Small Puppy, Big Dog

Baxter outgrew his body. Well, sort of. He outgrew his idea of his body.

You see, Baxter's parents were small, stocky Labs. And Baxter was a small, stocky puppy. And as a small, stocky puppy, Baxter fit in spaces meant for small, stocky dogs.

Small, stocky Baxter fit under our deck chairs, under the coffee table, under the kitchen table and chairs, between the recliner and its end table, under the rolltop desk, under the patio furniture and glass-top (Plexiglas) tables--anywhere you can imagine a small, stocky dog--small stocky Baxter puppy wiggled himself there.

As he grew, however, small stocky Baxter wasn't so small and stocky anymore. He soon realized (after countless upended chairs and tables) that he couldn't fit under certain things anymore. He wisely gave up trying.

One place, however, that Baxter (no matter what his size) could count on hiding beneath was the picnic table.

Not anymore.

Baxter has outgrown his ability to fit his lumbering, leggy Lab body between the picnic table benches and table top. If he succeeds in getting under the table, he gets stuck trying to get out (see photo above). I guess that's why he's resorted to getting on top of the table now.

Poor Boos. He can't help his size. In his head he's probably still our small stocky Baxter puppy, when in reality he's grown-up giant Baxter dog.

What makes it particularly difficult is that out small, stocky Elsie puppy stayed small and stocky as she grew. She can still fit pretty much wherever she used to fit. And when she and Baxter play, she hides in those places. She knows Boos can't reach her there.

Baxter, the gentle giant Lab, our genetic anomaly, will adjust. Eventually.

Until then, I guess we'll just have to help him when he gets stuck.

'Til next time,
Joan (who, too, has outgrown her idea of her body--it's a middle age thing) ;o)