I’ve always preferred little dogs–the smaller, the better. It’s not just cuteness. Among other things, little dogs eat less, require less exercise, and cause little damage ripping and tearing through the house.

At her weigh-in this month, Mavis tipped the scale at 30.5 pounds. That’s more than the combined weights of Tico (10 pounds), Toodles (6 pounds) and Tootsie (12 pound). And at not quite seven months old, Mavis still has some growing to do.

Her adoption information indicated she’d weigh less than 25 pounds when full grown. Had I known she’d be more than 25 pounds, I would have swept left and continued my search. We’ll never know how that might have turned out, but I can’t imagine being any happier.

Mavis is a delightful, nearly-perfect dog. Being with her is easy. Early training helped, but her easy-going nature makes the bigger difference. Conflicts (i.e., me yelling at her) are few and far between. For an adolescent, she’s pretty good. Jumping on people is her only bad habit. She rarely barks, and when she does, it’s usually a demand for my attention.

I’m slowly adapting to life with a bigger dog. Chew treats my little dogs worked on for days without finishing disappear in minutes. I don’t go anywhere with her without a pocket full of mini milk bones for training. Perhaps that explains her gleaming teeth.

Along with the additional treats, I’m buying ginormous bags of dog food. Eating more is not without benefits. Picking up after Mavis is easy. I never have trouble finding the results of her effort–even in tall grass, weeds or leaves.

There are new challenges. Nothing on my coffee table is safe–Mavis is able to reach every inch without getting on her hind legs. She can reach anything within a foot of tabletop and countertop edges–without jumping. She’s trained me to put the top down on toilets.

Loving to go for walks is the biggest difference. Tootsie hated walks. Weather and mood permitting, Toodles enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the block. Mavis can’t wait to go and is happy to walk as often and far as I’m willing to go.

Whether accidental or intentional (little dogs are in high demand), I’m glad the information on the adoption page for Mavis wasn’t accurate. So far, having a bigger dog has been a plus.

I’ll keep you posted. As always, thanks for stopping by.