There is something about a puppy, I’ll tell you. Really something. In fact, they are amazing and sweet and wonderful …. and no trouble at all …. as long as they are sleeping.
Lew. Lou. Lewey. Louis. The names are all interchangeable at this point. Along with a few select others. Especially, when he lifts his little leg and pees on the chair in the Living Room. He certainly does. And. Yes, that is our biggest hurdle right now. The potty training process, or lack thereof. I’ve done it by the book. Followed all the rules. I have dotted my I’s. I have crossed my T’s. Heck, I have even crossed my fingers, my legs, and my street. But all the crossing in the world hasn’t seemed to help. The little guy is still peeing in the house. As a bonus, he is leaving little dongles too. I’m not sure which is worse. At this point, I have duck-taped the mop to my arm. That has been a real time-saver for clean-up. Subsequently, putting my mascara on, is now nearly impossible.
Early on, Louis looked like a real champion in the potty department. In fact, I sort of bragged on him a bit. But in reality, he was probably so tiny that I just wasn’t seeing his tiny little mistakes. Now, he is a whopping 5 pounds. We are seeing the other-end-blunders.
The challenges have not ended there. Not only is Lew “pottying” in the house, he will not go outdoors without human company. That means human-me, in most scenarios. This is the end of October. The Winter Chill has stamped its warning on our recent days. This could be a long Winter for the Polly.
Then there are the teeth. He chews. On our books, our tables, our walls, our hands. He has a pile of toys the size of Rhode Island. But he will stand there, staring intently at the Nyla-Bones, as he gnaws on the corner of the kitchen. He looks cute as he does this. We cringe.
Lewis jumps up. He is needy. He whines uncontrollably when I shut the bathroom door behind me. His puppy brain sends his body, tearing through the house, at warp speeds. He torments Ollie with his penchant for nonstop play.
And I wouldn’t trade him for the world.
Lew is the cutest little dog in the world. His furry face exudes an expression of love, and care, and appreciation. That warms my heart to the very core. When I get home and walk through the door, he acts like I am the center of the Universe. And in the moment, I truly feel the wonderful effect he is having on my life.
There is so much good about him. So much. And it comes right alongside all the difficult aspects of his youth.
And all of this, truly parallels life. We take the good, with the bad. We figure out how to be better people in spite of the downsides. And then. When things are going well, we take notice, and give thanks.
Even in the small things, every choice we make is an opportunity for us to practice our higher principles. Whether we are facing a major life obstacle, or dealing with some puppy pee.
It is just what we do. No only because we can. But because we must. And in this case, with a lot of Bounty Papertowels.
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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
― Plato
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“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
― Mark Twain
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“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
― Desmond Tutu
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