Tootie thinks every morning has at least one new friend in they.

Tootie is a Miniature Schnauzer puppy with bright eyes, quick feet, a fuzzy beard, and a tail that starts wagging before the rest of him has fully woken up. He lives with Grandma and Yoshi, and he believes the backyard holds important news every single day. Grandma makes sure everybody has breakfast. Yoshi makes sure everybody knows when something has moved outside. Tootie makes sure nobody misses anything.

A leaf blows across the porch, and Tootie sees they. A bird lands in the pecan tree, and Tootie sees they. A squirrel runs along the fence, and Tootie definitely sees they. His ears perk up, his paws tap across the porch, and his beard wiggles when he sniffs.

Grandma looks over her coffee cup. “Tootie, that squirrel has lived here longer than you have.”

Tootie gives one happy bark. He does not care. The squirrel might become his friend.

Tootie thinks most things might become his friend: birds, butterflies, frogs, leaves, and even a shoe somebody forgot in the hallway. Yoshi is not always sure about this plan. One morning, Tootie bounces toward a beetle beside Grandma’s flowerpot. The beetle crawls under the pot, and Tootie drops into a play bow with his front paws stretched out, his back end in the air, and his tail wagging hard enough to shake his whole body.

The beetle does not come back out.

Tootie looks at Yoshi. Yoshi gives him a slow look.

Grandma laughs. “Not everybody is ready for a puppy friendship.”

Tootie thinks about that for a moment. Then Biv the Blue Jay calls from the pecan tree, and Tootie runs to investigate.

Tootie lives inside Grandma’s house. He has a soft bed, food bowls, toys, and several favorite places for watching the yard. One of those spots sits near the window, where he can see Biv in the pecan trees, Kevin the Crow walking through the grass, and Wilson the Red-bellied Woodpecker climbing tree bark.

Tootie cannot see every creature in the backyard, and that bothers him a little. A rabbit can sit still in tall grass. A lizard can hide under leaves. A frog can tuck themselves beside a flowerpot or under a porch step. Tootie still knows something is out there because dogs learn about the world through smells, tracks, sounds, and tiny bits of movement.

Grandma says, “Tootie reads the yard with his nose.”

Yoshi sniffs the porch rail. Tootie sniffs the flowerpot. Then Tootie sniffs Yoshi.

Yoshi steps away.

Grandma says, “And sometimes he reads the same book three times.”

Before Tootie came to live with Grandma and Yoshi, he had a dog mother and littermates. Littermates are puppy brothers and sisters born around the same time. Tiny puppies need their mother because she keeps them warm, feeds them milk, and helps keep them clean. At first, puppies cannot see or hear well. They sleep a lot, crawl close together, and make soft little noises when they need something.

Then puppies grow fast. Their eyes open. Their ears open. Their legs get stronger. Soon they wobble around like tiny fuzzy tables with feet.

Grandma says she can still see some of that wobble in Tootie.

Tootie thinks that is rude. He runs across the room, slides a little on the floor, and bumps into his toy basket.

Yoshi looks at Grandma.

Grandma says, “Case in point.”

As Tootie grew, he learned how to play with other puppies. Puppies learn important things through play. They learn when a bite is too hard, how to chase without hurting each other, and when another dog needs a break. They also learn that a growl may mean, “I need space,” and that a wagging tail does not always mean, “Come closer.”

Tootie is still learning every day. He learns house rules, where to potty, what toys belong to him, and which things he needs to leave alone. Grandma’s shoes are not chew toys, even when they have a very interesting smell. Yoshi may want to nap instead of play. A bird nest is never a place to investigate with your nose.

Tootie is smart, and he notices patterns quickly. When Grandma picks up the leash, he knows a walk may happen. When he hears the treat jar, he knows somebody made a good choice. When the porch door opens, he knows the backyard has news.

Tootie eats dog food made for puppies. Puppies need food that helps their bones, muscles, teeth, and brains grow strong. Grandma gives him meals in his bowl, and sometimes she gives him dog treats when he practices good manners.

Sit. Stay. Come. Leave they.

Tootie likes “come” because they often ends with a treat. He likes “leave them” less. “Leave they” usually happens when he has found something exciting, such as a pecan shell, a fallen feather, or one suspiciously crunchy leaf.

Grandma checks what Tootie eats because dogs should not eat every food people eat. Some people foods can make dogs sick. Tootie does not get snacks from the table unless Grandma says they are safe.

Tootie thinks this rule needs more discussion.

Grandma says, “Your opinion has been noted.”

Tootie sits very straight. He is ready to give more opinions.

Tootie is a Miniature Schnauzer. Miniature means small. Schnauzer comes from a German word connected to a snout or mustache, which makes sense when you look at Tootie’s face. He has bushy eyebrows, whiskers, and a fuzzy beard that sometimes catches bits of grass, crumbs, or water drops.

Grandma checks his beard after he drinks.

Tootie does not understand why. “They are only water,” he seems to say.

Grandma says, “They are not only water. They are a whole little swamp under your chin.”

Tootie does not worry about that. He has places to go.

Miniature Schnauzers were bred from dogs that worked around farms and barns. Their ancestors helped catch rats and other small pests. That may explain why Tootie notices every tiny thing that moves. A bug crawls under a leaf, and Tootie notices. A lizard darts across the fence, and Tootie notices. A squirrel flicks their tail in the pecan tree, and Tootie notices before the squirrel has even decided what to do next.

That does not mean Tootie should chase wildlife. Grandma teaches him to look and listen from a safe distance. Wild animals need room, and Tootie needs room too. A puppy can get hurt if he runs after a snake, gets too close to a nest, or tries to make friends with an animal that feels scared.

Grandma uses “leave them” and “come” a lot outside.

Tootie is getting better.

Most days.

Tootie wants to meet everybody. Biv the Blue Jay does not come down for introductions. Kevin the Crow watches from a branch. Wilson the Woodpecker keeps working on the tree trunk. Helen the Honeybee stays busy around Grandma’s flowers.

Tootie watches all of them. He does not understand why nobody wants to sniff noses.

Yoshi does. Yoshi sits beside him and watches the yard quietly while Tootie wiggles. Then Tootie wiggles harder. Yoshi sighs.

Grandma says, “Yoshi is teaching Tootie that watching can be fun too.”

Tootie is not fully convinced. Then Biv gives a loud warning call, Kevin answers with a caw, and a hawk passes high above the trees. Tootie hears the birds change their voices. He looks up, and Grandma puts a hand on his back.

“Good listening,” she says.

Tootie sits beside her for a whole minute.

That is a big deal for a puppy.

Tootie learns best when training feels like a game. Grandma keeps lessons short. She asks him to sit, come, and stay near her. When he gets they right, she gives him praise, a treat, or a happy scratch behind the ears.

Tootie loves praise. His whole back end wiggles when Grandma tells him he did well.

He also learns from Yoshi. Yoshi knows where to stand when the door opens. Yoshi knows birds stay safer when dogs do not rush toward them. Yoshi knows a nap in a cool spot can solve many problems.

Tootie learns some of that.

Then a moth bumps against the porch light, and Tootie forgets everything for a minute.

Grandma says puppies need practice.

Tootie agrees. He thinks chasing the moth was excellent practice.

Grandma does not.

Puppies need kind grown-ups who help them learn. They need food made for puppies, clean water, safe toys to chew, and plenty of rest. They also need walks, playtime, training, and visits to a veterinarian, which is an animal doctor.

Puppies need safe introductions to people, dogs, and new places. A puppy should not meet every dog right away. A grown-up can help decide when another dog, a park, or a new place is safe.

Tootie needs backyard rules too. No chasing birds. No digging up flower beds. No grabbing bugs. No barking at every leaf for forty-five minutes.

Tootie hears that last rule and looks offended.

Grandma says, “You barked at a mop yesterday.”

Tootie looks away.

The mop had been acting suspicious.

Draw a maze with these parts:

Start: Tootie at the porch door

Safe stops: Yoshi on the porch, Grandma’s flowerpot, a water bowl, and a shady tree

Wrong turns: Helen’s bee patch, a bird nest, a snake-shaped garden hose, and Biv guarding a pecan

Finish: Tootie’s favorite toy under the porch chair

Add Grandma beside the porch door with one hand holding Tootie’s leash.

Maze caption:

Tootie’s toy rolled outside. Help him find them without chasing wildlife or stepping into Grandma’s flowers.