~ Ailea's Family Photo
Album
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~ Page Two ~
Immediately at right is R2 (Ailea's Acoustic Alchemy, HT), one of only far too few bi-blacks (my favorite sheltie color) produced at Ailea. R2 was placed with my friend Nancy in Concord, New Hampshire, as a young puppy. R2 was the family's first dog and Nancy's first sheltie, and this family soon found themselves in sheltie love, and subsequently took in Duff (pictured above), and then Angel, another of Ailea's shelties. R2 is pictured here with his Nancy practicing his herding talents by racing around gathering (herding?) some poor, poor sheep :), as a youngster. Not long after this photograph was taken, R2 passed his Herding Instinct test. Succumbing to an inoperable and untreatable cancer in 2006 at 9 years of age, R2 will be forever cherished in the hearts of all who ever knew him. Careful with your wings, little boy, God speed~
One of Ailea's strikingly beautiful blue merles is Caleb, pictured at left piled high on his Mama Bette's lap for a bit of fun (he really doesn't fit up there very well, does he?). Caleb was placed with Bette and Janet in Nashville, Tennessee, along with his full, older, brother Conner (pictured on our Photo Album Page One), as well as sheltie brother Cody, and Lexie and Mouse, the sheltie rescue girls. A house filled with shelties is a full home, indeed!
The second Max in Ailea's list of puppies is pictured reclining at right with his family in Lexington, South Carolina. Though he grew a bit bigger than we at first thought he would, Max has become the very most perfect sheltie for his humans. Recently Max has been joined by a Doxie brother, and the two get along famously. Max is a very happy boy in one of those most perfectly lovely families! I am always thrilled to be kept abreast of what is going on in my sheltie families' lives.
At left is the one newborn litter I will never, ever, be able to forget - NINE puppies, five of them blue merle, four tri-colors. Five of the puppies were boys and four were girls, with two tri-colors of each sex in the litter. My last attempt at breeding a "Banchory" pedigreed litter, this picture is included here for the awe-factor only. It is not too common to come across a litter of nine shelties! And the most interesting of notes about this photograph are, these puppies sorted themselves into the group pictured, all the blue littermates together on the one side, all the black littermates together on the other side. These dawgs can be funny sometimes, eh?
One of the nine puppies in the litter picture at above left, Merlin (at right) is a very special boy, quite unexpectedly finding his home with Cyndee in Columbia, South Carolina. Merlin has become Cyndee's shadow, neither of them going far without the other. He has a special tale to tell on Merlin's Magic Page, and is excelling at any job his Mama Cyndee puts to him, including picking up coins (or anything else, for that matter) from the floor. Impressive! Pictured at right Merlin is doing one of his best and favorite jobs - cuddling and caring for the wee ones, in this case, a small kitty named Hope.
These very cutie-pie littermates (left) we called Cowboy (on the left) and Sasha (on the right), but whose names were changed when they were placed - as a pair - in a wonderful home in West Virginia, where they are obviously terribly spoiled! Now called Teddy and Sarah, these two very closely resembled each other in color and markings, with Teddy's right ear being black, and Sarah's left ear being black. This was the most notable difference between their coloring when they were puppies, and at times was the only way we could tell them apart without picking them up. Since going home to West Virginia, these two have been inseparable!
At right is Buster, another of my pick puppies that didn't - quite - turn - out. Isn't that always the way of it? This picture was taken when Buster was about four years old, and shortly after the arrival of his Golden puppy "brother". Buster stayed with me until he lost head detail and was placed at 10 months (oh the tears!) with a lovely loving family in Pennsylvania. Buster now has children, kitties, and a house full of adults to play with and keep happy, as well as his younger "brother" the Golden Retriever. Buster Boo Boo was my happy boy for some time, so thank-you, Tina, for taking Buster into your heart and loving him so!
The lovely young lady pictured at left is Chloe, one of two "pick" puppies in that litter of nine - one "pick" boy (Buster, above) and one "pick" girl, and Chloe was my pick girl. Chloe had a lovely headpiece and very pretty eye, but lost her head planes and underjaw in a growth spurt at about four months, and never returned to her former more beautiful self. One of those "sheltie" things! She was placed in a great home in Columbia, South Carolina, her main job being to warm her new mama's bed. Chloe is appropriately spoiled rotten, and her mama couldn't be happier. Pictured here at about four years, you can see she is still a very beautiful grown-up girl.
At right is Willie, my pick puppy from Dawn's litter which was whelped in Canada. Willie was some kind of special boy, from his first days through today! He came home from Canada via a circuitous route which took him across the Canadian border at Niagara Falls (thanks to Sharon!), into Kim's arms (thanks, Kim!), and from Kim to my friend, Nancy, who then brought Willie home to North Carolina from New Hampshire. A pistol from Day One, Willie VERY quickly won the hearts of all our family members, and was even shown for a few shows. He's been placed, though, and is now happily spoiled by his new mama, but still has his own page - please go visit Willie!
Pictured left is Gracie (Ailea Amazing Grace, CGC, Delta Society Therapy Dog) with her rescue sheltie brother, Bud. Gracie was a bittersweet placement, since she was of what was to have been my last sheltie litter. Whelped in January, 2002, Gracie's perfect forever home came to us just as we were about to decide she could stay with us - we'd figure something out some how! - but I have never been so pleased with a placement as I am with Gracie's. After raising Gracie through puppyhood and a couple of obedience classes (at which Gracie was a shining star!), her mom and dad took in Bud, the sable boy lying with her in this photograph. Bud came from Triangle Sheltie Rescue, and he and Gracie have become best buddies. They have both been very good for each other! This, my last placement from my last litter, is the best of all. Gracie has her own page, where you can see her grow up, here.
There have been more - Dino (who later was called Sam), Kevin, then Bubbles, and Nathan (who was subsequently dubbed Bogey)... Then there was Dusty, and Satin, and Jax, as well as Vanessa and Emilu and Token, Cole, and most recently, Kali. Some of these noted Ailea shelties have their own pages among those here at Ailea's Place, where they will continue to nurture roots. It is forbidden any one or thing collect dust around here, so please, browse, visit, and enjoy all that is Ailea!
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