A blog post by Josiah, the surprised Yorkie
Miss Janet had some big and good surprises for me. First, she surprised me with a visit to see my friend Beauregard. He’s a doodle that lives on a nearby farm. He’s the first doggy friend I ever met, and we are good buddies. When his family goes out of town, Miss Janet and I stay with him to keep him company.
Beauregard is very patient with me. I jump on him and chase him. He doesn’t clobber me. He gently tries to mentor me by clamping on my ear to get me to hold still. It works as long as he has my ear clamped. The second he lets go, I’m back to jumping.
Eventually I get tired of jumping, and we sit together. If I stay calm for a while, he brings me one of his toys to play with. I’m never sure exactly how to play. So I either watch him playing or I stand up on my hind legs and wave my arms. That’s how I participate.
Normally when we stay with Beauregard overnight, Miss Janet brings my crate from home. We all stay in the guest room: Miss Janet and Beauregard in the human bed and I in my crate. Miss Janet covers the front of my crate with a towel, so I don’t try to talk to Beauregard all night.
This time, I had another very big surprise. Miss Janet left my crate at home. I thought maybe we weren’t staying overnight. When it was bedtime, we headed to the guest room. Miss Janet invited Beauregard to jump into the human bed as always. Then she picked me up and settled me between them!
I was so stunned. And happy! I’ve got human bed privileges at home now. I didn’t know I can have the same privileges everywhere I visit. I really am a grownup big dog now.
Miss Janet brought my blankets from home. So the bed was cozy, and I settled in for a good sleepy time. Beauregard stretched out across the foot of the bed. I settled near the pillow. We left Miss Janet a sliver at the edge of the bed. I slept through the whole night.
The next morning another surprise was in store for me. Normally when I visit Beauregard, I’m not allowed to run around indoors. I either stretch out in his giant crate with high ceilings and my doggy bed from home. Or I can sit with Miss Janet on the couch.
That morning, I was so surprised when Miss Janet let me run around indoors and play with Beauregard. We had some fun play time with his toys. Then I settled down for some good sniffing.
I love to sniff with my amazing Yorkie nose. I can learn so much about a place. I can smell who has been there, where they sat, how they were feeling.
I spent a lot of time sniffing the rug in Beauregard’s play area. I could tell what kind of toys he has played with. I could sense how happy he is when he plays in his favorite space. I sniffed his giant dog bed and sensed his calmness. I could smell the tidbits of snack food he’s had stuffed in his toys. I’ll be sure to let Miss Janet know I’d like some snacks in my toys. It’s been a while.
All that nose work wore me out. When we got home after our morning visit, I spent the rest of the day napping in my couch blankets. I was so sleepy. But very happy with my amazing, surprising adventures at Beauregard’s farm.
What good surprises have you enjoyed lately?
Jumps and wiggles,
Josiah
