She’s smart. She’s sneaky. She’s both a love and a challenge. She is my recently acquired dog, named “Little Girl.”

Her former owners trained the little ball of fluff well. She came to me housebroken and obedient. What a delightful surprise. The first night with me, she slept in a cage. The second, I decided to try her in the dog bed my daughter leaves at my house for her Min-pin Sadie when they stay overnight. Then I had another pleasant surprise. Upon my command, Little Girl hopped in that bed, settled herself and remained until I greeted her the next morning. That day, I started my search for her bed. I never realized so many choices were available. I finally selected a washable one suitable for her size. Although it has a plush lining, I added a small, lightweight throw. Every morning I move her bed to my living room. Almost every night, she shows me she is ready to go to bed by moving from beside me in my recliner to her bed. She trots beside me when I take it to the bedroom.

In the beginning, I caged her when I left home. Then I decided to give her free run of the house while I was gone. Okay, it was dumb of me, but nothing happened that first time. The next day though she let me know she did not appreciate that treatment. I returned to find a wastebasket overturned, its contents scattered. I still gave her free range for a few more days. It was the morning I noticed the sun shining through a little hole in a closed wooden blind that I knew I had to restrict her. Was there a rat in the house or had Little Girl used her teeth like one? No doubt, she was the culprit; I found no signs of a rat.

Talk about sneaky. Although I checked my back fence for possible escape holes, I found none. Still, I try to watch her closely from a window when she explores the back yard. Then one day I got distracted. She didn’t respond to my calls. I got frantic. When I opened my front door, there stood Little Girl, her tail wagging so hard she stirred a breeze. Another time when I shut her in the back yard while I worked in the side yard, she suddenly strolled up beside me wagging her tail, as if asking for praise. Now I hope I have blocked her escape route.

Little Girl compensates for her mischief by showering me with doggie love. Wherever I am in the house, there she is. She curls up in my recliner with me when I read or watch television. She demands a tummy-rubbing session every morning. When I am too sleepy, I order her back to her bed. She obeys with a woe-be-gone expression that almost makes me feel guilty.

As you can see, the smart, sneaky Little Girl has stolen my heart.