VIDALIA &045; Rain clouds cleared just early enough for 5-year-old Kaitlin Patrick and her 13-week-old Pomeranian to get covered in mud Sunday evening.

By 7:30 she’d already changed clothes three times, her mother Keri said.

Patrick, who’s had Toby the dog since he was six weeks old, spent the afternoon introducing him to new friends.

Neighbors Morgan, 10, and Skyler, 8, Wheley brought their grandmother’s young puppy Kaboodle over for the afternoon.

&uot;They are just so cute,&uot; Patrick said while the tiny dogs tousled each other.

Morgan Wheley said it was too early to tell if the dogs would be friends because they just met.

Keri Patrick said Kaitlin was doing her part to take care of the new puppy.

&uot;She takes it out to go to the bathroom and when she gets bigger she will do more,&uot; she said.

Kaitlin said she leaves Toby’s feeding up to her mother.

&uot;My mom feeds my dog so it gets bigger,&uot; she said.

The puppy is the newest in a line of pets including hamsters and guinea pigs, but Kaitlin said she liked Toby the best.

&uot;Because it’s cute,&uot; she said.