Bruno the Hero Dog was not always a hero dog.
   Bruno is a young German shepherd dog with pointy ears shaped like triangles.
A long nose that he likes to stick into everything.
Picture
 


​                  Lots of big teeth
Picture
   And a LOUD bark.
He likes to chew.
Picture






​He chews on the table legs in the kitchen.
He chews the leather chair in the living room, just a little, on the back.
He hides behind chairs and pounces on the children's toes.

Yeek! Don't do that Bruno. It tickles my toes!
​Bruno puts his big paws  up on the kitchen counter and grabs the meat for dinner with his big, big teeth and eats it all up.  
Picture

​

​Mommy  scolds Bruno. 

Bad Bruno.  

You are a very naughty dog.   

You cannot eat our dinner.  
Bruno is sad.  He wants to be a good dog.
He lays down next to Sister and lets her read to him and he keeps one eye open all the time.  Good dog, Bruno.
But Bruno is still sad. He wants to be a good dog. Even more, he wants to be a HERO Dog.
He pushes the kitchen door handle with his long nose, opens the door,  and goes outside.

Oh, no!   What is this!   Something big and round with long legs  is moving around in the pool!   It must be a sea monster,  or lots of sea serpents  or maybe  an octopus!  What should he do?  

​​He must protect his  family.     He wants  to be a  brave hero dog.
 
He grabs one long tentacle and pulls the sea monster out of the water and  bangs it from side to side on the concrete beside the pool.   
 
He bites the tentacles, just to be sure.   Take that, sea monster, take that.

Then he runs into the house,   barking very loudly, to let  Mommy and Daddy know he has saved them from sea serpents or maybe an octopus.
But Mommy and Daddy are not happy.  In fact, they are very cross.   Bad dog, Bruno, you are a very bad dog.   You chewed up the new pool sweep.
Now Bruno is very sad.
     He thought it was a sea serpent or an octopus.   He did not know it was the new pool sweep.  
Bruno lays down in the living room, behind the leather chair.   He does not feel like jumping on Brother’s bare toes.   He does not feel like chewing the back of the leather chair.
Then Bruno hears the kitchen door opening and he pricks up his pointy ears.
Someone opens the door, but nobody  closes it.   Baby hears the sound too.   Baby scoots outside, quick as a bunny, so speedy no one notices.  Baby is a very fast crawler.
 
Where is  Baby going?   Is Baby going to the pool?
Baby goes right  to the pool and climbs onto  the first step.   Oh, no, Baby wants to swim, but she doesn’t know how.    There is no time to lose. 
Who will save Baby?

Bruno will. 

Bruno is fast.  Bruno is strong.   Bruno is brave.   Bruno barks very loud and runs after Baby as fast as he can. Bruno jumps into  the water and swims to Baby.   He barks a message to  Baby: stop, Baby, stop.
Baby stops, right there,  and starts to sob, louder and louder. 
Mommy cries out  very loud,  Daddy yells,   Sister and Brother  shout at the top of their voices and baby starts to wail.   Bruno keeps on barking as loud as he can.   WOW.  Nobody can hear a thing.
Mommy picks up Baby.   Daddy, Brother and Sister put their arms around Baby and Mommy.   Bruno climbs out of the pool and  shakes water on everyone.   Baby likes the spraying water  and starts to laugh.
Mommy and Daddy are so happy.   Brother and Sister cheer “Hooray”.     Good dog, Bruno.   You are strong and smart and fast.   You saved Baby.  You are a hero dog. 
So, this  is how Bruno the dog became Bruno the Hero Dog.   He does not chew up any more pool sweeps, although he still pounces on  Sister and Brother’s bare toes, but only once in a while,   and he always watches out for his family, especially Baby.
The End