what i said to my pug recently

Last Friday night, there was a snowstorm.

Come Saturday morning, the world was fresh and white and sunshiney, just as the world is meant to be after a snowstorm.

In getting my little pug ready for her walk out in the great white world, I put her snow boots on her.

"Miss Daisy, you have to wear your booties because the snow melt hurts your paws. Remember that from last winter?"

[Little pug cocks her head at me, as if to say, "I barely remember what I had for breakfast—and it's the same thing every morning, especially since you put me on a diet. By the way, I'm not fat. Way to give me body image issues."]

"Well, it does hurt your paws. You do this painful-to-my-heart hopping thing. I want to simultaneously laugh and cry and pick you up and make you keep walking. No pain, no gain, after all, little pug."

[She twists her head the other way and looks in general very worried because she believes her feet no longer exist. Once the booties are on, she can't feel her footpads touching the floor, and in the dog world that means "OMG, I NO LONGER HAVE FEET!"]

Later, as we stomped through the snow on the Prairie Path, a group of fearless runners came {carefully} running past.

"Hey, pug! I love your shoes!" The lead runner shouted this, and then the others all looked down as one at Miss Daisy.

"Yeah, great boots!"

"Love them!"

"You have such style!"

I shouted out a thank you on behalf of little pug, and then, as she looked up at me, confused as to why this group of bright-colored-tight-wearing people just all yelled at her, I said:

"See, other people think your booties are cool. Why can't you just trust me that they are?"

So this week, little pug and I are working on her trust issues.

And on my issues of talking out loud to her as if we were having a real conversation and she wasn't covered in fur.

It's a big week for us.

BONUS picture of little pug, in celebration of this big week