School Days

I've been living in my new home for a while and I've been learning from the best teacher ever: my mama! She had helped me to learn "sit" and "paw" and when I do those I don't even need a treat anymore (although I do like when I get a treat).

She tried to teach me how to "lie down" (actually, I believe the proper grammar is "lay down" but I am not going to correct my mama...she was educated on Long Island!). When she tries to do that, I like to run under the ottoman and so I am - in a sense - in a "lower position' than I was when the class began, but it's not (quite) what she's looking for me to do and so :( no treat.

But, we've been doing good school stuff and I like it because I like new things.

Still, my mama thought that it would be good for me to learn even more and make new puppy friends and so she has signed me up for two different learning/play classes. One will start in about a month, but the other started yesterday! And, boy, was I excited.

After we had lunch with mama's cousin Aaron, we went to the place where my class will be. I like riding in the car since we are moving fast, and also I can watch my mama (since my servant/butler holds on to me in a good position). We had a nice drive and when we got there (we were early!) I made a friend. His name was either Marcus or Barkus (I'm not great with names....sorry!) and we sniffed for a while and then went our separate ways as we waited for the doors to open and for class to start.

When everyone was there, the teachers had our mamas click for us and give us a treat and I have to tell you that the clicking was kind of annoying but the treats were not and so click away, mama!

Then, it was the first play time and they had all the "new puppies" (it was our first week out of four that we'll be having classes) play together for a little while but we only got to play for not much time since there were big doggies and little ones like me and one puppy who was really pretty nice smacked me a little and I didn't mind since we were running around but they had everyone stop and it was break time and we could go outside if we wanted to (I did not) and then they put the smaller puppies together and playtime started but soon another puppy (Tucker) and I were moved to our own space. They thought we'd be good friends, I guess, and I kind of liked chasing him!

 

But the people there wanted us to play and not chase and so they tried to have us play with toys but I sure do love chasing and running.

 

Then, another break and my mama took me outside for some air and then we came back and had another chance to play and - again - I was alone with Tucker (we were the smallest puppies, too!) and we ran for a while and then it was time to go home.

I was so tired! I slept most of the way home and when we got home I was ready for a nice dinner and lots of water (although my mama did make sure that I got to use my new bowl for water when we were at school).

I'll be back next week and I don't know if we'll have more fun with small puppies but I think I like school and I am excited to see what next week will be like!

Arf Grr, Arf

Ziggy

...Must Come Down

 It’s now been 4 weeks since my mama picked me up and took me to the beach, and then we came to my new home.

At first, I did not know where anything was:

• Where was I going to eat?
• Where was I going to sleep?
• Where was my mama going when she closed the door?

All of this was very confusing, but I’m a smart little boy, and I knew that I would figure it out.

• Food? It was in pretty bowls near where my mama eats.
• Sleep? With my mama, of course!
• Behind the door? Mama invited me in and sometimes put me in the sink so that I did not have to worry about her.

And during this time, as I’ve mentioned, I was confused about the stairs that went from where we live to where we sleep. At first (as you know), I was not sure where they went, but I wanted to know. And, even though I got carried up the stairs, I couldn’t figure out how to do it myself...I was so young! But then I tried and I tried and I tried, and soon, I was able to climb all the stairs. By the way, climbing up stairs is really fun and not at all scary, and when you get to the top, there’s lots of space to run around!

But, then (I am sure you are asking): what about going the other way? Going back to the bottom of the stairs? That was another mystery to me, but - again - I was carried, and so even though I was curious, it was not something that I had to think too hard about. After all, once I was downstairs, I was not going to be able to go back up with that big fluffy thing in the way (and - yes - I know it was there to be sure that I did not climb and slip or go to places where puppies should not go, but you’ve seen [I assume] that I did figure out that problem. Once.).

But then, yesterday, there was a breakthrough.

As I have done from time to time, when the fluffy thing was not in my way, I trotted up the stairs and explored for a little while. But, then enough time passed (approximately 17 seconds) and I was bored with my investigation and so I wanted to go back down to where my toys and food are.

And, so, I did what any other puppy would do: I cried. I whimpered. I may have even barked a little. But no one came.

I took the problem into my own paws. I started to climb down.

As you can see, the first step was the hard one, since I came pretty close to slipping, but I found my balance, and after that...it was a piece of cake (which, for the record, I have never had since my mama wants me to keep eating my healthy food).

So, I’ve done it. I’ve gone up. I’ve gone down. And, still, I like it when I get carried so that my little legs can rest, and when it’s time for me to run around the house like a crazy puppy, they do not give out.

Arf, Grr, Arf

Ziggy

Pushin' it!

 I've been a busy little puppy, learning about my neighborhood with my mama (I think I know pretty much every sidewalk crack on our block, since we walk it all the time, and I have been super attentive), so I have not had a chance to dictate to my scribe recently. But, today I have the time. Yay!

I've been playing with some of the toys that my mama has brought into the house for me. I especially like the "spoons" that she got me this week; they're yummy to chew and really a lot of fun!

So, too busy to write, but not too busy to continue to explore my home. I know that my mama goes up the stairs and even though that's probably good for her, it makes me a little sad and so I cry but then she comes back and I don't cry any more.

When she goes away, she puts a big fluffy thing on the path that she takes (remember when I told you about the "stairs"?) and so I cannot follow her. I worry that she's okay, though, which is why I cry at the bottom of the stairs and also because I kind of do like to cry.

Well, this morning, I decided to try something new. When she went away, I ran over to the fluffy thing and I pushed it and I pushed it and ... well, you can see what happened:

Yup, I was able to run up the stairs and check on my mama (she was okay...yay!) and then I rested for a while, exhausted as I was after the sprint up the stairs to check on her.

I know that my mama puts the fluffy thing in my way to be sure that I don't hurt myself if I go up the stairs, and that's good. And, also, she pushed it in really, really well after my adventure, so I might not be able to push it away again (at least until I'm bigger).

But, for today, I had a lot of fun, and now I will take a long nap to recover.

Grr, Grr, Yip,
Ziggy