Most dogs like peanut butter. I don't.

Mom tried putting some peanut butter in my Kong treat toy once so I sniffed it; pushed it around a bit to humor her. That was my first experience with it. 

"All dogs like peanut butter," she said. 

Mom figured I was just being a food snob (if that's true, she brought it on — I've been a wheat-free pup since I can remember) so when my 1st birthday rolled around, I guess she thought she'd give PB another try. 

What's that saying? "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Mom should have gotten the hint after I politely declined the first time. I'll explain ... 

I've learned birthdays aren't complete without some type of treat — even for dogs! For the record, I would have been perfectly happy with a few eggs but Mom went the extra mile by ordering puppy cupcakes from a cute little store called "Bone Adventure." Great place. I'd recommend it. Anyway, back to the cupcakes. 

My heart started racing as Mom took a few from the box. I'd never seen such a thing! Paw prints and bones decorated the mounds of perfectly baked goodness. They looked delicious to my naïve palette, not knowing the secret ingredient. 

Mom set a cupcake in front of me ("Just one?") and I dug in. Fosters, one of my buddies, got a cupcake too. Mine was gone in no time. Fosters seemed to pace himself. I wasn't sure why. 

We went home and I snuggled up with Mom, drifting off to sleep with a gluttonous smile on my face. Great day. Great birthday.

Mom went to work the next morning (I still don't understand why she does this) and came home at her usual time.

Mom walked in. Silence. 

What a mess! I was a mess. My playpen was a mess. 

Mess. Mess. Mess. 

I waited. 

Mom finally spoke with a soft, "Oh Murphy ..." but seeing how uncomfortable and scared I was, she didn't yell. Didn't scold. Just silently put me in the tub and started to scrub.

Scrub. Scrub. Scrub. 

Mom learned a lesson that day. I'd like to think it's listen to your dog. She'd say it's that MOST dogs like peanut butter. Murphy doesn't. 

And that's what I'm mulling over today.

Your friend,

Murphs

Me and my puppy cupcake.