2 New Family Additions

22 November 2020

1008

R. Linda:

It must be that time of year again. Me apple-cheeked grey-haired Mam put the sheer curtains up in me office to help keep out the winter chill. These sheers be new curtains, not the Chinese cheapies she first stuck up that looked so horrible. And because she's done this curtain hanging, the weather be a balmy 52 degrees in the shade!

She also peeled and sliced the rest of the apples we non-picked from the non-adventure in the apple orchards last month. She's also got a handle on Christmas she does! Ordered the little things first and be all set to go full-on shopping for the bigger items. 

She has cooked and put up a variety of comfort foods for the winter months and I be amazed at her organisation. I wish I could say I be taking after her, but no, no, I be concentrating on quality control of every goodie she bakes and it will delight you no end to know me muffin top be coming back! Yes, it is. 

Whilst she be industrious in the kitchen, I be sitting. around doing a lot of nothing. Work be at a standstill because non-essential traffic cannot go into the state of Massachusetts where most of me work be, and I don't feel inclined to the motivation of doing any repairs or upkeeps around the abode. If I be not careful I will become fat and lazy . . .  I know like that could happen, sheesh!

I do though help with the remote school schedule with the boyos, not always a pleasant task, they do have their grumpy moments, and as me Mam says they "goo all 'rish on ye." When I am not doing that, I be taking puppies out every two hours and me life be centred around puppy clean-up. These two champs of the collie world are a delight and they do make me laugh, but they were to be family dogs but both seem to be mine. Everywhere I go, they go.

I haven't said much about them because of the general malaise in the abode over the pandemic and now the crazy going on in the WH, but I will now. We were to get one dog not two, and the one was a replacement for O'Hare because we lost the setter last September. I had made it known I was looking for a puppy and got an unexpected email from Maine that one of me followers had bred his collies and was going to have puppies in August, would I be interested in one? Well, after years of crazy setter antics and getting on I can't keep up with the breed. I asked what are collies like and the answer was, "Loyal, obedient, trusting, mellow, non-barkers, herding dogs (so watch for the occasional nip if YOU veer off in another direction than where the dog wants you go), great with children, and for the most part a quiet companion."

Sounded too good to be true, but I did me research and sure enough many collie owners said the same thing, so a collie it was! I accepted and did not tell O'Hare that he was about to become the owner of a more sedate animal than he was used to.

One thing about that herding instinct, oh yes it be there for sure. But in a good way, I almost mis-stepped into a deep culvert and if it wasn't for one of me new pups I'd have fallen for sure, but he came up give me a gentle nip and saved Gabe from falling in the well so to speak.

When the time came, I drove up to Maine with Tonya to see the puppies. All 8 weeks old and ready to go. There were 11 of them, all looking for the most part to me untrained eye like Lassie. I mentioned to me friend that I was looking for Lassie and he pointed out one with a white snip down its face and sure enough that was the one I wanted. He (for the dog be a male) be a well-built sturdy not so little guy and very active which gave me pause. But Tonya agreed she thought the pup was the most handsome of the group and so that was the one. However, there was a very small, delicate-boned little guy that I thought from a more recent litter that seemed attached to our big fella. Me friend asked me outright if I'd like a second pup, and that the second one was a special needs, but if not he'd keep it for his own. 

It was very attached to the pup we picked and Tonya of course melted at the words "special needs" because she be soft-hearted and generous with her compassion. Seems the small boy has a heart defect that he may or may not outgrow. He was from the same litter, the runt, and me friend had to hand feed him because he couldn't nurse with his mam for the competition of the other pups being bigger and stronger so they'd push him away. This melted Tonya's heart even more as you can imagine. To me I be thinking vet bills.

Both dogs were taken out of the pen and put in another together and they so enjoyed each other and the smaller of the two did seem to have quite the personality that we agreed to take him too. Me friend told me if we couldn't handle him or the other, he'd take them back. 

A week later (we couldn't get a vet appointment any sooner) we were to take both dogs for evaluation and the second set of shots. But we ended up in an emergency situation almost right off, the small one had a seizure and so we rushed him to the vet. It seems when the kiddos had the pups down on the grass there were those pool noodles that are used as floaties, and the pups would play with them, but the small dog had chewed and swallowed some of the noodle bits and this put him in toxic shock or so we think. It was a scary moment of having something so small, so sick and so suddenly.

We got him back after a day in hospital and he was back to his old self but he tired easily where he hadn't before. After almost two months I am happy to say, he be vigorous, healthy and almost as tall as his brother, who (I might add), be quite the bully at times, but this wee one takes no guff off him.  

O'Hare was delighted and not minding a different breed of dog and two to boot! He has taken to the smaller one instantly. They are fast friends and I will say he has been working with his little friend and the pup be much better at commands than his big brother. 

We bought all sorts of dog toys and the interesting thing be, the two would rather play with an old bicycle handle than dog toys. We have found collies have sensitive stomachs and so we are very careful that we stay on the feed that was recommended. They seem to be thriving and so without further adieu, meet the new family members, Holmes and Watson, blue-eyed, blond collie pups.

Blue eyed blond

First day home, Watson looking very teddy bearish

Holmes and Watson with bike handle - their fav toy 

 

Collies now - growing fast

Gabe

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