We’d love your opinion!

This is a temporary post, but I’m leaving it up until Friday.  So I’m thinking of changing the look of the collie blog, for the Winter anyway.   I’m going to change the background every day for the next three days, please come back here on Thursday night and leave us a comment to let us know which background you like best.  

Originally we were using the ethereal blue.  

Today, Tuesday, we are trying this “simple” red.

Wednesday we will be trying the “Tasty Treats” background 

Thursday we will be trying the “Awesome” background.

Also, I just created a Facebook chat, for any and all pet bloggers who want to join.  I thought it would be a good resource for asking for blogging advice, either technical or creative, and a way to get to know our fellow bloggers a bit better.  You can find it by searching for “Pet Bloggers Chat” on Facebook, or here:  Pet Bloggers Chat

Thanks!

Edit to add, the winner was the red,  so it will be red for the holidays!  Thanks everyone 

The collies are getting it done!

Fast CAT in our area is over for the season, so we have been concentrating on both dog shows and Barn Hunt, and have some happy news to share.  

We recently did a Barn Hunt competition, the first in many months.  We took Sophie and Sorsha, my daughter’s collie.  Sophie ran out of time the first run, but quickly remembered what she needed to do. On her second run she did the tunnel, climb and found the rat, qualifying her for the first of the ten required wins to earn the next title, RATNX.

Sorsha on the other hand remembered exactly what to do, and she was so fast she earned both her RATN title and went High in Class.   Then she qualified again on her second run, earning her first out of the ten Qs for the next title RATNX!  It was so much fun getting back into Barn Hunt, we forgot how much the collies enjoy it.  And Sorsha’s RATN was the 27th title our collies have earned this year, they have made us so proud!

We have a four day dog show coming up, and Addi and ZuZu are both entered.  Addi is entered all four days, and ZuZu is entered for two of them.  If ZuZu goes Winners on two of the days, she could potentially finish her championship, as they are both 4 point majors.  If she wins just one of the days, it will give her a 2nd major, and she will just need four single points to finish.  It would be amazing to have a third collie finish her championship this year.  It’s beyond what we hoped for back at the start of the year.  Addi could also finish, if she wins two of the majors instead!  Not sure what will happen, but the possibilities are very exciting! And Addi’s recent show picture came.  We had to do it without the judge, as she had a full schedule. (She was covering for the original judge who was absent). But I loved the background and wanted a picture, so we went ahead and did the picture anyway.  Addi had won Winner’s bitch twice that weekend, giving her two more points towards her championship, so we needed a new picture to celebrate.  

ColliesWithoutBorders, working to Hold and Spread the Light!

This year we are joining other bloggers from around the world in a united effort to Blog4Peace!  Today, November 4th, is the day bloggers use their voices to hold the light against darkness.  We are trying to spread light and joy, to spread peace, in a world that seems to need it now more than ever.  

Each blog will choose how to hold the light in their own personal way.  It took me a while to decide how to use the collie blog to spread a message of peace and light.  I just wasn’t sure what to share, how to use our blog to make a difference.   But then I realized, there is already a very dedicated group of collie owners who are working to help both collies and their families.  I decided that sharing their efforts, and all they have accomplished, here on the blog would be the perfect way to “Hold the Light!”  The group is called ColliesWithoutBorders, and they kindly allowed me to interview them about their organization and how you can help.

How and when did ColliesWithoutBorders start?

ColliesWithoutBorders (please note no spaces in our name) was founded by Flora Scheck, a collie owner, who was touched by the devastation in Ukraine and through Facebook friendships, realized how many collies and owners were impacted.  Finding themselves unable to buy food for their beloved collies and other family animals, was one more horrible byproduct of the war effecting these families.  The war in Ukraine gave us a purpose.  Collies and their families united, joined paws and hands, and worked out a plan to give and help, proudly taking a stand that no collie would be left behind.  Collies became for us a beacon of gentle hope, beauty, and peace, teaching us what courage, tenacity and faith are in the face of such inhumanity and cruelty.  We found a common cause and together we became an overnight force.  

What are the main goals? ​

 

To help collie families anywhere in the world when their lives are disrupted by catastrophic events.  

Our mission is to keep families and their beloved pets together when faced with war or natural disasters.

Can you tell us about a couple of collies and families you have helped?

 

We currently sponsor 166 collies, the majority in Ukraine because the need is so great as well as some collies in the USA.   This year we also opened our sister branch in the UK, Ukrainian Rough Collie Aid.  We work closely together to assist collies across Europe.

 

CWB assisted several collies with medical emergencies, as well as providing funds for food monthly, and relocation assistance for families and their collies who had to be evacuated due to the war.  We currently are helping 3 collies in Ukraine who found themselves homeless after their owner was killed.  We are in the process of rehabilitating them and finding homes. We also provide anti-anxiety vests and calming chews, which have proven beneficial to those dogs terribly stressed by continuous bombing. 

How can people help CWB in their effort?

 

If you would like to join us in our efforts to assist collies and their families, please visit ColliesWithoutBorders.org and our FB page ColliesWithoutBorders.  You can donate, sponsor a collie, or shop our store for unique collie themed items. Our mailing address is ColliesWithoutBorders, PO Box 256, Pluckemin, NJ  07978-0256

 

We love our mission and seeing our organization growing, but we can’t do it alone.  We depend on volunteers and donations to keep doing what we do.  Please feel free to contact us if you or someone in your community can help.  

I have met many of the wonderful members of this group, and I am so impressed by their efforts to help others, especially those suffering from the horrible war in the Ukraine.  Please use the links provided above to learn more about this amazing organization and how you can help them with their mission.

Gift Ideas for your Dog

Well, it’s officially November 1st…so you know what that means….time to start our Christmas shopping!  

Most people consider their pets to be members of the family.  And as part of the family, most pets can expect a gift this holiday season.  The collies always get to open presents on Christmas morning, so I thought I’d share some of the gifts they have asked me Santa for this Christmas!

1) New toys!  While none of our collies are toy obsessed, they all get excited by opening new toys. They are all in touch with their inner puppy! 

2) Stuff to chew on! So with senior collies in the house, we have stopped buying bones.  While they all love a delicious new bone, I stopped buying them after Scarlett had to have three teeth removed earlier this year.  This was after she broke them while chewing on dog bones.  We also do not give the collies rawhide, as we don’t want to risk them developing an obstruction or choking.  So to keep them happy, and to fulfill their desire to chew, the collies picked these bully sticks as a safer alternative.

3) Cookies! So I would have some very sad collies if there were no dog cookies in their Christmas stockings!  Each Christmas they get these Santa Snacks dog cookies by Blue Buffalo.   They love the cinnamon and oatmeal flavor, I like the cute shapes.

4) More Cookies! It’s been a longstanding tradition that the collies also get a package of these sandwich cookies, by Three Dog Bakery.  They actually love these so much, we give them as gifts to our friends and family’s dogs too.  This year we are buying an extra package to donate to our local animal shelter, so they have a treat on Christmas morning too.

5) As collies love to be comfy and cozy, a new dog bed is always on their list.  I always laugh whenever I give them a new bed, as they all line up to try it out!  I haven’t picked out a bed yet, but I know I will have some grateful collies when they spot the new one.  With 13 year old  Ryder’s arthritis issues, I’m going to be looking for a comfy, orthopedic dog bed, as he prefers to sleep on the floor at night.

Do you buy your pets gifts for the holidays?  What’s on your pet’s wish list?