Orly never wants to be left out of anything. Her FOMO — fear of missing out — is extreme; she’s a true adolescent of this digital age, even without any social media accounts (that I know of …).

She has to meet everyone we pass on a walk, canine and human alike. She’s fascinated with children. She must explore every inch of everyplace.

I’m balancing teaching her manners, like greeting new friends without mauling them, with wanting to encourage safe exploration.

At home, she pokes her nose into everything. No corner of the back yard has escaped her explorations, which unfortunately include lots of digging. Inside too, she’s curious. She’s only allowed into the living room with adult human supervision, and she’s very curious about this forbidden room.

Even the very familiar kitchen offers exploration opportunities any time I open a cupboard or drawer. I’m constantly warning her to move her nose before I close anything, racing to get the trash bag out of the bin before her nose goes in, and tripping over her when she sidles over to watch and sniff what I am doing.

Her favorite is the pull-out spice rack. She’d spend hours with her head buried in its many scents if I would let her.

I love that she’s so curious about the world. I love even more that she’s investigating and learning using only her nose. Not once has this young puppy, who’s been teething for weeks, ever chewed on furniture, kitchen items, or any of my belongings. She does chew sticks and pounce on leaves outside (and there’s the digging …). And of course she has many, many toys.