Leroy, the four-week old Boston Terrier puppy we have been visiting, is coming to Bedlam Farm at the end of the month. We met with Robin Gibbons, Leroy’s breeder, and her family,  in Cambridge yesterday and we said we’d love to bring Leroy to the farm when he is eight weeks old.

Robin Gibbons agreed to sell Leroy to us.

She said she wouldn’t accept a deposit until she was sure there were no hip or other problems in the litter, she struck Maria and I both as being warm, ethical and very serious about her breeding program. We each held Leroy for a while and looked at each other and nodded.

We were on the same page.

There were no reservations on either side. We met Leroy’s mother, Hannah, a sweet and dutiful mother and heard about the father, who lives a few hours away.

We both were taken with Robin and her family, they are profound dog lovers and very serious about proper and conscientious breeding. And Leroy was calm, affectionate and responsive. We were very comfortable with her. Her son named Leroy, but we both liked the name, and he just seemed to be a Leroy.

This is a big step for me, I’ve never had a small dog before, and I think the Boston Terrier is a good choice for me and for all of us. They are high-energy dogs (when you have border collies, the term is relative), smart, playful and loyal. Like a lot of small dog breeds, they seem not to know they are small.

Fate loves to play. Red accepts everything.

I can see Fate and Leroy tearing up the yard chasing each other around. Border Terriers are active. Nothing bothers Red, the new dog will not be an issue for him. The breed is well known for loving children, people and animals. Lots of farmers with Boston Terriers e-mailed me to tell me how good they are on farms. They don’t run off, they don’t bother animals.

My plan is to start Leroy’s training as a therapy dog the day after he comes home. We’ll head right over to the Mansion and get to work. I love training dogs for therapy work, I have become good at it. This is a good breed for therapy work, they love people and are happy to sit in somebody’s lap.

Robin said to expect company in bed at night.

I have some things to learn with this breed, I’ve mostly trained Labs and border collies, and I will share the training and the learning, honestly and openly. As you know, I think we learn as much or more from mistakes as from successes, and I have made too many mistakes to count. I’ve also had great luck with some wonderful dogs.

I am ready for this change, creativity and emotionally.

So is Maria. She took to Leroy quickly and he seemed very happy cuddled up against his chest, as Hannah came to clean him up and check on him.

I was very impressed with Hannah’s temperament and her loving care of her puppies, this is a good indicator of how dogs are likely to turn out. If their litter experience is safe and loving, they are much more likely to be calm and social. Much of their behavior is determined in the litter.

I will start an aggressive socialization program once Leroy has adapted to the farm, and we are both quite certain and excited by this new dog.  He will meet everyone in town. I even think this could be a book, given the change and the learning, and the personality and loyalty that the breed is known for.

And yes, Leroy will add to the photographic and editorial core of the blog. I had an editor I disliked, who urged me to get a puppy so I could write a book about it.  I was offended, that seemed no good reason to do a book. That seemed cold and opportunistic to me. It doesn’t seem such a bad idea right now. We’ll see  how it goes.

I had a slight pause about my age, I will be 70 next year, and wondered if it was ethical to get a dog who might well outlive me. It is, for me, quite ethical. Giving a good dog a good home after thoughtful consideration an research is very ethical. Maria is  younger than I am, and in any case, a dog like this will not want for a home. Any animal of Maria’s is a lucky animal.

I can’t think of a better way to stay young and healthy than to accept challenges and grow and learn.

It is lovely that Maria and I are doing this together, Maria is serious about doing more training, and I am  serious about learning. The things we do together really seem to work. We see the world in the same way.

I hope Robin Gibbons continues to breeder, she is the kind of breeder who looks to protect the best qualities of dogs. I think she will and will keep in close contact with her as she moves forward.

I am very happy Leroy is coming to us. I will do a Leroy Journal, we plan to visit him often before he comes her to live. Thanks for all of your interest and support. This trip is just getting underway.