Buffy is at a stage of exponential growth

Buffy is at a stage of exponential growth. I had to leave town for three days and when I return, she seems to have gained 5 pounds and grown an inch in all directions. She is still lap-sized.

We continue to work on teaching basic manners. She is house training well, although the winter cold has caused a bit of a back slide. She'll poke her nose outside and look back at us as if to say, "yeah, okay, you go pee out there... I'm staying here." She has a bit of an attitude about her that at times reminds me of a cat. Thankfully we have mostly wood and tile floors in our house. She comes when called, about 60% of the time. We reward her with treats when she does come and placing her in puppy time out (crate) when she is naughty and we have to chase her down. She is chewing less and when she bites while playing it is softer... but, we are working to eliminate the biting behavior completely. While her nips are part of puppy play, they can really hurt! It's also a dominance issue, so I've read. While she thinks she's queen of the house... she's learning she's only a princess.

Because she's had many baths to fight off fleas, we got her a sweater to wear outside. She's already just about outgrown it! Soon, I'll make her a doggie coat. I'm thinking fleece lined with a weather-proof exterior. I'm also thinking of putting a hood on it, because her long ears get very cold and I'm sure they'll be frozen when it snows or is icy out.

Puppies chew. I'll be glad when she outgrows this stage. We direct her to appropriate chew toys and she does well for the most part. However, there are times when she gets a mischievous look in her eye and goes after forbidden items... plants, etc. I'm a little nervous about decorating for Christmas and getting the tree up. I'm thinking this could be a nightmare! So many sparkly temptations for a puppy. And destruction happens quickly.

She is really entertainingly playful. She chases her tail, pounces on things (I really think she might be part cat) and loves to play chase in the yard. She's usually too fast for me to capture much on video... but I'll keep trying.