Not so much Here or Here, but right about Here

We have a dog.  He is a Cock-a-poo.  He wears a bow-tie collar.  His name is Chocolate Thunder.  And he is not a male stripper.  

He goes by Choco for short.  My brother Aaron, gave him to us several years ago as a puppy from a litter that Aaron's dog Belka had.  He is the pick of the litter and such a great dog.  Fairly well trained, he still does his frustrating things like grab food off the counter or run away any time he is even close to being out of a 20' gravitational pull from his master.  

The real reason that we have him is because of Brigham.  Brig came up to me about three years ago and after many months of begging for a dog, he finally made an argument that I could not counter. "Dad, a dog is like a rite of passage for a kid." So it is.  And ever since then, this dog has been a tremendous benefit to our whole family.  

Even Mackay.  Now I bring Mackay up specifically because it is important to understand the relationship that Mack and Choc have together.  Choc is immensely patient and Mack is immensely painful.  Ever since the first day we brought Choco home, Mack has grabbed that dog and physically over powered him, or blown in his face, or drug him around by the leg or just squeezed until there was no room for air.  Imagine the scene from the movie Tommy Boy where Tommy is trying to get the waitress of the Cluck Bucket Restaurant to open up the kitchen and make him some more chicken wings.  He begins to tell the lady about why he "sucks as a salesman", describing how when he almost has a sale he turns into Jojo the Idiot Circus Clown with his naughty little pet. He then proceeds to shower so much love on the pet roll that he pokes, tears and ultimately physically destroys the bread.  Mackay is Jojo and Choco is the white dinner roll.  

Choco eventually started growling and snipping when he is in distress.  We have learned to most often trust the dogs judgement in these matters.  Mackay loves him to no end.  Though eventually it might be the end of one or the other.

So the other day, mother and Brigham are in one of their silly baby talk moods in the kitchen when Choco walks in by chance.  They immediately begin vying for his attention. "Come to me Choco, I have a treat!"  "No, come to me Choco I love you more."  He sat there looking between the two for some time, weighing his options.  The entreaties went on.  "Here Choco, choose me." "Choco choose me, Mommie doesn't really love you."

Then, seated over by the table Mackay turned around and made a small motion to the dog, who in turn immediately bypassed both Brigham and his mother and walked straight to Mackay for a gentle rub behind the ears.  

Brigham and Mommie stood up, looked at each other with a bit of incredulity and dismay and Brigham, cocking his head slightly, blurted out, "Plot twist!?" Man I love these kids.