When Elle Sollinger of San Diego, California got her chocolate Beagle, Tango, she not only found a new best buddy, but a frisky alarm clock to boot! Sollinger can be sure that when her playful 3-month-old pup is ready to start an action-packed day together, it starts with some persuasive “conversation” as Tango asks to go outdoors.
During breakfast, “I can feel her tiny nose lightly poking at my feet,” Sollinger reports about their daily romps outside with the ball immediately afterward. “By this time, she is definitely wide-awake, smiling with her tongue out.”
Tango, with all her puppy pep, races all over the house and the patio with Sollinger. “I couldn’t think of a better way to start the day.”
The gentle prodding of a wet snout, the delicate pulls on a quilt’s corner—if only they could stay small forever. Though puppies eventually make their way into “doghood,” some affectionate morning mannerisms may very well become tradition.
Buster—a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Basset Hound, and Chow Chow mix—and his owner, Donna Segelken, have been sharing the same lazy day-routine for quite some time.
“On the weekends, when I’m able to sleep in a little later, Buster can hear me stirring and knows that I’m starting to wake up,” shares the Warner Robins, Georgia, resident. Buster then activates his own style of wake-up call.
“He begins with this rhythmic tail-thumping as he wags his tail. Slowly, he then moves over to the edge of the bed (It’s a waterbed, so it’s a little lower than most) where he looks at me quietly, whipping his tail back-and-forth, giving my blanket a little tug—anticipating movement from my side of the bed. If I dare peek at him, all I can see are his dark eyes filled with hope.”
And Buster knows that the fun is just beginning. “It’s always so sweet to see those eyes peering over the bed railing at me in the morning.”
Whether you’re rolling out of bed, keeping him close to your chest as you carry him outdoors or simply watching your pup inch his way paw-by-paw to your side, the joy of beginning the day with your new addition is worth passing on the snooze button.
