The Newest Northerner

Please allow me to announce the newest member of our northern family...Reina! Our new darling is a 12 pound, eight-week-old German Shepherd puppy who was born in Southern Saskatchewan, about 50 kilometres north of Regina. Thus, Reina is also new to The North, just like us. 

Mostly black with tan legs, Reina's left ear seems to have been permanently warped so that it points toward the other. I think the result gives her Justin Bieber style, since the floppy ear is so unnaturally swept across her forehead just like Bieber's hair. Additionally, Reina has been kind enough to show off her beautiful singing voice, forcing another comparison to the Teen Sensation from Stratford, Ontario. Apparently the ear will eventually perk up and then flop down again correctly. We'll see. I kinda like it.

As with any  puppy, it's hard to get Reina to settle down for photos when she's awake. I learned quickly that my new iPhone is not good for taking pictures of such rapidly moving objects; the result of my first photo-shoot was blurry action shots or sleeping stills. Other than her ears, the cutest thing about Reina is the disproportion of her feet to the rest of her. She is adoringly clumsy and when she runs her large paws seem to have been borrowed from another dog.

Happily, at least for the ride home and through the night, Reina's favourite thing to do seems to be sleeping. She slept for the majority of the 8 hour journey by truck and will pretty much curl up anywhere, although this may have more to do with the weather than her lack of desire to play for long periods of time; it's been hot here for the last couple of days, with temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius.

Heat shouldn't be an issue for much longer as we move through August and into fall. I suppose that Reina (and I) will have a greater issue with the cold, cold winters to come than with the odd warm summer's day. Our biggest challenge while living in The North with a dog will most likely be dealing with the "Rez dogs", as there are quite a few rascals on the loose in our community. In fact, hardly anyone keeps their dog contained, although we have a decent fence which my partner has fortified after a successful trip to Canadian Tire, so she should be relatively safe in the yard. Despite this, we will have to keep a close eye on Reina, especially while she is still a puppy. When she gets bigger and stronger we will be able to keep an eye out for each other. If someone can stay awake long enough.

Reina (pronounced Ray-na) means "queen" in Spanish, a throwback to the time I have spent in South America. Also my very first farm dog was named Queen, and my spouse really likes the name, so it seemed appropriate for our very first dog together. And while she may not be royalty, Reina is from exceptional stock. She was acquired from Last Mountain Kennels which is just outside of Strasbourg, SK. We had a wonderful experience dealing with the owner and felt that the puppies were extremely well cared-for. Our current living situation was taken into consideration, as were the qualities we are looking for in a pup. I would highly recommend Last Mountain to anyone looking for a pure-bred German Shepherd, as I simply felt good during the communication in the months leading up to picking her up and also while driving away with Reina. I know I can contact the owner any time for advice or to share stories about Reina's progress, and that means a lot. Because she may not be true royalty, but she sure is the Queen of The North.