Chapter One

It's just another lonely night as I walk slowly into the cold, wet shed. I'm getting ready to bed down for one of the last chilly, miserable nights here, not yet knowing that my life is about to change, leaving this all behind. I say chilly and miserable because I'm out here in this shed alone, and my papa and his family are inside the main house. Two little dogs also live inside. They have no idea what it's like to sleep out in this shed. My papa loves me, but he thinks because I'm a big dog that I'm okay out here. Oh how I'd love to sleep inside like the little dogs do.

The sun is finally coming up the next morning, and I am laying on the cement walkway, waiting for the ground to thaw out from the sun warming the yard. There is a guide-line that goes from the shop to the back-porch. I have on a leather collar, which is connected to a chain. I don't like my collar because it rubs away the fur on my neck. This chain slides back and forth on the guideline, letting me jump around and trot over to my papa where he sits on his chair by the kitchen door. I hear the telephone ring. After the girl hangs up, I hear her saying that a lady is interested in coming to meet the dog in the ad. The ad reads, 'ADULT MALE ROTTWEILER-FREE TO A GOOD HOME' I wonder, would that be about me? I'm a grown Rottweiler who will turn eight years old in a couple of days. I'm laying here soaking up the sun, wondering and worrying if I've done something bad, when I hear the girl tell my papa that it's for the best; Papa is getting older and can't get around as well as when I first came here to live with him and his