My collies: How I found my little Pearl

First I thought I would never have a dog again. I was far too sad to even think of a dog other than my Gaja. I was missing her terribly. Every time I came home, first thing I would do is look at her kennel to see where she was. I just couldn’t get use to the idea that she was gone. But after a few months I started missing a dog being around. It was so sad that nobody greeted me when I came home. I had nobody to talk to, to play with, to cuddle…So I started thinking about having another dog after all. But I didn’t want a collie again, I though it would remind me of her too much. I was going through all the dog books in search of a perfect breed for me. But I just couldn’t find a dog that would be as great as a collie. Their character and beauty is just incredible for me. After few weeks of thinking I decided – I want a collie again. And I decided for a blue merle, so that it wouldn’t remind me too much of Gaja and also because they are so interesting, different from one another and truly beautiful.

I found a data base of all Slovenian Rough Collies and I wrote an email to everybody who has a collie in Slovenia. I was amazed how many people responded. They all recommended kennels ‘Androma’ and ‘Collies Of the Holy Mountain’. They only had sable puppies in Androma but a kind owner of Holy Collies told me some great news – they had just mated her blue merle beauty Born to Be Femme Fatale (Layla) and handsome tricolour Virus Noir des Marecages du Prince (Pâris).

Collies Of the Holy Mountain

Pâris and Layla

I reserved a potential blue girl and was then asking her all kinds of questions about dogs with pedigree, collie breed – especially a blue merle kind, health, shows…She was so patient in answering all of my many, many questions. When she texted me that Layla was expecting at least 3 puppies, I was on cloud nine! I couldn’t wait for them to be born…I started reading literature about dogs (fortunately my mom is a librarian ;) ), rearranging my house…I was so excited!

On October 29, at 4pm, I received the text from Neda: “Two beautiful blue merle females are born”. I went crazy, I was jumping and screaming for joy, I cried and laughed with happiness. I was a little worried there wouldn’t be a blue girl for me, but now there were two and I would be able to choose between them! I was elated. Later 2 blue boys followed, 1 tricolour boy and 2 tricolour girls. The very same night Neda had already sent me photos of the little pups. They were all so tiny and extremely cute…their colour was amazing!

Litter 'A' Of the Holy Mountain

I wanted to come and see them right away, but she thought it would be better if I waited until they were one month old. It was difficult to wait that long, but Neda was amazing – as always. She was sending me photos of them every few days and it was almost as if I was there, watching them grow.

All blue merles

Neda even left me a choice in choosing my little baby’s name. I couldn’t decide between A Blue Sky and A Blue Pearl so at the end I chose her formal name to be A Blue Pearl but her pet name (Blue) Sky.

A Blue Pearl

When they were 3 weeks old… tragedy struck. The little black beauty that Neda wanted to keep for herself, Apocalypse, died because Layla sat on her. I was so sad when Neda wrote me about that. I was looking at their pictures all the time and I really got attached to them all even without really seeing them. I was sad because I would never get the chance to meet her and I was sad for Neda. I knew she was so happy about the little puppy. But I am sure little Calypso is watching us from the other side of the rainbow while playing with my Gaja and all the other dogs that had left us too soon.

Little Calypso, R.I.P

Time was passing by and the puppies were growing so fast! When they were 1 month old, the day of my visit had finally come. I went there with my two sisters who were also super excited about the new puppy. When we entered, I noticed my little Pearl immediately; she was by far the most beautiful of them all. And she was brave – she came to see who we were and was not shy at all:) Also her brothers and sisters were amazing! They were all really beautiful and so sweet and brave and curious and they all wanted to play with us. We spent an amazing 2 hours with them!

Sky and me

Super cute blacks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsDv_KOB6e8

3 days later I visited them again, on my way from the city were I use to study. This time I was alone with them, for more than 3 hours. It was great; we played a lot and cuddled even more. And I took plenty of photos and videos!:)

Tired after playing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRaF6CYNfME

The last month was a tough one…I was missing my little girl so much that I drove every weekend almost 200 kilometres each way to see her! Those days were the highlight of my week, I spent such an amazing time with them…my sister Jasna always went with me and took hundreds of photos of them.

Litter 'A' 6 weeks

A Blue Pearl

A Frosty Love

Aim at Fame

Autumn Dream

Aim at Glory

All in Black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mykABXHX5hM

Sky 7 weeks - 1st time on the leash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jaT4hAkxoE

Litter 8 weeks

Sky

Frosty

Fame

Gloria

All

Dreamy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM8J9Od4eCE

I grew to love every single one of them and I was happy to know they all were going to get wonderful owners. At least we thought so. All was suppose to go to one family who changed their minds 3 days before picking him up. Glory was the first to actually go, on Christmas Eve, but they returned her a few days later because their grown up collie attacked her. I couldn’t believe it. I was so furious about the stupidity of some people! Fortunately Dreamy, Fame and Frosty all got incredible owners.

Dreamy went with an American lady who lives in Italy. She is crazy about him and calls him her little dream come true. She wants to use him for breeding and for shows.

Fame went to an owner of a pet shop in Venice who already has a cocker spaniel and they get along great. He wants to use her for shows and as a mascot in his shop. They named her Toffee.