As the World Turns

My wife had wanted to get a Maltese her entire life. So 2 years ago I got her one for her birthday. I have always been reluctant to have small dogs, because of their “yippee” reputation. I was proven right. Baxter Alexander Maximus was an eight week old puppy when we got him, and he fit in the palm of my hand. The minute we got him home and he saw our cats the yipping began. He is now a little over two years old, and he still barks constantly. He barks while he is going potty, while he is cleaning himself, even when he is sleeping he’ll bark. It drives me nuts. He likes to wear dog cologne too. However in the past six months he has finally gotten the idea of going potty outside instead of in the house. He has been listening, in general, much better, and he has taken to curling up in my lap and going to sleep whenever my wife isn’t around. He also seems to have trouble deciding which of us to sleep next to at night, so he wedges in between us. All in all my heart has gone out to the cute, annoying, little yipper.