The Moral: In Which Melon Learns That Everyone Likes Puppies (Which Everyone Else Knew Already)

Penne stayed with me for a week. It took less than that for this little girl with a big head to win everyone over.

The difficult part was that being a cavoodle and only six months old, she could fit through one of our property gates and -- even more worryingly -- the fence surrounding our pool. So I could only take her outside on leash. To top that, this past week turned out to have either scorching temperatures (40°C / 104° F) or pouring rain, so we had to be inside all the time.

The easy part was that she's a very, very well-behaved puppy. She was shut inside all the time and never once asked to go out. In fact, once in a while we would suddenly remember that she toilets outdoors so I would leash her up and take her. And once again -- no accidents inside.

This, along with her cute face, meant that my parents loved her. Mom told me she was cute, and if we were relaxing she'd suggest we join Penne in the living room. I went downstairs every morning to find Penne with a new toy -- usually a ball Dad had dug up from somewhere.

Sure, they liked Gatsby fine. She was well behaved when she was here too.

But I knew Penne had hit the jackpot when one day I ducked out for a quick lunch and came home through the front door. I didn't hear her alert bark, or the jangle of her tags from the hallway. She wasn't at the little gate when I reached it either. The baby gates shut her into that area; there's nowhere she can go by herself. I was too puzzled to think of panicking -- and then I spotted her on the other side of the glass door, sitting calmly on the patio watching me with that cute face. My eyes followed her leash to see it secured to a verandah pole with a professional-looking rope and carabiner.

Another glance showed me Dad doing his gardening. I was so surprised I asked him if he had leashed her himself. Of course, he said.

There hadn't been anyone else home, it was true. But I never would have guessed he would figure out a way to secure her on the verandah so she could be outside and watch him garden. Those of you who have family or friends who don't 'do' animals, who don't touch them or handle them, will understand my surprise.

And me? Well, I'm not a puppy person. I'm really not. I am drawn to larger dogs and older dogs. I always thought I'd adopt an older dog -- I don't think I'd ever want a puppy. But last night, just after Penne went home, I didn't hesitate to agree to help with something puppy-related, which is still in the works (nope, I am not telling yet!).

And if you asked me to comment on Penne, my automatic reaction is: she's cute. So cute. I mean, look!

So, I guess everyone likes puppies.