Puppy Love

   Before Katherine came home from China we were concerned about how she would adjust to our golden retriever, Seuss.  We knew she had probably never seen a dog before and certainly not the 70 pound, snuffling, licking, bouncing blur of fur that was our Seuss.  We needn't have worried.  Katherine adored Seuss from the moment she set eyes on him.  He was her best friend from day one (and he tolerated her pretty well, too).  Seuss died when Katherine was 4.  She has been lobbying for another puppy ever since.  Two years ago we said "no" because we knew Rachel was on the way and one baby at a time was enough.  Last year the answer was still "no" because I thought potty training one creature at a time was plenty.  About six months ago Katherine changed campaign tactics.  Instead of asking for a dog, she started saying things like "This summer when we get our dog..."  Steve and I had become fairly complacent about our pet-free life, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that Katherine, at least, needed a dog.  She is a Dog Person and, as Steve has commented, she "finds her happy place" when she's petting a dog.
   We had loved our golden, so Steve started searching for golden puppies.  I was more reluctant.  I had loved Seuss dearly, but goldens are very large and very energetic and are known for their extended adolescence (meaning they don't act adult until they're about 3 and never really stop being clowns).  That sounded like a lot of work and patience.  Steve searched the internet and went to dog shows and just couldn't find anything.  Every dog he found was either ridiculously expensive or coming from a breeder that also had seven other breeds of puppies for sale (if you're also selling lhasa apsos do you really know about goldens?).  One night he was searching the web when I heard him say, "Now those are some cute puppies!"  I asked what kind.  He replied "Collies."  We looked at each other and went hmmmm.....  Collies are a little smaller and a lot calmer than goldens.  They're great with kids.  Easily trained.  And these pups were at a good breeder an hour from our house.  We knew then and there that our new dog was a collie.  Steve called the breeder and they were happy to talk with us.  They had a new litter of pups that would be ready around the first of June, an ideal time schedule for us.  Katherine, of course, was over the moon with the idea of a puppy.  When we showed Rachel pictures of the breeder's dogs on the internet she asked "Where's the kitties?"
   Today we went to visit our future puppy.  There were five pups, all 4 weeks old and all adorable. 

Is there anything cuter than a puppy?

Rachel was even excited to hold them.  (Although she was more excited about the kitties outside!)

Steve found one cuddler and was happy to just snuggle.

And Katherine?  Well, she asked if we could take them all!  She was one happy girl.

So, come June 2nd, one of these sweet babies is ours.