The Devil In Disguise

For weeks, he lounged around the house and gave us his trademark puppy eyes. He was sick. His raspy, screeching cough and his runny nose was enough to turn the roughest of men into immediate softies. But then he started to get better. The pneumonia, although still rummaging through his system, began to give way to a sudden burst of energy and appetite. His teeth grew and sharpened overnight, enough to make the term “teething” a dramatic understatement as he nipped and chewed at anything in his path including Sammy and I. Yes, our little Witty is growing up.

We were excited to see him healthy and happy, and in doing so we neglected the rather obvious repercussions staring us in the face. But as quick as he came to, it hit us –  we had a monster on our hands!

He lets us know when he needs to go to the bathroom by sitting in front of the door and giving one or two high-pitched yelps. But as soon as he learned that such good behavior would earn him a treat, he decided to go to the door every 10 minutes or so. Of course, not wanting him to have an accident inside, we’re left with no choice but to fall for it each time. Like a middle school prankster, he seems to get a kick out of the scam.

He’s figured out how to get our bedroom door open with a particular nudge and finds Sammy’s slippers to be a better alternative than his peanut butter-filled kong. On his walks in Central Park, he revels in the fact that he’s a puppy. I swear I’ve caught him slyly winking at me when runners interrupt their workout to give him attention. When someone walks by, he follows. If someone is sitting on a bench, he refuses to continue. When there’s another animal around, he’s brave and non confrontational. He’s also still contagious, so we haven’t quite tested that aspect to the fullest degree yet. Above all, Witty is growing.

As of last week, he weighed in at 5.15 lbs and I’d venture to say that he’s going to be closer to 8 lbs next week. Only in photographs can we tell that he has physically grown, but pick him up, and the clues begin to unfold.

He drops bombs that could kill a small country and runs circles around the apartment the moment he wakes from one of his daily naps. But regardless of his finicky leash-walking habits or his persistent begging to sleep in our bed, he’s still a smart little pup with an affectionate and loyal demeanor and we can’t imagine living without him.

 

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