Scott Linden Outdoors

A fleeting moment in time.

Maybe I forgot how it goes: midnight potty breaks, ear-splitting yelps, constant attention-grabbing. Yes, a new pup is a lifestyle.

But it will all soon be over, Flick will be physically and (to a degree) emotionally mature and all the wonder if puppyhood will be a memory again. Until then, I’ve resolved to savor it. Every bit. Even the blurry-eyed trips outside at 2 a.m.

It’s fleeting, this wonder-filled chance to once again live a young life through your pup. Everything is new, awe-inspiring … including a grocery cart. Knowing you are his be-all and end-all, at least for a while, is daunting. But I’m betting high-pitched whines and cries stimulate endorphins that make us better humans as we care for our canines.

And the upside is worth the sleep deprivation: there is nothing like a puppy discovering the world – bees and butterflies, moving water, a stick. They are all new and intriguing, worth at least a moment and maybe more. There is a gait that only puppies exhibit – bouncing, hopping, flopping. Watch for it, enjoy it.

I am.