My Dlog about my Dog

        As many other families did, we got our dog, Millie, mid-quarantine, as we suddenly found ourselves with adequate time to train a puppy. My family had wanted a pet dog for a long time but knew that it would take a significant amount of time to train a puppy, and even after that would be a big responsibility. The COVID-19 pandemic had suddenly forced both of my parents, as well as my sister and I, to stay home from school/work, and so after a bit of research, we found a nearby breeder with an Aussiedoodle (mix between an Australian Shepherd and a Poodle) that we all loved.

I think Millie can best be described as a bit of a weird dog. In the immediate weeks after we got her, her favorite thing to do was simply to find an air vent on the ground and sleep on top of it. In fact, when the air conditioning wasn’t on in her house she would often bother the first person she saw until we turned it on. A more recent habit she has picked up is sleeping on her back with all four of her paws in the air, a sight that always makes my family laugh. Other things that she likes to do, which I think are likely more normal dog-y things, are playing fetch and going on walks. Millie has an endless reservoir of energy, and the best way to expend all that energy is to take her out of the house on a walk or go throw a ball around with her in the backyard. During quarantine, this was much of what my sister and I spent our time doing every day. Unfortunately, since school started again and my parents have had their normal work responsibilities resume, we don’t get to spend as much time with her as we would like, but we still do the best we can.

        Growing up in quarantine, Millie didn’t get that much experience with other people or other dogs, and as such often gets scared when she leaves the house. When taking her to dog parks, for example, she avoids other dogs and for the most part, just sticks with us. Even on her daily walks with us, if she sees another dog anywhere around her she’ll stop dead in her tracks, and eventually sit down at our feet. My family and I are hoping that gradually this is a habit she breaks, and we are trying to set up some dog playdates for her so that she can get more comfortable.

        When it comes to training Millie, you could say that my family was extremely lenient. At a year and a half old now, she still occasionally chews on shoes, socks, and even any wrappers/paper on the floor. When we let her go outside we sometimes find her ripping grass out of the ground, digging holes, or just chewing on rocks. While we’ve tried to show her that these habits of hers aren’t good, we often get so caught up in her looking innocent and cute that we forget all about whatever she’s just done. I think you could say that it's impossible for anybody in my family to really stay mad at her for more than a minute or two. All in all, we’re very lucky to have her, the smiles she brings to my family and I’s faces are well worth the small inconveniences she causes.