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A Penny and some Whiskey

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Family photo: Steele Fairless holding Penny and Steve Fairless holding Whiskey. Photo by Djembe Archibald

A Christmas present to remember. A Penny and some Whiskey.

Every dad’s dream, no?

Well, this Penny and this Whiskey look a little different than one may expect, considering they are 13-week-old Australian shepherd cross kelpies.

Attention held: Penny and Whiskey. Photo by Djembe Archibald

Steele Fairless was on the lookout for another puppy to be a companion for his older dog, three-year-old Prickles, when he had an idea to keep the litter together.

So when Steele contacted his dad Steve Fairless’s partner, Nicole Sleeth, about surprising him with a new puppy, it was an offer no-one could refuse.

Playful: Penny guards the door. Photo by Djembe Archibald

“I definitely wanted another puppy but my partner, Simon, did not have any particular inclinations to get another puppy because he wanted another kitten,” Steele said.

“So, I’d secretly gone and found Penny and then thought, I wonder if Steve and Nicole would finally like to get a puppy too?”

Just chillin: Whiskey and Penny. Photo by Djembe Archibald

That’s when Nicole got the call asking about a gift for Steele’s dad.

“Steele had written me quite an essay asking if he could get Steve a puppy, and I answered straight away, ‘Yeah, that’s fine,’” she said.

Following the opening of possibly the cutest present one could receive, the two sisters, Penny and Whiskey, fit into the family quite well.

Close bond: Penny and Steele Fairless. Photo by Djembe Archibald

Penny began as the adventurous and excitable one, but as she began feeling more comfortable, she mellowed out, ready for relaxation and solo time.

She also enjoys the water, even storms, and is known to run and jump around in the rain.

Cuddle bug: Whiskey. Photo by Djembe Archibald

Whiskey, however, is a people ‘person’, enjoying any attention from family, friends and new faces.

Nicole and Steve have plans to ensure Whiskey can be a coffee shop dog so they can indulge in local cafés and spend time with their new fur-iend.

The two pups still act like siblings, playing, fighting, running around and getting lost in their little world, but Steve and Steele love their little bundles of fluff.

Fluffy family: Whiskey, Penny and Prickles. Photo by Djembe Archibald