Chapter 6 In Which Plato Has Become A Marvelous Beast

Chapter 6 In Which Plato Has Become A Marvelous Beast
	Coffee Anyone? Plato isn't exactly a beatnik, though he likes to play one on TV (or on the web, anyway). When I took a picture of myself wearing a beret, Plato seemed like he wanted to get into the act too. Plato gets compliments wherever we go. He loves getting out around people. I try to take him to the farmer's market every week and look for other opportunities to get him out and about. Charlie had his first PeeWee baseball game and Plato got to attend (though he didn't pay much attention to the game as there were other dogs in the area. At the game we met another boxer. Then we met yet another boxer the next morning.
A Calm and Sedate Beast On a hot day, Plato is a calm and sedate beast. The rest of the time, watch out. He is approaching two now and, as he ages, he has become more solid and reliable. He can respoond to sit!, down! and speak!; he can heel well; and he comes when recalled. Unless there's another dog -- he can't resist meeting another dog. He had mostly quit jumping up on people, but then we had him boarded while we were on vacation. We get him the VIP treatment at the Valley Inn for Pets. He always seems eager to go and obviously has a good time there, but I think the girls let him jump up and lick their faces. Oh, well. It's a small price to pay for him to have a good time while we're away.
	A Marvelous Beast It has become clear that Plato is my dog. He has bonded more closely with me than anyone else. He is very attached to everyone in the family, but he minds me better than anyone else. The kids love him and even my wife has come around. Recently, she admitted that he was a good dog, so she's come a long way. We were driving down the road and saw some fellow trying to bring a doberman to heel, getting tangled up in the leash with the dog jumping all over him. We drove by in silence and then, a moment later, I said "Say it!" "What?" she said, trying to dodge the question. "Say it!" "Plato is a good dog," she sighed. She knew exactly what I was talking about.
Revised 07/15/2001 Brewer