Hello! My name is Bella Rose, and I am a cuddle puppy. I’m not sure why I always introduce myself, but I think it’s because I love saying hello! Today is all about zoomies!
[I zoom so fast that Momma and Daddy can’t get clear pictures]
What are Zoomies?
For anyone who doesn’t know, zoomies are when, for reasons unknown to humans, puppies and doggies start running around like crazy. Most of us go in straight lines, but I once met a Labrador who said he preferred zooming in circles because of how his house was set up. I like to think I’d zoom in circles too, if my house allowed it.
For me, zoomies are in straight lines, and they happen when I’m super happy and need to let out all my energy at once! At the apartment, I’d start wherever I was, then zoom straight to the bedroom. After turning around, I’d bolt through the hallway and stop when I hit the door to Daddy’s workroom.
But zoomies aren’t just one zoom—otherwise, they’d be called “a zoom” instead of “zoomies.” Once I reach Daddy’s workroom door, I turn around and sprint back to the bedroom door at the end of the hall! I keep running back and forth until one of three things happens: I get tired, I get thirsty, or Momma and Daddy start playing Chase with me.
What is Chase?
Chase is a game I play with Momma and Daddy! Not all doggies play Chase with their parents, but it’s one of my favorite things! It’s kind of like zoomies, except Momma and Daddy join in! If I zoom into them, they say “grrrr” and start chasing me! I then turn around and zoom in the other direction.
One time, Daddy and I played Chase for at least 15 minutes! Best game ever! Momma plays with me a lot too, but since I always had to turn around at Daddy’s workroom, he usually would notice and jump in and play with me.
When starting a game of Chase, I sometimes mix things up. For instance, sometimes I don’t run immediately when Momma or Daddy try to chase me. When I don’t run right away, they take giant steps toward me, saying “grrrr” like a giant monster, and then I’m off again! It’s silly to think of Momma or Daddy as a giant monster, but that’s also what makes it so much fun!
Another time I mix Chase up is when I feel like Daddy or Momma aren’t fully into the game (or maybe they just need more exercise). In that instance, I make them chase me every few steps instead of zooming all the way to the end of my zoomy line. This way, I make them work for their game of Chase! They never seem to mind, though—they laugh as much as I’m smiling.
[I love playing Chase with my kitty brothers!]
Variations on Zoomies
Earlier, I mentioned the Labrador who did zoomies in circles, but that’s not the only way to zoom. Back at the apartment, my cat brothers would sometimes join in! Quincy would wait in the hallway and bop me on the head (with his claws sheathed, of course) as I zoomed by. On the other hand, Quinton would wait near the living room, flick his tail, and then I’d chase him up the cat tree. Having cat brothers is so fun!
Since we moved into Gramma and Pop Pop’s house, zoomies are trickier. The layout of their house isn’t as straight (and sadly, not circular), so I’ve had to improvise. Sometimes I run from Momma and Daddy’s new room to the Sunroom, but I have to dodge people, furniture, and other doggies, which slows me down. But if no one is on the living room couch, I’ll zoom from Gramma and Pop Pop’s room to the back of the couch and back again! It’s a shorter distance, but jumping on the couch helps me burn more energy, so it’s still really fun!
Zoomies are even harder when I visit Grandma and Grandpa (my other grandparents). They have a big husky named Luna who also gets excited by zoomies… but doesn’t realize her paws are the size of my face! When she tries to bop me (like how Quincy does), she accidentally knocks me down, and the game is over quickly. So when I zoom around Grandma and Grandpa’s house, I’ve learned to stop zooming when I see Luna, walk past her, and then zoom again once I’m safely by. I love playing with Luna, but I wish she’d realize how ginormous her paws are!
Even though it’s harder to do zoomies in certain places, I still make sure I get my zoomies in because zoomies are important to me! But not all doggies do zoomies.
Not All Doggies Do Zoomies
I was super shocked that not all doggies and puppies like zoomies, but it’s true! Some tell me they are too big to zoom around their house, but that doesn’t stop other doggies, even though they get in trouble for knocking things over. Momma says it’s up to the doggie to decide whether they want to do zoomies.
For instance, Leia (Gramma and Pop Pop’s dog) has never done zoomies as far as Momma knows! Momma, Leia, and I lived together for a while when Momma was in college, and I never saw Leia do zoomies then, either, so I think Momma was right—some dogs just don’t like to zoom! Toby (Gramma and Pop Pop’s other dog) doesn’t zoom anymore, but Momma says he used to when he was younger; he had to stop zoomies because he went partially blind, and zooming into things you can’t see wasn’t very fun. I think I can understand that—I wouldn’t want to bump my nose into things accidentally either!
Overall, I love zooming and will keep doing zoomies until I can’t anymore. When you’re a puppy with so much energy, what else are you supposed to do if not zoomies?
Hoping everyone plays Chase with their puppies tonight,
Bella Rose
B.R. Quinn 