Puppies!

Where has the time gone? It was just yesterday, surely, when the schools closed and I was deemed free. Yay! I had such good intentions. I was going to rebuild cabinets in the kitchen, I was going to sort out my garden and get it flourishing again, I was going to fix up the veggie garden, I was going to read my TBR pile (almost) flat, and I was going to get this blog and all my reviews in and up to date. Well, surprise, surprise, none of that has happened. I have two good excuses: 1) we are in the middle of a hectic drought, so doing anything in the garden is pointless, and 2) I got puppies!

Tougie

Puppies: the devourers of time (and toes and shoes), the creators of work (I have mopped floors endlessly), and bundles of fun (if you can keep your fingers out the way). To those who have been following me, you will know I lost my Staffie to cancer in June. Tortuga (Tougie) was such an awesome dog, and he left a very big hole in the house and our hearts. Because this is Africa and safety is a genuine concern, I knew I had to get past Tougie and get another dog. I phoned around at the different animal rescue organisations (definitely not supporting breeders after reading Kathy Reich's Bones in Her Pocket), and finally hit the jackpot. Save-a-Pet in Port Elizabeth had what they thought were Staffie puppies who had just reached the age to adopt that morning. I tossed my mom in the car and we headed down there keeping closely to the speed limit. We didn't want someone to come and pip us at the post.

Pic from Save-a-Pet. The box they were
 found in

At Save-a-Pet we heard the horrifying story of the four puppies (one of which we were planning to adopt). They had been found in a burger box on a rubbish tip at 12 hours old. I gather that there were more than the four in the box, but only those had made it. Two looked like Staffie pups, two looked like Labradors. They were hand reared on puppy formula.

Pic from Save-a-Pet. How little they
were.

Choosing one was a difficult task. They looked far too cute, wobbling around on unsteady legs, the little yips they gave us as they wanted to be loved... My heart broke. But, my mom and I decided that we would adopt the little girl - the 'Staffie' one. She was feisty and curious. At Save-a-Pet, they had named her Chilli (after a burger) because she was the spicy one. We couldn't take her home that day, as they were in quarantine for two weeks having just had their inoculations; and Save-a-Pet don't just let you take a puppy home. No, they send an inspector out to check your property to make sure that your property is suitable. I suspect it also prevents people from picking up dogs for dog fighting - yes... there is that problem going around too. (Some people should be shot - slowly.)

Mom and I on the big day!

Anyway, two weeks passed. Mom and I were busy puppy-proofing the house. Electric chords were lifted, I cleaned up the back garden (did I just accidentally do something on my to-do list?), the carpet was lifted and rolled up... We then made a bed for our new little madam, bought some toys and got out Tougie's blankets and gave them a good wash to freshen them up.

Finally the day came! We arrived there at 8am, even though their business hours say 10am (they said we could come early). Our little girl was excited to see us and came running up to the fence of the enclosure! My heart was full. And then... we heard that two of the other puppies were being adopted that day, but one was not. The people who were to adopt him did not pass the inspection. I just couldn't leave him behind all on his own. (He was too small to put with the bigger dogs.) Mom and I shared some eye-to-eye communication, and then we declared that we would take him too. Which is why I have two puppies and not the planned one. It also explains why we have a pup that looks like it has a lot of Lab in him - a new venture for us - a family who has only had Staffies and Alsatians before.

Neagley

I could just leave the story there, but I will take it just a few minutes later. Because these shelters are full, many of these dogs don't get to walk on grass. Our lot had never seen grass before. When we got home and popped them on the lawn for some very necessary ablutions, they looked quite funny trying to figure out what the spongy green stuff under their feet was. In fact, it took them three days to be able to run in a straight line on the grass. Today, they love rolling around on it.

Oh! I haven't told you what their names are! This is Neagley (right). Her name was taken from the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. Sergeant Neagley is a character that pops up every now and again. She was a military cop along with Jack. She is tough and capable. My Neagley is looking a lot less like a Staffie now that she is getting a bit older, but time will tell what we have. So far, she is living up to her name. In fact, stroppy bitch would not be an incorrect description of her.

Sherlock

And this is Sherlock (left). You don't need any explanation as to where I got that name from. Can't you just picture him with a deer stalker and pipe? His permanent wrinkly forehead makes it look like he is always deep in thought. He seems to have a gentler nature and is quite independent. He has no objection exploring the garden when Neags is napping (or pulling something apart).

I don't regret getting two puppies at all. They keep each other company, they chase each other around the garden, and what difference does it make whether I mop up one pee or two? Training is proving a bit trickier as I rarely know who made the puddle. Oh, and the other little problem with training. Apparently I have the best trained cats ever. They come when I call. Neagley and Sherlock have a healthy fear of the cats, so when I call the pups and the cats come running to me, they are not quite keen on joining in. We will be taking them off to puppy school in the new year. With luck that will iron out a few minor issues.

ETA: Although I really wanted to have all of 2016's reads reviewed in 2016, I don't think that is going to happen. I will be popping them up into the beginning of 2017. New Year's resolution? Don't fall behind on reviews (again)!