I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the summer. I know you all said you love to hear from adoption families; so, I wanted to indulge you with an update on Pearle and how we are all doing together.
We are totally in love with Pearle!!! Best I can tell, she is happy and thriving with us as well.
In the few short months she has been with us, Pearle has had some fun adventures, as well as plenty of time here at home getting acquainted with us and our surroundings. We take her wherever we possibly can, and everywhere we go, she adapts, gets comfortable, and does not cause trouble. She has been to Little League games, birthday parties, the pottery painting store (where she just napped under our table while a steady stream of unfamiliar people, young and old, walked by and commented on the calmness of our puppy), elementary school recess, my in-home music recital for students, even the dog beach on, and in, Lake Michigan in Chicago!! (We had a vacation booked in July using a time-share that we own; but, upon finding out that the resort did not allow pets, we canceled that trip and headed to Chicago in the car to visit with my family with Pearle in tow.)
Pearle is really very laid back - not like any border collie I have known, in more ways than one actually - and, in most ways, it is quite refreshing. She is perfectly smart enough and has learned all the commands that I have asked of her (sit, stay, wait, come, down, roll over, no); however, the typical border collie desire to please and be told what to do when is something on which Pearle missed out. We are still working on reliability of obedience with her. Nothing at all problematic - just different and an adjustment from the 'please tell me what to do' temperment of my previous border collie.
Lynn, you would be happy to know that my husband, despite himself, seems quite smitten with Pearle as well. He talks to her, and lays down on the floor and has her lie on top of him (we call it getting a 'Pearle blanket') for cuddles, and works with her on training as well. As you can imagine, our two boys are puloving every minute of her, and she them. They are also quite good at helping to feed, walk, train, and play with her.
At this point, Pearle is 27 pounds. Still wondering how big she'll eventually get. But, that is part of the fun. Last week, she began losing her teeth. We found a tooth of hers on a rug in our family room while I was playing with a rope toy with her. My younger son immediately took the tooth and put it under MY pilllow for the Tooth Fairy. Pearle had a note and some new chew-bones in the morning! She has many dog friends here in the neighborhood, and has yet to meet a dog or person she does not like. Her best friend is a 130-pound golden retriever (sadly quite overweight) that belongs to a good friend of mine. Pearle and Molly romp and wrestle endlessly. Molly is exceedingly gentle and tolerant and Pearle is downright obnoxious sometimes. It is fun to watch.
I would be curious to know of some observations from other owners/families that have received pups from Pearle's litter. It may be in part due to the weather, but, Pearle is also unlike many/most border collies in that she does not seem to have a strong desire for exercise or work of any kind. I dare say she is downright lazy often times! Getting her to walk, just around the block, is often met with much resistance. We persist and she does what she needs to do. But, we are still amazed, and tickled, by her idiosyncrasies. Perhaps when the Fall weather hits, she will be more interested in longer walks.
Thank you to all of you for your help in bringing us to Pearle, and her to us. She is a wonderful fit for our family and home!! Your hard work, thorough research, and thoughtful preparation in finding a pup that suits this family is recognized and fully appreciated. She is truly wonderful, and perfect for us.
For what it's worth, my pregnancy is moving along without incident and I feel just fine. I had a first trimester screening for Down's and some other chromosomal abnormalities and the results were very positive. I am nearing the half-way point and we are looking forward to yet another exciting addition to our family in January!
I am attaching a few pictures here of Pearle with our boys. None of the does her justice (or them) of course. They are all even cuter and more adorable in real life!
Most sincerely,
Rachael
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