The Puppysitter

C'est moi!

Erkie was in Vegas at a soccer tournament so I was entrusted with the Princess. I liked her before. What's not to like? She's a puppy, therefore cute and funny and sweet. After three days and nights of looking after her (and getting nothing else done), I love her. She gets endlessly cuddled and sweet-talked and coochy-cooed. Yeah, I turned into a big melted puddle of smitten-ness.

I like dogs. I even like some beagles. But, like Erkie-pie, I have a thing for Golden Retrievers. They are so wonderfully mellow and sweet as well as intelligent not to mention just plain beautiful. They make me wonder why everyone doesn't just get a Golden since they are pretty much the perfect dog.

Zelda is carrying on the tradition.

Like any doting grand-mere, I thought she was incredibly smart, not to mention awkwardly adorable, when she sat on cue at the tender age of seven weeks. Now at nine weeks, she also knows "down." Definitely intelligent.

Zelda has typical puppy shark teeth: very white, very sharp and way too many of them. One of Erkie's priorities was to encourage gentle play. He was rather hoping her too-boisterous ways would push Kharma into teaching her a lesson to remember. Instead, Kharma turned out to be tolerant of her rough-housing niece. That was only two weeks ago, now the Princess has a delicate mouth. I think Kharma is the world's best dog, but I have to admit that when she was this age I was sporting myriad healing slashes all over my hands and arms. Three days with Zelda and not one teensy little drop of blood was spilt. Amazing!

Both dogs spent lots of time in the backyard: chewing sticks, digging in nice soft Spring dirt, playing chase. Zelda would race after the speeding Kharma with amazing coordination for such a young pup. There were times when I could catch a glimpse of the graceful adult Zelda will someday become. I'll enjoy her "little bear" stage for now as her hind end swings from side to side as she walks along.

The unexpected break in winter's grasp resulted in sunshine, warm sixty-degree temps, melting snow and lots of mud for eight paws to track into the house. Kharma flows with our familiar paw-wiping routine, but I wasn't sure how the puppy would react. We first wiped Zelda's paws, then tried hosing them down in the kitchen sink, and eventually I just set her in some warm water as a one-woman way of handling the dirt. Let me just say that Kharma had many, many puppy baths and it still takes the two of us to get her clean. Miss Mellow just calmly sat down in the warm water and looked at me as if to say, "I like baths." I had to dry more than just her feet but I didn't mind at all.

Also, zero accidents. She really truly knows how to ask to go outside and has since she was five weeks old. I have no idea how the breeder achieved this and am in awe.

Okay, enough gushing about the pup. Here's your reward: 20 seconds of Zelda as she experiences the doggie joys of chewing a stick.




p.s. I lied about liking beagles. I am cringing over the beagle with the horrendous manners (which is completely repetitious and I could just as well have said, "The beagle-y beagle)taking Westminster Best of Show. Beagles are cute in comic strips. Only in comic strips.