Meet Pip

Pip is recharging

Late that horrible Saturday night, my family walked into our now-empty house and were crippled by the pain of Banjo the dog’s death. At that moment, we vowed to take some time between dogs. We were emotionally (and financially) drained.

I picked up the phone the next day and called Vicki, the breeder who gave us Banjo (as a rescue). When he died, he was the last Calirose Border Terrier living.  Her dogs were and had produced a distinguished string of champions. Banjo wasn’t one of them. But he was champion when it came to having heart.  I told her the bad news about his death and thanked her profusely for allowing Banjo and Molly (our other Border Terrier who died in November 2010) into our lives.

A few days later, Vicki let us know that a friend of hers, Jim, had a Border Terrier who had a litter of pups.  We told her we’d think about it and would let her know. But then she said, “They were born right about the time Banjo died.”  The coincidence was too much.

Our plans to wait a year between dogs shrank to weeks.  But it wasn’t a bad thing. My wife and I hadn’t gone a day without saying, “We miss Banjo.”

Sometimes you don’t find a dog. Sometimes the dog finds you.

Pip came home yesterday. She’s the smallest of the litter — not a runt, but small. Jim started calling her Pip for Pipsqueak and it stuck. She also was the most alert and first to greet Jim when he came to the box to check on them. She walked into our home like she has been in it for years and loves to play with all three of my boys. She’s pretty much house trained and loves to cuddle with my wife.  She’s mostly black right now, but will lighten up like her mother Twinkee as time goes on. (her father, Rocky, has black fur). Her mother was incredibly smart and by all indications, she is a chip off the old block.  It is going to be a fun ride.

We still miss Banjo.  Like I’ve said so many times before, he was a special dog. But I know Pip will be special, too.  Talking to Jim yesterday, I found out that Pip was born nearly at the same exact moment Banjo died.  I don’t know if any of Banjo’s spirit got into this feisty little girl. But I’d like to believe it did.