Growing up

Look what a difference six months can make. Our little girl is growing up. (She's now eight and a half months old, just a step away from being full grown.)

She is becoming a good dog faster than any of our other pups. I don't feel like we are spending more time training her than the others, but perhaps an empty nest creates fewer distractions. I know that having her in Puppy School has encouraged us to spend more quality time with her. She is much more responsive and loves doing her homework.

I do miss my sweet little fluffball, but Kharma still has a beautiful face. It is a delight to watch how athletic she has become. She is an expert frisbee catcher, high jumper and speedster. She is mature enough to stay home and not bark at the workers installing windows next door. I love being able to run upstairs knowing she will stay content in her basket down below.

There is still some puppy exploration going on however. She discovered that the horses I introduced her to are much bigger and a little intimidating. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had the sense to stop and think about them. I thought I'd really have to restrain her and stop her from chasing them around. It'll be interesting to see what happens when the cows are put back into the pasture we use on our walks.

We are glad Kharma is a part of our lives. Puppyhood takes a lot of work, but she enriches our lives beyond measure. As they say, "Dogs may not be our whole life, but our life is whole because of our dogs."