We got Chris when he was 4 months old when we lived in San Diego. I worked full time and my husband was in the Navy. Chris was mischievous when he was younger and had a great sense of smell (as all poodles do). I left a bag with packets of hot chocolate mix on the floor and came home to find our white poodle with brown "boots" and a brown muzzle - he'd been pretty busy that day and stood there licking his chops. I couldn't help it - I bust out laughing even though I know he'd been a naughty dog. We had gotten a kitten as a "companion" thinking that Chris wouldn't get in so much trouble during the day. He did like the kitty but still found stuff to get into. Later on we got a teacup poodle, Willie and I think Chris thought he was his baby - he would lick him every chance he got. We were shocked when Willie suddendly stopped eating and we tried by giving him baby food but he had a terminal live disease. I remember Chris "grieved" in his own way. We got a chihuahua Kayonna and again Chris thought of her as his "baby" licking her every chance he got. I was said to see the changes in Chris - growling at the dog he used to think of as his "baby" and gradually losing his eyesight. Chris is with Willie now and I bet he's licking him just like he used to. We will miss him but he's not longer in pain.