A blog post by Josiah, the reflective Yorkie puppy
I just turned eight months old. I’m a very grownup puppy now. When I’m resting quietly with a chew toy or calmly exploring a patch of ground, Miss Janet sometimes checks to be sure my behavior is good. But then she quickly settles.
I think for a moment, she expects to see that baby puppy that first came to live with her.
I think she is looking for the puppy who used to:
- Forget to eat.
- Whine to go out in the middle of the night.
- Chew on my dog bed, blankets, clothes, fingers.
- Forget that outside is the only potty location.
- Get restless in my crate.
- Panic when Miss Janet left.
- Tune her out when she warned me of trouble outdoors.
I still have a little bit of that younger puppy in me. But my grownup self has mostly taken over.
Now I:
- Eat my meals steadily because they give me energy.
- Sleep through the night and know that morning doesn’t start till the alarm goes off. Whining is a wasted effort.
- Rest in my dog bed instead of chewing it; and while I may still try chewing a finger, I immediately change to licking when Miss Janet says no.
- Stay settled in my crate, and don’t worry when Miss Janet goes out because she will come back.
- Stay calm in my playpen with my favorite chew toy while Miss Janet works at her desk.
- Remember that outdoors is for potty and indoors is my cozy den.
- Drop to the ground when Miss Janet says “Stop” in her most serious voice.
My growing up didn’t happen overnight. Miss Janet says these were the longest months of her life. But it’s nice to look back and see how far I’ve come.
So if you have a baby puppy, and you wonder when those long, difficult days (hours, minutes) will become easier, and even fun, I can tell you:
We puppies do grow up.
We take our sweet time, and sometimes we look like we’re going backward. But eventually, we get there. We become amazing, grownup puppies.
Every ounce of energy you invest in our puppyhood will pay off when you can enjoy your well-adjusted, grownup, doggy companion.
Enjoy those moments with your young pup when you can, knowing the challenges settle (well, most of them) as we get older.
Meanwhile, take lots of pictures to capture all the stages of puppy cuteness—especially the ones you didn’t get to see because you couldn’t keep your tired eyes open.
Paws and kisses,
Josiah
The Inquisitive Yorkie 