Puppy Love
When we said good-bye a couple years ago to our precious canine girls, Vandi and Violet, our hearts and our house felt empty. The basenjis were great dogs and we loved them dearly, but they didn’t seem to enjoy some of the more typical doggie pass times such as fetch or cuddling. I remember trying to throw a ball for Violet and she’d just look at me as if to say, “YOU go get it, I’ll sit here.”
For years, Sarah longed for a dog she could play with. She had talked about perhaps getting a Border Collie, but it wasn’t something we could even think about while V & V were still with us. When Vandi died, we were heartbroken and though I hated the empty feeling in my heart, I just wasn’t ready to think about another dog. We did visit some Border Collie breeders, and they are indeed wonderful dogs, but I wanted a small, easy dog, one that would be content to curl up at my feet while I worked, maybe play a little fetch in the yard and enjoy walks around the neighborhood. At the time, Sarah volunteered for the Shelter Hope Pet Shop, a storefront in our local mall that rescued dogs from a high-kill animal shelter and made them available for adoption. I went with her every week hoping we’d find the right pet for our own home, but it wasn’t meant to be.
I hadn’t been keen on a Border Collie, I knew from reading about the breed that they are highly intelligent and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. Sarah’s in school, Paul’s at work and since I work from home, I’d be the one taking care of the dog all day. This was not a job I wanted.
It took a couple of months, our hearts started to heal and like Paul and Sarah, I found myself really wanting another dog. Their constant badgering for a Border Collie finally started to wear me down and I reluctantly agreed to take a drive up to Porterville, a small farming community north of Bakersfield, a 3-hour trek from our house, to look at a litter Sarah had found online.
There were three pups, a boy and two girls, and we spent some time playing with them and watching them interact with each other. Eventually, Sarah picked the smaller girl, a tri-color who seemed content to sit alone in the corner of the dog run watching a crazy ram, head-butt his trough.
Despite my trepidation and worry, knowing it might be harder to find a rental that would accept a dog, I have to say, it was one of the best decisions we ever made. Daisy brought tremendous warmth and joy back into our house at a time we desperately it.
Daisy, like all Border Collies, is an active dog and though she’s a good girl, she’d get herself into mischief especially when left alone. I don’t think it was separation anxiety as much as it was plain old boredom. She had lots of toys but perhaps she needed a canine companion. Paul and Sarah had been to the Ventura Fairgrounds dog show a few weeks earlier and met a woman who breeds Mini Australian Shepherds. Sarah the Internet queen, saw a posting for an open house at the breeder’s place in Buellton, a lovely 90-minute drive north. Though I didn’t want the added responsibility of another very active breed, what could be the harm in taking a nice drive and just looking?
For me, I can tell you it was love at first sight. We had already spent an hour playing with pups from three litters, and asking lots of questions, when I noticed a few other puppies in another enclosure. One look into those bright baby blues and I was absolutely smitten.
Misty Blue and Daisy quickly became best pals. And those two bring so much love and happiness into our house I can’t imagine life without them. They love long walks and playing fetch. Say “ball” or “Frisbee” and the ears perk up and tails wag. That’s not to say they are not high maintenance. Remember how I wanted a lap dog? Well I got one. Daisy likes nothing more than to nudge at my arm while I’m working on the computer—to the point where I have to stop and roll my chair back—so she can jump her 32 pounds into my lap for some doggy TLC. They shed like crazy and love dirt. Dirt mixed with water? Even better. I’m convinced I will never again have a clean floor. And you know what? I’m okay with that.
January 13, 2015
Today’s recipient: Australian Shepherd Border Collie Rescue
About this blog: Causes and Effect: My Year of Giving Daily, was started in 2013 by entertainment and culture journalist Melinda Newman, who made daily donations to a wide variety of non-profits and wrote about her experience. USA Today music writer, Brian Mansfield took on this monumental task in 2014. This year, 12 individuals will contribute, each taking over the blog for one month.
About Sheryl Northrop: Sheryl Northrop is a long time communications and marketing executive. She currently heads the boutique firm, NorthStar, where she develops creative communications and marketing strategies for a select and eclectic clientele. She is passionate about worthy causes and sits on the board of Shred Kids’ Cancer, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and funding for pediatric cancer research. When she’s not obsessing about what to write in this blog, she loves a good book, great food and the company of dear friends. She enjoys suburban life with her husband, daughter and two dogs.
