It's You, Sue

For a while now there has been talk of getting a puppy, and as is often the way around here, things then happened very quickly. I had been checking DoneDeal - a website of temptation that also brought me Blue Belle - now and again for puppies in my area. Just by chance I checked the site on Tuesday morning, without the location filter, and this advert popped up.

Ever since I was little I have wanted a tricolour Collie with the tan "eyebrows" as I call them and there was a whole little of them! And they were ridiculously adorable in every way.



After a quick chat with my parents, the vote was unanimous - I called Harold and asked a few questions about the puppies. He kindly sent me photos of the two remaining females as that was what I was after.



I organised for my friend Emma to come along too, just because it was a long way and I needed someone to keep an eye on the puppy on the way home. The following day, Wednesday, we set off in the morning for Tyrone. A few doughnuts, a fuel stop and several classic songs later, we arrived in Tyrone. We had something to eat in a little tea room and then called Harold, who met us and led the way to his home.

Straight to business, we were introduced to Ben, the litter's father, and their grandfather Rover. I was impressed by the size and power of them, and they were very friendly to us strangers too.



We also met Fly, a sweet, timid dog who was rescued from a neglectful owner.



And then we were introduced to the puppies. Of the eight there were seven left.



Emma had come with me, as I have mentioned, just for puppy babysitting on the way home. I remember being very impressed with her willpower, but the first cracks in her resolve were beginning to show. "No, I will not get a puppy," she said with a huge smile on her face, scratching the tummy of a puppy we'll be seeing a lot of around here...



This is the female I chose, but I was perhaps getting ahead of myself as we hadn't seen mum and dad working yet.



Ben and mummy Nell make a good working pair.





Ben is a beautiful big dog.



Nell is gorgeous too.













"N-no, I will not get a puppy," Emma said, a wobble in her voice.

We moved to the garden and met even more dogs. That's Ben in the foreground, and in the background is the lovely Lassie.



Spring and Lassie.



Emma was stroking Lassie, and between one frame and the next, without Emma even noticing, Rover took her place. A smooth operator if there ever was one.





I really like Lassie, she's just gorgeous.



Three of the dogs gathered around Emma. She gives excellent hugs and scratches.













Emma had her hands full.





"I going to get a puppy," Emma announced, and I may have cheered because how fun would this be?

We returned to the yard so Emma could have a second look at the puppies. Puppies - attack!





Three puppies wandered outside and I followed those, while Emma and Harold remained with the rest. No wonder Emma was struggling to choose one - the one she eventually went home with was outside with me! That's him, behind my beautifully photogenic Sue.





Sue on the move.



This one liked wandering under cars.





Bruce, hiding from Emma.



Sue.



Emma still undecided, we brought the puppies into the house.



Sue is standing proud and tall in this photo.









This boy was shy, bless him.



There's Sue on the left, getting stuck in.



And here she's in the middle, still getting stuck in.



The shy puppy was still shy on the sofa.



Bruce and his shy brother.



Sue, dear, you're not on the bed.



A cute trio.



Bruce, Sue and a variety of their siblings.





Bruce is very photogenic too.





While sitting in the kitchen, Bruce came over to play with Emma and "brutally attack" me, so naturally he was the one!

We paid for our puppies and got some of their food to take home, and some wormer. When we turned around there was a puppy missing - mine! Sue had used our brief distraction to escape. We checked the kitchen, the living room, under the sofa... Harold checked upstairs and there she was! So tiny and naughty.



So Emma and I left Harold's with two beautiful puppies in the passenger footwell of my car. Some of my family live nearby so we popped in with the puppies as a surprise - one that was very well received! Bruce fell asleep pretty quickly (he only attempted to get into the fridge once), but Sue was still full of beans, even after running up a flight of stairs twice! Finally, though, she fell asleep too. She made a nice pillow for Bruce.



I took the opportunity to compare markings. Bruce has tan on his hind legs where Sue hasn't, no white "collar" on his neck, a teeny-tiny white tip on his tail, and he's bigger than Sue.



By the time we were leaving it was almost dark. We woke the puppies and get them settled in the footwell again for the long journey home.



It was a tiring day for both puppies and humans, but Emma and I really had a wonderful time meeting Harold's talented dogs, and getting to bring two of them home to Down with us! Onto a whole new adventure...