Size Matters

I consider Bela to be little. I always tell people, 'She's a little dog!'. What I mean when I say that, however, is that she is a little BIG dog. There are small, medium and large dogs...and then there are little big dogs, or big little dogs. I am referring to the fact that her features are reminscent of a larger breed, but that her size is diminished. In order to help you understand my guidelines, I offer this: I would consider a whippet to be a little big dog, and poodle to be a big little dog.

People are often thrown by my description. I should just state the obvious - she is a medium sized dog. But size can be subjective. Children think she is huge. Owners of Great Danes find her miniscule.

I was trying to cross a high-traffic street one day. The cars were moving quickly in both directions and any give at all on Bela's leash terrified me. I picked her up. When I saw a bit of a break, I ran for it. There were some kids on the other side of the street. They watched me run across, one of the girls exclaiming, "Man, that is a BIG DOG!!". She repeated it, apparently quite taken with how gargantuan my 37-lb. dog was. When I was safely on her side of the street, I said to her, 'You think she's big?' She looked at me, eyes still wide and said..."YOU little. That is a BIG dog for how little you are."

Little dogs are different creatures, and there are many benefits to having one. They can't put their paws on the table, no matter how they try. They don't cost much to feed. Their bark really IS larger than their bite. Most notably, they're portable. And it is this major convenience, for which so many are grateful they do have a small dog - I am grateful I do not.

For I have already taken this 'dog thing' about as far as I can, and still like myself. I build my entire social schedule around her, spend every dime of 'extraneous' (extraneous often being not even so -- forgoing my own meal budget) income on pig ears, talk about her endlessly...and not to state the obvious, but....WRITE A BLOG ABOUT HER.

(And, in a horrific move about 48 hours ago, I subscribed to Modern Dog. When I look in the mirror, I do not know this person anymore.)

If Bela were portable, I would be a most loathesome soul. I'm afraid I would try to take her everywhere. I would enter stores and such with my head held high. I have seen women with dogs in bags take them into bakeries -- even movie theaters, and have thought, 'Such flagrant disregard for the rules!' But these women are no different than me. If I could get Bela into a five-star restaurant (nevermind, myself!), I would try. The challenge appeals to both the dog-obsessed and the rebel sides of me. Life would become a game. Reprimand would mean little. Oh, I will have to leave the store? That's cool -- my best friend here and I will head somewhere else.

So...traveling with her is hard. She's tall enough to take dishes out of the sink. She can accidentally claw me in the face easily if I am bending down. But her medium size has saved what little dignity I still have left. And for that, I am glad.