So, we all knew that this was coming. After days of me and our dog Ralphie, lying around in morose corpse poses, after the loss of our elderly collie, Lacey, we started looking at websites for other dogs. Our family has never had just one dog at a time. We like things in multiples – kids (4), pets (plenty). I’ve always had a soft spot of compassion, for anyone who lives right next to us. Anyway, I told my husband that I want our next dog to be large, full of soft fur, gentle, yet a good guard dog, good with kids and other pets, easy to train, elegant, yet sporty enough to keep up with our crazy, energy-filled 18 month old labrador, Ralphie. However, due to my rawness over the loss of our legendary collie, Lacey, we couldn’t get another collie. He looked at my list of requirements, and placated me for a while as I poured through dog books and websites, and finally, he softly asked, “Are you sure we shouldn’t get another collie?”
Our new puppy is a 7 month-old collie named Josie. She does have different coloring than Lacey, but otherwise she has already proven to be a perfect example of why we adore collies. She reminds me so much of Lacey, it sometimes brings tears to my eyes, but she is definitely less timid than Lace, deciding that our socks make for wonderful toys, swimming with Ralphie might be fun, all of the Christmas presents under the tree must be hers, and that counter surfing can make for a fun sport, especially when you have a long nose. As our beloved veterinarian Dr. Pablo said to Josie (and I kind of think that he might have been talking to me, as well), “Oh, Josie, you have BIG shoes to fill. But every puppy is his or her OWN puppy. Every puppy is special.”
