Cute Failure

Daniel and Tess went to Hawaii three and a half months ago. My job… was to keep Tuff and Tina, their Australian Shepherds. As I recall, we moved cows the day before they left… and Daniel mentioned that Tina might be coming in heat. “Oh, boy!” I laughed as I bent down to pat her. “Uh. Daniel. She’s *ALREADY* in heat!”

So. Yeah.

I was working the next day, but they put Tina in one kennel, Tuff in another. We had no idea what day of her heat she was on. They have never been digging dogs… and there was a good frost in the ground, freezing it almost as hard as a rock. When I came home from work… Tuff and Tina were in the same kennel.

Great.

Tina did not act “settled” like my females would act… she still flirted with Tuff, so maybe, I thought, she hadn’t been bred. The next day, Tina was in the reinforced and refilled in kennel (she had been the one to dig to Tuff!). She was also on a cable. Tuff was in my yard, also cabled. He barked and barked and barked and barked. I glanced out my window… he had crawled under the fence, but was still on the cable. I go get him, and shorten the cable. He barked and barked and barked. I glance out my window and he has pulled off his collar and run down to Tina’s kennel. I take a leash, and lead him home. I put one of my dog collars on him, the martingale kind that won’t come off! I shorten the cable again, actually doubling it and clipping both ends on the collar, leaving it looped around my clothesline pole which is set in cement.

So, THERE, Dog!

He barked and barked and barked. I roll my eyes, AGAIN, and get to cleaning my house or cooking or *something*. Finally, I stop… realizing that it’s quiet. TOO QUIET.

I look out my window… no Tuff. As I’m looking for my shoes, I’m laughing because, seriously… I have NEVER had such troubles with my dogs. These Aussies were beating me! Sure enough, by the time I get to my kennels, it’s too late for Tuff and Tina. There’s no doubt she’s bred now! I had refilled the hole, and staked down various bits of metal scraps, but that was against a dog digging OUT, not one digging in. Their cables were wound about them, one so kinked and bent with A BROKEN CLIP, that I threw it away…

Fail. BIG FAIL.

Six weeks ago…

Eight pups. Four blue. Two tri-colored. Two black and white.

Oh, my… at least this failure has turned out to be a CUTE failure.

Do I have video? Yes, I do. Tomorrow!

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For T., I hope these puppy pics bring a smile to your face!

Find me here!

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