The BigFoot Club

Growing up is hard to do . . .

(We need puppy words for the Neil Sedaka song.)

Sometimes it is as if a complete reset occurs overnight, like a change has been downloaded or a backup retrieved from her system. Development occurs in increments, and the net of change is the metamorphosis to adult. This has been true for all puppies, and I would grieve the loss should puppyhood transpire too quickly. No worries! Grace has that covered. Everything we do together is an adventure.

During a recent hotel stay, I left the wifi camera pointed toward the door, as usual, to observe whether people came into the room with the Privacy tag on the door. And sure enough, someone did, who looked at the camera and had an uh-oh reaction. This rarely happens. I’ve also been in a room when people came in, “to clean”; one even said that her manager told her to clean the room. I think she spoke French rather than Spanish, but I can barely make out parts of Spanish, let alone French. Typically I expect that it is an innocent mistake, but occasionally I have doubts. When a Newf is left in the room, I want to know that no one has been present when I’m not there.

Grace was caught on camera checking herself out in the mirror. Josh did something like this in 2003 at Westminster (the year before he was BIS), watching himself on the giant screen. We are all curious about ourselves. At hotels, there are sometimes full-length mirrors, and that reflection catches her attention. We don’t have those in her area at home. Usually, when she looks at the mirror at a hotel room, she is making eye contact with me through the mirror.

The house has a lot of glass, with reflection that is almost clear under certain light conditions, when the glass isn’t covered in noseprints. There are three double doors in the kitchen area, along with one in the bedroom, and there are two windows at visibility level when she is on the bed. When she sees those reflections, they sometimes cause her concern. Perhaps those are more apparition-like. Sometimes she barks at a reflection of a television in the window, or what I expect are cats or raccoons outside the patio door, or at the multiplicity of reflective images in one of the kitchen doors next to the glass dining room doors, smiliar to a hall of mirrors in a haunted house. A few nights ago, she barked at that weird black apparition in one of the doors. I explained that she was barking at herself, that the reflection in the door wasn’t clear like the mirror in the hotel room. As often occurs, her concerns were allayed, whether she understood words or tone and cadence, or whether she has begun to accept my input.

She has keen visual detection, and she will still spot tiny things and explore those with her mouth, and sometimes ingest those when they taste good. I found a malted milk ball on the hotel floor that she had missed for a couple of days. Hotel carpet is designed to decrease visual inspection, which must be why those weird clothing patterns trip AI cameras. But tiny things are everywhere: on a floor, in the yard, on the sidewalks. There is a risk to raising a curious puppy, but it is also a joy.

Another of her fascinations, one that intrigues many Newfs, is paper products. Over the years, a lot of paper towels and toilet paper have been entertainment for a Newf. Grace particularly likes paper. She usually asks now before she lifts a paper towel, and I almost always have one nearby, as a napkin, a coaster or just in case. Sometimes I hold it for her to rip. (complicit) She is three months short of two years, but asking (most of the time) is one of those growing up things. All that I know that I did to modify this was tell her, “That is my paper towel. I need that.” Or, “Oh no! I needed that paper towel.” I use a serious but not exaggerated tone. As they mature, they learn to engage and respond, to your tone if not the words. But I expect she has a good human vocabulary by now.

Some puppy behaviors are not as easily discouraged and require more effort to study and resolve.

On Tuesday night, I watched her step into the bathroom and inspect. As with Banker, she is another Self-Apointed Chief Inspectigator of All Things. It’s a job title that comes with the Newf. Some take their role more seriously than others. Grace took an interest in the toilet paper on its holder, sniffing it, stopping herself, sniffing it, stopping herself, then the expression of pure glee emerged and stopping became an option no longer. This was my first time to catch one in the act, from the beginning. It was so charming to watch her learning that I didn’t step in until she began trying to get a full roll into her mouth. I asked, “Grace, what are you doing?” But by then it was too late. She was enthralled. (incensed if you prefer Ray Stephens descriptor) Adding to the entertainment, it moved around on the bar and unraveled! I intervened and said, “I need that.” She wasn’t happy but conceded. This is my pirate. Not too long ago this would have probably been a bigger battle. Now I will have to keep the door closed. She won’t forget a source of fun.

Another thing that she has in common with Banker and not others is that she still uses her crate. It is like her bedroom, her personal space. She indicated to me one time that she didn’t like it when I laid my jacket across the top. (Don’t be rude.) Our bedroom was planned with enough space for Newfs, but a puppy must begin in a crate. Then the crate can go back to its rack. Usually. Grace was able to stay outside of her crate fairly quickly. So the crate door has been open for over a year. She goes into it to lounge, to change a sleeping spot, or when she is upset with us. (Playing is more fun than watching something on television; can’t be argued.) Banker viewed his crate similarly. It was a place to take a nap with less disturbance from others. He had to give it up when the new guy came along. Although there were times when two crates were set up in the house at once, one takes up enough space. But as long as it is her comfort area and she is using it, it will stay in the bedroom. And she did another thing that was unique for Banker: she did her own time out. She got into something during the night, progressively, a step at a time, crossing her own limit with each step. This woke me at about 1:30 a.m., and as usual for being awakened, I couldn’t go back to sleep. Otherwise I wouldn’t have witnessed the act or the regret. I got up, scolded and picked up the pieces. She sighed, went to her crate and laid down heavily, then she stayed in her crate for a while. A few months ago, this would have been in protest at having her fun interrupted. This time, I had a clear impression that she was unhappy with herself, losing the battle for self-control. It is the first time I’ve seen her do this. Yay! for learning, but I still hope that puppyhood doesn’t fade quickly, or the curiosity and optimism that goes with it.

There is a balance for puppies as for people, learning how to take risks and being driven by optimism. Avoiding risk entirely isn’t good for either.