Hi friends, Scraps here! Life is pretty good. I’m starting to feel more at home in my new job as the Writer’s Dog. Yup, I’m the mascot here, a fictional literary dog. Sounds pretty important, doesn’t it? Since I’m the new kid on the block, I thought I’d tell you about myself. As you may know from my last post, I’m a scruffy little guy. I’m a rescue dog. I had another home for a while, and it was okay, I guess. I didn’t get much attention, but my siblings and I had a big yard to play in. But then the humans said something about moving and they started packing everything up in boxes and the next thing you know, we were packed up in a box too! I think they got mixed up, though, because I was put in a box with some old books and brought to the library. And that’s where my mom found me. She took me home and she said that was proof that I was meant to be The Writer’s Dog. Can you believe that?

I’m told I’m a Havanese-mix dog. What am I mixed with? Well, Mom hasn’t done my DNA, but she says I have the loyalty of a golden retriever, the spunkiness of a corgi, the intelligence of a poodle, and the strength of a Newfoundland. And all that makes a pretty good mix.

Do you want to know a little bit about my brothers, Ernest and Pete?  Ernest is the older one, with reddish fur. He was just about giving up hope where he used to live, because his former-mom kept him in a small cage all day and all night. She only let him outside to “do his business” a few times a day. He barked and barked to try to get her to understand he just wanted to be a part of the family. But she didn’t listen. He tried to be a good boy, but he was so tired of just lying in a cage. When she let him out, he ran and ran like crazy! His mom said he was hyper and a bad boy. Eventually she got so frustrated with him, she agreed to surrender him to a rescue group. Even though he was an old dog at the time, the rescue group hoped he’d find a good home. And he did! He was brought right here, to his new forever home, where he’s loved and valued ever so much.  He’s 12 1/2 years old now and has had some rough times and some pretty amazing triumphs too. I’ll tell you more about that another day.

Pete is the younger golden. He was born on a farm. His life was good, that’s for sure. But when they were young, he and all his siblings had to find new homes. A friend told Mom about him. Pete is almost four years old (his birthday is in May!) and yeah, he still has some things to learn. But he’s the best brother to me. He can be playful and silly and lots of fun. He can also be caring and protective. Sometimes he sleeps cuddled up close to Ernest, when Ernest isn’t feeling well. He’s taught me a lot too. How to hide shoes. How to dig holes in the yard. How to help Mom, too.

We all have a role in this house. Multiple roles, I guess you’d say. But the best role of all is just being part of a warm, loving family. We have a dad who likes to garden and do yard work, and take us on long walks. And a mom who writes all day for a living, but still takes off plenty of time to play with us and cuddle with us.

How about you? What is your role in your family? And, with so many people still working from home, are you–like me–an office dog too? Oh, and you don’t have to be a dog (or even a cat, or guinea pig, or parrot) to answer! I like to hear from humans too!