Chelsea Sunna just arrived at my home
When I first heard of her it was more in passing than not. She was the smallest and most fragile of the litter, the same litter as Birta comes from.
As I’ve told before, I was away when Birta was chosen and my sister brought Ljufur, their father, to the litter to choose for me. He chose Birta and he chose the right one. There is no doubt in any of us that Birta’s destiny was to become my dog and to live in her fathers pack.
When I retrieved my puppy, Sunna had already moved to her new home and I didn’t really know about her. When I was later told about her, something chimed inside of me. Something which knew that if I had seen her first, that I would have chosen her.
For quite some time, weeks, I remembered this moment. I concluded that for some reason of destiny, Ljufur had chosen Birta for a reason. This reason would become clear to us one day, and that Sunna was not far from our destinies. This has partly unfolded.
Chelsea Sunna at SAR practice with her father
Six months later I met her on a weekend seminar for dogs. Immediately when our eyes met I knew that I liked her. I saw also how much like her father she is on the inside and felt for her. I knew she where immensely strong soul with a tender character.
I conduct weekend seminars all around the country in summar. I do this to fulfill two of me desires; dog-training and to travel in Iceland. Therefore I advertise in villages for weekends when I’ll be passing through. I teach owners and dogs in morning and evening sessions for the weekend and everyone has a good time.
She showed us that weekend that she had inherited her fathers intelligence. I couldn’t really see on that weekend if Birta and Sunna (her name was Chelsea then) remembered each other. There was simply to much going on that weekend.
When the seminar was over and everyone left for home, I must admit that I missed her. There was something about this dog and I was sure that I would know more of her. I was still convinced that Ljufur had made the right choice in Birta and that life’s destiny was taking care of all of us.
One morning been five months in our home
Two months passed and through the owner of her litter, (Mrs. B.) I got news of her. Her owners had split up and sold the dog. She had been sold to a woman known to have some cats, dogs and birds and rarely taking her dogs for walks. I must say it was a bit uncomfortable; Not knowing more. For a moment I doubted my earlier insight but decided to trust an old friend, called time, to unfold.
Five months later I get a message from Mrs. B. Chelsea Sunna had been sold again, this time to someone in B’s village. That particular owner was known to me, someone who often buys dogs and keeps them for a little while until they’re passed on to someone else. In fact Ljufur stayed in that home for a short while long before I got him.
When B. tells me this she tells me that Chelsea is in fact staying with her and looking for a dependable future home. I responded immediately that I wanted her to move to stay with me. But I didn’t have the money yet!
For some weird reason this got confused between us. I didn’t realize that Chelsea was staying with B, not owned. That the other woman in the village still owned her. Also B. didn’t understand what I meant about the money situation: I didn’t have the money, but I could get it if needed.
Somehow because of this confusion, the owner took Chelsea and sold her to a neighboring village immediately. Two days later I call Mrs. B. to ask about the dog and get this horrifying news. Again I doubted my insight from earlier.
Six weeks laterI happen to conduct a weekend seminar in Chelsea’s village. I had already concluded within that I should forget about the dog and hadn ‘t allowed myself to even think about her again. As it happens her new owners attend the first class of that weekend. When I met her again I feel this chime inside. Something inside was convinced, for some obscure and weird reason which I don’t even believe myself, that this is my dog!
Regrettably I put together pieces of those owners pussle that evening, enough to feel sorry for Chelsea to stay there. Not that they would treat her roughly, just that they’re not the kind of dog people I associate with. It should be noted that her name had been changed twice in those exchanges. She had been called Yatzy and Jessie in those months.
Six more weeks pass and I get a call from Mrs. B.
Chelsea is again looking for a new home. Now I made sure that I’d be understood: “I want this dog, and I’ve got the money!” As I put down the phone I called a close friend who is owner of Kelly from same litter and asked him to back me up, which he did. Two days later Chelsea moved home to me to stay with our pack.
Watching her bowl six months in our home
The first two days at my home she was waiting and waiting. Any car outside the house and she had to take a look if her owner was collecting her.
How many times had she moved owner? I was her sixth! For a Sheffer even once is a heart-breaking affair. She was only year and a half old and had moved five times.
How could I tell her that she would never have to move again? How could I tell her that from now on she would be allowed to be the perfect dog, and that she would be loved imeasureably? How? By the first rule in the dog-book, let her decide and allow her to be herself.
