I like dogs and I tend to like precise words. So, when my sister called to tell me that her family had gotten a new dog, I decided to stop by the house and check it out.

Image from Stock.xchng

My nephews met me at the door. Well, they bounced to the front door and shook out their hands while they rebounded like pogo sticks. I let myself in.

“We have a new puppy!” said the five year old.

“He’s our very new puppy. We have a new puppy!” said the four year old.

It seemed there was little more to say about the puppy than that he was new.

They were pointing down the hall to their bathroom. “Um, where is this new puppy?” I asked.

“He’s getting a bath!” said nephew #1.

“Mom is giving him a bath!” said nephew #2.

Oh, good. Whether the puppy was great, these two little boys worked off lunch before it was 2 pm with their jumping. Their feet continued to pound the floor as they did the pogo stick re-enactment in the living room.

“Can I go see him?” I asked them.

“Mom’s giving him a bath!” said nephew #1. “We have a new puppy.”

“New puppy,” said nephew #2, tiring just a smidgen.  He was too young to shriek and bounce so he was settling for bouncing.

Their excitement was contagious and I called to my sister. “Are you done? I want to see this cute little guy.”

“Hang on,” she said. “I’m done.”

And the boys found a higher jumping gear at that point, pointing and squealing. “Here he comes! Here comes our new puppy!”

I prepared for the fuzzy little guy. What’s cuter than a thick-legged puppy with thick fur and a baby face?

Through the doorway came this long leg followed by another and then a Great Dane emerged, towering over the boys.

“Our new puppy!” the boys squealed and wrapped arms around each of the dog’s front legs.

My sister followed the dog into the room.

“Puppy?” I said.

She shrugged, wiping off her hands on a towel. “So they say.”

I tend to prefer precise words. In this case, big dog would have worked well. But what can you say to little boys who believe they have a great puppy?