Asa here. As Chuck Billy continues to take it easy while he recuperates from surgery, he can have peace of mind that his little brother has everything under control. Well sort of…this is a rare opportunity for me to do things my way, so of course I’m going to put my own spin it!

Take neighborhood patrol for example. Chuck Billy is very serious when it comes to this responsibility. When he’s on duty we have to be alert for intruders, suspicious objects, and overall tomfoolery. I, on the other paw, think neighborhood patrol is an opportunity to spread joy! Therefore, I happily prance down the road, lifting my paws high, wagging my tail, while encouraging Mom to sing a happy song. I’m happy to report our efforts have not gone unnoticed. I’ve seen many commuters smile and laugh as they pass us on the way to work. One neighbor even stopped to say she enjoyed my dance moves. No need to thank me ma’am, just doing my job.

Another task I’ve taken over while Chuck Billy heals is exercising Dad. It is very important to Chuck Billy that Dad’s throwing arm for fetch remains in top shape. Chuck Billy wants him to be ready to resume play once Dr. Doug gives the ok for fetch again. I agree this is important. Yet I also feel like Dad needs more of a challenge when it comes to our favorite game. We don’t want him to get bored. Besides, I am open to trying new things. Unlike Chuck Billy who insists that we only play with his beloved bacon scented squeaky ball. So for the past couple of days I’ve been making Dad play fetch with my new friend Mr. Duck rope toy. By the time Chuck Billy is back in the game, I think he’ll be pleasantly surprised with the improvement.

Now the biggest responsibility I’ve taken on for Chuck Billy is being on night watch. Chuck Billy has a rather impressive history of creative solutions to getting around his cone to enjoy a good scratch and he loves to lend a helping paw by removing his own stitches. However, this time around with the stitches being on his eyelid, we can’t risk him accidentally hurting himself more. Therefore at night he’s been sleeping upstairs with Mom and Dad, so they can keep an eye on him.

This means I’m alone downstairs to guard the house. I definitely don’t want to let my brother down. He needs a good night sleep to heal. Yet I don’t want to pass up this rare opportunity to have some unsupervised fun. Therefore, once everyone heads upstairs to bed, I leave a few traps to surprise any intruders that may try to sneak in under my watch. My trap of choice is scattering all the shoes I find in the downstairs bathroom all around the kitchen floor. Once my work is done, I quietly remove squeaky Mr. Ratty from on top of my crate, and then curl up on the couch with him while watching my favorite movies on Netflix. I’m proud to report that my shoe trap has scared away all burglars, because no one has broken in under my watch. It also had the unexpected result of tripping up Mom in the morning. Her grumbling over stumbling gives me enough warning to jump off the couch and turn off the TV before she noticed I may have broken a few rules overnight.

Filling in for Chuck Billy has not been all fun and games though. There is one errand that was of the utmost importance. I wouldn’t dare put my own spin on this task. I had to pick up more treats! Because nothing makes Chuck Billy happier than getting extra treats while stuck wearing a cone. So I have to make sure we have a constant supply. After all, we have a motto in this house, “A hungry Chuck Billy is an irritable Chuck Billy!” And an irritable Chuck Billy may notice I’m bending his rules!