Dear Taffy:

I have a young cousin (1 year old), an extremely annoying cousin, who we went to visit over the weekend.  She is a pest to me and my sister, but my sister is better about including her when we play. I just ignore her and pretend she isn’t there. Anyway, we all went downtown to go eat, shop and hang out (us pups got treats and water bowls all along our shopping route – it was rad!). The last store we went into was one just for us! It had treats galore, toys, food, balls – anything that we could dream, it was there. Including a pair of pink sunglasses. They called them “Doggles”. I thought they were ridiculous, but they put a pair on my cousin and she started showing off, prancing around and acting REALLY full of herself. Of course they bought them for her and she wore them EVERYWHERE. Everyone we saw stopped, commented on them, pet her, praised her and some even gave her EXTRA treats. She was such a BRAT!  It really bugged me, so I talked my sister into laughing at her when no one was looking. We made fun of her until she pawed them off. No one could figure out what the problem was, but Mom knew what we did. Must be those eyes in the back of her head. She scolded us, told us she was disappointed in us and we were to get no treats the rest of the walk. Seriously? We weren’t even the brats in the first place! How can I get back into her good graces?

Signed,

Jealous

Dear Jealous:

Well it sounds like you were actually The Brat. Think about it. Your cousin had to wear pink Doggles that strap around her neck and behind her ears. They constantly slide down requiring readjustment. I’m sure they were itchy and annoying to her, but she was trying to make the best of the situation.  And, you must admit, she probably did look pretty cute. Sounds like you have an overall issue with your cousin. The problem is she is family so you will have to learn to handle yourself better and refrain from corrupting your sister to treat her bad. You were probably annoying as a pup too but everyone tolerated you until, presumably, you grew out of that stage and became the…ahem…mature dog you are (should be).  You can’t take back what you did, and I am sure your mom is over it. However, the next time you go visit your cousin, get your act together and do your best to be nice and inclusive. That will make your mom proud of you. Good luck!

Signed,

Taffy