Full Circle

 

Another puppy left the farm last week, for a new life with a new family.  All the puppies are special in their own way, and all the people who adopted one have their own reason for finding their way to these particular puppies.  I could write a story about each one.  This one had its beginning many years ago.

Over thirty years ago, I started raising and selling puppies.  I had a long history with collies, beginning when I was born into a household that included a beautiful dog named Robin.  He had been a gift from my great aunt, Mary, and was a part of my life from the time I learned to walk, hanging on to his white ruff as I tottered up and down the walkway in from of the big farmhouse that was my home.  When I was about 3, Rinty came into my life.  He was another collie, and I don’t remember, or never asked, where he came from, but he was my constant companion and guardian for the next decade or so.   These were just the first in a string of collies – a constant presence in my life until I married and moved away to a small home on a busy highway, where a collie was not a practical breed.

As soon as my husband and I moved to the country, we bought our first collie puppy.  Bridget was a joy and was followed by another line of dogs, both male and female.  It was only natural that I started planning a litter of puppies each year.   Out of one of those earliest litters, I sold a female puppy to friends of mine with a little girl of about 3 or 4 years old.  She became a shining example of the bond between collies and kids.  The next time I saw the puppy, her small owner was proudly showing off her tricks at the county fair, and her tricks were many.  She was one of the best trained puppies I ever saw – I laughed and said, “Amy has taught that puppy to do everything except cook and wash dishes.”  Down through the years, I would often hear stories of her exploits and it always warmed my heart.  She died on Amy’s 18^th birthday, and was the first in a string of collies for that family.

Many puppies later, I came to the end of my long line of collies when Tess died, at the astonishing age of 17.  Work, other responsibilities and hobbies had put an end to raising puppies and I set that part of my life aside.  Then came Sophie, a bright light in my life from her first night with me.  Most people would not have thought it was a good plan to bring home a puppy while clearing out and remodeling an old farmhouse, but Sophie thought it was the perfect time. She was right.  She was followed by a whirlwind called Scout a couple years later and resulted, as these things sometimes do, in an unplanned litter of puppies less than a year later.   2022 will forever be remembered as the summer of the puppies, nine bundles of fur and fun, born on Father’s Day.  Their birth date was prophetic – Scout turned out to be just as great as dad as Sophie was a mom and took over the care and education of his offspring as soon as they were big enough to follow him around. 

Now they are finding new homes, all ready to write their own story.  Several went to homes with children and grandchildren.  Some went to farms, some to homes with backyards and houses to rule.  Some went to people who said they have always wanted a collie and some to people who had a collie when they were growing up.  And this particular puppy, much to my delight, went to Amy’s parents, who took him to their home as a gift for their grandchildren.  So, it’s a full circle, from that puppy three decades ago who was a constant companion to their little girl during her growing up years, to a friend for her children.

It's going to be a sad and lonely place when the last puppy leaves.  Scout will be lost, Sophie will be relieved, and I have mixed feelings every time I watch one get in a car to head out for a new life.  I can only hope that each one brings as much joy and love as mine bring me.