October 3rd we took four ferries, drove about 150 miles round trip and wound up coming home with a new addition to the family: Jura, an 11 month old Shetland Sheepdog.
Jura is a Scottish isle and the name of a very good Scottish whiskey....with a like coloring!
He weighs in at 17.5 pounds and is very small compared to all the Shelties we have had in our life. He may be small, but he’s packed with extra energy....always on the go, loves to RUN, chase, soaring over things in his path, yet, when he gets where he’s going....not so sure about being there. Light weight, easy to pick up, cute (especially when sleeping)...but as it turns out, a pup that has been shown for most of his short life...and part of a kennel...we are fairly sure was shorted on the life experience end of things. So. Yes, it seems a BIG project.
We are doing our best to help him with remedial ...everything...with the help of Suzanne at Lucky Fido Dog Training in Friday Harbor. Little did we know how helpful this would be once we were on the road for the winter in our RV. Yikes!
On the list of “firsts” for Jura:
....running free on 6 acres and lots of communing with the grass....
....picnic dinners at South Beach....and campfires at home.....
.....many hikes around San Juan Island....here’s the mausoleum at Roche Harbor....
......and the trails out at Jakles Lagoon....even in the rain...
....and then, the long trip by RV....with a stop in Southern California to rest up before...life in Baja, Mexico for a few months...on a beach...with many chasing temptations ...waves, birds, people walking, running, riding by, vendors selling stuff, ....so much happening...that needs monitoring....
He’s made a lot of progress (as of December) in that he can sit, go down, touch and wait. (Well...wait a little bit). He is learning to really retrieve a tennis ball (if he can keep it away from Sparky). It’s a good thing we have a lot of time to devote to this boy, and, no, we didn’t plan it that way. Why not, you say? In matters of the heart...you don’t always plan realistically!
December 2018 - Carlsbad, CA
