Diary of a Dog: Milo

Eyes may be the window to the soul, and mine are pretty expressive, but I can say a whole lot more with just a flick of my ears. I’ll explain in a bit, but first, let me say how happy I am to be kicking off another year with my family in Menlo Park. Back in 2021, I was being fostered through Copper’s Dream Rescue when I had a “meet and greet” with Anna and Gus. They were instantly drawn to my sweet, earnest face and brought me home that very same day. Thinking I was a Jack Russell mix (not a stretch given my coloring), they named me Milo, after the terrier in the movie The Mask. Funnily enough, when they did a DNA test on me, they discovered I’m 0% terrier and 100% mutt (including Shih Tzu, Chihuahua, Dachshund and Pomeranian). So, back to my ears. It didn’t take long for Anna and Gus to realize that I use them to communicate what I’m thinking. I have four different positions. When I’m walking and focused, I hold my ears flat against my head. When I spot a squirrel, my ears move instantly forward, which means, “Go!” I love food more than anything, so when I smell a yummy scent or hear words like “breakfast,” “lunch,” “dinner” or “hungry,” my ears perk straight up and I tilt my head to one side for good measure. And finally, when I’m sleepy, my ears hang down gently—with just a slight perk. You see, I always try to stay just a tiny bit alert. Who knows? Someone might be taking a bite of an apple and offer to share it with me.