Welcome, Lionel

Our West Coast correspondents, Fritz and Ziggy, have a new baby brother. He is a miniature dachsund: a lot of dog packed into a very small body. In this photo you see Fritz reluctantly sharing his pillow with Lionel.

Here's what Lionel had to say to our interviewer:

What's your full name? Lionel "Choo Choo" O'Leary
How old are you? 3 months
Who's your best friend? Everybody's my best friend. I'm a friendly guy!
Who's your worst enemy? My enemies are "whats". Stairs are really challenging for me because I'm so long and my legs are so short. I get stuck on each riser going up and down. And furniture. I can't jump on anything! It's not fair because Fritz and Ziggy are jumping dogs and they can go anywhere!
What's your favorite food? I like "big dog" food. I'm supposed to eat puppy food but I like whatever Fritz and Ziggy eat...and I like frogs!
What's your favorite toy? I have a stuffed doggie named "Big Boy and a lot of new toys that Fritz and Ziggy share with me. I'm partial to the green stuffed frog that crackles and the real green froggies in the back yard are really fun too. Did you know that frog legs taste just like chicken?
(Editorial comment: Here in Tennessee, frogs' legs are called "swamp chicken". You're not the only one who claims they taste just like chicken, but in my opinion they taste like swamp. Not that I've ever actually eaten or drunk a swamp)
What's your favorite time of day? Play time! Fritz and Ziggy are kind of old and need to sleep a lot so any time I can get them to play with me is my favorite time of day or night!
Can you do tricks? I can barely do stairs and you want tricks? Geez! Well, I can kind of sit when I'm told to but I still need practice. I can also run at the end of the long string my mom hooks to my collar. I don't know why they call it "going for a walk" when I have torun the entire way to keep up!
What's your motto in life? Put everything in your mouth before you judge whether you like it or not.
How do you feel about baths? No comment.
How many hours a day do you sleep? Not nearly enough for my mom and dad!
What are you afraid of? Me? Afraid? Well, I am kind of afraid of going down the long flight of stairs and when my mom claps her hands when she catches me peeing on the floor. That's scary!
Who do you love the most? I'm new here. I can't pick favorites!