A few of you have asked for an update on Fergus, who just turned 16 months old. I am happy to report that he is now able to resist the temptation of most moving objects, including furry critters, small children and wheels. Most of the credit goes to my husband, who jogs with him every day, and to Cesar Millan, “the Dog Whisperer,” and his DVDs.

Fergus has become so fit, in fact, that today I found him carrying an eight-pound dumbbell in his mouth. I knew this was not the time to ask him to “drop it.” Besides, I was impressed with his initiative. Just a few weeks ago, he was carrying around a five-pound weight.

Mostly, he tries to be helpful. Recently I came home to find him cleaning the house. With the assistance of his buddy, Brother, a Havana Brown cat that is handy at opening cabinet doors, he had found a toilet brush and a container of Comet cleanser and was working on an oriental carpet in the entryway.

His breeder said she thought that he would make a great working dog. I thought she meant herding, but it must have been tracking — Comet cleanser all over the house.