Jaffar said, "I guess you're ready to change back. Here's your stuff."
Aden said, "Hold off on that. This has been a change as the box promised. It's been kind of
fun. Besides, you really should have a pet. My main reason for not letting you have a pet
was that I didn't think you were old enough to take care of it but this provides a way I can
teach you responsibility. This might take some explaining to Guy or maybe we can keep
this our secret. I'll be the Dad when I have to be and be your dog otherwise."
"Really, you mean it?" Jaffar asked.
"You'll have to put food and water for me and take me for walks and you'll have to clean up
after me." Aden said, "I'll growl at you if you slip up on your responsibility. But maybe we
can play frisbee. I have heard of a competition coming up for frisbee catching dogs and it
would be fun to win that."
Jaffar wrapped his arms around his dad's neck, "Oh thank you, thank you."
Aden said, "Now put a leash on Luke and I and let's go home."
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Luke also decided to stay a dog for a while. This wasn't because Luke wanted to be a dog.
He thought it would be strange to show up human after two years and he didn't feel ready
to face the awkwardness of explaining things. So for now, he wanted time to think things
through. In the meantime, he played frisbee with Aden and the boys.
One day, Aden was playing in the front yard and he got carried away. He ran off and a
dogcatcher caught him. Aden pretended to be a dog so he could keep his secret but he
was glad that he had insisted on the purchase of a tag with phone number. But when Jaffar
came to pick Aden up, the dogcatcher insisted, "It's against the law to let your dog run
without a license. I could fine you."
Jaffar pleaded and the dogcatcher said, "Well, I could license him right now."
So the dogcatcher began the process. This pound had a small veterinary bay and so Aden
was up on the table. The dogcatcher felt Aden's balls and said, "You haven't neutered him
either. I'll have to neuter him."
Aden whimpered and looked at Jaffar. Jaffar asked, "Do you have to neuter him?"
The dogcatcher said, "He'll be a lot of trouble if he's not neutered. Are you planning on
breeding him?"
Aden said, "I hadn't thought about it."
The dogcatcher said, "I could skip neutering him but it would cost you extra and you'd
have to keep a stricter hold on him to prevent him from running loose."
Aden got his license and his vaccinations before the dogcatcher released him. On the way
home, Aden said, "Thanks son. You're really taking responsibility for your pet now. You've
saved my balls. Did you remember to bring the pooper scooper?"
"I forgot." Aden said.
"Then how are you going to clean up after me?" Aden growled. Then he began licking his
balls.
"Please don't do that in front of me." Aden complained.
"I'm a dog." Aden said, "This is what dogs do."