every boy needs a dog

February 2041 - John and Abby Smith are 34, Jacob is 7, Elijah is 3.

Jacob starts begging his parents for a dog a little before his seventh birthday.

John and Abby are a little reluctant to get a dog, but they have a hard time saying no to Jacob. He's such a good kid; he gets good grades, and he plays well with his little brother. Plus John's family always had dogs, so he knows how to take care of one.

When they finally decide to get a dog, they want Jacob to be surprised. So one day when John gets home from work, he tells Jacob they have an errand to run.

"Where are we going?" Jacob asks.

"You'll see."

Jacob is thrilled when they get to the pet store. "Oh, she's adorable Dad!" He leans down and pets the little beagle. "Can we get her?"

"Sure. What do you want to name her?"

"Nike," he finally decides. His father's been reading him a lot of stories from Greek mythology. "She's the goddess of victory, and that seems like a good companion for me."

Nike may be adorable, but right away she shows off her mischevious side.

"Get down, Nike!" John yells.

"John, she's just a dog," Abby reminds him. "She's learning."

Less than an hour later, Abby goes into the rec room to find a puddle on the floor. "Bad girl," she scolds Nike.

Plus, Jacob spent the whole evening playing with Nike and forgot about his homework, so he and his father have to get up early the next morning to finish it.

"Just because you have a dog now doesn't mean you can neglect your school work," his father lectures.

"Yes Dad. Thanks for getting me a dog. I love Nike, she's so cute."

"You're welcome Jacob. Nike's a good dog, and I'm glad she's part of the family now."

*****

The minute they got Nike home, she started chewing on the sofa, then ran upstairs to sit on the armchair. Just like a real dog, she can't be counted on to be good for very long.