So, my family is about a month into having my new puppy, Kona, and things are going great. We all love her. She is a bit of a pain at times, but what puppy is not? There is only one of us that does not like her.

Bella, my other dog.

For the last five years of Bella’s life, she was the puppy and the rambunctious one out of her and Bailey, who was put down the same day Kona was born  

Bella hates Kona for no particular reason except what I will call jealousy.

I think Bella got so used to being wild on her own with Bailey being around and being old and not wanting to play as much, and she got used to the fact that she was lone wolf in the doggy shenanigans.

Enter Kona.

All she wants to do is play with Bella, and Bella, the tiny little Maltese, wants none of it for whatever reason. The tables sure did turn on Bella as she was the one to get on Bailey’s nerves from time to time.

I am not sure what kind of dog Kona is, but she is bigger than the five-pound Bella. She almost resembles a Mastiff, but she is a bit small to turn into that hound.

To put it in perspective, Bella is your typical lap dog, and Kona is big enough now to walk over Bella, which she enjoys doing.

My mom sent me a video of Kona standing over Bella, taking her front leg and wrapping it around the front of Bella and snuggling up against her for a hug. It was adorable.

I thought we turned a corner there, but if they do not figure out their differences fast, things could get dicey. Let me clear one thing up. It is not like they are fighting and getting violent; they are just not getting along.

We tried our best to keep Kona off the couch for as long as we could. Part of it was us not letting her go up, and the other part was her not knowing how to get up there, even though she could make the leap without despair.

The couch is Bella’s “spot.” You could always find Bella relaxing on top of the couch at any hour of the day.

Her “spot” quickly turned into her safe haven. Kona could not get up there, meaning Bella was free from being messed with.

I love Bella, and she will always have a different spot in my heart than Kona, but she is overreacting. Bella, if you read this, I mean it, relax a bit. She is not that bad.

But, just as all puppies do, she learned fast.

In the first couple weeks of having Kona, she would chase Bella in a flippy-floppy run, bobbing back and forth, leaping from her front paws, then to her back. It looked ridiculous, but hilarious, watching her learn how to use her legs.

When those legs started flailing around, Bella bolted. Hauling around the living room with a super dog, Michael Jordan free-throw line leap onto the couch away from what Bella deems to be the devil.

Now, Kona knows how to get on the couch. Watch out, Bella.

Bella, take a chill pill. And Kona, drop it back down to planet Earth from time-to-time. No need for 0-100 all the time.

Sean Hastings is a senior journalism major. He can be reached 581-2812 or at smhastings@eiu.edu.