About Me
Hi, Let me introduce myself. My name is Al and I call myself a dog fancier. I grew up on a farm in Western Canada. As was common back then and still is, we always had at least one dog and sometimes more. If you looked at the intro to my main page, you have already heard about my first dog encounter. While living on the farm, the dog that made the biggest impression on me was another mixed breed canine called Boo-Boo. (Yes, you read that correctly Boo-Boo - just like Yogi Bear's little companion!) Boo-Boo was an even tempered and well mannered farm dog. He was always willing to please and never tired of playing with me and my brother. He filled many roles including herding, retrieving, and watch dog. A special time that I will always remember was crawling into his dog house catching a nap in the middle of a lazy day. OK, I promised on my home page that I would tell you about Shayna. I will, but first, I would like to share one more story.
When I was in early elementary school, one of our neighbors had a dog that always frightened me. His
name as Nipper; he was German Shepherd - Labrador Retriever cross. When ever we would be at our
neighbor's farm, Nipper would bark a little and them come over wanting to be pet and wanting to play.
Why then was I frightened? Well Nipper had had a few misfortunes. First, his front leg had been run
over by a car, so he would run on three legs, holding his fourth leg up and slightly in front of him.
As well, Nipper had been in some bad scraps and he wore the battle scars. One 'scar' was the absence of
some of his lip and a piece of the gums were missing on one side of his mouth. So picture me, at seven
or eight years of age seeing a three legged dog with gum and teeth permanently exposed running at me
and barking! It really scared me! The dog that made the biggest mark on my life was my Shetland Sheepdog, Shayna. In the spring of 1993, my wife and I were thinking about getting a dog to join our family. We already had 2 cats and felt that a small dog would make a nice addition. We were not sure what breed of dog to get. The more we discussed the subject, the more we liked the idea of getting a Shetland Sheep Dog (Sheltie). Since I work at a Veterinary College, I decided to ask one of the doctors about shelties in general and specifically how they would adapt to children and other pets. The doctor I spoke with was very positive about Shelties. She proceeded to tell me that a sheltie pup had been donated to the college with a PDA. She said it should be a routine operation for the students. The dog would be up for adoption after she recovered. She then told me what cage number Shayna (not her name at the time) was in and said I should go have a look at her. The cage was at the height of my shoulder. Shayna looked lost and scared. I slowly opened the cage door expecting to have to reach in and bring her to the front of the cage in order to pet her. Instead, as soon as I open the door, Shayna came right to the front and laid her head on my shoulder! She was so sweet! Decision made! I told the doctor in all seriousness, put my name at the top of the list. Shayna came through her operation just fine and soon found a special place in all our hearts. Shetland Sheepdogs are intelligent, loyal, affectionate and always willing to please. Shayna was all of these and more. Almost every day, rain, snow, or sun we would go for our walk, get the mail, play fetch with a frisbee, or play catch with one of her chewing toys. Shayna left us in July of 2006. Seeing her deteriorate and suffer was very very sad. There were days I didn't think I could cope. A friend sent me the poem below to help me get through. Beyond The Rainbow....As much as I loved the life we had and all the times we played,I was so very tired and knew my time on earth would fade. I saw a wondrous image then of a place that’s trouble-free Where all of us can meet again to spend eternity. I saw the most beautiful Rainbow, and on the other side Were meadows rich and beautiful -- lush and green and wide! And running through the meadows as far as the eye could see Were animals of every sort as healthy as could be! My own tired, failing body was fresh and healed and new And I wanted to go run with them, but I had something left to do. I need to reach out to you, to tell you I’m alright That this place is truly wonderful, then a bright glow pierced the night. ‘Twas the glow of many candles shining bright and strong and bold And I knew then that it held your love in it’s brilliant shades of gold. For although we may not be together in the way we used to be, We are still connected by a cord no eye can see. So whenever you need to find me, we’re never far apart If you look beyond the Rainbow and listen with your heart. So the question is - is there another dog for me? I'm not sure at the moment. Time will tell.
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