“My, Buddy, how you’ve grown!”   This is how all our friends, who visit our home, greet Buddy. Buddy sits there looking frightfully grown up, back straight, tail wagging, whilst he tries to contain himself and NOT jump up in a tremendously excited frenzy! Most of the time that grown-up, adult dog, veneer doesn’t last more than a few seconds and suddenly, that super sophisticated “Big” dog is replaced with a wagging, smiling (yes! Smiling) sniffing, squeaking uncontrollable mass of wiggling black puppy!

Buddy is now eight months old. He is strong, runs fast, dashes through the house rather like a tornado on paws. His “joie de vivre” (joy for life) is contagious. Just watching Buddy live makes me smile.   With all the bad things that happen in our world and our little country of late, we all need a reason to smile now and then. Buddy is certainly a very happy big puppy.

Nothing is safe in the house, be it made of rubber, leather, plastic, straw, fabric, or even metal or glass. Buddy has to check everything out and he uses his month to do this. No hands to feel with! Unfortunately, he finds most objects so interesting that he doesn’t just check them out, but feels compelled to chew them until they become unrecognizable objects and then the family can start the new game of “What do you think this was BEFORE Buddy got it”. Some things have never been identified! How to get him through this phase! Patience and understanding, he is doing what puppies know how to do best. You “just” have to watch him, I say “just” in inverted commas because it is not always easy to watch him. When you can’t watch them you need to have a place to leave them where they can do a minimum amount of damage! We have one section of the garden fenced off and that is the Puppy yard. Plants get pull up and holes get dug, we try and keep it as best possible, but that is their yard. I buy countless toys, and chew bones! But Buddy is still followed by a trail of destruction when ever boredom becomes an issue. Play with him, keep him occupied, and he never puts a paw wrong, leave him alone to his own devises, and you’ll be sorry!

One great gift that Bubby possesses is that he can find things that we have either lost or forgotten that we ever had. A few days ago my son had lost his earphones; I assumed that we would have to replace them. Not so! Several hours later Buddy walked into the room carrying them triumphantly in his mouth! Fortunately, he had not had time to taste them yet!

He still eats three times a day, and he still eats Puppy food. He will go on to adult dog food when he is a year old. He prefers adult dog food and I have to watch the he and Chief don’t swap bowls. He now has two Pet Tab vitamin pills daily. He is still a messy drinker, submerging his face into the bowl and slurping the water out, splashing it around on the floor! Perhaps he will always be a messy drinker! Chief is not much better, though the two older dogs are most fastidious and tidy about their drinking habits!

Buddy sleeps well, when he crashes out on the floor he is in his own little Buddy world. His paws move, his nose twitches, and you can see his eyes move behind his closed eyelids! What are you dreaming about Little Buddy? I ask him silently, so as not to disturb him. He always looks as if it is a good dream. Sometimes he utters little woofs in his sleep; no doubt they are great big woofs where ever he is in his slumber! When not in somebody’s bed, he loves to curl up in one of the big dog beds that we have dotted around the place in the house. Oh, and did I mention? Sometimes he snores! But I haven’t told him.

His swimming has slowed down a bit; I think the water is a bit cold now. The last time he went swimming his diving skills were even more improved, and his jumps into the pool are certainly spectacular, stretching across more than half the width of the pool.

One thing Buddy hates is when I bring out my suitcase. He knows that means I am leaving. He sits besides the suitcase looking confused and sad and makes me feel very guilty. Though he is very well cared for and loved whilst I am away, he hates to see me go. He greets me when I come back home as if I were a triumphant soldier returning for the Thirty Year’s War!

He loves attention, and needs lots of love. He is caring and affectionate to the older dogs, sniffing them and licking them, ever respectful if they shoo him away. His close friendship with Chief has continued to flourish! They are salt and pepper, two good friends who go well together. They play tirelessly, they run, they bound, they wag, bite, dig and enjoy life. On days when I feel tired or things haven’t exactly gone my way. I pull up in my car and sometimes all four dogs are out in the garden behind the fence. They all stand up and wag and bark a greeting. Buddy will be there trying to be grown up but still with his sweet puppy look on his face and I realize that it isn’t really all that  bad! They make you realize what really matters and what doesn’t, they help you see the sun from the clouds, they help make it all better!

Christmas is soon coming and I am dreading putting up the Christmas tree. We are already planning how we can barrier the tree or keep the doors closed to minimize the risk. I just feel that it is going to be too much temptation for Buddy! I can already imagine his little face mesmerized by the twinkling lights and colourful decorations on the branches. I can see him sitting (back straight) trying so hard to contain himself, trying so hard to be a big dog…and then…lunge! Buddy don’t!!!!....... Crash!....Oh No…

Buddy did!   

About the author: Kim Aranha grew up in the Berry Islands with her first dog, a beloved potcake named “Friendly” (who was anything but!).  First educated at home, and then in boarding school in Switzerland, Kim moved to Rome, Italy in 1974 to pursue a career in the dramatic arts and ended up working as an interpreter.  She moved back to The Bahamas in 1980, and now lives in Nassau with her husband Paul, and their two teenaged sons.  Kim has 4 dogs, 5 fish (1 Beta, 4 Goldfish), 10 turtles (6 babies, 4 adolescents), 1 Asian box turtle and 4 Budgerigars. Her idea of relaxing is being home to take care of all her pets. Kim is a member of the board of the Bahamas Humane Society. Kim can be contacted at kimvba@coralwave.com