This week I visited a blended family – one Human, two Poos and a Rescue. The spokespooch was Noah DelGrosso, who’s still a total pupster and is verrry friendly. Noah is still trying to grasp some Basic Dog Stuff, such as How To Sit Still For More Than 2 Seconds; How To Stop Barking When Your Human Says to Shush; How To Tell When Your Fellow Pooches Don’t Want To Play Roughhouse Anymore. And, of course, the complete “Dos and Don’ts of Nibbling” manual, which every pupster is required to memorize.
At the door, it sounded like a lot more than three dogs were in there. Even though I knew all of them together didn’t weigh as much as most official watchdogs, they sounded pretty Serious. Their human opened the door just a little and said we should come in quick, while she tried to keep them inside. She was holding Noah, who wiggled and squirmed.
“Oooh, outdoors. I LOVE outdoors! Lemme down! Lemme out!”
“Hello, everybody! I’m Bonzo the Columnist,” I said, hoping to get Noah’s attention. “I can’t wait to hear your story!” I trotted calmly over to the couch and started to get my notebook ready.
The door securely shut, Noah leaped down and onto the couch where he started nibbling my notebook, and my assistant, in a friendly way. Just gentle puppy nibbles, but we all remember our own puppy days, when we had to memorize that manual, and learn that Nibbling Humans and Fellow Dogs was definitely on the NO list, right?
Finally, with stern admonitions from his Human, Noah settled down – sort of. “I can’t read yet, Mr. Bozo, but Mom says you write about us pooches and now you’re gonna write about ME!”
“Yes I am. And, umm, it’s BONzo.”
“I’m s’pose to innerduce everybody so – this Is our mom, Millie. And this is Patrick – he just got here in April, and I was so happy to have a brother to roughhouse with. We’re BFF’s! We play, like, ALL the time. He’s a Malti-Poo and I’m a Peek-A-Poo, so we’re the Poo Brothers. Isn’t that funny? Mom calls us Two Poos in a Pod. And Milo, he’s over by the kitchen, he’s a rescue. He’s pretty old – 5 in People Years. He’s a Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound mix and he’s pretty laid back. “
“How’d you guys get here?” I inquired.
“Well, Milo was an Only Dog for a while, a Rescue from the Humane Society. Then came ME. Our Human brother had me first but he moved to one of those No Dogs Allowed places so here I am. Then Patrick arrived. His first Human got Alzheimers (which is a very sad thing that sometimes happens to Humans.) He misses her A Lot, but he’s happy here. He likes being part of our Pack. Milo’s happy, too, ‘cuz I don’t bounce on him now that Patrick’s here.”
Noah had white curly hair which almost covered his brown eyes. “Mom says I’m going for a Summer Haircut pretty soon,” he explained. “You probly noticed, Mr. Bozo, I’m the Boss. Mom says I Rule the Roost. She also says I get in trouble a lot because I don’t listen.”
“It’s BONzo,” I softly reminded him.
“I TRY to listen, but everything is just so interesting and exciting, ‘specially Outdoors. I always try to escape when she opens the door. Sometimes, when it’s open just a teeny fraction too long, I see my chance and zoom out, then I go for a Freedom Run, all around the neighborhood. Also, I am really good at escaping under the fence in our backyard. I’m an expert at pushing the dirt with my nose, it’s my special talent.”
“What do you eat? Where do you sleep?” I wanted to know.
“Kibbles! I love kibbles! If Milo or Patrick leave any of their food, I sneak over and eat it, if Mom doesn’t notice it first. Now I gotta lose weight, which is a bummer.
“Mom sometimes gives us a special dinner, with cottage cheese. That’s Seriously Yum. She used to mix green beans in, but we’d eat just the kibbles and cottage cheese and carefully leave the green beans. Mom thinks that’s funny because when she was a puppy, she didn’t like green beans, but she had to eat ‘em anyway. She says we were meant to be her pooches ‘cuz we don’t like green beans, either.”
“It was meant to be,” I agreed.
“We have our own beds but we all sleep with Mom. I’m Boss, so I get Dibs on the best spot, right next to Mom. Plus, when she calls us to go outside and Do Our Duty, Patrick and Milo come right away. But I just sit down ‘till Mom comes and gives me a special invitation – and carries me out.”
During the interview, Noah’d randomly jump up and pounce on Patrick. Or Patrick would pounce on Noah. They’d tumble all over making scary grrrrr noises, but just for fun. Then Noah would remember they had company, and he’d sit down and start yapping with me again. It was very entertaining. Made me want to join in, but I couldn’t ‘cuz I was On The Job.
Another fun interview was over. Heading home, I was remembering that “Dos and Don’ts of Nibbling” manual from my own puppyhood. I don’t think my Mom ever found out, but the only thing I ever really nibbled to bits was – that silly ol’ manual. But don’t tell, OK?
