Puppy love

When we adopted 6 1/2-month old Clara from a local dog shelter, people told me she'd calm down around her 2nd birthday. I couldn't believe them. She was so nutty with barking at squirrels, patrolling the yard, and running around like a teething banshee. She couldn't sit still long enough to be pet, and she always jumped on new adults*. Petunia and I worked long and hard to teach her good manners and to manage her behavior, but for a long time, our relationship with her was filled with stress. Sometimes I even wondered whether we'd made a mistake in adding such a spirited dog to our decidedly low-energy family. Now Clara's 20 months old, and the predictions are coming true: she's turning into a real sweetheart of a dog.

*Though she never jumped on children. Clara was always good with the kids since she had been fostered with a family with twin toddlers. Thank goodness for that!