Autumn weekends are made for fun!

This past weekend was just about perfect.  The sun was shining, the temperature was in the 70s, and the leaves were starting to show their Autumnal colors.  It was one of those rare weekends that beckons you outside, and with Winter just around the corner, we enjoyed every minute.

On Saturday I drove North, to join our local collie club for one of our many fun events.  This time our club held a Farm Dog Certified test.  To earn this title (FDC), a dog has to pass the test twice, so we held a test in the morning with one judge and another in the afternoon with a different judge.  The FDC, or Farm Dog Certified title, is earned by passing a series of test elements.  Per the AKC - "The Farm Dog Certified test is designed to assess the overall conduct of a dog within a typical farm environment. The dog must demonstrate self-control when exposed to livestock and other unique sights, sounds and scents. The dog should exhibit confidence and a willingness to comply with instruction when confronted with a variety of situations. The Farm Dog Certification is not intended to confer herding capability, but rather a foundation of self-control and biddability beneficial to all working dogs."  All 12 of the elements of the test can be found on the AKC website.

After carefully reading through the test, I was pretty confident that Ryder could pass and earn his FDC.  So I signed him up for both the morning and afternoon tests, and of course Ryder did not disappoint me!  He is such a great dog, and he always does whatever I ask of him.  He walked right by the quacking ducks with no reaction when I told him "leave it."  He waited patiently while I fed the chickens.  He hopped up on the hay bales like he had been doing it all his life.  There were many other collies taking the test, and they all passed too, which isn't a surprise, as collies were bred to help with livestock.  But we also had a Great Dane, a sheltie, a Bernese Mountain Dog, a Wheaten Terrier and a Kelpie pass the the test too.  The club had a nice lunch for all the competitors, and the atmosphere was more like a picnic for dog lovers and their best friends.

This was a practice hay bale, not the one used in the test.

Ryder with his winnings!

To learn more about the Farm Dog Certified test, and to find out where it is being held next, you can click HERE.

On Sunday we grabbed a few of the collies, and we headed to our favorite hiking trails.  It was a beautiful day, and the collies were happy to pose for some pictures.

So that is how we spent this beautiful weekend, what did you guys do?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Autumn style

"I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin and crisp sunburnt leaves." ~ unknown

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." ~ Anne of Green Gables

When dogs want a treat for Halloween!

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and the leaves are starting to change color.  That can only mean that Autumn is here, and Halloween is right around the corner.  Feeling the Halloween spirit, we were excited to see that Chewy.com was offering a special, spooky treat for dogs this month!

The collies are always excited when a box from Chewy.com arrives, and they especially love when it is food or treats!  (They are definitely food motivated canines!)  This month our friends at Chewy sent us a case of Merrick Seasonals - Howl-o-ween Stew!  What could be a more perfect treat for Halloween?  Hopefully, with this food in their bowls, the collies will not be playing any tricks on me!

I can't tell you how happy I was to see actual veggies in every spoonful!  And the collies must have thought the smell was delicious, because they haunted my every step, like a pack of ghouls!

Of course being a cautious collie Mummy, I had to read the label.  Check out the ingredients:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Peas, Dried Egg Product, Sweet Potatoes, Dried Pumpkin, Chicken Liver, Natural Flavor, Potato Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodate, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Potassium Chloride, Flaxseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Cinnamon, Xanthan Gum, Yucca Schidigera Extract.

Real deboned chicken, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin - no wonder the collies were drooling like hungry Werewolves!

Holly wants to caution all you pet parents, that her dear friend Bones didn't get any yummy Howl 'O Ween stew, and now look at him!    

And check out the key benefits:

• Real, de-boned chicken is the very first ingredient along with fresh peas, sweet potatoes and seasonal pumpkin.
• All-natural, grain-free recipe contains no wheat, corn or soy, so it’s easy to digest and great for the pooch with allergies or a sensitive tummy.
• Formulated with essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients to provide complete and balanced nutrition.
• Savory stew can be served as a complete delectable holiday meal or delicious topper over his dry kibble to add some festive variety to his diet.
• Proudly made in Merrick’s Texas facility using the world’s best locally-sourced ingredients from farmers they know and trust.

So Ryder wants to know what are you waiting for?  This spooky and delicious dog food is the perfect treat for your little Goblin or Vampire to sink their fangs into, and it's only available for a very short time!

The collies all agree, Merrick Seasonals - Howl-O-Ween Stew is the perfect way to treat your dog this Halloween season!  They give it their highest rating, four paws way up!  And this canned food definitely has their Mummy's seal of approval!

We were sent Merrick Seasonals - Howl-O-ween Stew for free, in exchange for our honest opinion.

Have you heard the news?

Our awesome friends at Chewy.com are now selling Goody Boxes!  This is something brand new, never before offered, and we were fortunate to receive one to review!

Chewy.com offers three Goody Boxes to choose from, a box for medium to large dogs, a box for tiny dogs, and a box for kitties too!  Each box has five or more full size goodies, and they are all quality treats.

Each box has items your dog is sure to love, as they are specially chosen by the staff at Chewy.com.  And shipping on your Goody Box is free, we love free shipping!

"Ok Mom, can we see what is inside now?!?"

We were so impressed with the selection!  Many of these treats were ones we wanted to try.  And with five different kinds of treats, there is something for everydog!

We were sent the Bone Appe-treat, and the collies could not have been happier!  They highly recommend you get a Chewy Goody Box for your best friends too!  These would make great birthday presents for your dog or cat, and with the holidays right around the corner, we bet your dogs or cats would be thrilled to find one under the Christmas tree!

Key Benefits

• Five or more full-size goodies from premium brands.
• Free shipping on every Chewy Goody Box order!
• Handpicked gifts for dogs of every breed and size.
• Great savings on everyday prices.
• Surprise your own precious pooch, or give the Chewy Goody Box to friends and family as a thoughtful pet gift box.
• It’s great for special occasions, new pet adoptions, pet birthdays or a special present for any day of the year.

The collies want to thank our friends at Chewy.com for sending this Goody Box.  We opened it yesterday, for Abby's birthday.  She is sure Natalie sent it just for her birthday, but she was happy to share it with the others.  We will definitely be ordering more Goody boxes, you can get one by clicking here!

Happy Birthday Darling girls!

Abby on the left, CC on the right

Today my little Abby, and her sister CC, turn 11 years old.  I have written Abby's story, in 4 parts, trying to capture just how special she is and how much she means to me.  You can find those posts here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

So today, after I go pick up CC, so the sisters can celebrate their birthday together, there will be cake and presents.  There will be lots of pictures too, so come back later to see the reunion!

CC on the left, Abby on the right

Wordless Wednesday...Autumn is in full swing!

Did I mention that Fall is my favorite season?  

Rich in color, each Autumn day is a gift.

It's that time of year again, time for fairs, pumpkins, apple cider and beautiful Fall foliage.  Autumn is our favorite season, and it's definitely my favorite time to head outside for pictures with the collies.  There is just something about the colors of Fall that compliment the collies. Autumn decorations and colors seem by design to frame the collies and highlight their beauty.

And the cooler Autumn temperatures suit the collies, as both the smooth and rough collie are double-coated.  I can see their joy and relief in the change in temperature, as they are more active,and greet each day with wagging tails and games of tag.

They are enjoying the cooler weather so much that they are reluctant to come inside!  They love being outside, and going for long walks, which means they are encouraging me to get outside more.  And as soon as the leaves start changing color, we will be heading out on long hikes, to take in all the stunning foliage here in New England.

Even Pumpkin kitty is hanging outside with us, and she even wanted to pose for some Autumn pictures.  She watched me photographing the collies, and came over to join in the fun!

Before long the snow will be blanketing the ground, the bare trees will be glistening with ice, and the air will be bitter cold.  So each day of Fall we celebrate the season with gratitude, and try not to take a single day for granted.  Dogs are great at reminding of us to live in the moment, and enjoy every second we have together.  And Autumn, with it's glorious burst of color, is truly a celebration of life.

So from the collies and myself, we hope you are spending as much time as possible outside, enjoying the weather and the gorgeous scenery with your four-footed best friends!

Abby wanted to ask, "What is your favorite thing to do in the Fall?"