The Case of the Mixed-Up Mutts by Dori Hillestad Butler, Jeremy Tugeau

1
Who Am I?
    Hello! My name is ...
    Hmm, what is my name?
    I always thought my name was King. That’s what Kayla and her mom and dad call me. Kayla says I am the King of Crime-solving. I LOVE solving crimes. It’s my favorite thing!
    I haven’t seen Kayla and her family for a long time. Kayla’s mom is in a place called the National Guard. That means she’s far away from home, but she’s okay. I don’t know where Kayla and Dad are. What happened to them is a mystery. A mystery I am still trying to solve.
    Here is what I know about the Case of the Missing Family:
    Kayla and her dad went to Grandma’s house in Springtown.
    They left me at Barker Bob’s.
    They never came back.
    Our neighbor, Mr. Sanchez, picked me up from Barker Bob’s.
    I stayed at Mr. Sanchez’s for a while, then Uncle Marty came and took me to the P-O-U-N-D.
    My people would never let me go to the P-O-U-N-D.
    Something bad has happened to Kayla and Dad.
    While I was at the P-O-U-N-D , I accidentally adopted some new people. Their names are Connor and Mom. They’re new around here. They don’t know Kayla and her mom and dad. And they don’t know that Kayla, Mom, and Dad are my other people.
    Here are some good things about going to live with Connor and his mom:
    They have good food and cool toys.
    They just put a doggy door in their house. Now I can go outside and come back in whenever I want to.
    When Connor’s mom isn’t looking, Connor lets me sleep in his bed.
    Connor and his mom live in the house behind Kayla’s. That means I can keep a nose on the place. I will be the first to know if my people come back.
    Here are some bad things about going to live with Connor and his mom:
    They are getting attached to me.
    I am getting attached to them.
    I don’t know what will happen when Kayla and her dad come back.
    Will I go back to Kayla’s house or will I stay here with Connor and his mom?
    While I am thinking about these things, the back door at my new house opens. Connor and Mom step outside, and Mom pats her legs. “Buddy, come!” she calls.
    Buddy is the word that Connor and his mom call me. Buddy is another word for friend.
    “It’s time to go to obedience school,” Mom says.
    I LOVE obedience school. It’s my favorite thing! I zoom across the yard, my tail spinning ’round and ’round behind me. Mom snaps a leash to my collar.
    “Let’s go to the car, Buddy,” Connor says.
    I LOVE riding in the car. It’s my favorite thing!
    No, wait. Obedience school is my favorite thing. If Mom and Connor pass obedience school, they will take me to a different kind of school. The kind Kayla went to. I wonder if it’s even the exact same school that Kayla went to. If it is, maybe I’ll see some of her friends there. Maybe they’ll talk about what happened to her.
    At the very least, I’ll make new friends at that school. I LOVE new friends. They’re my favorite thing!
    But solving crimes is my favorite thing, too.
    I’m so confused! No wonder I don’t know my own name.

    Here’s a problem with humans: Sometimes it’s hard to tell what they really want you to do. They may say “sit” with their mouths, but the rest of their bodies say “jump on me.” Then they wonder why we jump on them.
    I think this is why some humans go to obedience school. Obedience is a big word. It means humans learning to say what they mean.
    Some humans are easier to train than others.
    I don’t mean to brag, but Connor and his mom are the best-trained humans in the class. When Mom says “sit,” she says it with her mouth, her hands, and her whole entire body. When Connor says “down,” he says it with his mouth, his hands, and his whole entire body.
    I do whatever Connor and his mom tell me to do at obedience school. Then something strange happens: I get a liver treat. I don’t know why I’m the one who gets the treat instead of Connor or Mom, but I’m not complaining. I LOVE liver treats. They’re my favorite food!
    I feel bad for the pug who