Free pup not such a bargain

Thinking back over the different dogs I have owned, the acquisition of the German Shorthair came to mind. It started innocently enough as I was offered the chance to become the proud owner of the 7-month-old German Shorthair for free. What could go wrong? At that point, Murphy's Law took over; simply stated, "If anything can go wrong, it will."

The first thing was, I didn't need another dog, as there were already two in the pen demanding food, water, and attention. This was such a good deal, I figured the dog could be given to someone wanting to give him a good home. The first one I mentioned this to was a fellow employee who had lost the family pet less than two months ago; with three kids in the family, the only concern was that the dog might be loved to death.

Secondly, I casually mentioned the dog to my hunting buddy. He became very excited as he related he had grown up hunting with the same type of dog. He had come close to buying a German Shorthair in Kansas City just the weekend before, but the $300 price tag was a little too high.

Finally, another friend in Garnett heard of the impending arrival of the new wonder dog and called me indicating that he would be happy to take the dog.

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing?

The big day arrived and, amid much excitement, the dog was delivered. My problem now was to decide which of my friends I could offend by giving the dog to the other. As I discussed this dilemma over the supper table, I encountered three hostile reactions. "You're not going to give that dog away," was all I heard from three different directions.

The following week found me with three fewer friends, all of whom had been disappointed; digging holes in rock-hard ground, so I could expand the dog pen; and, getting ready to spend more money for wire and panels, as the refurbishing of the dog motel continued.

The final blow was that this new dog ate everything and anything that was put in front of him. At one time, he had the cast iron skillet, that doubles as his food dish, in his jaws acting like it was his next meal.

As some wag said, "Murphy was an optimist."