Togo Goes . . . a little about me

Hi. My name is Togo. 

I’m a good boy. At least that’s what my Momma and Daddy tell me. No matter what I do. If I eat my food, I’m a good boy. If I do my business, I’m a good boy. If I drop the work glove I swiped, I’m a good boy. If I don’t bark at other dogs while I’m on my walk, I’m a good boy.

They’re not really my Momma and Daddy. I mainly know that because they are humans and I’m a dog. I’m not sure Momma and Daddy know that. But I love them and they love me. That’s what counts.

I was pretty young when I came to live here. I really can’t remember much about the time before that. I think I lived out in the country. I was the last pup in my litter. We have always wondered what kind of dog I am. Just recently, Daddy stuck a big q-tip in my mouth and swished it around for a while. Then he mailed it to a scientist. 

The scientist ran some tests on my slobber. In addition to confirming it was slobber, he also said that I was part Siberian Husky, part Alaskan Malamute, part Labrador retriever, part grey wolf, and part German Shepherd. I thought all of those were pretty cool. Some people evidently worry about the wolf part of me. It’s only 11%. And I don’t do things like howl at the moon or hunt caribou. Nothing like that. I love people. I would like to love other dogs but some of them have questionable motives. So I just keep my distance. And bark and lunge a lot if they don’t keep theirs.

I do like cats. Or at least I like to watch cats. And as long as they don’t run, I don’t chase them. That’s another reason I’m a good boy. Although, every once in a while I like to jump at one to see if they’ll run. Truth be known, cats frighten me a little bit when they arch their backs and hiss. It’s not a good look. Another little-known fact: cat owners don’t pick up cat poop. Daddy talks about that all the time. There is a lot of that stuff out there. Believe me.

Occasionally a possum will come to visit in our backyard. Most of the time they stay up on the fence and make a ruckus and I bark a lot. They always come about 2 a.m. Daddy comes out in his pajamas and tells me to ignore them. But I’ve taken an oath to defend the backyard. So, eventually, Daddy gets a broom and whacks them off the top of the fence over into the neighbor’s yard. That’s a lot of fun. I think the possums like it, too, because they keep coming back. Sometimes for several nights in a row. At 2 a.m.

We also have birds who live here. Mockingbirds, blue jays, mourning doves, and grackles are the main ones. They like to steal my food and poop on the back porch. I usually ignore them but a few of them are a little irritating. Occasionally I’ll chase one. Boy, am I surprised when I catch one! They seem to be surprised, too. Many have passed away shortly after I grab them. I think it must be a genetic heart condition that is common in our neighborhood.

One of my favorite things to do is go on walks with Momma and Daddy. We go all over the neighborhood and over to a nearby college campus. When school is in session, all of those college kids like to talk to me. There’s a Starbucks in the library and I’m best friends with the librarian. He’s even come over to my house to play a couple of times.

My dad puts things I say on Facebook sometimes. Sometimes I put things he says on Facebook. We are good partners. Momma is my partner, too. She thinks about me all the time and talks to me a lot. And washes my feet when they’re muddy. I think that’s because she loves me but it may also be because she doesn’t like mud in her house. Win-win.

Well, I could go on and on. You’ll get to know me better if you keep reading my stories. I hope you like them.