Mum replies: "No, because she is in heat."
"What's that mean?" asked the child.
"Go ask your father. I think he's in the garage."
The little girl goes to the garage and says: "Dad, may I take the dog for a walk around the block? I asked Mum, but she said the dog was in heat, and to come to you."
Dad said: "Bring Belle over here." He took a rag, soaked it with petrol, and scrubbed the dog's backside with it to disguise the scent. "OK, you can go now, but keep Belle on the leash and only go one time round the block."
The little girl left and returned a few minutes later with no dog on the leash.
Surprised, Dad asked, 'Where's Belle?'
The little girl said: "She ran out of gas about halfway down the block, so another dog is pushing her home."
Alan Roberts, StockbridgeIf you have a joke you would like to share with us e-mail: letters_en@edinburghnews.com
The full article contains 190 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.