Ok, so I had my little Border Collie spayed today. She is a nice dog, registered with the ABCA, loves to work, a pretty blue merle and white sweetheart. Her hips are good, her eyes are good, she's vaccinated, house trained, obedience trained.....
I had dreams of raising a litter or two from her. I love raising puppies. I like the work involved, introducing them to car rides, crates, collars, leashes, people, other animals. It's so much fun wrinkling their little brains, teaching them about life, placing them in the perfect homes, getting Christmas pics of them posing with Santa, etc.
Here in Dallas, it's illegal to raise pups for sale. But, the neighbors have this indiscriminate little dog of frighteningly muddled DNA that is raising her latest litter of 8 even more mixed bred pups. She has been a good mom, she has taught them how to cross a busy street to come potty in my front yard (she is down a few pups already) and snack out of the other neighbor's trash cans. She is running in a small pack of about 6 dogs (plus the remaining pups)that harrass my dogs, chase cars and fence fight. The GP X is now standing his ground and barking at me when I try to get him to go away. I broke down and called the police yesterday. No, I am still not (really) allowed to shoot them, city ordinance and all, but (wink, wink) 'You may protect your property and yourself' preferably with the pellet gun. Yeah, right.
So, my sweet, registered, healthy, house/working Border Collie went under the knife today. She did well and is home recooperating, but, my dreams of raising a litter of little bright eyed fluffy pups with huge futures is dead now and I am heartbroken. I still love my girl, Rain, I always have, always will, she is a companion first, but, I can't help but feel that if maybe, just maybe, I didn't feel so responsible, could I have gotten to experience the joy of introducing well bred, well managed pups to the world just one last time.
Oh well, dreams die, we must live on. I will cuddle with my poor sweet, sore little girl and realize that at least none her her babies will ever end up in the street.
*sniffle*
I had dreams of raising a litter or two from her. I love raising puppies. I like the work involved, introducing them to car rides, crates, collars, leashes, people, other animals. It's so much fun wrinkling their little brains, teaching them about life, placing them in the perfect homes, getting Christmas pics of them posing with Santa, etc.
Here in Dallas, it's illegal to raise pups for sale. But, the neighbors have this indiscriminate little dog of frighteningly muddled DNA that is raising her latest litter of 8 even more mixed bred pups. She has been a good mom, she has taught them how to cross a busy street to come potty in my front yard (she is down a few pups already) and snack out of the other neighbor's trash cans. She is running in a small pack of about 6 dogs (plus the remaining pups)that harrass my dogs, chase cars and fence fight. The GP X is now standing his ground and barking at me when I try to get him to go away. I broke down and called the police yesterday. No, I am still not (really) allowed to shoot them, city ordinance and all, but (wink, wink) 'You may protect your property and yourself' preferably with the pellet gun. Yeah, right.
So, my sweet, registered, healthy, house/working Border Collie went under the knife today. She did well and is home recooperating, but, my dreams of raising a litter of little bright eyed fluffy pups with huge futures is dead now and I am heartbroken. I still love my girl, Rain, I always have, always will, she is a companion first, but, I can't help but feel that if maybe, just maybe, I didn't feel so responsible, could I have gotten to experience the joy of introducing well bred, well managed pups to the world just one last time.
Oh well, dreams die, we must live on. I will cuddle with my poor sweet, sore little girl and realize that at least none her her babies will ever end up in the street.
*sniffle*