Workin' Like a Dog

This dog really does work, and he shows up as reliably as any factory worker. Every morning, rain or shine, he arrives carrying a ball or an old stick and then goes from house to house hoping he can convince someone to throw the ball so he can fetch. He’s especially happy on weekends when homeowners are working in their yards and the kids are out of school. He can wear out the arms of a dozen people before he tires, so the more cooperative ball-throwers he can find on any one day, the happier he is.
We don’t know much about him, and we don’t even know where he lives, but according to his tag, his name is Dakota, and he looks like a purebred Black Lab. He’s a big lovable oaf, always clean, healthy looking, and always appears to be well fed. He wears a collar and knows some basic commands, so he’s not a stray, but he certainly doesn’t spend much time at his home during the day.
He’s also very smart. He keeps his favorite fetching balls where he can find them. At one time we had three stored in our yard. He would come trotting down the driveway, pick up one of the balls, take it next door and play there for a while. Then when they tired of playing his game, off he’d trot to another neighbor. At the end of the day, he’d bring the ball back into our yard and drop it off before going home...wherever that might be.