Name: Ziggy

Family: Mom & Dad - Leslie & Randy Root. I am currently an "only child". I think my Dad would like us to get another "child", but Mom currently says absolutely not.

Breed: Portuguese Water Dog

Age: 3.5 year old boy

Street: Ballybunion Way

I was named after Ziggy Marley. My parents love to listen to music & attend lots of concerts & music festivals. They have a history of naming their pets after music stars.

I am the fourth PWD in our family. My parents' first dog was a chocolate Lab. After 12 years of fighting dog hair everywhere, my parents searched for a larger breed dog that was non-shedding. They came across this rarer breed & purchased their first PWD In 1995. (He was only the 10th one registered in Dallas, TX at the time.) I came from a wonderful breeder in Oregon. My Dad had to fly to Eugene to pick me up when I was 9 weeks old. At the time, my family lived in the mountains of Colorado. I spent the first 9 months of my life playing in the snow, hiking mountain trails & learning to commune peacefully with the deer & elk on our property. I had to learn how to walk on sidewalks & streets & follow more community rules when we moved to South Carolina.

My parents call me a Portuguese Land Dog. Even though I was bred to be a working water dog, I do not like to swim or retrieve anything. I do like to be in water, but only if I can touch the ground. When we moved to the coast, my parents couldn't wait to introduce me to the beach. At first, it was scary, but now I love playing in the waves - AS LONG AS I CAN TOUCH. I'm really good at chasing seagulls off the sand & running on sandbars. My Dad says I'm a good co-captain on the boat. I love looking for dolphins in the deep water & helping my Dad fish.

I am very active & social. I love to play with other dogs & meet new people. My Mom takes me on long morning walks every day all around Colleton. (I insist we go even when the weather doesn't cooperate!) My Dad takes me to the dog park every afternoon. I have many friends I know there by name. When my folks moved in 2 years ago, my parents used to laugh & say more people know my name than know theirs. They'd often introduce themselves as Ziggy's parents. What my parents love best about me is that I am a great snuggler. I love to curl up with them, and, yes, I do sleep in the middle of their bed at night. Mom says I'm becoming a bit of a bed hog, but likes that I keep her toasty warm on extra cold nights.

It's not just humans who meet their new best friends when they move to Colleton. I met my best friend & soul mate, Sammie a young English Cream Golden puppy, when he moved in across the street ten months ago. We play almost every day together. I'm trying to teach him how to be a good dog since he's new to the world, but sometimes we get in trouble together. Our favorite things to do are wrestling in the mud & sharing sticks. If we miss a day or two, you will see me staring longingly at their house from the driveway or peaking through the front door window waiting for Sammie to come play.