Goodbye to an old friend and hello to a new one

Two weeks ago, a tragic accident took the life of our big guard dog Zack. We are missing him. Well, most of us are. I think Posy, our cat, has not spent too much time mourning his absence, but the rest of us have. We got him when we were in Canada eight years ago. While he had his faults, he was a very smart watch dog who alerted us by different barks to various situations.Zack (right) with Buster

Colonel Strong Vincent wanted to get another puppy right away, while I was more hesitant. A puppy can be a LOT of work to train properly, and an intelligent dog, such as we wanted, needs a lot of attention and work daily. It's like having a two-year-old in the household, and I already have a human one to care for. I wasn't sure I wanted something more to take my time. But yesterday, after looking at a litter of border collie puppies and a litter of Australian Shepherd puppies, I was easily persuaded to get one. We settled on a 12-week-old male Aussie which we have named Cody. He seems like a very intelligent and eager-to-please little puppy, and we are looking forward to working and playing with him. Here are some pictures of our new little charge.

We've only had Cody a day, but he is already learning how to sit, come, and fetch a rope.

Cody exploring the yard.

Buster, our other dog, has taken to him quite nicely and will enjoy the companionship I believe. We all (except Posy again) are glad to have a new little furry friend.