My new buddy Bella taught me about living with a small dog during a recent visit. I took care of Bella for 4 days while staying at her home and visiting friends.

Bella might weigh 10 pounds, and her perpetually disheveled curly mop of white-blonde fur accounts for a good percentage of that weight. She’s got the spirit of a much larger dog, though.

Bella spends a lot of her time curled up in her dog bed, reclining on the sofa, or, apparently, snuggling the nearest human. She’s very relaxed, quiet, and agreeable to being petted, brushed, given belly rubs, or just hanging out together.

But she gets very excited when offered a walk, dancing a bit and sometimes even barking with excitement. And she’s up for adventure. She trekked with me through the neighborhood, ventured out to meet a friend for a walk by the Bay, and kept up with the much-bigger pup on a jaunt with friends to a local brewpub.

On walks, she’s curious and eager to meet people and dogs, and loves to stop for long, deep sniffs along the way. She’s gentle, never pulling and always mindful of where I am. I haven’t lived with a small dog in a very long time; walks without being pulled were a nice change.

One thing made me a little sad: Whenever a car that sounded like her mom’s or dad’s passed, she’d immediately stop and look eagerly … then show a moment of disappointme

nt before returning to her “sniffari.” But, when I’d return from a non-dog-friendly outing, she’d greet me at the door with an excited dance and a few yips — even after realizing that I was not Mom or Dad.