Puppy Life

Mary-Ann Sontag September 8, 2020

I have learned to raise puppies from end to beginning — not the other way around.

This means her life exists in the context of her eventual leaving.

Does that seem morbid?

It isn’t.

Rather, knowing how this story will end makes me appreciate every single minute with her.

It means I raise puppies in regret-free ways. I do not want to look back and feel guilty for anything I did or said or was…

I want the ending to be the completion of a life well-loved, with the only regret being that it wasn’t long enough. I know well that is part of the story that is Pozy Clarkia — it won’t be long enough.

I do not waste time being annoyed, disappointed, frustrated, upset — her life is too precious and short for that kind of negativity.

So is yours. Please have a regret-free day.

What's in a Name?

Mary-Ann Sontag August 29, 2020

I love Pozy’s name.

I love that the name conjures up a little bunch of wildflowers. The two syllables and the Z make Pozy feel like Zoey to me. It is a quick and easy name to say — I love that, too.

I want Pozy to also love her name. I want her to hear it and be filled with happy anticipation about what comes next. This means her name must always be followed by something wonderful — a cookie, a game, a tummy scratch, a toy.

I do not want her name to ever be associated with anything unpleasant or negative. This means I must not infuse her beautiful, happy name with tones of disappointment, outrage, anger, or frustration.

A loud and irritated “POZY CLARKIA!” cannot ever happen if I want this puppy to love her name as much as I do.

I also don’t want her to ignore her name. This means I must not use it in a situation where distractions are bigger than her ability to quickly respond to her cheerful, fun name.