Taking care of Jedi has been a weighty responsibility, and sometimes I cannot believe that I am a dog owner. I look at him and think of the future--how tall he'll grow, how heavy he'll get, the activities we'll do, and the journeys we will take. I also wonder when he will ever understand the word "no." He probably does understand it and just disobeys whenever my family members and I try to separate him from objects, clothes, and body parts (ouch!) that he is forbidden from biting and chewing.

In the meantime, I socialize Jedi as much as I can. While I am at work, he plays in the backyard, and once in a while my dad might take him out for a short walk. He has heard and/or seen helicopters, doorbells, garage doors, flushing toilets, chatter from neighborhood children, water sprinklers, the mailman, the vacuum cleaner, and my alarm clock. Socialization includes exposing him to a wide variety of sights and sounds so that he will respond calmly and gently in the future. Perhaps a disadvantage to socialization is that he won't grow up to be an adequate guard dog, and since he is so friendly already, he won't know that someone is kidnapping him if that should ever happen (please God, don't let anyone take him!). Jedi also loves other dogs, even when they react aggressively or timidly. He has had a few wonderful opportunities to play with and sniff other dogs at friends' houses, parks, and at pet stores. It really sweetens my hearts when he makes friends with people and animals.

So far, it seems that Jedi's only fear is the dark--specifically, voices and figures in the dark. There's a quiet park near my house that receives little foot traffic, especially at night, so I take Jedi there. He follows me closely, frequently stepping over my toes and causing a stumbling hazard. Then when we hear pedestrians talking and laughing in the distance, his flappy ears perk up, he whines, and he immediately jumps on me. I didn't realize he was afraid of these voices the first two nights we went out walking at the park, but then I understood that he wanted me to carry him, which quieted him once I would lift him up into my arms.

With that, we are getting better at communicating. He knows that whenever I say "mum-mum," he will be fed breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He knows that when I say "carrot," he will receive a small carrot diced into quarters. He knows that when I say "soy-soy," he will get water. "Mum-mum" and "soy-soy" are Toisan words that my Chinese grandma taught me, so they've stuck with me. I have also started to growl at Jedi after he ignores three of my "No's." It usually works.

At his first vet check-up, he weighed eleven pounds. He has certainly grown since then, although my eyes often deceive me. I still see the little puppy I met on our first day, but if I take a step back, I see that his head has grown bigger, his body has grown longer, and his shoulders have gotten a bit taller. Without a doubt, he has also grown heavier. I am guessing he weighs around fifteen pounds.