From the second I saw you, I was so excited to have you in my life.

I knew that my routines would change, my sleep would be interrupted, and that I'd have a little furry friend who is going to depend on me for everything. This scared me at first; I'm a person who loves their routines, but I didn't care the first day when you whined throughout the night and then left me a surprise to pick up. I don't mind getting up a few times a night to let you outside. I don't miss my quiet, peaceful mornings. And that's how I know you're special.

I'm still new to you, and I'm trying my best to get you accustomed to your new home. I love watching you get more comfortable in our yard, even though it means that you attempt to do front flips off of the deck. A couple days ago you wouldn't attempt the stairs, and now you go up them without being asked to. I try to make sure that you have toys around the house, and you play with them for most of the day. But then you move on to my shoes, so maybe I should buy you more.

You probably wonder why I get so happy when you go potty outside, but you love being called a "good boy" so you're doing it more and more. You probably also wonder why every time you sniff around in the house I bolt with you to the door, but it's to keep our house clean and both of us happy.

You can probably sense that I hate crate training you, but it's the best thing for you. I wish I could let you roam the house and let you sleep outside of that confined space, and the second that you're house broken and potty trained you will be. It's only temporary. I think it's harder for me than it is for you.

You're learning so fast; you amaze me with something new everyday. Each night you wake me up less than the night before, and you're getting a hang of this whole going potty outside thing. Your personality comes out more everyday; you're playful, outgoing, brave, and really smart. Everyone who meets you loves you, and they should. You know you're cute, and you love when random people on the street let you know.

You're going to lighten my life in a way that you'll never know. I get to come home to an uncontrollably happy puppy for the next 12 years or so, which will undo any bad days that I experience. I get to be there for a lot of your firsts, and I get to watch you grow to be too big for your current favorite hiding spots. You'll be there for my twenties, where I'll get to build and establish the rest of my life. We will move around to different places, but they'll always have you in mind. You'll get to be in my wedding, yes, I said in my wedding. You might even get to meet my future (human) kids. You're going to be around in such an important part of my life, and I can't wait to share these memories with you.

You won't be tiny forever, you won't always need my help getting up the stairs, and soon enough you'll be fully potty trained, but you'll always be my puppy.