Well I have wonderful news... After my sad posting of March 1st, where I wrote about an owl killing my dog of 14.5 years (he was 18.5 years old, but we rescued him when he was 4 years old), we are getting a new pup.
We tried three different rescue groups that charged up to $500 per dog, and it didn't matter which breed, mixed breed, sex, age we investigated, none of the rescue groups even returned our calls...so off to the breeder we went.
On April 3, we will pick up our 8 week old mini Australian Shepherd pup. We are getting a dark red female who has copper colored highlights, white blaze on her chest, and some white tips on her toes. Fortunately, the breeder we choose doesn't dock the tails or dew claws. The breed we are getting isn't really "miniature" they are only a couple of inches shorter at the shoulder than the standard Australian Shepherd, but retains all the traits of their larger relatives.
With the Australian shepherds, her coloration may change for the first couple of years, and her eye color won't be truly set until she is about 6 months old. Often the eye color will change at around 3-4 months of age, although she currently has blue eyes, the breeder says one eye shows indications that it will change color. Eye color could change to amber, green, or a very light grey that looks almost white. We just don't know what nature will do. The copper colored highlights in her coat will probably become more distinct over time.
I'll try and post some photos after she arrives at her new home.. To say I am excited to have another dog in the house would be a gross understatement. I really miss having a dog in the house.