Free Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle

calm pup
    that knows how to rest when tired,
    not a nervous one that acts crazy.
    We scratch bellies, pat heads,
    and press down on paws with our fingers
    to see how each puppy reacts
    to being touched, rubbed, hugged,
    and loved—a SAR dog can’t be mean.
    Aggressive dogs aren’t allowed
    to do search-and-rescue work.
    Bullies aren’t qualified
    to be heroes.
    We keep score.
    We assign numbers.
    Tío trusts me with the
    scientific math.
    The highest puppy test score
    goes to a brave, focused,
    curious, wolf-eyed splash
    of sun-yellow fur.
    She’s three months old.
    Her stumpy tail and yellow color
    mean she’s probably a mix
    of supersmart Australian shepherd
    and energetically friendly
    golden retriever.
    When we choose her, the surprise
    isn’t over yet—with a satisfied grin,
    Tío writes my name on all
    the adoption papers! I officially
    have my own dog now. I’m considered
    responsible. I’m practically
    a grown-up.
    Then comes the naming.
    Short sounds, to make it easy
    for the dog to learn, and maybe
    a human name, to remind
    everyone my puppy meets
    that dogs need the same
    love and care
    as people.
    I don’t want a name that rhymes
    with NO or BAD, or a confusing sound
    that rhymes with any command.
    I try out dozens of girls’ names.
    Summer? Too long. Dawn?
    Not quite bright enough
    for her soft golden fur.
    Then it strikes me—I’m not limited
    to English. Tío knows Spanish.
    He can teach me. By next year’s
    Hispanic Heritage Month,
    would I be halfway fluent?
    Could I speak to my class
    about learning my family’s
    language? Would I start
    to feel like a part of two
    natural places
    at once?
    We’re still in the shelter, playing
    with my newly adopted SAR pup,
    when I start asking Tío to suggest
    one-syllable island sounds.
    He gives me Paz. Peace.
    Mar, Sea.
    Miel. Honey.
    Luz. Light.
    As soon as I hear that last one,
    I know it’s perfect. Luz sounds
    exactly like this gold frizz of fur.
    Luz and the Trail Beast.
    I hope Gabe will like Luz—she’s
    bouncy and playful, he’ll never
    feel old, as long as we’re all
    walking
    or running
    or searching
    together.…
    From now on, I expect
    only good dreams.

 
    38
    GABE THE DOG
    FULL MOON
    The yellow puppy’s milky scent rhymes
    with roundness, and the sound of her name
    almost rhymes with moon, and when I sing, she sings,
    and she understands chase games,
    so we’re friends, but I’m older,
    so I get to teach her
    all about life.

 
    39
    LUZ THE DOG
    FINDING HOME
    In my other life there were mean kids.
    I was called hey mutt, but now I’m Luz,
    and I have my own boy who takes me
    to puppy obedience kindergarten
    at the dog-and-horse church
    and who lives with me in a house
    with a man and a big dog in a forest
    where I sniff
    sniff
    Â Â Â Â Â Â sniff
    sniff
    as I follow little footprint trails that always
    lead me back to my boy whose scent
    rhymes with home.

 
    HOW TO STAY FOUND IN THE WONDROUS WOODS
    BY GABE, LUZ, AND TONY
    Never hike alone.
    Tell someone where you’re going, and how long you’ll be gone.
    Stay on marked trails.
    Take plenty of water and high-energy foods.
    Make sure the adults who go with you have the right equipment (GPS, satellite phone).
    If you do get lost, remember that many plants are poisonous. Only gobble wild berries if you recognize them as familiar—blackberries, strawberries, raspberries. Surprise: insects are some of the safest wild foods! If you’re starving, try to think like a bear. They eat ant eggs, beetle grubs, grasshoppers, and crickets. (Never nibble spiders.)
    If you’re lost, don’t panic. Stay in one place. Hug a tree. Every time you wander in circles, you make it harder for a four-footed trail angel to find you.
    Trust the dog’s nose.

 
    A NOTE TO READERS
    The characters in Mountain Dog are imaginary, but the story was inspired by a real boy, and