What can I say? How can I explain? I wish I could! I will try…
I love English Shepherds… Have as long as I can remember. They hold a very special place in my heart and to explain why is not possible… So many, many reasons. But if you are lucky enough to have known one of these dogs personally, you understand !
Today I sent my 6th of 9 Puppies home with his new Family. It is not hard in so many ways to send the puppies off, because it is their time to go be with their new families. Families that can and will provide so much love and help in growing up to become the dogs that I know and want them to be. Families that have been chosen, that have done their home work and came to the conclusion an English Shepherd is the right breed for them.
This lovely young family came down today they have 5 children and now an 8 week old English Shepherd puppy! Their Journey has just begun. We talked for hours and I showed the family some helpful things to get them through the next few Puppy Weeks! What a pleasure it was to enjoy and be part of their Journey! They will have lots of fun and many trials in the coming weeks I am sure. But I know they will also have the best time of their lives and the sort of things that childhood memories are made of… will be special for them one day as they are for me now…..and that tri colored bundle of energy will make them even more memorable.
I think of my Ruff Dog who passed away 14 years ago tomorrow. and my heart breaks all over again. I love that dog, he was my Ruff Puppy! How I miss him…
I find it very rewarding when I hear from a puppy owner about what their puppy (all grown up now) is doing!
I had Zach to email me today about Roxie and their up coming SAR test the 10th of March. Roxie is an Abilene/Dallas girl… Of Jan and Dakota and their recent First place finishes in Frisbee Competition. And Anne’s Gryffin and his firsts in Agility…
Then I look round me and watch Abilene be so sweet and gentle with children and show them how to handle dogs, Montanna is getting older and still is my best girl, Sweet silly Amarillo, BOO my very special Blessing, Drover my BOY! What a fine dog he has the makings of being. He put the sheep through the new gate so totally effortlessly this morning! To my amazement! What a fine dog he is!
I meet all these new wonderful people that end up being good friends through my dogs. And I realize I would never have met them if not for the dogs! Wow!
Sometime back I was thinking about what I do… ( I use to build homes I loved that but it was stressful) Raising a couple of litters of puppies a year is work. I am quite serious about it. But so rewarding!
So in the next two days all my puppies will be gone off to their new lives and homes. To THEIR people! It is as it should be… and yes I will be sad, even tears will fall. But they are tears of joy for the puppies and their families. It is but a new beginning and as it should be.. I am practicing living in the moment! After all that is all we have! Dogs know this so well!
In a few months and years I will start to hear of Ringo, Knightley, Titian, Kora, Molly, and the other puppies from this litter and I will smile and in my heart I will be so very pleased and happy for these sweet, smart, little puppies and their families! Who knows? I may even see them from time to time and “we” will remember each other and the 8 weeks we had together!
Yes, strangely enough I have found what I am suppose to be doing with my life! Sigh! How good that feels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 comments
Your heart is showing. You have given so much to so many and your reward comes in the form of beautiful healthy puppies who grow into beautiful, healthy dogs. Your care and concern and your commitment to this breed is a blessing for each dog that is lucky enough to be born at Maple Grove Farm. I am so thankful to you for Skye, he is the perfect ES. He has it all and he will always be a part of you Kay. His abilities and his attitude and his loving nature give us such joy and we know that your breeding principles have given this same joy to many people. Thank you for all your heart felt tears of joy. We love you.
Your heart is showing Kay. All the puppies you have raised are very lucky to have been born at Maplegrove Farm. Your concern, commitment and care is evident in each litter that you breed. Your reward is the character, health and instincts that these pups are born with. We are so blessed to have Skye, he exemplifies the quality, the character and the instincts that is inherent in the English Shepherd. Your reward is that your breeding program is working. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. We understand your tears and we love you for each one that you shed.
You sound like a true Mother sending her children off for the 1st time. Happy for them and sad to see them go. Although we haven’t communicated much, you need to know how much it means to find a breeder so dedicated to her babies. I know exactly where to go when it is time for my English Shepherd. Maddie