Little Charlie is not so little anymore. He has yet to double in size before he’s fully grown, but he is a BIG puppy! He almost reaches edge
to edge when he stretches out across the width of the bed; when I carry him, he fills up my entire torso area – hard to believe that just four months ago he fit in one hand. He used to shock the cat by walking under Eli’s belly and now the tables are turned – if Charlie is standing in the cat’s path, Eli walks right under Charlie and wraps his tail around Charlie’s body the way that cats do.

Two days ago, Charlie said his first word – his first howl! He howled three times in a row – each one was really only a one-syllable howl, and he looked so astonished at himself and he hasn’t done it again. It was darling.

Charlie’s growing fast, yet he’s still so tiny – he fits in my cupped hands. His little body is still a baby body – he waddles around and from above he looks like an eggplant.

His temperament is incredible. He is so gentle, so sweet. He still sleeps with me but I put him between the covers and the sheet because his little claws are sharp as talons on bare skin.

Charlie is definitely not a dog – he has no interest in rawhide bones or chew sticks, preferring deer antlers to gnaw on. He plays with Eli’s toy mice and has a penchant for socks. Already he knows the difference between toys and my body – whenever we play or tussle, he never ever clamps down on me.