Daring to hope...

Well...this isn't about the goats, because they are bright-eyed and looking at me curiously, no babies yet.  

This is about little Rembrandt, the English Shepherd.  

A little background:  

Since we got Taffy, I've been talking with her breeders about having a male English Shepherd here on the farm.  

The original idea was an older male, one who was used to being the outside farm dog, one who needed a retirement home.  Maybe one that is a great match for breeding to Taffy, and his last litter could be with Taffy, but an older male who needed a home after his breeding years were done, and would retire here.

Then the sire of Taffy's 2016 litter was mentioned.  I was smitten.  He sounded perfect.  The breeders and I talked about him for almost a year.  Nope, it was decided that Rocky (the husky) was too much of a threat.  But they still wanted pups between Smoke and Taffy...  Smoke was placed at the farm just 2 properties south of here, and it is with great joy that I see him there, and also an indescribable bittersweet feeling.  I allowed myself to love that dog long before he went to live at my neighbor's place.

Then we talked about a different male.  We had met this one.  Jeremy and "Billy" (short for William Wallace) had loved each other at first sight, and I can still remember Jeremy sitting on the gravel driveway with a 6 month old Billy so happy to meet this boy.  All details were talked through.  Everything seemed in order.  This was November 2016, so not too long ago...

But this one was not meant to come here, either.  He will stay with the breeder, who adores him and decided to keep him.  I had been careful not to love him until it seemed like a sure thing, and then my emotions took over and he was part of the family.  And then he wasn't.

Now...the newest possibility, Rembrandt.  A friend of Taffy's breeders is working with him, so that as an older pup, he is ready for farm life and a family to love.  He was socialized at the breeders' place, but one of them has been very sick, and they want to give him some more one-on-one time with a farmer before he is moved here.  He is no longer in Oklahoma, but in Kansas.  I guess that's about halfway.  

Talking to one of the breeders on Facebook today, she *thinks* that she might make the trip north through our area in mid-March.  Can I dare to hope....?

Here is his photo from his first day in the friend/trainer's house.  

Remy was raised outside, for the most part.  He very quickly caught on to inside living and was a very responsible and respectful young pup, from what she tells me.  He loves bacon.  I have photos of him scratching his ears, and descriptions of what a "punkinhead" he is and how he carefully loved on a 5 year old boy that was visiting.  It will be difficult to bring him here and not open the door and invite him inside.  

Dare I hope that he'll be here in less than 2 weeks?  

My heart is already involved, for the third time.  Anyone who knows me will not be surprised...  :)

 

Laura