Cookie's Doghouse Dilemma

Awhooo! Ow-ow-awhoo! Justin looked up from saying his prayers. “What was that?” he asked his dad.

“I’m not sure, but it came from our backyard.” Dad peered out the bedroom window. “Aha!”

“What?” Justin sprang to the window and saw his dog, Cookie, sitting in the grass below. The dog lifted his head and howled, “Awhooo!”

“Why’s he doing that?” Justin wondered.

Cookie stood up, turned around three times, then lay down again. “It looks like he can’t sleep,” Dad replied.

“Maybe he can’t get comfy. Can he sleep with me? Please, please?” Justin begged.

“No, sorry. Your mom’s allergic to his fur. He’s gotta be an outdoor dog. But you may be right about him being uncomfortable.”

“Hey!” Justin exclaimed. “I’ll build him a house!”

“Great idea,” Dad agreed. “But for now, you better go to sleep. Good night.”

Justin closed his eyes, thinking about the house he would build, and soon he drifted off to sleep.

The next day after school, Justin ran to the backyard. “I’ve got a great idea, Cookie.” The dog’s ears perked up. “How would you like a brand-new house?”

Cookie’s mouth spread in a doggy grin as if he were smiling and saying, “I like that idea!”

“Good,” Justin replied. “Let’s get started.”

Justin gathered some sticks and stood them up in the grass like a pointy triangle. As he worked, Cookie suddenly dove forward and snatched a stick away from Justin. “No, Cookie!” Justin grabbed for the stick. But the dog was quick. He romped around with the stick in his mouth, hoping Justin would play. Cookie spun around in circles, but Justin couldn’t catch him. “You crazy dog,” he said. “Go ahead and keep your silly stick. There’s enough here anyway.”

Justin tied the sticks together at the top then threw an old blanket over them like a tent. “There! It’s your very own teepee,” he announced proudly.

Cookie ran to Justin and licked his hand. “You’re welcome, silly dog,” said Justin, smiling. “Go on in.” Justin gave his dog a push. Cookie looked around inside the teepee, then lay down with his head sticking out the door. “Perfect!” Justin exclaimed happily.

Later that evening, around bedtime, it became windy and rainy outdoors. “I’m glad Cookie has a teepee now to keep him dry in the rain,” Justin said as he climbed into bed.

“Yes, you built it just in time,” Mom replied. Suddenly, they heard a noise from the backyard. Awhooo! Ow-ow-awhoo!

“What in the world was that?” Mom asked. Justin looked out the window. There was Cookie, sitting on top of a pile of sticks, looking soggy in the rain. “Awhoooo, hooo!” the dog cried.

“Oh no! Cookie’s teepee fell down!”

Dad looked out at the sad little dog. “That’s too bad. What kind of foundation did you use for it?” Dad asked Justin.

“What kind of what? Huh?”

“You know, a foundation. The strong part of the house you build on so it doesn’t wobble or fall over.”

Justin shrugged. “I guess I didn’t have one. I just put some sticks together in the grass.”

“I see,” said Dad. “The grass is too bumpy to build on. We need a nice flat spot that won’t get muddy when it rains.”

“How about the patio?” Mom suggested. “The cement is hard and smooth.”

“That’s a great idea,” said Dad. “Let’s work on it tomorrow.”

The next morning, as Justin gobbled down his breakfast, he asked his dad, “What will we use to build with? I don’t think sticks worked very well.”

“I’ve got some wood we can use,” Dad replied. “Let’s get to it.”

The two soon set to work. “We can build right here on the patio where it’s all smooth and flat,” Dad explained. “It’ll make a great foundation.” He lined up two pieces of wood on the patio as Justin handed him a nail. “Okay, where’s the hammer?” Dad asked.

“It was just here.” Justin looked around. Suddenly, he noticed that Cookie was lying right where the hammer had been. “Move, Cookie,” Justin commanded. But Cookie didn’t move; he just eyed Justin mischievously. Justin tried to pull the dog up, then he pushed from behind. But Cookie wouldn’t budge from his place—on top of the hammer.

Finally, Dad picked up a stick and tossed it. “Go get it, Boy,” he said, pointing. Cookie jumped up and bolted toward the stick as Justin snatched up the hammer.

That afternoon, the doghouse was finished. Mom and Ellie came out to see it. “It’s beautiful!” Mom exclaimed.

Ellie handed Justin a small piece of wood with a string attached to it. She jumped up and down excitedly. “We painted fo’ you, Jussin. It’s a sign fo’ Cookie’s house.”

Justin looked at the wooden sign with Cookie’s name painted on it. “Hey, thanks!” He hung the sign over the doghouse door then grabbed the blanket he had used for the teepee and shoved it inside the doghouse.

“Woof!” Cookie barked and raced over to see what Justin was doing. “This is your new house, Cookie,” said Justin, “complete with a strong foundation.”

“Yep, no more toppling over,” said Dad. “It should stay put for a long, long time.”

Cookie trotted inside the little house, spun around in circles, then lay down. He peered out the door at Justin, grinning his doggy grin as if to say, “Thanks for my comfy new home.” Then he closed his eyes for a nap.

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