It’s been a big week around our house. And I do mean big, because Hershey is really getting huge. We had to get her a bigger collar already, and we had to expand the size of her crate. Didn’t we just get her? Although, I guess in dog years, 2 and a half months is a little over a human year, right? So of course she’s getting huge. But gosh, it happened so fast.
When we first brought her home, I bought her a little dog bed to snuggle up on since she’s a cuddler. I have a picture of her and the cat both curled up on it—with room between them. Now when Hershey sleeps on it, she’s hanging over it. I knew she’d outgrow it, but I swear I just bought it! I figured it’d be good for a few months. Nope.
And the poor little thing no longer fits on my lap. If I’m in the recliner with the footrest kicked up, she can sit in between my legs, and that makes her happy, but I think she misses the snuggling time as much as I do. I’ve been sitting on the floor with her, just so she can have a little Mama lovin’ time with me.
It’s so hard to say goodbye to your little puppy. When I first started taking her outside for potty training, I carried her outside over my shoulder while she shook in the cold. Now, I can barely pick her up off the couch when she jumps up like she’s not supposed to. I wonder if she realizes how big she’s gotten? I can tell you this—the cat knows. More often than not, their play sessions end with the cat running for cover. Hershey’s got a major unfair size advantage now.
But her seemingly rapid growth has me worried she’s going to be bigger than I expected.
“Wow, she’s going to be big,” people tell me, when they see her dragging me up and down the sidewalk on our “walks.”
“No she’s not, she’s going to be small for a Lab,” I tell them, as Herhsey pulls me past them—as if saying it will make it true. Her Mama was on the small side and I’m hoping she will be, too.
And I’m wondering if bigger problems will come with her bigger size. Soon enough, she’ll be able to hop over the baby gates that keep her confined to the kitchen and family room now. And as she gets bigger, her need to burn off energy will increase too, which means more exercise outside (not always easy to squeeze in on a busy or rainy day.)
But even though she’s getting bigger, there’s another thing that’s getting bigger as well: our love for Hershey, no matter what her size is.
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Have you missed any of the articles in this series?
If so, you can find them at:
The Bringing Up Puppy Series page.
Related posts:
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – On the Same Page
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Holding Tight
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – The Worst Lab
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Lost
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Bigger Dog, Bigger Problems
