Free Max the Missing Puppy by Holly Webb

Chapter One
    Molly opened the gate, and stood holding it, waiting impatiently for her parents to catch up. “This is it!” she called. “Number forty-two!” She was sure she could hear squeaking and yapping from inside the house, and she couldn’t wait to get inside.
    At last her parents caught up. “Go and ring the bell, then!” said Molly’s dad.
    Molly heard the bell chime inside the house, and it was followed by an explosion of deep woofs. Then she heard paws thudding, and claws clicking, and something thumped into the door. Molly jumped back in surprise.
    “Jackson, get away! How can I open the door with you in front of it?” The voice didn’t sound cross, more as though the dog’s owner was trying not to laugh. “And the rest of you aren’t helping!”
    The deep barking had now been joined by a lot of squeaky little noises, all sounding very excited. The door opened, and a friendly-looking woman attempted to hold back a tide of black and white puppies as they surged around her feet. An enormous grey, shaggy dog was sitting beside her. 

    “Oh, good, you shut the gate. The puppies are a bit excited, I’m afraid, and they’re desperate to get out and explore. I’m Sally Hughes, we spoke on the phone. Come on in!”
    “I’m James Martin,” Molly’s dad said, picking up a puppy who’d managed to scramble over Mrs Hughes’s foot. “You spoke to my wife Clare on the phone, and this is our daughter Molly. The dog-mad one!”
    They followed the excited puppies into the house. Molly looked at them in amazement. Mrs Hughes had told her mum that there were six puppies, but surely there were more than six here? They seemed to be everywhere!
    Mrs Hughes led them into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Another massive dog was stretched out dozing on a comfy-looking cushion in the corner. Molly was sure she heard her groan as the puppies flooded back in and threw themselves all over her.
    Mrs Hughes smiled. “Poor Silkie! I think she’s actually looking forward to the puppies going. She’s a great mum, but they’re wearing her out!” She put cups of coffee down in front of Molly’s mum and dad, and poured Molly a glass of juice.
    Molly sipped from her glass, perched on the edge of her chair, wishing she could go and play with the puppies who were still bouncing all over their mum.
    Mrs Hughes noticed her hopeful eyes and beamed at her. “Go on, get down and play with them! Just watch out for Jackson, the puppies’ dad, he’s completely friendly, but he’s huge, and if he wants to join in he can knock you over without meaning to!”
    Molly knelt down on the floor, and the puppies looked at her with interest. The bravest of them started to creep slowly over to her, tail wagging gently. Molly stretched out a hand hopefully, and he butted it with his soft little head, then darted back. Molly thought he looked almost as though he was giggling!
    “Mrs Hughes?” she asked, looking round. “Why don’t the puppies look like Jackson and Silkie? They’ve got short fur, and they’re black and white, but their parents are grey.”
    “That’s the way it is with Old English sheepdogs,” Mrs Hughes explained. “They’re born with that short, springy black and white fur, and when it grows longer, it gets much lighter.”
    Dad was looking thoughtfully at Silkie, her long fur glossy and smooth as it trailed over her cushion. “It’s going to be a lot of work, grooming.”
    Mrs Hughes nodded seriously. “Yes, it really is. You have to make sure their coats are clean, and that they haven’t got any sore patches under all that fur. And they need a lot of exercise. Old English sheepdogs are a big commitment. I mean, no dogs are easy to look after, but one of these can be hard work.”
    Molly looked up at her parents. It sounded a bit scary, but she still wanted to take one of the puppies home! 
    Her mum was looking doubtful. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, we’ve never had a dog before. Perhaps