We have been watching 2 of my mom’s dogs while she is touring through Japan with my sister. Just the two youngest dogs, one of which is really still a puppy. Maya is a Beaglier, which I call a mutt, but I suppose she’s just on her way to becoming a designer dog. Part Beagle, part Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, all cute. Her coloring and her ears are totally Spaniel, but her tail is all Beagle and sometimes when she’s walking around, she reminds me more of a Beagle than a Spaniel.
I love all puppies, but I think I love Maya because she is like a little dog. She plays and run and acts silly. My mom’s other dogs are Maltese and really just like to sit still and look at you. Maya only sits still if she has something to chew on. My mom says she’s too smart and gets into too much trouble. All my pups got into trouble when they were little, so maybe that’s why Maya and I get along so well – I understand how to think one step ahead of her. She can’t help it, she’s just exploring!
My dad taught her how to sit in just a few hours. I tried teaching her to lie down, but it’s hard with so many other dogs waiting for that treat! She figured out how to come in through the doggy door, and just the other night I saw her go out the doggy door to look for a chewy that Sadie had just abandoned. Smart dog! If only she would take herself out for potty breaks. But, she’s still a puppy. She’s just not there yet.
She’s a funny puppy. She likes to round up toys and chew treats so they’re all around her. Never mind she can only chew on one at a time. They’re all hers and you’d better not bother her! Sadie seems to like her. At least, she doesn’t mind having her ears chewed!
So far, we’ve only had accidents when they got loose from the kitchen while we were at work. Every other time I’ve been able to take them outside on a regular schedule. I’m also a big fan of crate training, so if we can’t watch them 100%, into the crate they go. T learned the hard way that puppies definitely pee the second your head is turned, even if you’re sure they won’t. If I had Maya longer, she’d be perfectly housetrained, I have no doubt. Between the crate and learning from the “big dogs”, she’s pick it up in no time.
T says I’m already attached to her and how will I give her back? I do love this little pup and she is so cute I want to gobble her up, but I also look forward to returning to a non-puppy lifestyle. Where no one has to worry about getting home in time to let them out or feed them dinner. Where we don’t have to keep an eye on where the puppy is all the time. Where I’m not constantly getting up (sometimes in the middle of the night) to take someone out to potty. In the cold. I’ll certainly miss sleepy puppy yawns, though.
The nice thing about watching the dogs is that I get a lot of time to watch tv. SaSa just likes to curl up on the couch, so as long as someone’s there she’ll stay put. Maya will stay put as long as you give her enough toys and then eventually she falls asleep. Aww… soft warm sleeping puppy…
As puppies go, she really is a good one. And it’s been nice to see that raising a puppy isn’t quite as much work as I remember. This is good because as soon as we’re down to 2 dogs, T gets his Boston Terrier. And because it’ll be “his” dog, I think I get to slack off on all the running around that comes with puppies. I’ll just enjoy the cuddling.
Three Dog Kitchen 