Meet Ziggy – My Furry Son

My daughter is my first born. She’s a beautiful, creative, loving girl who became a second grade teacher. She and her husband have given us two perfect grandchildren – Jonah Bear and Lilly Bug. They’re an awesome family. She’s a wonderful kid and a world-class mother. We couldn’t be more proud of them.

She likes to say that Ziggy is our favorite child. I’ve tried to explain to her – it’s not that he’s our favorite, it’s that he can’t ask us for money. That’s significant. And Ziggy is the baby. He’s our second child. And her little brother. He came into our lives when my husband (a.k.a. The Complete Package) bought a motorcycle. That was our deal – he got a motorcycle, and I got a dog. Don’t think for a second that I got ripped off. I’d wanted a dog for many years, but he fought me long and hard. A bad experience with a dalmation early in our marriage had taken a toll on him. When he came home with that motorcycle brochure, I think he expected me to freak out a little. I took it as a sign from God. He envisioned a motorcycle on the open road. I saw clouds parting, angels singing and puppies falling from heaven into my arms. A teacher friend who raised Boston Terriers gave me the pick of the next litter, and I was off to the races. Ziggy was a runt – a sweet, snuggly, scrappy little runt. I was there the day he was born, and visited him almost every day until we brought him home at six weeks. He’s named for the white lightening bolt birthmark that was on his head as a puppy and my latent childhood crush on David Bowie. The birthmark has gone away, but my crush on Bowie still surfaces from time to time.

Ziggy is an awesome dog. His problem is that he isn’t aware that he’s a dog. I’m serious! We’ve taken him to two dog parks, but he is indifferent to other dogs. He’s not aware that he’s like them. He doesn’t “greet” other dogs in the traditional way. In fact, he ignores them. He’d rather sit on another family’s blanket and play with their kids. He loves to ride in the car and play with the grandkids (on his own terms). His favorite food is a small vanilla cone from Dairy Queen. He can mow one down in a matter of minutes, including the cone. Granted, it’s not pretty, but the boy loves his ice cream. He knows when you’re sick or sad, cuddling up to comfort you whenever needed. He licks my feet as if I’ve walked through a vat of melted cheese (which I can assure you I haven’t), and when The Complete Package is away on business, he sleeps with me. Not for protection, mind you. He’s eleven now, and his hearing and vision are not what they used to be. No, I like it because he snores and farts and hogs the bed, which reminds me of my beloved. Sorry, honey…..the truth shall set you free.

Ziggy is extremely good natured. He loves Halloween. His favorite part is seeing all the little kids in their costumes. He runs to the door every time the doorbell rings or he hears kids in the yard. He goes out onto the porch to greet each of them and steal a few kisses from willing participants. I bought him a costume once, but he only wore it long enough to snap a quick photo.

The photo quality is not great, but you get the idea. He wore it for about 60 seconds. Just long enough to kneel and snap one photo. I’m sure all of you who think it’s wrong to dress up dogs are laughing and pointing and saying things like “serves you right” but I don’t care. He was adorable. Even if it only lasted a moment. He was a little more accomodating for his Christmas shot. Yes, I bought two costumes. Don’t judge me. He was also in our Christmas card that year, and he was a hit with family and friends. So stuff it, non-dog-dressers. It was worth it. Here’s what you missed if you weren’t on my Christmas card list that year. Keep your negative comments to yourself, or you won’t be on this year’s list, either.