My dog has decided all at once to become well-behaved, and it’s making me nervous. I adopted Monty from a shelter almost a year ago, and he has been making me crazy nearly the entire time. From messing in the house and eating kitty litter to performing parkour-style acrobatics off of the furniture, it’s been an interesting year, to say the least. He’s pretty lucky I think his ridiculous overbite is cute or he might not have made it this far. As of about a month ago, however, he’s turned into a mostly “normal” dog. He lets me know when he needs to go out and barks to come back in. He keeps his treats and chew toys off of the furniture. He’s stopped bullying other dogs at the vet. It seems too good to be true – which is why I’m nervous. It was really too abrupt a change for me to trust it. There are so many “what ifs” running through my head regarding this 15-pound mutt. What if I let my guard down and he pulls an “Alf” and eats a cat? What if I get comfortable and he destroys all my shoes? NOBODY messes with mama’s shoes. Then again, maybe I am just being paranoid. After all, don’t they say the cats are the ones you really need to keep an eye on?

– Tiffany Blair, LBSPY #16