Mischief and mayhem in the country
HELLO, I’m Rocco. I’m a 15-month-old golden retriever. I live with a young family in the country where there is lots of room to get up to mischief. My life has been one big adventure so far.
If I was to have my dream meal it would be like this: Starters — I would chew my way through the saddles and tyres of the kids’ bikes; Mains — I would munch through the wooden seats on the swings; Dessert — I would eat the carpet off my own bed, which I may add is nailed down, so it can be challenging!
Guess what? I did all that. It was delicious. I also eat dog food but it is a bit bland. My other achievements are helping with the recycling, as I can sometimes manage to knock over the bin and chase the papers and plastic around the garden.
I also love playing in the tree house, as I can climb up the ladder and slide down the slide, just like the children I live with. I like gardening as it is great fun digging and unplanting young trees and shrubs. I enjoy sitting on the tractor lawnmower and chewing the steering wheel.
I am very friendly, I greet everyone I meet with a friendly bark and a wag of my tail. Sometimes I chase the birds but they are no fun because they are too fast and fly away.
My favourite pastime is chewing shoes or boots, if I can get away with it — and I usually do!
Oh, I forgot to mention, I am a very good-looking dog but I am also a very clever one. Once I helped one of the kids with their homework. I sharpened all the pencils and everything else in their pencil case including rubbers, rulers, Biros and sharpeners. Sharpeners do not taste very nice so they would not be my first choice next time. I do not think the family were too pleased with me.
I love when the girls play dolls outside and sometimes if I am lucky they will get distracted and I can make my move, start to run, grab a doll and run off down the garden. I usually get a great chase from them and occasionally the dad comes out with a sweeping brush but I think that’s a bit crazy because what would you want a sweeping brush in the garden for?
He is great to give a chase but he is still not quick enough to catch me, I suppose only having two legs must be a downfall.
One day I decided to climb out over the front wall to follow my family but I got a big fright at all the traffic, so I decided home is the best place.
I should go now and get back to what I do best; getting up to lots of mischief and cause loads of mayhem. Laura Farrissey (10), Mallow, Co Cork
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