Callme and Mink
ShortStory 4,324 words Recommended by 3 award/anthology sources
"Callme curled with her back to the corner and watched Julie’s every precise move. The old border collie often knew more about their surroundings than Julie, and so Julie trusted her to help guard. This morning, Callme’s ears pricked forward in benign interest as she focused on the younger dog, Mink, a two-year-old male golden retriever. Mink sat straight and pretty, his nose up, his ears alert to every flick of Julie’s knife."
Quasar links out; the story lives on Clarkesworld, where the author gets the click.