Once we are inside the building, Mommy carries me up the stairs. There are lots of stairs in this building where my den is, and I would love to explore here and climb all on my own. But Mommy won't let me. She carries me in her arms instead. I try to wriggle out of Mommy's arms, because I prefer walking to being carried. Puppies are good at wriggling and squirming, and I don't want to be carried right now. Being carried is for baby puppies, and not for Black Hayate. I am more than capable of walking on my own four paws. But Mommy holds onto me very tightly, and doesn't let me go.
"Not until I've got you a collar and a leash. I'm not letting you run around on your own. What if something happened to you?" She asks.
I whimper a little bit, because I don't like being treated like a baby. I don't know what Mommy thinks would happen to me if I explored on my own. I am a very smart dog, so I wouldn't get lost. I will always be able to find Mommy again. Even when I was lost for almost my whole life and couldn't remember what Mommy and Daddy looked like I still found them again because I love them so much. And this building is where our home is, and it is much more safe for Hayate than outside in the alley. I know we would live somewhere safe for dogs. Somewhere that is warm and dry and safe. Mommy smiles as I try to jump out of her arms with my front paws. She rolls me onto my back in her arms to stop me wriggling, and scratches under my chin again.
"It wouldn't look very good if I lost you before I even got you home, now would it? Plus there are rules in this building. Pets have to be supervised and under control when they're in the hall." Mommy explains.
Mommy had said there were rules earlier. But that doesn't seem fair. Humans run around on their own all the time without a leash. But dogs don't get to. Unfair treatment of dogs. But I suppose I don't really mind all that much. I'm just so glad that I'm coming home at last. I will never have to be left on my own again. Nothing can ruin today. I nuzzle in against Mommy's shoulder, and it makes Mommy giggle, and she rubs her nose against mine.
It takes a long time to get to the top of the stairs, because Mommy walks slowly when she is carrying me. It is annoying, because I think I could climb the stairs faster if I was allowed to walk for myself. But Mommy says that is against the rules, even though and I am in a hurry to see our home again. Puppies are not good at waiting. I wish Mommy would walk faster, so we could get to our den. I need to see it. I have missed our den, and I have been away from it for so long that I can't remember it. Just like I couldn't remember Mommy and Daddy before. But I think Mommy is just walking slowly because she is being careful while carrying me. If Mommy were to fall while she was carrying Hayate, I would be crushed under Mommy. Mommy would be far too heavy to be on top of me, and I would be squashed into mush. Being squashed and crushed is nearly as scary as being gobbled up by a big dog or a monster. I had horrible nightmares about being sat on and squashed by bigger dogs, as well as nightmares about being eaten up. Now that I think about it, I had a lot of nightmares while I lived on the street. Almost every single night. I would make up whimpering and no one would come to help me. All I could do was cover my eyes and go to sleep again. But then I would just have more nightmares and it was very scary. I think it was because I did not feel safe on the street without Mommy to watch over me and keep me warm and safe with cuddles. I felt afraid on my own. But now that I will live in a real home, with my Mommy and Daddy, I will feel safe all the time, and never scared or frightened. They will keep me warm and safe and protected, and I won't have any nightmares ever again. No more scary dreams about getting squashed or eaten.
Finally, we do get to the top of all the stairs and Mommy carries me down the hall to a green door. There are lots of other doors that look just like this one, but this door is ours. I know our home must be behind it because we have stopped here, and I am very excited. Hayate's new den. "Which pocket did I put those damned keys in?" Mommy says, searching her pockets with one hand, while holding onto me with the other. This is my chance to get free. I want to walk into my den on my own paws, like a big dog. Not carried like baby puppy. I squirm my squirmiest. I don't think Mommy will be able to hold me with one arm. "Hold still a minute, Black Hayate." Mommy says.
"It would be easier to find them if you weren't holding me." I explain to Mommy, and I am very right. It is very true what I say. "You will find your keys more quickly if you set me down. I won't run away." I request. I am being truthful. I want to see our den. But it doesn't work. I don't think Mommy speaks dog, because she doesn't answer. But soon she does find her keys, and puts the key to our home into the lock on the door. I am surprised that Mommy managed to keep hold of me while I was squirming my squirmiest. It is very hard to hold onto wriggly puppies. But Mommy held onto me very tight.
The door of our home is made of green wood, just like all the others in our building. "I would quite like to scratch at it." I think, as Mommy opens the door. Wood is good for scratching, and sharpening my claws, and there wasn't much for me to sharpen my claws on in the little alley that I was left in. So I've got to do that soon. It is important to scratch and sharpen my claws regularly to keep them sharp and useful. Sharp claws mean I can protect our home if any other dogs try to take it. Even though I find other dogs scary, I would never let them take our den. I would protect Mommy and our den from the other dogs, and Mommy would be very pleased with me. But right now my claws are blunt and dull and not very sharp at all. I can't protect Mommy or den with useless not sharp claws. So they will need some practice later.
"We're here." Mommy says, as she carries me through the open door. Then she closes the door behind us, and sets me down. I can finally take a look around our home. It is a very nice home. Warm and dry with different small spaces to explore, like behind the couch and under the table. I will definitely be exploring these later. All puppies love to explore new places and our whole home is new to me. I tread a few steps, and immediately notice something different about the ground in our home. The ground is soft here. It's not like the hard ground outside. I have never felt soft, warm, fluffy ground like this. I don't know what it is, or what it would be made of. But I do know that it would be perfect for sharpening. I start ripping into the soft ground, and dig my claws deep into it. It is almost like the ground is made of fur or perhaps tiny strings. My claws tear through it, and I pull some of the tiny strings out. This makes me very pleased, and I dig my claws in again. My claws will be sharp in no time.
"No!" Mommy shouts at me. She immediately lifts me up, even though I try to cling onto the soft ground with my claws, and drag a few more small strings out with me as I am lifted off of the soft, furry ground. Mommy holds me in one hand and looks straight into my eyes. Then she points at me with her other hand. "You will not be doing that on my watch. No ripping up the carpet. That's the second rule. It's not you who has to pay for it." She scolds.
Mommy sets me back down after she is done telling me off and scolding. I don't know why I'm not allowed to sharpen my claws on the soft ground in here. It is perfect for claw sharpening, and claw sharpening is something all dogs need to do. But I must not be allowed because it's against Mommy's rules. So I will just have to find something else to sharpen on later. "I'm sorry." I apologise. "I didn't know. I've never seen this kind of ground before. What makes the ground soft in our den? What is it made of?" I ask. I am interested, because I have never come across ground like it before. Nothing like it on the street. But Mommy doesn't answer, because she doesn't speak dog. What can I do? I try to learn, but Mommy doesn't answer my questions.
"It's not too bad." Mommy says, under breath, while she examines where I sharpened my claws. "I really hope the landlord doesn't notice." She says, trying to flatten down the ripped up parts. But it's no good. It is still quite scratched in that spot. I do feel a little bit bad because I have annoyed Mommy and made her upset almost right away. But I suppose I don't feel very bad, because I did not know, and it definitely wasn't my fault. Mommy should have said something before I started sharpening. I think now would be a good time to start my exploring my new den.
"I want to explore all of the hiding places in our den." I think, as I sniff along the length of the skirting board. "But there is something important that I have to do first". I continue following the skirting board, all the way into a corner of the living room and sniff the ground. "This is my home now. So it needs to smell like me." I lift my leg and pee in the corner of the room.
"No!" Mommy yells at me, as she turns around. I think she must have heard me peeing. She dashes across the room very fast. Much faster than when she was carrying me, and she lifts me up again. "Bad dog." I stop peeing when Mommy lifts me. "Ugh." Mommy groans. I still peed quite a lot before Mommy managed to lift me, and I think might have annoyed her again. "You haven't been here two minutes and I've already got a hacked up carpet, and mess to clean up. I'm not going to be able to take my eye off you for one second, will I." She sighs.
"Not 'bad dog'." I explain. I don't like being called 'bad', especially when it's not true. "Good dog. I am making our home smell like Black Hayate. Now no other dogs will try and take our den. Good dog." I explain. But Mommy doesn't understand dog, so she doesn't know how good I've been. Even though it's all true what I say. That is twice already I have made Mommy annoyed, and it has not even once been my fault. Humans need everything explained to them, but I've never met a single person who could speak dog. So I cannot explain. I hope Mommy does try to learn dog. I would help teach her, and I have been working very hard to learn human. So it's only fair. Mommy cleans up the pee I did."That's no good, Mommy." I correct her. "Our den still doesn't smell like Hayate yet, so it won't be safe from other dogs." I don't know why Mommy is cleaning up where I peed, or why she was angry that I wanted to make our home smell like Black Hayate. I was doing a good thing. It would serve Mommy right if another dog took our home, and then Mommy would have to apologise to Hayate. But I would never let that happen, even if it would prove that I was right and Mommy was wrong. I will always protect our home and Mommy from other dogs. I guess I will just have to mark my territory again later.
"Black Hayate, until I can take you outside, you can only go to the bathroom here." Mommy says, putting down some sheets of newspaper, after she is done cleaning up my potty. "You remember those rules I mentioned?" Mommy asks. I nod. I do remember Mommy saying about the rules. There was a rule about not being allowed to run around on my own, and one about not sharpening my claws on the soft ground. I'm not sure I like these rules, and I can't promise I will always follow them. "Well this is a big one. The bathroom is outside, or on the newspaper. Nowhere else. No excuses." Mommy tells me "It's going to be strict, living here. I'm tough, but fair. You can ask anyone about that. I believe in order and routine, and that includes order and routine for any puppies living under my roof." Mommy says, folding her arms.
"That's not how it works, Mommy." I explain. That might be how humans potty. But not dogs. Perhaps Mommy is confused because she is a human and not a dog. "Wherever I am, I just go." I explain. I don't think I will be obeying this rule. I am just a puppy after all. I can't hold for very long at all, and it feels very uncomfortable to try. Better just to go when I feel like it, wherever I am. Mommy will get used to it soon.
Mommy sighs, but it turns into a smile. "I suppose you could use something to eat."
"Yes. That is a better idea. " I reply, enthusiastically. I trot along, following Mommy as she goes into the kitchen.
"Now until I get you a dog bowl, you will just have to use this old bowl." She says, reaching down a white bowl from the cupboard. "There are quite a few things I'm going to need to get for you. I guess you'll need a bowl for water too." Mommy adds, reaching another bowl down from the cupboard. She sets the first one down in front of me, and fills the other one with water, before placing it next to the first one. "There." She smiles at me. I start to drink the water because I'm quite thirsty, and it makes Mommy giggle. "Sorry I don't have any proper dog bowls. I wasn't expecting to be bringing home a dog today." She laughs.
"That's ok. I don't mind. Just get me my dinner please." I instruct, looking up as I gulp down my water. Whilst I may be quite thirsty, I am actually much, much more hungry. There were puddles for me to drink from when I lived on the street. That was one good thing about the rain. I always had some water even if it was not very clean or nice water. But there was very little for me to eat when I didn't have a home. My tummy was empty all the time, and it still is. So I'm looking forward to dinner a lot, and I am extremely thankful that Mommy is giving me food to fill up my tummy and give me energy. I know I will never go hungry again, now that I live with Mommy. That's one of the best things about having a home with a Mommy. Whenever I am hungry, I will just whine, and Mommy will know to give me food. That's how Mommies know it is time to feed their puppies. No more searching all night to find little left behind food scraps.
Mommy cooks something in a pan. I have never seen it before, but it smells delicious. I whine while she is cooking to make sure she doesn't forget it is for me. "It will be ready in a minute, Black Hayate."
"It smells ready now. Give it to me." I say. I don't mean to be impatient, but puppies are not good at waiting, and I am very hungry after living on the street for I think almost my whole life.
The pan makes a loud hissing noise. I bark at it, because I am afraid it might be dangerous, and I don't want Mommy to get hurt. "Quiet down." Mommy says. "It's just the meat frying. Besides, no barking in the apartment. We've got neighbours. That's another rule you'll have to remember." She tells me. Again it does not seem fair to me. What if I need to be loud to warn Mommy of danger like a monster or another dog. I shall not be obeying this rule either. After some more waiting and whining at Mommy, it is done and Mommy puts the delicious smelling food in my bowl. "This is bacon." Mommy explains. "Now don't get used to it, alright. It's for people. Not for dogs. It's only for you for today because I don't have any dog food."
"Not fair". I begin. "Unfair treatmen-" But I am too busy eating the delicious bacon to continue talking. It is the nicest food I have ever eaten, so I try to savour every bite, and enjoy each one. It makes my tail wag even more than before. I gobble it all up quickly because of how hungry I am. My tummy was rumbling all day, but I have made it full of food so it will stop rumbling now.
"Someone was starving." Mommy smiles. Then she rubs my head inbetween my ears and I pant with my tongue out.
"I was!" I say. I know Mommy must be talking about me. "I was very hungry. But then you made my favourite for me, and I ate it all." I explain. I did not even know bacon was my favourite until just now. But Mommy knew all along. Mommy knows a lot about me even though I got separated from her when I was very little. Maybe she remembered from when I was only just born. But I don't think I ate real food when I was just born. I think Mommy fed me milk back then from her feeders. That's what Mommies do for their puppies when they are just born. I think I remember that milk was very nice. But I have no need for it now that I am older puppy who can chew real food like a big dog. I think it might hurt Mommy if I tried to feed milk from her now that I have my puppy teeth too.
My puppy teeth are very useful to me even though they are sore sometimes. They are sore and sensitive because I am still getting used to them, and also I have other big dog teeth that will be coming through soon, and push my puppy teeth out. But I need to let Mommy know that I need her to give me more bacon. It is yummy and delicious and I am not completely full just yet. So I sit beside Mommy's foot while she sits at the kitchen table, and rub my head against her leg. I can't see on top of the table, but I am sure she must be eating bacon as well because I can smell it from here down on the floor where I am. The bacon smells delicious, and I whine and whimper and hope that there might be some more for me.
"Cut that out. Nobody likes a crybaby." Mommy says, nudging me away with her foot as I try to climb her leg to get to the bacon, up on the table. "You've had your dinner, and that's more than enough for now. No climbing up on me when I'm trying to eat either. It's not polite. That's another rule for you to remember." She says. But I'm not a crybaby. I am just very hungry. So I continue whining. Mommy must not realise how much I like bacon. Otherwise she would give me hers.
"Hungry. Hungry." I whine. "There's still food left. I know it. I can smell it. Give me it now."
"Hayate, I said no." Mommy says sounding more annoyed than before. "You can't just eat whenever you want. Not while you live here. You will eat the meals I provide, when they are provided, and that's all. That's how we do things, and you had better get used to it." She says. Mommy seems very serious, and it will be difficult to change her mind. But I am her boy, and Mommies will always respond to the cries of their puppies when they need to be fed. So I continue whining at Mommy's feet. "No means no." Mommy says, pushing me away again. "You're hardly going to starve. Dinner was 5 minutes ago. You had plenty for a dog your size." Mommy tells me. I think Mommy is very wrong, and she did not give me enough bacon for a Hayate-size dog. It definitely feels like I might starve if I don't get some more bacon, and if I don't get lots and lots to eat, I might not grow to be a big dog. I need to become a big dog to protect our home, and so no other dogs can gobble me up. It's important. So I persist. I howl as loud as I can, and very quickly Mommy changes her mind. She covers her ears and winces. "Ugh. Fine. A tiny piece." Mommy groans, dropping a corner of fat off of the bacon piece she is eating in front of me. "But put a sock in it. We've got neighbours to think about. And that's all your getting tonight."
"Ok". I do remember Mommy saying about the neighbours, and I pretend to agree, as I devour the bacon fat. But secretly I am planning to continue whining after I eat this little piece of bacon. It's not very much after all, and whining got me what I wanted. I knew it would work. I think perhaps all puppies are born knowing to whine when they want something, and usually it works. Almost every single time. When I am a very big dog, and I protect Mommy and our home from being taken by other, horrible dogs, Mommy will be very thankful that she did give me more bacon to help me grow. This is one of the many uses of howling and crying loudly. Whining and crying has all sorts of uses. It can get a puppy almost anything they need, like food and attention, and it has been very important for me so far. If I hadn't been whining very loudly, Sergeant never would have found me, and then I wouldn't have found Mommy. So I owe a lot to crying, whining, whimpering and howling. These are a puppy's most powerful tools. And now I know this can even get bacon for Black Hayate. My favourite. That is something important I have learned today, and I want to use my whimpers to get even more delicious bacon to eat. But when I am finished eating the little extra piece, Mommy has already eaten all of the rest of the bacon she cooked. So there is no more left for me. I whimper a little bit and try to make my eyes look their saddest, just in case I am wrong and there might be some more. All dogs can make sad eyes, but puppies make them the best.
"Oh no." Mommy says, sharply. "You've had plenty, and that's it all gone now. So no complaining." She says. I will just have to practice and get even better and sad eyes and whining. "You're just being greedy, and I'm not listening. So you might as well quit the crying and settle down." Mommy says, showing me the plate to prove there is none left. I stop whimpering and try to lick the plate because it still smells like bacon, but Mommy is too fast and pulls it away from me. She tries to look annoyed, but her face turns into a small smile again. "That was very cute, but you'll need to be quicker than that to beat my reflexes. No licking the plates in this house." She says, rubbing my head.
When Mommy is done clearing away the dishes, she lifts me up and carries me over to the couch and pets me, and tells me that I am a good dog.
"How could anyone leave you on the street." Mommy says softly while she rubs inbetween my ears. "You're a beautiful boy, and I'm going to raise you to be a very clever dog." Whilst I know this is very true already, it is always good to be reminded.
"Yes, I told you I was a good dog." I confirm, as Mommy pets me. Mommy scratches under my chin again, which I like very much. "You thought I might have been a bad dog for peeing inside. But that is normal for puppies. So I am good dog." I suppose I could maybe try to potty only on the newspaper from now on, since it made Mommy annoyed when I peed in the corner, and Mommy was very nice to me, and made my favourite. But I can't absolutely promise, and I still need to mark my territory. I lick Mommy's face to show how grateful I am that she made me delicious bacon, even though she should have given me more. Mommy laughs as I lick her cheek.
"My little one." She says, rubbing her nose against mine. "It's going to be very nice having some company here for a change. It can get quite lonely living here on my own." Mommy tells me.
But then there is a noise. It is a loud knock on the front door of our den. My ears twitch when I hear it, and I look over in the direction of the green door. Someone is behind the door, on the outside. "I wonder who that is?" Mommy says, going over to the door.