Over the years I have welcomed rescue dogs into my home. Some were not a good fit. Some were fantastic!
We had Barney the basset hound who was with us for two years. He was so handsome and mostly good natured. He had the best ears and the deepest bark of all the dogs. He developed bloat or GVD and did not survive. I was heartbroken and cried for ages when he left us.
I researched the next breed carefully and decided that a Staffordshire Bull Terrier would be a good match for us. I had to wait a bit before the right dog came along.
We got Polly as a small pup.
She was a terrific dog. We had her for many years.
She died at the age of eleven.
I've tried another rescue dog almost immediately after Polly died. It was too odd to not have a dog in the house. We had Xena for a while another very good natured Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She was older (about seven) when we got her. I really tried with her but when she jumped over the fence to start chasing sheep, her number was up. With that breed, I really need to start with a pup that can be trained and don't come with bad habits She couldn't stay. I am not put off that breed at all. They make wonderful, loyal pets.
Last week I was up in the highlands, on the banks of the Tay in a very nice house. When the ghillie showed up with his dog Scout, I was smitten! Scout was a well behaved black Labrador. He had a glossy coat that was almost blue and so affectionate!
The day I got home, I started looking into getting a dog just like Scout! Here's what I knew about Scout. He was a working dog and had a formidable pedigree. You just don't find dogs like him in rescue situations. One quick look on the Kennel Club website for reputable breeders told me that there is a
breeder near me! I mean not far at all!!
Not only was this breeder close, she had a two week old litter with a few pups available. The breeder had been expecting a litter of four pups. Those pups had been spoken for. When Saffron, her bitch whelped, she produced 10 puppies! There were three black lab dog pups available and one yellow dog pup available. I dashed across to see them and put a deposit down on one.
They have good hips and elbows and have been tested (and passed) for other painful diseases associated with pure breed labs. Bred for temperament and obedience, this will be a brilliant match for us.
SO. . . .in the beginning of September our new piddling, chewing lab pup will be here.
2 comments:
Your pup sounds like will be so cute -- loved the photo. Enjoy your diving trip.
Oh, I'd love to have a dog, but don't want to take on the care I know they'll require. The last one we had we adopted from the pound when she was about 10 months old. She was a German short-haired pointer who must have flunked her bird dog training and was so spoiled. I think she had been physically abused in the name of training. We should have returned her, but I had told our children she just needed lots of love and I felt I'd be teaching them the wrong lesson if I did after having told them what I did. So, we kept her -- problems and all until cancer developed over ten years or so later and was so invasive the Vet had to put her down.
I need to have a dog for my own health. I will get out and walk loads more if I have a dog. No dog = no getting off my backside and walking. Besides, we have a fireplace and live in the country. We need to have dog to lay in front of it.
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