Kate & Emma

Delinda Buie, Special Collections, Ekstrom Library

Kate is a six-year-old Chocolate Lab. Called "Princess Dog" by the neighbors, Kate is admired for her regal bearing and respected for her (mostly) good manners and her tendency to be aloof around other dogs. Until last spring, Kate had the mail carrier, birds, squirrels, and other dogs well under control; but then Emma, Labrador from the Dark Side, joined us. Emma is now nine months old. Kate has patiently instructed her in use of the dog door, the subtleties of pushing Mom (that would be me) out of bed, and the art of drooling just enough to disgust humans into losing their appetites and handing over pizza.

Emma adores Kate and has learned these tasks quickly. She has also eaten Kate's bed, chewed up an heirloom library table, and carried into the yard one sock from each of thirty-seven pairs, not to mention a few unmentionables. These continuing Emma atrocities make Kate ashamed to be a dog. And she finds it hard to look regal these days since, when Emma's teeth aren't attached to something else, they're generally attached to Kate.