Expect the Unexpected

I know.  It's totally cliche.  But, ask anyone who has known us for any length of time, with Don and I, you can always expect the unexpected!

Right from the start of our relationship, in fact.  Many of those who knew us back in our late-teens believed our relationship to be a passing infatuation.  Very few suspected the deep friendship and affection that was developing under the surface.

Just one year into our marriage, much to everyone's surprise, including ours, we discovered that I was carrying twins! An unexpected blessing!

On and on it has gone...the unexpected choices we've made...the unexpected happenings in our lives.

Don has always kinda reveled in this.  I, on the other hand, needed some time to learn how to take it all in stride.

The latest unexpected thing, besides our settlement being delayed yet again (maybe 3rd time's a charm?), is our newest family member, Penny.

Just like other individuals in our family, ehem, Isaac,  she has a bit of a story behind her...

Tig at about 10 weeks old

Our friend, Brianne, is Tig's breeder.  Tig and his litter-mates are purebred Australian shepherds. Brianne kept a female from Tig's litter, Reagan.  

Although each dog is an individual, Reagan is similar in stature, temperament, coat texture, etc. to Tig, who is a wonderful dog and fits our family perfectly.  It has never mattered to us that Tig has rather atypical coloring for an Aussie, as it was the Aussie temperament that we wanted.  

So, of course, Don and I were expecting that Reagan's pups would be very similar as well, prompting Don to call and request a female right away, as Brianne's pups tend to be sold very quickly because she breeds such pretty pups and is exceptional at starting them on the right path - healthy, curious, engaging and primed for training!

I had the pleasure of visiting Brianne and Reagan's seven puppies twice before they were ready to leave Mama.  And, on the second occasion I noticed that two of the pups, not Penny, looked quite a bit different in coat color and texture, and their pricked ears. 

Brianne explained... Turns out that while Reagan was in heat, not only was she bred to an Aussie male, selected by Brianne, but Reagan also paid a visit to the neighbor down the road, unbeknownst to Brianne until after the pups were born...who have an un-neutered male husky.  WHAT?!

Female dogs release a few eggs a day for several days during their heat cycle, therefore it is possible for more than one male to father a litter of pups.  How interesting!

So it seemed that only these two pups were a result of this second breeding, as the others, including Penny, all have coats that appear distinctly Australian Shepherd and their ears were still folded.

But, as we've been watching Penny develop and mature during these last four weeks, we've noticed some things that just don't fit a typical Aussie.  The most obvious being her ears, which now stand straight up, and her longer muzzle.  

8 weeks

10 weeks

12 weeks

Then, there's her rather short, though beautiful coat.  I dismissed these things at first, assuming genetic traits of the Australian cattle dog had to be in her background somewhere...But, then we discovered that her toes are partially webbed - a husky characteristic.  Also, her docked tail stands straight up, while Tig's has always been down. 

And, her temperament?  After doing some research, yep, she does have a couple of very typical "husky" traits, though the Aussie temperament seems to dominate at this point.  Both breeds are very trainable and tend to be good canine partners for humans who can put the time and effort into building a solid bond and giving them plenty of exercise, which Don and I plan to do, with the help of our girls, as well.  Lots of hiking in our future!

Not what I expected when we chose to bring another dog into the family, but wonderful nonetheless!

And, I've been doing interesting research into dog genetics - cool stuff!

So, each dog is a unique individual....Both dogs are precious members of this family!  After all, we are a family chock-full of unique individuals. 😉

Tig @ 9 weeks

Penny @ 12 weeks

Update:  As of this writing, we know for sure that our settlement will be between May 1st and May 5th.  Hoping for something more concrete by tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath just yet!  One way or another, the girls, the critters and I will be in PA by next Friday.  😁