Bryce, Jayda and I are taking a ride out to Pennsylvania tomorrow to meet a Sheltie girl named Summer.

I’m not sure if I’m ready for another dog just yet. Much as I miss having a sable face around here, I’m getting very used to the 2 dog lifestyle – lower vet bills, fewer food and training costs, more room in my car, more time to train them … I’m happy with Bryce and Jayda, Bryce and Jayda are happy with each other, my cats are happy with them (and will definitely be UNHAPPY for several weeks, if another dog were to move in here). I certainly have enough to work on with Jayda to keep me busy and, not having a door which opens to a fenced yard, taking 2 dogs out for potty trips several times a day in all kinds of weather is more than enough.

Life is easy!

And this one would definitely complicate things. She’s a young adult (around 3) and she has food allergies, which means special food and treats. There’s a small possibility she could turn out to be allergic to my cats …

So why am I even doing this? Because I think there’s something very special about this dog and I feel like need to at least give her a look –

Summer is a rescue Sheltie – her early story is very sad. It began in a puppy mill. The owners were convicted of cruelty and neglect, the mill was closed and the dogs were confiscated. I saw a few pictures from when she was first rescued – they’re not pretty. They show a painfully thin, scared little dog, barely recognizable as a Sheltie. She had virtually NO hair and initially was just COVERED with allergic papules which must have itched something awful! She had (and still has) scarring on her face.

AND the poor little thing had just whelped a litter!

Yet apparently someone forgot to TELL Summer she was supposed to be traumatized by that! From all accounts (including her foster mom, who is a trainer at a service dog school) she’s active, outgoing and happy with very few issues (reactivity to strange sounds and hand-shy with strangers, especially men). LOVES to play run and jump, is a ball and frisbee FANATIC, housebroken, crate trained, gets along well with other dogs and is quick and eager to learn new things and experience life!

See what I mean? You have to admire the spirit in a dog like that!

I don’t know if she’s for us or not – if we don’t all “click” then it will be easy.. and life around here will continue to be easy…

Otherwise I have a huge decision to make.