Final Decisions

Just over a month ago I was offered an adult tri sheltie bitch. She was about eighteen months old, 15.5", too big for the show ring and staying with the breeder I was going to get a pup off last year. I had a chat to Carole, got sent a photo, and going with my gut I said I'd take her in a few months, once she was ready to leave for a new home.

But, as it's turned out, I'm not getting her. For a couple of reasons which I won't blab on about, but the biggest one is that while I'm ready for another dog, I'm not ready for another sheltie.

It's irrational, but I feel... guilty... Like I'm replacing Fletch, even though if I had got Scarlet the only thing she has in common with him is the breed: not gender, colour, size, breeder, everything else. Lines and breed, yes. But I don't want another sheltie. Not yet. I love the breed, but it'll be a while before I can see myself even considering owning another sheltie.

And this revelation- which, might I add, reached a head while I was siphoning fish poo out of tanks at work; great for epiphanies, that is- also created a problem.

Because, like I said: I'm ready for another dog. I want another dog.

Sensible choices seem to have done nothing but backfire and cause me heartache of late, and getting an adult sheltie was a sensible choice. I wouldn't have to worry about a puppy (but if I had got Scarlet, something tells me she would have been six times the workload of a puppy), I wouldn't have to worry about a real "working dog", it would be cheaper than a puppy...

But screw "sensible". Screw "reasonable".

If it's not what I want, I don't see the point.

So I'm getting a working kelpie puppy. I've emailed my number one breeder of choice and am keeping my fingers crossed for a favourable reply from them, but if not I'll start another exhaustive search and hopefully turn up something I want.

I have no idea when I'll get this pup, probably sometime in the next twelve months or so but I don't care about trying to fit it all around other things anymore because it'll just work out. It'll work out and it'll be brilliant, and the new optimism I'm feeling about this whole situation will rub off on this puppy and it'll be happy and healthy and it'll all be great.