In a pack there are dominant dogs and subservient ones. The dominant ones carry their tails high, ears up, and parade around marking their territory with scent or winning scuffles with neighboring dogs.

The rest of the pack falls in line behind the leader, at his beck and call. He eats first, he walks first, he drinks first. He chooses who will go next. The more subservient and calm-submissive the following dogs are, the quicker they eat.

Addo learned this lesson early and learned it well. His own father attacked him and took off part of his ear for being to eager to get at the food. He was the calmest under any dog’s rule. When it was time to eat he sat and waited, relaxed, ears down, tail down. He always ate right after the pack leader. In the face of such power, he would truckle to the dominant dog every time.

The others called him ‘pet’ the way he followed the lead dog around, but they were just jealous he got the first scraps. He adopted the name as a badge, humbly worn; the born servant.