Agatha is making friends at 8-weeks old.
I am a puppy.
I still live here.
Maybe this is home.
The people still say,
“Agatha.”
They smile when they say it.
Maybe Agatha is me.
I know some things now.
The loud white machine moves.
The little bed is soft.
The chewy Kong makes my gums feel better.
People like when I potty outside.
People do not like when I potty inside.
This is a very confusing rule.
Sometimes I forget.
Sometimes I remember too late.
The people sigh.
Then we go outside anyway.
People have many rules.
Charlie lives here too.
Charlie is old.
Charlie likes quiet.
I do not like quiet.
I run.
I bounce.
I chase Charlie.
Charlie walks away.
I chase more.
Charlie sighs.
Charlie is very good at sighing.
Sometimes I climb in Charlie’s bed.
I think it is our bed.
Charlie does not think so.
One day Charlie barked and snapped.
I jumped!
I ran away fast.
My heart went boom-boom-boom.
Charlie kept his bed.
Then I forgot.
I climbed into Charlie’s bed again.
Charlie sighed.
Charlie sighs a lot.
One day we ride in the loud white machine again.
Charlie comes too.
We go to a place that smells like…
Dogs. Cats. Birds. People. Medicine.
Everything.
Everybody wants to sniff everybody.
I sniff everything.
Everything sniffs me.
A nice person touches my ears.
My feet.
My tummy.
My teeth.
They tell me I am growing.
I do not know what growing is.
Everyone smiles.
Maybe growing is good.
Charlie already knows this place.
He looks bored.
When we get home,
I meet another dog.
He is BIG. Very big.
Bigger than Charlie.
His name is Banks.
Banks has long legs.
Long ears.
A long nose.
He smells like outside.
He sniffs me.
I sniff him.
His tail moves.
My whole puppy moves.
I bounce.
Banks does not bounce.
He watches me.
I think he is very nice.
Then I see something else.
Orange. Striped. Fluffy.
Not a dog.
Not a person.
It looks at me.
I look at it.
I wag.
It does not wag.
It says,
“Mrrrp.”
Then it walks away
like I am not even there.
People call him Phillip.
Phillip is very strange.
Maybe Phillip is a broken dog.
I still chew my Kong.
I still chase Charlie.
I still forget where potty goes sometimes.
I am trying.
People smile when I get it right.
Charlie sighs.
Banks wags.
Phillip ignores me.
People still have many rules.
I have a very busy life.
I am a puppy.
