Happy Days are Here Again – introducing Joni

Joni 3 - Ellie Kennard 2014
Joni 3 – Ellie Kennard 2014

Original Post: – 18/365

The house was just too empty. Now it is just SO full of bounce and happiness and joy! This new Joni came home with us on Saturday. She is (I’m sure I don’t have to tell you) absolutely perfect. (Border Collie, of course.)

I must relate a little story of how Joni 3 came to be ours. We were going to see her, not sure if she was coming home with us, for many different reasons. She is related to our last Joni, the one we lost in October. When we had finished looking at her, patting her and watching her play with her siblings, we stood and chatted with her breeder. The puppies settled into two heaps in their play area and fell asleep together. When it came time to make a decision and go home with or without her, Steven looked at her in the pile of sleeping puppies and asked “well, are you coming home with us then?”. She looked up, stood up alone, walked over to the edge of the play area and put her paws up on the top. No one else had moved. She chose us as much as we chose her. So of course she came home with us. Looking at her eyes, can you imagine turning her down? And now  I have a new photography assistant apprentice.

50 Responses

  1. Congratulations on the new addition to your family. I remember reading about the loss of your longtime Border Collie companion many months ago and felt your pain. I'm glad you have new life and energy in your home now. :-))

  2. I DID! And she got us! For sure. I fear suspect that Joni is today's image of the day, too, with the blizzard we are having… Not so easy to go out to photograph. And she is easily my favourite model of the moment. +Christina Lihani – her story is amazing. She even has chosen to lie in exactly the spot that our old Joni lay in. I had to put a blanket there for her, after I saw that. 
    +Ursula Klepper – he he. And again, maybe today!!

  3. Even when they aren't "good" pups, they are still so adorable…worth every bit of the trouble they cause.  I just wish our newest one (now 18 months) would stop chewing holes in our sheets…but of course, I just look for them on sale cheap now!  It's all about compromise 😉

  4. Space would be the problem here in my hometown. Our garden is tiny.. and I work not at home, kids will be often in school for full days in the next year, so not a good home right now for a dog. Maybe later in life… (but I'm the only one so far which would love a dog )

  5. Thank you +Jasbir S. Randhawa 

    +su ann lim – didn't we do well? Thank you!

    +Mikko Tyllinen – for sure!

    +Suhaib Ayaz – certainly we could not! Thank you very much, indeed!

    Thanks so much +Heiko Mahr – oh yes, it's sudden bursts of energy and then periods of sleeping and peace. We have an invisible fence around the whole property, so once she is trained (she starts in 2 weeks) she will be able to roam around the garden as she wants, which is what border collies need. Lots of space! They are special dogs, for sure.

  6. And sweeter dog breath it's hard to imagine, +Craig Hartel – I loved the story of your Stevie and Megan. They are such special dogs. I love that she was named after Stevie Nicks, as you know probably, ours is named after Joni Mitchel!

    +Dominic Phillips – thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

    +Shelly Gunderson – thanks, Shelly!

    +Lauri Novak and +Ina Gat – you both got it just right! (I have heard that same awwwww around the house a lot in the last few days!)

    +Michael Griffith – oh yes, Jo, we do indeed know! A great credit to the one and only Joni 1. She is the latest to follow in those great dog footsteps. Michael will remember how Joni 1 would climb a ladder onto the roof of the house!

    +Debbie DeBaeremaeker – 🙂

    +Sam Breach – our dogs always bring a lot of joy. I'm glad you enjoyed the little true story.
     
    +Rachael Switalski – oh yes, there are a few intense months of training and adapting, but so far so good. She has not blotted her copy book yet, in any sense. Every second is being enjoyed.

    I knew you would be excited for us, +Ursula Klepper because you knew what a lot of pain we suffered with the loss of our older Joni. We are very happy, all of us (even the cats don't seem to mind her.) Thanks my friend! It was hard to get her to sit still, but she was sitting on Steven's lap, and I was able to catch her by using flash. She has very deep eyes. They do look right through you.

    +Lori Carey – thanks a lot – 🙂

    Sir M. I am hoping for not too many holey socks! So she has plenty of things to chew (carrots, stale bread crusts from my loaves, chew toys, soft toy etc. She is a very very cute little girl, if just a teeny bit strong willed. She is already learning that she is a member of a family, which is a new thing for her. Thanks so much +Martin Matejic 

    You got it +Richard Ball 🙂 Thanks.

    +Diana Boyd and +Allan Cabrera many thanks!

  7. That's just what we thought +Mike Goodwin – and thanks!
    Congrats! She's beautiful. How could anyone not fall in love with that face?

    Thank you +Sumit Sen 

    +Eleni Messini – she really is.

    Thanks a lot +Elizabeth Lund 

    They are and she is +Sheila B. DuBois 🙂

    Thanks such a lot +Janet Patterson – you know what your comment means to me. I really appreciate it.

    Thanks somuch +Stephen Thackeray 

    +Rekha Rao – thank you. She is really as lovely as her photo looks. Her name is actually Joni. (Not Joni 3). She fits it so well and it is a great name to inherit.

    +Dogs GALLERY – that is an honour, thank you very much indeed! +Heinrich Wagner thanks so much. She is just a little beauty and so bright and quick!

    +Natalie Tardiff – thanks very much.

  8. Super cute and I can only assume how much energy you now have in your home and with your new assistant.
    I would love a border collie if I ever get a dog 😉
    They are awesome..

  9. Awwww who could resist that face and heart melting eyes ! make best of her puppy days, they grow up so fast 😀 I hope she brings unbound joy and laughter in your life my friend.

    <3

  10. Oh my goodness, this is cutiness overload! :)) Awesome little fella madam +Ellie Kennard and sir +Steven Kennard ! I wish u many many days of joy and playfulness (and probably a loads drilled socks, lol)! Be sure to post more pics of her cause i sence that already she's becoming a star here! Cheers madam and sir Kennard, have a great week! :))

  11. She is so lovely Ellie!!!! I can' stop looking at her! This is such a wonderful image, how she sits there and how she keeps looking at you!! And your story is also wonderful! I can feel how happy you must be now! And I wish you three many, many unforgettable hours together!! xo

  12. Adorable! Congrats and enjoy the puppy madness! :). We adopted a puppy last year after 12 years of adult dogs, it's an experience for sure, and one I know I will repeat eventually… but not soon. Enjoy every second of it!!

  13. This brings back many memories of my two special girls, Stevie and Megan. Stevie was named for Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac and was the runt of her litter. She was bought from a farmer near Saskatoon and puked all the way back to the city. Poor thing. I adopted Megan from the SPCA – I brought Stevie with me when I applied and she was the best dog ever – they took one look at her and her behaviour and then Megan joined our family. I miss them both very much.
    Thanks for sharing your new bundle of dog breath! 🙂

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