 It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he 'd sent all the way from Texas . Black and white spotted . And our little girl — Tricia , the 6 @-@ year @-@ old — named it Checkers . And you know , the kids , like all kids , love the dog and I just want to say this right now , that regardless of what they say about it , we 're gonna keep it . 
