My Highlander wants...

a working collie.

I phoned him last night to say we would be there in September.  His news, his calm and lovely collie had come to the end of her life, her poor body was riddled with cancer.

 He was so sad, like so many shepherds he loved his dogs and treated them as pets.  On our last phone call we were talking about my wanting a dog.  He said the way to train a dog is through love not fear, that had been his way all his working life.  A couple of years ago his dog had had a litter of pups, one of which he offered to give to me.  At the time I wasn’t ready, added to which I thought it unfair to take a dog with a Highland life ahead to bring away from the environment it was bred into.  Sadly he didn’t keep one of the puppies for himself.  He is now struggling to find a working bitch, as so many folk are using quad bikes on the hill.

I suggested he put a advertisement in the local paper, that most definitely isn’t the Highland way.  He has asked at the market and the word is out.  The trouble is at eighty he hasn’t the time to train a new dog, so his only hope now is to find a shepherd who is retiring.  Most, you would think would be keen to keep their dogs as companionship in their retirement.

Me, being me, has written an advertisement for him.  It is in the post as we speak! Husband has advised against my usual approach... just do it without him 
knowing!?!  We do go back along time and I 
have  the greatest love and respect for him as he has for me.  Regrettably I think Hubs has a point... 

‘Don’t interfere LL!’  For once I will be 

sensible and follow his sage advice.

Any ideas?  Maybe, just maybe you know of someone... vain hope, but there you are!