You take the dog collar out of the box and look at how formal-looking it is. Definitely the standard issue model used by those police officers willing to enter the k9-unit and do a tour of duty as a police dog. And for a moment you hesitate at the prospect of spending 5 years as a police dog. As five years as a dog means a lot of your life would be in the hands of a fellow officer. He or she would essentially be your owner. And you know that you would be living with them, that you would be fed by them and would have all of your needs taken care of by them. But you can’t help but wonder how much control would still be yours as a dog.
With a sigh and somewhat heavy heart, you slip the collar around your neck and fasten it. At first you feel like the collar is choking you. But the feeling subsides as you feel your neck growing thicker and longer as thick, rugged black fur begins to spread across your entire body. Your whole body begins to itch. Without thinking about it, you stand up on your tip toes as your toes swell and the long bones of your feet lengthen. You shake off your shoes and socks, and look down to catch a glimpse of your feet turning into a pair of hind paws. You unfasten your belt and drop your pants in time to see your legs reforming into those of a dog’s. And for a moment as you watch them get covered by that thick, rugged layer of black fur, you wonder just what kind of police dog you are becoming. But your curiosity is put to the side as the changes happening to you now make it difficult to stand upright. You awkwardly crouch down on fours with your arms and now paw-like hands resting on the ground before you. Nervously panting, you watch as your arms are pulled closer to your body as your chest changes shape and grows a bit longer. Then you are sitting comfortably on your shaggy haunches.
You then glance at the mirror to see your face with its thick, bushy eyebrows and equally thick beard and mustache begins to push outward into a muzzle. Your face feels like it’s being stretched. Your teeth grow and change into a typical dog’s teeth while your tongue flattens and lengthens out. You begin panting contentedly to keep yourself calm. Your lips and nose darken till they are black. Your eyesight worsens while your sense of smell and hearing go beyond what they were capable of doing before. Your eyes become almond shaped as they are pushed to the sides of your head by your muzzle. And your ears move up the sides of your shaggy head, growing pointy and docked as they go. But the changes happening to you are not quite done yet. With a loud snap, your spine straightens and you sprout a docked tail.
Looking into the mirror, you can see that you have now joined the k9-unit as a huge Bouvier des Flandres.
A knock on the front door to your home snaps your gaze away from the mirror. And at that moment you feel a mix of emotions. One part of you, the part of you that still thinks of yourself as human feels a bit of dread as you know that the person on the other side of the door is going to be your partner and master. The man or woman who will have control over your life for the next five years. But the new part of you, the part that is now a large, shaggy police dog, feels a surge of pleasure and eagerness at the prospect of working alongside a human. Of being a good police dog and pet to this human. Your panting quickens and docked tail begins to wag from side to side as you turn away from the mirror and pad on over to the door. The air filled with the scent of your mixed emotions. Just as you reach the door, you hear the door unlock and begin to open.
A police officer that you have never seen before enters your home. He looks down at you and smiles. And his smile proves infectious, for soon you are smiling back at him and wagging your tail with glee. You smell his eagerness and happiness upon seeing you. And though you aren’t quite sure how you know, you know that this human is going to be a good owner and partner.
"So you must be my new partner? Please to meet you." He tells you with a smile.
You happily woof a reply back at him as he beckons you over with a wave of his hand. And for the next couple of minutes, you and your new partner familiarize yourselves with each other. Then he helps you out of the last piece of your human clothing and slips on your new uniform. And then with a playful and very fond rub behind the ears, he looks at you.
"Ready for your first day as my canine partner, Champ?" He happily asks you.
Just a few minutes into being owned by this friendly human, and he gives you a new name to live by. But it’s not a bad name to go by as a dog, you think. Standing up on all fours, you answer your partner’s question by fondly pushing and leaning your shaggy flank against his right leg. He chuckles and reaches down to give you a fond back rub and playfully thumps your side. He then straps on your leash.
"Shall we go now, my shaggy friend?"
With a woof and a wag of your tail, you lead the way into your new life as this man’s dog. And as you do so, you can only wonder what this new life will have in store for you.