She graduated at the top of her class, an A++ student even at only 6 months of age. Star pupil, teacher’s pet, so well-mannered and a joy to have around. Everyone thought so, everyone always told me so. When I ran to the store to get more powdered sugar (I seemed to always need more powdered sugar), I must confess, I didn’t even give her a second thought. She was my star pupil, my teacher’s pet, my A++ student.
I could tell that something was wrong the moment I opened the front door. It looked like a scene from an epic cookie slasher film (is that even a genre?), all that was missing was the red royal icing (loose flood consistency, of course) dripping down the walls. Cookies and drying racks were scattered all over the dining room, mauled cookies and crumbs were everywhere. My star pupil, my teacher’s pet, my A++ student had pulled the racks of cooling cookies off the dining room table. I could only stare in disbelief at the carnage she had wrought.
At final count…
golden retriever: consumed 8, mauled 35 3½” cookies
paying client: 43 brand new cookies
Who could have known that deep inside such a sweet gentle dog was the beating heart of an almond extract fiend? When I would open a bottle of vanilla extract? Not so much as an eyelid flicker. Chocolate or orange extract? Big yawn. But twist off the top of a bottle of almond extract and she would magically appear, with eager anticipation, ready to decimate ALL cookies.
These days she’s a little bit stiff getting up, and her muzzle and face are mostly white. Her eyes have clouded over and she doesn’t always hear me when I call her, but twist off the top of the almond extract and she’s right there at my elbow, eagerly waiting for the next batch of cookies. My star pupil, my teacher’s pet, my A++ student. My almond extract fiend.
I hope they have almond cookies in doggy heaven.
Suzy Q and Mrs. K