It was an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and everything in the house seemed peaceful. Birds were chirping outside, the sun cast a golden glow through the windows, and Mom was happily humming while preparing dinner. But suddenly, a piercing shriek shattered the tranquility.
“CUTIS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Mom’s voice echoed through the house.
In the living room stood Cutis, the family’s mischievous golden retriever, looking up at Mom with his big, innocent eyes. His tail wagged slightly, as if he knew he had done something questionable but wasnāt entirely sure what. Mom, however, was on the verge of a meltdown.
Letās rewind to a few minutes earlier.
Cutis had been snoozing on the couch, blissfully unaware of the world. But then, a mysterious scent drifted through the airāsomething utterly irresistible. His nose twitched. It was coming from the kitchen. With silent determination, he slid off the couch and trotted towards the source of the heavenly aroma.
On the counter sat a freshly baked chocolate cake, still warm, its delicious scent filling the room. Mom had made it for a special occasion, placing it on a cooling rack just moments ago. Cutis, now in full hunter mode, knew this was his moment.
He had learned that jumping directly onto the counter was a no-go (from past experiences that involved a lot of scolding), so he had to be smart. His eyes scanned the room. And there it wasāhis ultimate allyāthe dining chair. With careful precision, he nudged it with his nose, inching it closer to the counter. One careful hop, and he was on the chair. Another hop, and his front paws were now resting on the counterās edge.
His heart pounded. The cake was right there!
Then, he did what any opportunistic golden retriever would doāhe stuck his tongue out and licked the edge of the cake. Oh, what a taste! A blissful mix of butter, sugar, and chocolateāabsolute heaven!
One lick became two, then three, and soon, he wasnāt just lickingāhe was taking actual bites! By the time Mom entered the kitchen, she saw the horrorāhalf of her perfect cake was missing, and Cutis had frosting all over his snout.
āCUTIS!ā she screamed, her hands flying to her head. āNO! NO! NO!ā
Cutis blinked up at her, his tail wagging faster, as if saying, āOh, hi Mom! Want some cake?ā
Mom panicked for two reasons. First, chocolate was toxic for dogs! Second, this was the cake she had spent hours baking for Grandmaās birthday dinner!
Grabbing her phone, she frantically called the vet. āMy dog just ate a LOT of chocolate! What do I do?ā
The vet reassured her that since Cutis was a big dog, a few bites might not be deadly, but she should still keep an eye on him for any signs of poisoning.
Relieved but still fuming, Mom turned to Cutis, who was now sprawled on the floor, licking frosting off his nose.
āYou, mister, are in SO much trouble!ā she huffed, but the adorable way he rolled onto his back, asking for belly rubs, melted her anger just a little.
The next few hours were nerve-wracking. Mom monitored Cutis like a hawk, but instead of showing any signs of sickness, he was as energetic as ever, running in circles around the house, probably from a sugar rush.
Finally, at bedtime, he curled up in his dog bed, exhausted. Mom sighed in relief, realizing that despite his antics, she couldnāt stay mad at him forever.
The next morning, she found Cutis sitting by the kitchen counter, staring longingly at a new cake she had baked. She shook her head with a laugh and moved it far, far out of reach.
Cutis had learned one thingānext time, he needed a better plan.
