The Fritz Chronicles

Lessons in raising a teenaged dog

This morning I posted a video of Rufus chewing on his bully stick, quietly lying on the putting green and gnawing contentedly for a solid twenty minutes. I knew that he’d work on it until it was a nub, then leisurely stretch across the warm synthetic grass and take a little nap before asking to come back inside.

In my old life — my pre-Fritz life — I’d sit in the chairs by the fire pit, playing my NYT games, soaking in my morning sunlight, and enjoying a slow cup of coffee.

Instead, I gave the teenager a bully stick at the same time as Rufus, but because I know that bully sticks can be a source of conflict, I brought Fritz inside. I set the bully stick in its holder on the floor, gave Fritz the “free” command, and sat down in a comfortable arm chair next to him, hoping to work on my brain games while Fritz worked on his.

Ha. The best laid plans.

Sitting close to him while he has a toy can be hazardous for any nearby human, as he unexpectedly tosses it in the air — sometimes flinging it on to the coffee table or, occasionally, my lap. He then pounces on it, undaunted by the fact that it landed next to a cup of coffee or on my bare skin.

Another favorite move is to hold it in his paws, roll on his back, and then hoist the toy over his head. He drops it, flips himself back on to his paws, leaps on it, and brings it to my lap, where he likes to rest half of it on my leg and then chew the other half (resulting in slobber all over my shorts and further disruption to my game playing).

Eventually, he lies down with it and chews for a few minutes before starting his shenanigans anew.

This is life with a teenage puppy.

Life is also having said teenager re-enter the house after going potty outside and, as if it was perfectly normal, walk over to the barstool, make eye contact with Max (my twenty-three-year-old home from college), and lift his leg on the barstool.

Not only were we surprised by the act of act of urinating in the house, but also by the fact that he lifted his leg. It was as if he was saying to Max, Hey - watch this. I just figured out something new I can do!

But then the even more unexpected thing happened.