Maizy Takes the Beach

Maizy Takes the Beach

🌼 Date: Sunday, July 5, 2026

⚡ Energy: Sandy, tired, and puppy-proud

💖 Status: Another day of firsts

😘 Outlook: Not bad at all, little girl. Not bad at all.

Today was another day of firsts.

We took the girls down to the beach.

And by girls, I mean Gidget and Maizy, our tiny four-legged campground supervisors.

At first, Maizy was not sure what to do with the sand.

Honestly, I do not blame her.

Soft sand is rude.

It moves.

It shifts.

It lies.

You put your foot down, and the ground says, “Actually, I am not where you thought I was.”

For a tiny five-pound Yorkie who is still figuring out the world, that is a lot of betrayal coming from the earth.

At first, I do not think she loved the soft sand.

But once we got down to the harder, wet sand, she started to figure it out.

And then there she went.

Running around in her little left-hand circles.

Because apparently that is Maizy’s signature move.

Some dogs run straight.

Some dogs chase balls.

Maizy does tiny beach donuts.

And I support her.

By the time we were done, both girls were worn out.

Tongues hanging out.

Sleeping on their sides.

Running in their sleep.

Completely sacked out.

That deep, floppy, exhausted kind of sleep that only happens after a very big adventure.

I think it was safe to call the beach trip a success.

I love watching Maizy’s personality come out.

This whole camping trip has been full of firsts for her.

First big camping trip.

First time settling into the fifth wheel.

First beach walk.

First campground routine.

First time being around this many people, dogs, noises, chairs, fires, tarps, heaters, food smells, and general camping chaos.

And honestly?

She has done so good.

We do not have any stairs at our house, but there are three steps in the fifth wheel.

She figured out going up pretty quickly.

Coming down?

Different story.

That took until day seven.

Seven days.

But she got it.

And I am weirdly proud of her for that.

Because coming down stairs when you are tiny and your legs are the size of toothpicks probably feels like standing at the edge of a cliff.

Walking on a leash is still pretty new to her too.

We practiced a few times at home, but she has never had to wear her harness most of the day like she does here.

Camping is apparently a full-time job when you are Maizy.

Harness on.

Leash attached.

Mom nearby.

Big dogs sniffing.

People visiting.

Beach exploring.

Chair sitting.

Puppy Bjorn riding.

It is a lot.

We also learned that our fifth wheel food and water dishes were not Maizy-approved.

They are hard plastic, and every time she went to eat or get a drink, the bell on her collar would clang against the side of the bowl.

Which scared her.

Every.

Single.

Time.

Poor little thing.

So I found her a smaller, shallower bowl that did not touch her collar and announce dinner like a haunted dinner bell.

Problem solved.

Because apparently part of camping with a rescue dog is learning what scares her and quietly adjusting the whole world around her until she feels safe.

And I will do it every time.

She did great in the car, which was a huge relief.

Gidget was able to take over the co-pilot job, which meant she could sit on the console between our seats and see out the window without me having to hold her the entire time.

My arms were very thankful.

My neuropathy hands were extra thankful.

Gidget understood the assignment.

Co-pilot duties resumed.

Maizy also did a pretty good job going potty outside.

I brought a couple of washable potty pads and put them over the carpet in the living room, in front of the door, and by her bed upstairs, just in case.

There were only a few accidents.

And for a first camping trip, new environment, new routine, new stairs, new bowls, new leash, new beach, new everything?

That is not bad at all.

Not bad at all.

This trip has been such a reminder that firsts are not just for people.

They are for little rescue dogs too.

The ones who are still learning that the world can be safe.

That people can be kind.

That bowls can be quiet.

That stairs can be conquered.

That soft sand is suspicious, but wet sand is acceptable.

That big dogs can sniff and move along.

That car rides can mean adventure.

That sleeping with your head on the picnic table is perfectly reasonable if you are tired enough.

That your momma will figure out what you need.

Watching Maizy experience all these firsts has made my heart so happy.

She came into our lives after a very hard season, and sometimes I still wonder who rescued whom.

Because yes, we adopted her.

But this tiny little girl has brought something soft and sweet back into my life when I really needed it.

Today she took on the beach.

She was unsure.

She adapted.

She ran her little left-hand circles.

She wore herself out.

And then she slept like the proud tiny adventurer she is.

Not bad for her first trip of so many firsts.

Not bad at all.

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