Growing Up With Shelties

Josh with Schubert, circa 1992.

When Josh was born, poor Schubert thought he'd been displaced as the Favorite Child for a few days. Once we coaxed him out from under the dining room table, he grew to love Josh, patiently tolerated his antics, and protected him like an older brother.

Josh's first words were actually an attempted bark. He'd do these sharp little inhales and we couldn't figure out what he was doing...thought for a minute he had asthma.

Then he did it right after Schubert barked and we realized it was intentional...Josh was trying to bark!

These two were inseparable, grew up like a pair of brothers. Schubert would give Josh "rides" letting him hang onto his hair while he dragged him around the house. Josh would laugh and clap when Schubert played catch with the tennis ball.

Josh is now a junior in college, but he still insists on having the dogs sleep in his room when he comes home to visit. True puppy love!

Josh and Schubert, circa 2001

Some Enchanted Evening

She will find her true love...

Thatcher waits quietly on a bench in the back yard.

She spots Sawyer and gives him one of her looks.

He comes over, joins her on the bench. She scoots a little closer. All's right with the world.

These puppies are irresistible!

Somehow we can't help ourselves, can't seem to stay away. We have to keep going in the makeshift puppy nursery, pulling them out of the basket, holding them, playing with them, nuzzling them up close, stroking their downy coats.

Here's how they look today: