Dear Cathleen,

I am not a dog person and I do not know a single thing about raising young puppies as you initially requested… but I do know about getting a pet who becomes your best friend and at a young age teaches you all about loyalty, responsibility and having a good friend who always listens to you. I hope that this story did captivate that. As inspiration, there is a quote about having a dog that I do cherish; the book is called “Marley and me”.

Here is the quote that inspired me and gave me a writing bunny to work with on how Pippin got his first puppy and how it shaped him:

A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things - a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.
John Grogan, Marley and Me, 2005

May Pippin’s Patches teach him all that, but hopefully doesn’t wreck Tuckborough or Whitwell as Marley did with his family home (the book is absolutely fabulous)!