He would just hold that carrot in his mouth until he thought that I would go away or give up.

But I didn’t give up.

Every time he spat the darn thing out, I put it back in his mouth. We may have done this for perhaps 10 minutes.  Until finally I got up and he didn’t spit it out. He followed me out of the room. I was glad that he had finally given in and rewarded him with an enthusiastic, “Good boy!” to which he replied with dropping the carrot piece on the floor again. And looking at me.

I put it back in his mouth, went back to my desk, and proceeded to do some work.

Leo lay down next to me on the floor.

Whenever I left the room, he followed me.

He’d give me looks that, I swear, said, “You’ve got to be kidding me with this,” but he kept his mouth closed.

It had been several hours and Leo still stubbornly held that carrot in his mouth.

I honestly didn’t know how it would turn out. Who will ultimately win the battle.

After a while, I walked into the bedroom, certain I’d find a half-eaten carrot in the middle of the floor. Leo was on my bed. He looked at me and stretched.

I checked his mouth.

And there it was.

I went back to work, but kept checking on him. Each time I found that he was still keeping that stinkin’ carrot in his mouth. All. Afternoon.

Finally, late in the day, I went in to check once again. I opened his mouth. It was empty.

“YAY LEO!” I exclaimed.

But, he just looked up at me. No tail wag or anything. So I knew something was up. He had to have hidden it somewhere. Or something.

I checked his doggy bed. Sure enough. “Ah-ha! I knew it!”

And so we went right back to same thing, only taking a momentary truce when I took him out to go potty. We went right back to it when we came back in.

We were still at it when my husband got home that evening. Mike jumped in to help. He tried playing with him. He tried making him eat it. He tried tricking him.

Nothing worked.

Leo would not eat the carrot.

So, finally, we threw that bit of carrot into the trash.

After a seven-hour battle… Leo had won.

I think at this point, it’s safe to say that while I may be somewhat stubborn, my dog Leo is by far, more stubborn than I am. I had no idea he had that in him but I suppose it’s a good trait to have. I like to think that he gets it from me.

I hope that during these isolating days at home,  everyone is staying healthy and safe and finding little ways to enjoy these days.