Paw Up!

Sometimes, good people and super good dogs like me do things that are not so good. Sometimes, they know they're doing something not good, and sometimes, like what happened to me, you don't even realize there's a problem until it's too late! Mama says everyone deserves a second chance, but they also have to do 2 things to make their 2nd chance count: 1. Paw up for what happened and be honest about what they did. 2. Be careful not to let the same kind of thing happen again. Otherwise, mama says it's not a mistake. It's a choice and then that's a whole other conversation. I think that means 'big trouble'.

I had to paw up this week for something I've been doing, but I didn't know it was a bad thing until today. And the only reason I found out it was a bad thing today is because mama decided to fix the problem. I didn't know our sofas were white. I didn't know they could get dirty easily, and mama didn't tell me. Every day, when I wake up, I like to stretch and rub my back along the back of the sofa. It feels so good. Well, today I found out that I made the white sofas were very dirty, and mama had to pay people to come and clean them.

I felt really bad about it because I never want to cause any trouble, but I was brave, and I did paw - I sat and watched how hard Danny had to work to clean the sofas. Mama knows I didn't mean to do this - I just didn't know. I'm going to make sure I don't do it again because then it won't be a mistake - it will be a choice, and I don't want to have a 'whole other conversation' about it because I know that will definitely not be fun. But I also think that when something goes wrong it's never only one person's fault. Mama should have told me sooner that I was making the sofas dirty. Maybe then they would have been easier and cheaper to clean. But she did paw up, too. And she found a solution to help me not make a bad choice in the future. She got a handyman to put a fence up across the lounge so the white sofas would be safe and I wouldn't get in trouble. I think that was very kind of her. This is just one reason I LOVE my mama SO much.

So, I learned 5 important lessons about pawing up:

1. You should always be thinking about the things you do and what happens when you do them so that you don't make mistakes that can get you in trouble. It's better not to do something wrong than to have to paw up, feel bad, and then fix it.

2. If you make a mistake and do it again, it's not a mistake, and you can't be upset if you get in big trouble. 3. If you make a mistake, even if you didn't mean to, you should paw up and try and fix it.

4. If you see someone else making a mistake, you should also paw up for them and tell them what you see because they might not know they are doing something wrong, and if they do know, maybe they would stop.

5. If you are in the same difficult situation often, you should try and find a solution to make it easier for you not to make the mistake - like mama putting up the fence for me. Mama says that as scary as it might be to paw up, you will always feel better if you do!

These were very impawtent lessons I learned! How do you feel when you have to paw up?

Toffy xoxo

#lifewithtoffy

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