The perfect DOG

Since Maddie has been in our home she has been a little angel (except for a minor incontinence problem that she can't help.) Will and I have commented on how she is the perfect dog and have bragged about her to everyone. Well, we may have spoken too soon. Yesterday morning we found one of Will's work gloves that had a hole chewed into it. And when I got home from work last night I walked into the kitchen to find crumbs all over the floor. Maddie had gotten into a box of crunchy oats & honey granola bars and had eaten the entire box! She had granola stuck all over her legs, chest, tummy... even on the top of her head! (I should have taken a picture of her.) As I surveyed the damage, I found an empty box of Splenda on the floor next to a granola bar rapper. I just bought the box of 100 packets on Sunday and it was empty!!! I frantically looked around the kitchen for any remnants of Splenda packets and I didn't find anything. Maddie stood there looking at me with her sweet brown eyes and I panicked. I rushed to call our vet because is was 5:56 and the vet closes at 6:00. I told the receptionist that my dog had just eaten 100 Splenda packets and I need to know if I should bring her in. She put me on hold for a few minutes while she went to consult with the vet. While I was waiting, I went back into the kitchen for another look around and thought to look in the canister where we usually keep our Splenda and found it to be FULL. I guess Will emptied the box into the canister that morning and left the empty box on the counter in Maddie's reach. So, Maddie didn't eat the Splenda after all! I was so relieved. When the receptionist returned to the phone she told me that Maddie should be okay. So, for future reference... 100 packets of Splenda will not kill a dog but just give it diarrhea.
Later on last night we discussed whether this means that Maddie is no longer the perfect dog. Will so wisely pointed out that she IS a dog. So, even though she may not be perfect, she can still be the perfect dog.