Who? What? Where? When? How? and Why?

I must remember this list of interrogatives from grammar school: they are the elements they taught us to include in the first paragraph of a newspaper article. As I type this, I wonder how one could possibly know why something happened, but there speaks the person who naturally asks Why? three times...

For Tango, each of these interrogatives has a special meaning.

• Who is that white puppy in the fireplace?
• What is this thing I'm sitting in? It moves around and makes funny, shaky noises, and people keep cooing at me because I'm cute.
• Where did the person inside go?
• When will Anya get home?
• How should I know that that scary puppy is a stuffed animal?
• Why did Mom snatch that cigarette out of my mouth? It had an interesting smell and taste!

Tango tests the world.

He is really confused by the white puppy in the fireplace, ("Who is it?") which is, of course, his reflection in the glass. He dances with it the way he dances with Anya, but a whole lot more tentatively.

I took him on a long socialization outing today to Pittsford Plaza. He had his first ride in a shopping cart, and was cooperative and well-behaved, but confused. What is this thing?

He ran up to a display outside Snow Country: ski clothing, looking from puppy's eye level like a complete person... until he got close enough to paw it, when it gave way. Confusion! Looks like a person but, well, there's nothing there! Where did the person inside go? No smell, either. The second time we passed this display, he ignored it: boring.

"When will Anya get home? I've been sleeping and storing up energy so I can pounce on her, bite her ears, chase her tail, steal her bones, and all. I have an edge tonight, since she is tired after spending the day at Kirkhaven! Can't wait!" says Tango.

Snow Country must be in the business of teaching young dogs because they had a second display, this one with three mannequins and a stuffed animal. I told Tango that the stuffed animal looked a lot like him. ("Well, Mom, how should I know that that scary puppy is a stuffed animal?") It took Tango quite a while to get close enough (advance, sniff, scamper backwards, repeat) to the stuffed animal to discover that it couldn't threaten him.

Meanwhile, he attracted the attention of two salespeople, both dog people, who came out to tell him how lovely and soft he was.

And then there is that awful moment when a parent first sees her child put a cigarette in his mouth! Open up! Give! ("Why did Mom snatch that cigarette out of my mouth? It had an interesting smell and taste!") I know you can't do this with a human child, but it still works with puppies. Apparently the smoking ban in buildings results in people discarding mostly unsmoked cigarettes, and Tango found one. White cigarette coming out of both sides of his mouth, the paper dissolved in the middle, and tobacco on the little tongue. YUCK! I hope he hated the taste!