Ben is a Miniature Dachshund Puppy here on the farm who now lives on Capitol Hill. We love it when he writes us letters. He has developed quite a fan club over the past few months. Here is his most recent letter:
This has been quite a week. I graduated from Puppy Head Start on Monday after Sandy, the trainer, checked to see if I had learned all my vocabulary. I have to admit I was a bit of a showoff, sitting at every corner (well, almost every corner) and getting down flat on the ground, stuff like that. You know me by now: anything for a treat.
I thought I’d get to graduate wearing one of those Mortar Board things with the tassle Nope, nosiree, not a big enough deal. And I was s-o-o-o-o looking forward to chewing on the tassle. Larry made up for it a bit; he bought me lots of chew toys. Next up: obedience classes starting on January 11. In the middle of winter! I think Larry and Sandy are crazy.
I’m still not too keen on riding in the car, and I hate being confined to the car seat. The seat puts me up high enough to see out easily. I do like that, and it’s a pretty plush place to nod off when I get bored. Anyway, I’d rather be in Larry’s lap.
We’ve had contractors here renovating the bathroom. I really, really like them. Not only do they make a fuss over me, they have lots of cool stuff to steal. Let’s see, so far I’ve snagged two pairs of gloves, a huge sponge (three times), a keyhole saw, a pair of safety glasses, and some electrical stuff. Quite a haul, doncha think? I’d like to be a contractor when I grow up just so I can play with cool tools all the time.
Last night I watched part of a basketball game on TV. Larry tells me the President was doing the same thing, only different teams. I think I’ll be a Wizards fan. I’m beginning to get into ball playing myself. I don’t like to just chase it. It’s just as much fun to bat it around with my nose and my paws. Sometimes I play keep-away from Larry. Two-for-one: have fun and annoy him. Perfect!
Now that it’s getting colder I found some cool places to hang out. The radiator in the kitchen is perfect. It’s really warm, and I can lay there and see almost everything. Well, I think that’s enough for now. Be well and stay warm.
Ben