Meet the newest member of my family, Daisy. She is a four-month-old German Shepherd, we adopted on Saturday as a playmate for my two-year-old Border Collie, Haley. I wanted to post a picture of her sitting, but couldn’t get her to stay still long enough.

I happened to mention, totally in passing, that Haley needed someone to play with, because she was wearing me out. Don’t misunderstand, I love her, but she only has two speed- overdrive and off. Unfortunately, off doesn’t work more than a few hours at night and the rest of the time, she was looking for something to occupy her mind and her time. As an experienced owner of this breed of dog, I understand how vital it is to keep these geniuses of the dog world from getting bored.

When I adopted my first, I foolishly assumed it was like every other dog I had owned. Imagine my surprise when I came home from work a short time later to find the dog chewing holes in the walls!

As it turns out, a bored Border Collie will find something to amuse themselves. Haley is my fourth, and by far the smartest and most active. I, on the other hand, am sixty-seven, with numerous health issues that make it difficult to be as active as I would like.

My wife, bless her soul, started looking for a suitable companion for Haley and located Daisy at our local SPCA. They accepted our application, based on a meet and greet between the two dogs, which happened last Saturday. Everything went so well that we ended up bringing Daisy home with us.

A part of our adoption package was a pamphlet written with the purpose of informing us what to expect over the next few days and weeks as we introduced our pup to her new home. It said we should expect her to be scared and nervous in the strange surroundings for three or four days, at least.

This is her, wrestling with Haley an hour after she arrived. They’ve been playing like best friends almost since she came in the door, so I think it is safe to assume that her transition won’t be much of a problem.

With Daisy in the house, Haley has a playmate to keep her occupied, which is a good thing. I want the best for my dogs, who I consider a part of my family. They’re not simply pets, but valuable companions. The other, and just as important, advantage is that I won’t have to take a two-hour break in the middle of every day to take Haley for a walk. While I love spending the time with her and appreciate the exercise I get, going back to writing after is a hit and miss proposition. I get into a mindset when I’m writing and once I break that rhythm, it can be difficult to regain the flow and reclaim the ideas I was entertaining. Writing them down often doesn’t work, because I cannot recall the thoughts that gave me those ideas, so I lack the background that brings everything together.

I’m looking forward to many years of fun, frolic, and friendship with both dogs. I expect this summer will be a hoot.