Ziggy 1, Stairs 0

 

A New Week and a New Friend

So, it's been a week since I've been in my new home and ... okay, you got me! It's actually been a little more than a week, but I was chillin' over the weekend and was not in the mood to "write". Still, let's call it a week and move on.

So, it's been a week since I've been in my new home (!) and I cannot imagine being anywhere else or being a happier little puppy! We have a little bit of a "rhythm" here now. I like to "sleep in" and then my mama takes me outside for - um - bathroom time (I'm still learning) and then we come in the house and I have a little bit to eat and then I run around like a crazy boy and then I have a little more to eat (and a few sips of water) and then I nap.

It's a fine, fine life!

One of the things I really like is taking a nap when a slipper is near my head. See, the thing about "slippers" is that they are soft (or, at least the ones in this house are; I suppose that there are other slippers in other places that are not as soft, but my sphere of knowledge is what it is) and so they make for really good places to put your head. Not that there is anything wrong with putting your head on the floor for a nap. I've done that and it's fine. But it's not as cozy as a slipper, and so when I can, I like to rest on one of them. And, also too, there is sometimes a string on the slipper that is fun to chew. I know that my mama worries that maybe some day I will eat one of the strings (I think she has an image of the spaghetti scene from "Lady and the Tramp" in her head) and it will give me a boo-boo belly, but that's not my plan. I just like to chew it.

And, another thing that is fun in my house is that I have some toys to play with, and I like that a lot. I have a couple of chewy things that I came with that I like, and I recently got a nice blue chewy ring that is good for my teeth (well, that's what they tell me; I just like the way that it feels on my teeth when I play with it, so I guess that's a good thing). Also, my mama gave me a ball that is big for me, so as much as I try to pick it up with my mouth, it's a challenge. When I'm bigger? But what I can do with it is hit it, and then it rolls, and then I run after it, and then I hit it again.

And, yesterday I got a new toy (and a new friend): a crackling duck! Now, I know that some of you may eat food that I cannot eat (okay, to be honest, the only food that I am eating these days is the yummy kibble that my mama gives me and so it's super likely that you are eating food that I cannot eat!) and that you might eat something called a "crackling duck" (ick!) in a place where people go to eat food.

But, my friend is different. It's yellow and when I play with it, it makes a fun crackle and that makes me happy. Already we've had a great time. I grab the duck with my teeth and I shake shake shake it and it crackles crackles crackles and then I do it again. What fun!

Even though playing with these toys is fun, it's also exhausting! I like to take long naps after I have had some fun time with my toys and when I wake up from my nap I am ready to play again until I am bored with it, which takes between 4 and 15 seconds.

Anyway, I am so happy that I am living with my mama in my new home and even though she sometimes goes away, I am trying to be a big boy and not cry (too much) because every time she comes home and I can tell that she is coming up the steps to our house, I get really excited and can't wait for her to come into the house. And, I know that she will be back when she goes away because she tells me, "Ziggy, mama always comes home!" and I know that she will.

Arf, Grr, Grr

Ziggy

 

That Was the (first) Week that Was

Here I am, lying on the floor of my home, cuddled up against a slipper and enjoying a nap. Sure, the human whose foot is in the slipper cannot move without disturbing me and even though it's only been seven days, it's clear to this person that I prefer to nap when I am napping and don't like to have to move. If I do, I cry. A little.

So, I'm here and I'm resting and I'm thinking back on the last week.

I think I've been clear about what has happened in and around me since I really met my mama (we'd met before the day she picked me up but the day that is seared into my little brain is the day she picked me up both literally and figuratively). It's been a week but it seems like it's been forever. In a good way.

I am really enjoying my new home, where I am the only puppy! Not that I didn't like growing up with my brother and lots of other puppies, but is so quiet here that I can get in some quality sleeping and napping. And, since I enjoy exploring,

I'm happy that there are so many new places for me to discover. I've already told you about my job doing the "clean up" around here and while it's an exhausting task, it's one that I take seriously. I've even squeezed my little body in places that you might not think a puppy should explore, but I have. I like doing that.

My mama and I have already (!) developed a routine where we go outside for a little while and she lets me walk on the nice soft grass and if I am a good boy and do something that she likes, I get a treat! I'm also a smart boy and I learned where mama kept the treats and so I try to get to the place that she puts them but I think there is a 'zipper' on it and so it's hard for me to get to the treats since I don't have opposable thumbs. Still, it's good to know that I will get a treat for doing "something".

And, I want to mention a really small problem: I don't know what "something" I'm supposed to do.

I know that we go outside, and I know I'm a good boy (mama tells me that all the time), but I'm not clear on what it would take to get a treat. It seems to me that if you are a good boy, this is sufficient, but I'm missing something about the process. Even though, as I said (and, to be clear, I'm not bragging; just stating a fact), I'm a smart boy, I still have not figured out what I need to do to get a treat. But, I'm sure with enough focus and determination, I'll understand what my mama needs me to do.

The other thing that I have been learning this week is climbing stairs.

I did not know what a "stair" was before I came to live with my mama. The place where I grew up was a big open place, and we didn't have to climb or go in any direction but side to side (and front to back). And, so, the up and down thing? New to me. But, I'm figuring it out. A few days ago, I could not even get to the first step. Now, I have not only surmounted that (it both senses of the word), I have discovered that the big step is a good place to go if I am looking to just chill. Sure, the slipper I'm resting on now is nice, but it's not always here.

And, as much as "sitting by the front door waiting for my mama to come back" is a good way to pass time, the floor is not as bouncy and soft as the big step, so that's where I've spent a little time. Not too much; my mama prefers me to not be on the step because she thinks that soon I'll be able to climb even more and - you know what? - she's right!

Today, I made it to the 5th step and I don't know how many steps there are to get to the top of the steps and I also don't know what is at the top of the steps but I'm going to figure out this mystery. "The Mystery of the Steps in My House"! Sounds like the name of an Agatha Christie book. And, how do I know about Agatha Christie? Well, I've lived in this home for a week and I've listened with one ear up and one ear down and I'm learning new things every day.

I can't wait to see what the next week will bring!

Grr, Arf, Yip

Ziggy

Work Work, Work!

I know that I've only been living in my new home for less than a week, but I'm impressed and surprised by the amount of work that goes on here!

My mama does so much... She makes sure that I have something to eat and water, and I think my food is delicious so that's good. Also, my water is wet, which I enjoy. She also takes me outside a few times every day so that I can learn about "going outside" which - between you and me - seems to be more of a euphemism  than what it really means, since I am really good at going outside. I love to be outside and smell the smells and hear the noises and chew the roots of trees and whatever else is out there. But, like I said, I think that when my mama says that I need to learn to "to outside" she means something else.

And, she has to be sure that my apartment is neat every day and - oh! - while I'm talking about that (excuse the tangent but this is exciting): I got new flooring in my apartment today! My mama wanted to be sure that when I walk around I have something bouncy to walk on and so she put in a new floor for me! Sure, it's not as pretty as the floor that was there but this way I can crawl into my bed or put my head down on slippers and have something soft.

Also, she makes sure that if I get something stuck in my fur (so far today, it happened twice!) that it gets clipped away and does not bother me. She's such a good, harworking mama!

Then, there's the other person in the house who it seems has the job of making sure that the music is something that good for dogs. Yeah, I know. That's about all that person does.

And, me, you ask?

Well, I, too, have work to do. I am in charge of making sure that any and every crumb of food that is on the floor is vacuumed up. By me. By my mouth. It's not a really hard job and it's kind of fun to find the places that there is an atom or a few atoms of food and for me to them make sure that it get cleaned up. And when I say "cleaned up" I mean "I eat it". It's a job that seems really important and so I am not sure how my mama was able to manage before I got here, but I'm happy to help out. I know that my food and my water and my apartment are all paid for by my mama, so it's the least that I can do to pitch in this way.

I try to do my job two or three times every day to be sure that the floor is super clean and that it makes my mama happy. And, I think that I'm doing a pretty good job, but I know that I need to stay focused when I'm at work.

And, that's how things are here and even though it's a huge amount of work for a little puppy, I can go to sleep at night knowing that I have put in a full day's work. 

Arf, Arf, Grr.

Ziggy

 

School Daze

I am really small and just getting to know the world, but I have this feeling that "school" is not going to start for a few weeks. Not sure how I know this; I just do. 

And, here's the thing: my mama made me go to school tonight! That's right, not only was it too early to start school (no other puppies were going to school as far as I could tell) but it was also late in the day, after I'd had an exhausting day of sleeping and playing!

The school is to teach me how to do things and I don't know why or what it is I am supposed to be learning. So far, if I were to grade myself, I would give me the following grades:

Smart: A

Playful: A

Knows about going outside to the bathroom: B- (my worst subject!)

Running around for no reason: A- (working on it)

Cute; A+++++

So, I guess the "teacher" is going to help me with the one thing that I am not doing great at and since I want to be the best puppy I can be, I am going to do what I can to get better.

The teacher came to our house and she seemed nice. I put on my harness and leash and I got a treat for being a good boy! Immediately, I took it and hid under the thing in the big room. Mama doesn't know if this is because i was so happy to get a treat or if it's because when I was younger (2 or three weeks ago) there were so many other birthsiblings and birthcousins that if we got a treat, we had to hide to be sure that no one took it. And, I'm not going to tell the reason thad I hid away with my treat, but I did. And, it was yummy! It was the first treat I've had in my new home and I hope that I get more!

Then she had my mama take me for a walk across the street, but before we did that, we paid attention to the noise in the street. I guess we live on a busy street and so there are people and trucks and bicycles and lots of noise! But, the class was about not letting the noises bother me and I think I did pretty good. I do feel that there are times that my mama wants me to walk and - you know what - I don't want to. And, so I find a way to manipulate the laws of gravity so that my little 3 1/2 pound self turns into a 300 pound anchor that my mama cannot move. It's a pretty neat trick but I don't think my mama likes it; when I do that she picks me up and moves me. Sigh.

But, then we went across the street and I walked around on some grass and the teacher gave me more treats. Learning is fun! Especially when all you have to do is walk around and be a good boy, two things I'm really good at.

Then, we came home and school was over and then mama and I sat on the steps of our house so that we could enjoy the warm evening and also get me used to being outside where the noise is loud(er) than in the house and so I had a nice evening. Alone. With my mama.

Now, I am going to get ready for bed because it was a long day for me. We had someone come to check on our "washing machine and dryer" (I don't know what that is but mama talked to the person). And, the person who came to the house said he'd take me away becuase I am so cute, but mama said "no". Whew!

Then, I met mama's friend Mimi and she was fun and I liked when she held me. 

So, that was three new people in one day and since I am a little boy, the amount of brain power that I need to use to pay attention to all the new smells and people and sounds is tiring and I could use a good sleep.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I am really excited to see whatever it is. But, I hope that there is no more school becuase I think that I need a vacation from that and I think that the vacation from taht shoudl start tomorrow.

Arf, Grr, Grr

Ziggy

Oh, what a night!

Oh, what a night it was!

It was such a long day with so many changes that I did not think about what the night would bring until it was night time. When I was with my family of origin (can you tell that my brain has been expanding exponentially since I got to my new home...must be all the waves of the internet that are bouncing around the walls!), we would all go to sleep together and I could curl up with my birthmother or my birthbrother or one of my birthcousins. But that was many days ago; well, one day. And, so a "new place" means "new habits" and I know that I am an only puppy and that's something different for me. Still, I was excited to see what would happen at night time.

Studio Apartment with a view

And, here's what happened: my mama has the new little room that she built for me and made sure that I have (a little) food and (a little) water and a (little, but big enough for me) bed and a place for my bathroom things. It's kind of like a studio apartment except that there's no place for a TV! So, this was where my mama told me I would be sleeping, and then I watched her as she rose up into the sky. She said "goodnight, little Ziggy" and that made me happy but she was not in my little apartment so that I could sleep with her, so I was confused and a little sad.

So, I did what any red-blooded little boy puppy would do: I cried a little and barked a little and cried a little bit more. Honestly, I was just doing that to calm myself down and did not expect there to be any change in my night....I'm kidding, of course!

I was hoping that my mama would realize that I know how to be a good boy (and, someday, I'm really hoping to be the best boy, but I'm still young and learning) and would let me come to sleep in her big bed with her. I know all about big beds because the puppies that I grew up with heard about them and told us all. It was a dream (no pun intended) of mine to sleep in a big bed some day.

I heard that it was soft and cozy and that when you walked around, it was like being on a cloud because your paws felt funny, like they were bouncing, so that you could walk and walk and walk until you got tired of walking, but your paws would not hurt at all! Also, the rumour that we heard was that there is a blankie on the bed so that when you put your head down, it's soft and squishy.

Most importantly, if there really was a bed in my new house and my mama was in the bed in my new house, I could sleep all night next to my mama and be cozy and warm and also next to her.

And, you know what? The crying and barking (to be clear: only one bark) worked! Mama's butler person was back to pick me up and bring me to my mama in a big bed! An, you know what else? Those stories were right! I walked around and it was so soft on my paws and I laid down a little and that was soft on my whole body and I was so happy and excited that I did not fall alseep too quickly. As the famous poet Aerosmith said: I don't want to miss a thing! 

I finally fell asleep and had a great night of rest. I knew that I would be happy in my new home and I knew that I would be able to chill and sleep and that's what my first night was like.

In the morning time, my mama and me went for a quick walk and then we came home and then I was tired and then I slept more. This time, on the floor. Of course (of course!) my mama has soft beds in the house for me to sleep on but I kind of like the dissonance between the big soft bed at night and the hard but comforting and comfortable floor during the day time (for my naps).

So, with one night done and one day behind me, I am getting used to this new home. I know that it'll be a while before I feel really really "at home" since I still have lots of places I need to smell and chew and explore, but I am off to the best start a little boy like me could have!

Grr, Grr, Arf,

Ziggy

Day One

Oh, boy! What a day I have had and since I am only 3.5 pounds and have been awake for (at least) 7 hours without a nap, it's like a grown person being awake for - like - 2 weeks. You can only imagine how tired I am but you cannot (cannot!) imagine how excited I am to be in my new home.

I'm about to try to take a nap, but before I do, I want to let you know what today has been like for me. It started last night when I was scooped up along with another two puppies and we went through the night into a new place where I was able to get some rest before the big day. We got to stay in a special little room that was fun to sleep in and a good place to play but my friends barked a lot and it was hard to sleep: the barking plus my nervousness plus a new place to sleep made a different kind of sleeping, but after a while, I was able to fall asleep. Then, I was woken up and got a nice bath, which is always a good way to start a day but especially today; I wanted to look my best for my new mama!

We waited and waited and soon my mama was there! I remember what she smelled like and so when she came in I was so happy to see her again. I'm still trying to figure out the whole "barking" thing so I could not yell to her that I was glad that she was there, but I wagged my tail more than I ever have and I could not wait to spend time with her again.

 

Which is what we did. After I said goodbye to the other puppies, my mama carried me out the door and it felt so good that she was holding me. She took me to a place with lots of sand and water and she was going to let me run around and I would have done it for her but she did not want me to get sand in my newly-cleaned paws and so she just held me and we smelled the water (nice but a little bit fishy) and then we were off to my new home.

But, not just yet. My mama wanted me to meet some of my new relatives, so we drove to meet my Auntie Bonnie and my Uncle Chet and I got out of the car and got to stretch my little legs for a bit. The drive was only about half an hour and it was good to snuggle with my mama the whole time but it was also good to move my legs a little. I got a some water but was not really thirsty since today was a little overwhelming and in addition to learning more about the smell of my mama, I had to be in a place that was moving and that was kind of fun and not scary. Not too scary. Anyway, we walked around that house for a little while and I smelled some smells and was happy to have all these new things today. Then, we headed off to my new home.

But, not just yet. Again! This time, my mama brought me to a place where they had something special for me and I did not understand what all the pieces were but it reminded me of the little room that I had last night. Pieces of something came with us as we headed off to my new home.

And, this time, for real! The trip was quiet and I was quiet and it was nice to just relax after the night that I had been through and even though I was nervous about where we were going, I knew that my mama had a good plan for me and so I didn't shake at all because I am trying to be a big boy. We kept moving and she was talking to the driver and then before I knew it, we stopped and I got to get carried by my mama into my new home.

It is great, just great! There is so much room here and there are beds that my auntie/sisters used to use and there is good smells and there's a carpet and a place for me to have my food (the same yummy food that I had with my birthmother and friends) and I loved it from the moment my little paws stepped in.

Mama made me the little room that I hoped I'd have and I have a little bed and some todays and a place to sleep in it and that will be fun when I'm tired.

 

But, before long, she took me for a carry/walk to learn my neighborhood. It seems great. The carry part was fun because it was my mama and the walk part was good because I like to walk. I'm a good walker and got to show my mama how well I can do that. We found a little park and I sniffed around a lot. I don't know if this is going to be my usual route for my walks; I get the feeling that it's a "special" walk for a special day. Still, I liked it and when we were coming back home, I was so happy that I ran a little bit and wagged my tail more than a little bit.

I'm so happy to be here.

But, I'm also really sleepy. I know I will sleep well tonight, but I thought I might get a little nap in before it's nighttime, and so I am about to fall asleep on the couch in the room that has my new little room in it.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Arf, Grr, Yip,

Zippy

Hello, World!

 

Hi, everyone. Or, as my mama would want me to say, "Hello, World!"

I guess I should introduce myself so that you know a little about me before I start my story. First, I'm a little boy puppy and the name that my mama gave me is "Ziggy". I like it! I like the way that it sounds when she says it and I like the way that it has a "Z" at the start of it and I have a kind of a Z pattern on my body! I have a really smart mama! I'm only 11 weeks old and - yes - you probably think that I'm only 8 or 9 weeks, but the people I have been living with tell me that while I might look small, I'm going to be a big boy some day. They say "5 or 6 pounds", which sounds like a lot of pounds, but I don't know what a "pounds" is. Still, it sounds awesome.

I also want to say that I am not typing this myself. I don't have enough fingers to touch all the keys and let's be honest: I don't even have fingers. I know that there are pictures on the internet of puppies and kittens "typing" but don't believe them! We can't do that! So, I have someone typing for me and I have to hope they are typing what I'm saying since in addition to not being able to type, I cannot read. So, here's hoping that you are reading about me and not some random words about buildings and food or whatever.

Most of my life - which is to say all of my life until today - has been with my birthmother and birthfather and birthbrother and a bunch of birthcousins and birthaunts. And, even a birthuncle every now and then. We have lived in a big house where we have lots of room to play and run around and have a great time! But, I have known for a while that before I got too old (did I mention that I'm already 11 weeks old?) I would be leaving my birthfamily and going to my forever home.

So, when I met my mama this week I was so happy to know that soon I would be going to live with her (and whoever else lives with her, which I don't really care about since it's all about me and my mama). She seemed really great when I first met her and while I know that "first impressions" can sometimes be a bit "off", I knew that my first impression of her was that she was sweet and kind and would be the perfect mama for me! I am so happy that she found me!

I know that she misses my aunties, Izzi and Rozi, and I'm happy that I can see pictures of them in my new house. I heard they were very good girls: Izzi seems like she was an angel and Rozi seems like - well - maybe a little bit of a devil? I know that I am not going to replace them and I know that they will always be with my mama and that makes me happy. That my mama can have so much love in her that she can give me what I need but also always care about my aunties. That's a great thing about my mama! One of the great things...I'm sure I will find out more as we live together.

I can't promise that I will write about every little thing that I do, but I'll try to make notes (like this one) so that when I am a big boy, I can hear about what I was like when I was a puppy.

I can't wait to tell you about my life.

Hello, world (indeed)!

Yip, Grr, Arf,
Ziggy