The Boy is Growing Up…

Dexter spent quite a bit of time this spring going through a fairly horrid – and fairly typical – gawky stage. His feet were too big for his body, his chest was too big for his body, his rear looked high, his head looked small, and his ears resembled satellite dishes.

Add to this the fact that he was barely what one could call ‘graceful’, forever slamming head first into walls, or tripping over his own feet in the garden. He seemed to have little control over co ordinating where his body was aiming with where his feet seemed to be going, and chaos inevitably ensued.

The only solution seemed to be a paper bag and a career in something math related, because beauty contests did not seem to be in this little geek’s future.

Luckily for Dex, I am a patient woman (ha!), and was willing to wait it all out. Swans from ugly ducklings sometimes come, etcetera – plus, he’s a fun little goof to have around. Still, it was a pleasure to notice that he’s finally starting to bloom. As if over night, we woke up one day and said to ourselves “This is turning out to be one good looking little dog”.

His head has finally started to square up, losing the apple dome he had between his ears. His neck has turned from a scrawny stick that seemed to exist only to attach his head to his should into a thick, muscular column. His chest has dropped and started to muscle, and his forelegs are thick and strong. Even his slow to develop rear is muscling up and filling in, and he’s developed into a graceful and agile mover, able to leap over dog gates and onto couches in a single, flowing motion.

He’s still a teenager, but he’s a teenager with potential for both beauty and grace. It’s an amazing process to witness.

He has his faults, of course, including today’s foray into peeing on the couch, and a disturbing new penchant for flicking his weiner when he’s bored. That’s boys for you, I guess. After a lot of years just having girls here at home, I’ll have to get used to his testosterone laden dumbness, in addition to his manly good looks.

Loads of photos on Flicker of Penelope, Delilah, Dexter and Tessa going for a hike yesterday over near the Saugeen River, or view the slide show below.