And then there were two.

Meet Splash. Splash is a short-haired Border Collie/Kelpie cross and is the latest addition to our menagerie, much to Annie’s delight. Actually she’s the new farm dog, expected to start chasing sheep in just a few months time. Hard to believe isn’t it? She’s so tiny.

We went to pick her up on Sunday from a local farmer who runs his dogs in competition trials and does very well. I wasn’t going to go, but I’ve chosen two of the last three farm pups and P reckoned I’d done a pretty good job, so he wanted me to do it again. I have to admit I know absolutely nothing about what makes a good sheepdog, I just go on intuition...I just get a feeling about some dogs.

I can’t say how many pups there were to choose from. The farmer came out with his arms full and deposited them all on the lawn, but it was hot and they all immediately skittered under the nearest bushes. One had already been chosen by the farmer for himself and his niece had disappeared with another that she didn’t want us to choose (I could understand why when I saw it. It was pretty - a very unusual silver-grey, with blue eyes, but very timid).

Splash was actually the first pup to come out and inspect us. Another little grey one came out after her, but Splash just had ‘it’, whatever ‘it’ is. She’s a lovely pup, full of energy (she has to have to keep up with Annie). I ended up naming her too, because P couldn’t think of anything. The white on her legs and chest make her look as though she’s just pounced into a tray of white paint and splashed herself. And, unfortunately, just like Annie, she just loves getting wet. She also loves to hide which has given us a couple of worrying moments, but when she disappears she’s usually curled up under something, fast asleep.

Both pups are exhausted tonight after a long day of romping around the garden. Annie looks so huge next to this little one and I worried at first, that she’d hurt her. But every so often, Annie rolls onto her back so that Splash can have a turn at being top dog, so they’re happy. In fact, when I went to lock Annie in the laundry while I went to town this afternoon, I found them both curled up in the outside kennel. So I just shut the gate and left them there.