He was something new, and it was a characteristic of the Folk to like new things.

When I saw that he refused fruits and vegetables, I caught birds for him and squirrels and young rabbits.

(We Folk were meat-eaters, as well as vegetarians, and we were adept at catching small game.) The puppy ate the meat and thrived.
As well as I can estimate, I must have had him over a week.

And then, coming back to the cave one day with a nestful of young-hatched pheasants, I found Lop-Ear had killed the puppy and was just beginning to eat him.

I sprang for Lop-Ear,--the cave was small,--and we went at it tooth and nail.
And thus, in a fight, ended one of the earliest attempts to domesticate the dog.