Remember David letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks"? It was the forerunner to today's Cat & Dog videos on Facebook. But don't count these ubiquitous displays of animal feats. They could make great stories!
When David Letterman did the segment on his late-night show, it was five to ten minutes long. He would interview the owner and get details about the pet, its background, how the pet learned the trick, etc. It all made a good story.
Does your pet have a special trick, or talent? Tell us the story!
I taught all of my rescue dogs (I've had three now) a special trick. They knew the difference between Kosher and Treif. Kosher food has certain parameters and has been blessed by a Rabbi. It is OK for Jewish people to eat. Treif is the opposite of Kosher and is NOT OK to eat. If I set out a treat and tell the dog it's Treif, she does not eat it. When I tell her it is Kosher, she goes for it! People would always ask, "How did you get him/her to do that?" With my male dog, I would say, "I circumcised him!"
My particular favorite in the video at right is the one with the dogs bringing in the groceries!
Perhaps you could combine your personal story about an animal with a folktale or fairytale. I reference Sean Buvala here, who has a wonderful story about a cat, when Sean was sharing an apartment in college. It's one of my favorites! Click here.
So, think about your own pet. What talents do they have? Could you describe it? Make a longer story out of it? Combine it with a few other short "tales" for a String-of-Pearls?
Come on... you can do it... sit up now... that's it! Good boy... Good girl!