Little Dog in the Big City

Hi, My name is Ellie. My V-E-T thinks I am about 5 years old. I came from a place in Pennsylvania with lots of deer and cows. I used to be homeless, what people call a "stray."  It was a tough life. Some nice people found me, and brought me to live in this cage until I could find a forever family.  One day, a nice lady came to visit. She was looking at the cats with her father. But I knew that she was my Real Mommy, even if she didn't know it yet. So I wished, and wished, and she fell in love with me!
My new Mommy and Daddy brought me to live in a big city called Boston. Our neighborhood has no cows or deer, but it has thousands of people and hundreds of dogs, and some animals they call Red Sox. This big river is really close to our place so we go there almost every day.
I have my own bed (actually, I have THREE!).  This is my favorite spot since it is next to my Mommy as she works on her computer all day. The green toy in this picture is "Before." I wonder what happened to him.
My Daddy calls me a Zombie since I ate out the brains of all my toys. Here are my Pink Piggie, my Kong Piggie, and After. Must...Eat...braaaiiins.....
My Daddy makes me special food every night! He is the best cook. Look at my tail -- it's a blur!
One of my favorite things is to go on walkies with my Daddy. He walks very fast! Sometimes we run along the big river.
Sometimes we go to a park. In the city, everyone lives in tall buildings with no yards, but they have big parks that everyone can play in.
Some of the parks let us dogs take off our leashes. It's fun because we can really run! But I get kind of scared because I don't want to lose Mommy and Daddy. So I try to stay near them.
Sometimes we go to this neat place with a very smelly and Muddy River. The cars and trains are loud. here. Sometimes there are Joggers and other dogs, but mostly we get to be alone here. Sometimes I go swimming! But then I need a B-A-T-H because Mommy doesn't like the smell. I do.
My Mommy makes me wear silly outfits when it gets cold or rainy. I don't like that at all. Daddy understands.
We all take classes in my family. My Mommy takes art classes, my Daddy takes writing classes, and I take obedience classes. Someday, I might get to take classes here and be a Legal Beagle. But they would have to be part-time since I'm only part Beagle.
I'm a happy, happy dog at play!
And I'm a happy happy dog at rest with my pack. (Can you see my vest, onyx buttons, and bow tie?)
I LIKE THAT!!!!!
P.S. My Mommy says my Daddy takes bad pictures, so she isn't in many.)

Ellie's 25 Thing Thing

1. I am a Dog. I know this. I do not think I am people. 2. I am a Little Dog. I am not a Yippy Little Dog, though. And I am definitely NOT a Toy Dog. 3. Everybody tries to guess what kind of Dog I am. Some people think I am a puppy. My People think I am part Rat Terrier and Beagle. They tell people I am an American Shelter Dog. I like that. It sounds important. 4. There are big parts of my life I don’t remember well, but I think they were awful. I’m happy now with my new pack. 5. I used to be homeless. It was a scary time. 6. I like to eat everything I can find in case something happens to my People. I’ve been with them a while but I know they will disappear one day. So I try to be prepared. 7. I love my Mommy. She takes me for long walkies and lets me off my leash. She feeds me snackies. We watch TV on the couch together and play Smelly Ellie Jelly Belly. Mommy is best. 8. I love my Daddy. He is Pack Leader so I respect him the most. He is gone most of the day killing cows for us to eat. He feeds me supper. Sometimes he stays home all day and takes me for runs. I like those days. Daddy is best. 9. I live in a tall building with a magic box. We always have to get into the magic box to go anywhere and to come home. Once in a while we go into a stair room to get home. We go up and up and up many stairs. I like the magic box better. 10. I do not chase squirrels. I stalk them. I catch them sometimes. They are good eating. I know this from experience. I used to eat them for dinner. Now I just try to kill them. Squirrels are Bad. 11. I like to chase Canada Geese. But only if there are fewer than five. If there are more, I avoid them. They hiss at me and they are bigger than me. But chasing them is great fun. Canada Geese are Bad. 12. I live in The Big City. I used to be very scared all the time, but now I am just a little scared. I used to live in the Country. There were many cows there. 13. The Big City is full of dogs. Some are Big Dogs. Some are Little Dogs. Some Little Dogs wear stupid things. Their People must not know they are Dogs. Some dogs wear coats when it is cold and raincoats when it is rainy. They look ridiculous. 14. My Mommy sometimes makes me wear a coat or raincoat. I DO NOT LIKE THAT. Daddy never makes me do that. 15. When dogs go for walkies in The Big City, the best ones know how to ignore people and dogs. I try to practice this all the time. If they forget and try to sniff me, I show them my teeth. They usually remember then. 16. Sometimes we have to go to the V-E-T. It’s a very scary place. There are weird doggie smells there. The V-E-T people poke and prod me, but Mommy is always there and tells me that they are making me healthy. 17. Sometimes people want to come up to my Mommy, but I bark to warn them away. Mommy needs to be protected from the scary people. Once she figures out they are OK, she lets me know. 18. The Big City is full of cars and trucks. Sometimes we ride taxi-cars places. Sometimes we ride the Train. The Train is a really big car with many people in it. We ride the Train to go to special walkie places. 19. My People keep snackies for me up high. When it’s time for a snackie, my People give me one. If they forget, I stand still staring at the containers. They figure it out pretty quick! They are Smart People. 20. My favorite sport is Devil Ball. I chewed off his legs but he still has little horns. My People throw the Devil Ball and I run very fast to get it and bring it back. Sometimes we play in the hall. The hall is very long so I can run very very fast. I get tired after about 10 trips. It is the most fun thing! 21. I have a job. My job is to make sure my Mommy exercises. She has something wrong with her joints and she needs to move them a lot. So I make sure that she takes me out for long walkies twice a day and that she throws my Devil Ball around for me. Sometimes she is too tired so I have to make sure she goes outside. We go even if it is very cold or very hot. It’s my job. 22. We have many beds in our place. I have three for my very own. I like to sleep on the couch. I like The Big Bed best, but only if there is already one person in it. Two people is too many for me to go up, none is not enough. I like to sleep with Mommy or Daddy when they are taking naps. 23. I think that is 25. I am a Little Dog and can’t count. Can I have a snackie now?