My Dogs, Heroes Journey By Garrett Neuschatz

 The Heroes Journey can be seen everywhere in books, movies and real life throughout time, new and old. But can it be applied to my dog? This is Dax and the pond he rules over. He is a true hero and a great dog, but it wasn't always this way. Lets look at the steps he took to reach the heroic status he now possess!

Dax's Kingdom

Dax 

Call to Adventure- The humans tell Dax of an evil bird called a "Heron" that has been ravaging the peaceful Fish Kingdom and attacking its citizens.

The Evil Heron

Refusal of Call- Dax felt tired and unmotivated. Maybe he would deal with it later, instead he would rather sleep.

Crossing the First Threshold- After his nap Dax decided he would go outside to mess around, but the humans wouldn't open the door to let him back in. From this point he knew he had to defeat the evil heron and complete his quest.

Supernatural Aid- All of a sudden the great Elder Swan called out to him from the pond. He said "Dax the Fish Kingdom is in great peril. Its up to you to vanquish the terrible bird. Luckily I know of a way; A mighty bark will scare off the fiend." Dax thanked the swan and continued to the pond.

The Elder Swan

Road of Trials- Dax didn't reach the Fish Kingdom without any troubles. He got distracted sniffing a mysterious smell. He ran after a squirrel but to no avail didn't catch it. For a while he forgot about his mission and just rolled around on the ground

Temptation- He had almost arrived at his destination when he saw a particularly nice looking tennis ball. Despite his urge to put his mouth on it he decided it was likely a trap and continued on.

The Ultimate Boon- Dax finally laid eyes on the bird menace and with all his strength he let out the greatest bark he could muster. The heron flew off in fear as he had been foiled.

Freedom to Live- The humans thanked Dax as he returned to the house a champion. He was the hero of all and had been named ruler of the Fish Kingdom. Dax was now free to do whatever dog stuff he desired!