I love the sheer time, care and patience these dogs have for things. This one stealing a bottle of Coke kills me because it has the same careful creeping side eye Puddi had as a puppy when she was in pure arsehole mode and determined to get on my nerves.

Back then she wasn’t allowed inside the kitchen and knew the line was drawn at the physical point where wood floor met ceramic tiles. Most of the time she stood there cos she knew the rules but when she was that way out she would stand there for a bit, then put one paw so it was literally half in and half out.

I could see her out the corner of my eye but carried on chopping veg or whatever I was doing and reckoned not to have noticed which was a similar technique I used with the kids when they were little. Would allow them to take things to a point they knew they’d already broken a rule but gave them a minute or so to decide if they should quit while ahead or try pushing it further.

Puddi just didn’t know the meaning of quitting so this one day as I chopped veg and made tea pretending not to notice, in came the paw. The half in – half out lingered a moment but because it go no reaction, in came the whole paw.

Then came the second paw with her head peering round the side of the wall looking and no doubt expecting me to suddenly see and tell her off. Nothing.

So in came the third then after what felt like an eternity she moved that last one and all four paws were now on the kitchen tiles. OFFICIAL REBEL

Me casually without even glancing her way “Out you go”

She stood there momentarily, casually started backing up, scanned her immediate surroundings and did the old “Yeah well I’m going anyway… don’t wanna be in your shit kitchen BUT I’M HAVING THIS SO SCREW YOU BITCH!!!!”

The nearest thing happened to be a used train ticket that had fallen next to the bin so she grabbed that and legged it feeling thoroughly pleased and satisfied I’d been one-upped.

This was what we went through all day every day until she was about a year old.

And another

ooOOoo

Simply put: A puppy’s start to a happy life! Certainly for puppy Puddi!