My dog is arguably the best dog in the world. Just like many other dog owners, this statement is very familiar due to the immensely tight bond that is created through a dog and its owner. For 13 years, I hadn’t realized what I was truly missing out on without having a pet. I would spend endless hours playing with my stuffed dog attempting to prove to my parents that I was responsible enough to have my own pet. Of course my friend’s dogs were nice and cute and fluffy, but none would compare to Zippy. Since you are mostly unaware of his spunky presence and outgoing nature, Zippy is an estimated 15 pound Affenpinscher made of matte black hair that has the tendency of shedding close to everywhere. He is very playful and may never run out of energy. His endless supply of toys fuels his spontaneous vibe that he uses to great us at the door everyday when we come home. The squeeking sound of his bunny fills the otherwise boring silence in our house. He isn’t like many dogs and has an overwhelming abundance of emotion and personality. His intelligence consists of a mixture of things he has remembered and vocabulary we’ve taught him leading him to execute simple tricks, bring certain toys to us, and find our family no matter where we may be in the house. One of our favorite games is hide and go seek. In this version of the classic game, Zippy is always the seeker. We cover him in a blanket and run to a hiding place. In the meantime while he is attempting to escape the bundle of fluff, I wait patiently for him to come and find me. It takes him a few frustrating minutes and once he finds us he jumps and wags his tail with all his might. He loves to go on walks and play with his friends and specifically knows exactly were his best doggy friends reside and always leads me astray to their houses through his keen sense of smell on our walks around the neighborhood. In the cooler winter months, you can easily find Zippy hidden under his little red jacket that we strap on when the temperatures are well below 30 degrees. Did I mention he’s fast? He’s the fastest little dog you will ever meet and runs circles around our house. He’s very protective and doesn’t enjoy visits from the mailman or other “foreign intruders” and will clearly announce to our family when somebody is at the door. Aside from his stately confidence and speed, he makes a good cuddler when winding down to go to sleep. He loves to snuggle and get as close as he can to you in order to feel loved and protected. His favorite place to snuggle is at the fireplace where he will lie down and rest until he hears another strange sound. Zippy is alert, confident, speedy quick, playful, rambunctious, cuddly, and very adorable. He proves to me everyday that there is always something to be grateful for. Without him I wouldn’t have the same jump in my step that he provides to me everyday. One of kind and irreplaceable, Zippy.