My little dog

A paper I wrote for school:


Sometimes the greatest form of friendship is between a person and his or her dog. My dog, Ozzy, and I have been outstanding friends since the day my parents gave him to me almost seven years ago. I was asleep on a hot afternoon in July when they came home with my beautiful, tiny, fuzzy, white puppy. They put him next to me in my bed and he immediately started licking my face. I could smell the distinctive puppy smell and I immediately knew he was mine.

Now Ozzy is almost seven years old and his appearance has changed some from when he was a puppy. My tiny dog is a male Maltese and has straight, silky, white hair that must be groomed. Sometimes in the winter, I let him grow his hair longer and by the way he struts around when his hair is long, I can tell he enjoys it. He weights a little under eight pounds and the top of his back is only six inches from the ground. Ozzy has bright, attentive, coal black, eyes. He watches every move that I make to make sure he does not miss anything.

My miniature dog is a very dedicated and loyal companion to me. My room is in the basement and Ozzy will wait at the top of the stairs for me until I come back upstairs if I do not let him go into the basement with me. He also sleeps by the back door during the day while I am at work, waiting for me to come home. He cries sometimes because he is sad that he cannot always be with me. He usually has dark tear stains under his eyes on his cotton white fur. In addition, if Ozzy is sitting on my lap, he will bark, growl, and/or snap at anyone who tries to touch me. If I am out in the garage smoking, he will sit and wait for me to finish, no matter if he has just woke up or if he is in the middle of playing. He loves merely being next to me. When I am sleeping, if I roll over, he will reposition himself so that he is always touching me. Also, if I cry, Ozzy will cry right along with me and will usually lick the tears from my face.

My dog’s demeanor is also very unique and like able. One of Ozzy’s favorite activities is to bark at and chase birds in the backyard. He will sneak out the doggy door and run so quickly that his hair is flowing in the wind and bark at the birds. He loves to play fetch too and will chase a rope as long as someone will keep throwing it for him. He will growl when the person tries to take the rope back from him but he will keep bringing it to them and let them try to take it. Ozzy loves his toys so much that he always has one next to him when he sleeps. I assume this is in case he wakes up and wants to play right away. He also likes to play with my mom’s Maltese, Chloe. They will chase each other around the house and play fight in the middle of the living room, then do it all over again until she becomes worn out.

Although he only weighs eight pounds, he acts as if he is a Great Dane. He will bark at big dogs outside our fenced in yard, as if saying, “This is my yard. Stay away!” My cousin has brought his dog, Smokey, over to our house with him before. He is a lab mix and a very laid-back dog. Ozzy will bark at and snap at Smokey even though he is ten times bigger than him. Additionally, whenever a car pulls up or the doorbell ring, Ozzy barks and lets the person approaching the house know that it is “his house” and he is the boss.

In addition to being a tough guy, my miniature dog is also very affectionate. He loves to kiss me. Sometimes, it becomes a little annoying when I am trying to do other things, such as talking on the phone, but I know it is just because he loves me and wants to show it. Although Ozzy loves to play, he is always more than willing to take a nap with me simply to be able to spend more time with me. If I say that we are going to take a nap, he will run as fast as he can to my room, jump on the bed, and wait for me to lie down. He loves my husband, my mom, and his Aunt Shelley just as he loves me. He kisses them and lies by them just as he does with me. Even though Ozzy has more energy than he needs, he would lay still and let anyone rub his belly for as long as they want to and then beg for more. He will close his eyes and breath deep while he or she does so.

Furthermore, Ozzy is very smart. If someone tells him to go outside, he will go out and do his business. When he comes back in, he will stand in the kitchen by his snack jar, anxiously waiting for someone to give him a snack. When we are in my room and I reach for his snack jar there, Ozzy will jump up and down, wag his tail, and often bark because he knows his snacks and bones are in there, too. When I come home with bags from Wal-Mart, he becomes excited, as well, because he knows that I sometimes buy him toys and bones from there. In addition, if I say “Grandma,” “Grandpa,” “Aunt Shelley,” or “Uncle Lyle,” Ozzy understands exactly whom I am talking about. For example, if he is barking because someone has pulled up in the driveway, I will tell him that it’s only Uncle Lyle and he will stop barking and continue with playing with his toys or napping. I can also tell him to have grandma to give him a snack and he will go in the kitchen, bark and aggravate my mom until she gives him a snack.

I’m not sure how my parents picked out a puppy that was so absolutely perfect for me but I’m very thankful that they did. Ozzy really knows how to enjoy the simple things in life and let the bad things pass. Although he is spoiled rotten, he knows that I am the boss and he never stays mad at me for very long. When I yell at him he will even let out a heavy sigh. Ozzy is truly one friend that I will never forget.