When our kids were small we decided to get them a dog that would romp and play with them. At the time we had a ten year old Shih Tzu who loved the kids but didn't have the energy to keep up with them. We finally decided on a Collie and after several months of searching we found a beautiful Tri-color collie puppy. Collies are wonderful companions for small children because they are loyal and gentle. When Tempest grew up, in addition to being a playmate he assumed the role of guardian for the kids. I couldn't have asked for a better babysitter. He would bark if the kids attempted to open the gate and leave the back yard. I was confident that I could leave Tempest in charge while I left the room long enough to cook dinner or do a load of laundry because he would "rat them out" if they got into mischief.
Although Tempest is no longer with us, it's Brittany that misses him the most. She has often expressed interest in having one of the photos of him enlarged so that she could frame it and hang it on her wall. This year for her birthday I decided to paint a portrait of Tempest and have it custom framed.
