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After Moff died I rang up several of the Papillon Club members and asked about puppies. I also contacted a breeder who lived very near me who had two pups of four and five months. I had a sore back at the time and I told her I would phone back when my back was all right. Now that I was home and could rest and lie down in the den my back got better in a few days and I rang up Christine and she came and collected me.
She lived in a large bungalow in Castle Douglas Road just opposite a side road going to Cargenbriggs. The dogs seemed to have the free run of the kitchen and the conservatory -- also the garden. They were obviously NOT caged. They all flocked round me. I sat on the floor and they all pawed me. Christine pointed out the two dog pups. There was a beautiful red and white (with a lot of red) called Dexter. He was the older. The other was only fifteen weeks. He was called Bam Bam (dreadful name). He was black and white -- with a lot of white.
Colourwise I much preferred Dexter. Dexter came to me but then tended to back off. Bam Bam was far more friendly. I tried to persuade myself that Dexter would be all right and then I remembered Wee Sammy. There is not really much you can do with a difficult temperament. And I wanted a dog which I could take on Southerness Golf Course and which would come to me when I called it. I watched Dexter carefully. He seemed a bit of a loner. At one point all the dogs suddenly flopped down and went to sleep. Dexter was apart from the rest. Then Christine let them out into the garden. Again Dexter kept apart from the rest.
Then I asked Christine if I could see them one at a time. We took Dexter into a room away from the others. He ignored us completely and went around the room sniffing. Not very promising.
Then we took the black and white pup into the room. He was quite different. He was interested in us. At one point he was some distance from me. I called him and he came to me at once. I even got him to sit. Christine said later that was the point when it was decided. She said it was more that he chose me rather than that I chose him. Later I threw a toy and he brought it back to me.
I always remembered Christine saying that I did not choose him but he chose me. It made me feel that I had a very special responsibility towards him.
(This sense of responsibility was increased many years later. I had been competing with Rooskie in a Heelwork to Music competition. We did a routine to Doris Day singing The Tunnel of Love. That was one of the few HTM cvompetitions which Lynn, Rooskie's instructor, managed to attend. At the end Lynn said,
So a very special little dog indeed).
To get back to choosing Rooskie as a tiny pup. I took him home with me. Christine said I could take them both and see how I got on but no I had decided. She also said that if he proved too much for me she would take him back.
Again no. I had made my decision and I was going to stick to it.
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