Our first presentation as AKC Canine Ambassadors

Last weekend Addison and I did our very first educational session as AKC Canine Ambassadors!  The AKC Canine Ambassadors Program is a network of volunteers who make presentations to children on various topics related to purebred dogs.  The presentations can be done in classrooms, libraries, after-school programs, and at Girl/Boy Scouts meetings.  We attended a local Girl Scout Troop meeting, run by my friend, Cheryl Lastomirsky Adkins.  Cheryl and I were Girl Scouts together, a very long time ago, so when I was deciding where Addison and I should go, she was the first person I reached out to about scheduling a visit.  Addison and I educated the girls on a few dog related topics, there were so many great resources provided by the AKC it was hard to narrow it down!

We started the presentation by talking about responsible pet ownership.  We discussed how to approach a dog safely, how to properly care for a dog, including understanding their needs and respecting their boundaries.  Addi helped me show the girls how many dogs prefer to receive pets on their body vs their head, and the girls took turns politely greeting Addison.

Then we discussed the different types of jobs/tasks that dogs can be trained to perform, including dogs who are working service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support dogs.  We also focused on the importance of asking permission to approach someone’s dog, and all the reasons why people should not distract or approach a service dog.  

Addison posing with troop leader, Natalie

We moved on to the different types of purebred dogs, and how all purebred dogs are divided into seven major groups.  We briefly spoke about dog shows, and I let them know they could watch all the groups being judged on TV following the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I then moved on to the fun sports they could try with their dogs, and how to become a junior handler to compete with their own purebred dogs.  

We did a question and answer period, and the girls were quizzed on the topics we discussed.  The troop leaders handed out Addison’s stickers and trading cards to the girls who answered the questions correctly.  They all loved Addi, and all the girls earned new badges through the education we provided.  We had many wonderful AKC handouts, including coloring books about responsible dog ownership, pet fire safety, and many other topics.  I had also printed out pamphlets from the Collie Club of America, to educate about the amazing collie breed.  The girls and their families took home everything we had available.  It was a wonderful experience, and I’m so happy we were able to do our first presentation as AKC Canine Ambassadors with the Girl Scouts!

It made me smile to hear the girls talking about how they wanted a collie that was just like Addison!  Addi was the perfect collie ambassador, and the girls loved her.  They even invited us to come Christmas caroling with them next month at our local nursing homes.  If you have a purebred dog, and are looking for a way to help promote the breed and/or responsible dog ownership, I can’t recommend this program enough!

"November is tied together with the heartstrings of gratitude." J.A. McIntosh

Last weekend’s dog show was a huge success.  Puppy Nolan won Winners Dog, Best of Winners and Best of Variety over the specials on Friday.  This gave him 2 more points towards his championship, and a total of 7 points.  Then on Saturday he once again won Winners Dog, Best of Winners and Best of Variety over the specials for a 5 point major!  This was his 1st major, and brought his total points to 12.  He just needs one more major, or 3 points, to become a champion.  We are so proud of him for earning those points so quickly, and for never being defeated.  We decided to hold off entering him in any other shows until the National, so he can compete for Winners Dog.

On Friday my daughter also handled Nolan’s sire, Noah.  Noah is already a champion, but is a few points away from earning his Grand Championship.  He also won Best of Variety!  It was very exciting seeing Father and Son win both Best of Variety Smooth and Best of Variety Rough at the same show, both handled by my daughter.

Noah is such a beautiful collie, and we recently bred our ZuZu to him.  It’s way too soon to know if she is pregnant, but we are hopeful that the breeding will produce some beautiful puppies with their parents sweet temperaments.

As Noah is a rough blue merle and ZuZi is a smooth tri color, we could have both roughs and smooths, blues and tris, in the litter.

We can’t wait for ZuZu’s ultrasound in mid November, to see if she’s expecting.  So please make sure to check back for updates!

Fall is in Full Swing!

Last weekend we were at another dog show, and both ZuZu and Nolan did some more winning.  ZuZu earned a few more points towards her grand championship and Nolan picked up another 2 points towards his championship.  He now has 5 of the 15 points needed to become a champion.  This weekend is another show, with the possibility of a major, so fingers crossed he wins some more points.

Addi and I visited our favorite Pumpkin patch, and she posed for some Fall pictures.  She was doing such a good job, the other people visiting the pumpkin patch asked if they could take her picture too.  Addi was happy to pose for them too, as she does love the attention and admiration!  

The Fall foliage is now on full display in our corner of New England.  I’m hoping I will be able to get a few more pictures this weekend.  It will largely depend on how our collies do at the show.  If they win, we may have to stay for the herding group.

Addi wants to know, what is your favorite Fall activity?  Do you love the Fairs, apple picking, leaf peeping, or visiting Pumpkin patches?

Autumn Collies and Poetry

 

“For lovers of poetry

And seekers of good

There is gold in the fall 

There are trees of the wood

There are stars in the ether

And rivers that flow

In the sweetness of

The heart finds its home.”

Laura Jaworski 

Morgan, “ready, set, play!”

"Autumn wandering

A thousand golden poems

Drift across the sky." 

Laura Jaworski

“Gold in hand is pleasant

A pocketful is nice

But autumn’s gold holds such a worth

Each leaf is counted twice

So give me gilded woodlands

And gently falling leaves

I’d gladly forfeit opulence

For walks among the trees.”

Laura Jaworski

“Dear trees, what magic you must hold

To change the leaves from green to gold

And weave a flaxen cloth so fine

To dress the wood in autumntime.”

Laura Jaworski

“The scent of cinnamon and cloves

Round pumpkins and crisp, sweet apples

A world turned ruddy in rich shades of orange and gold

Puffing chimneys, sweaters, warm drinks

And leaves, gently leaving one home for another—

Autumn.”

Laura Jaworski

“A little leaf

In a sea of green

Takes a breath, and poof, he’s yellow!

Then his friends join along

And begin Autumn’s song

All because of that brave little fellow.”

Laura Jaworski 

“How sweet the early autumn days

Their changes barely seen

When Nature in her quiet way

Begins to blend her green

With shades of tawny gossamer

And bolder rosy tones

Till colors mixed and stirred unveil

A palette of her own.”

Laura Jaworski 

Beautiful Morgan, by Pinscher Portraits 

“There is a first leaf to turn

There is a last to fall

And in the space between the two

The grandest show of all.”

Laura Jaworski

Fall in New England

With the beautiful Autumn weather we were experiencing, I decided to go to our favorite picture spot with two of my seniors. To get ready to start doing therapy visits,  Phoebe and Maizie had a vet appointment on Wednesday, which was only a mile from the pumpkin patch.  Phoebe had never gotten to visit for Fall pictures, so I decided to stop by.  

Almost everyone else has visited this spot over the years, except for Phoebe, Peyton, Rosie, ZuZu and of course, the puppies Nolan and Morgan.  Rosie is visiting her breeder for a while, so we will bring her next year.  If there is time, I’d love to bring the others, we will see.  Unfortunately, a NorEaster is going to hit us on Sunday.  As it brings high winds and torrential rain, I’m not sure what will happen with our Fall foliage.  Looks like I will have to try to get some pictures tomorrow.  I usually go early on Wednesdays, as there are less people, so it’s easier to take pictures of the dogs.  (Less distractions)

Hopefully the upcoming storm won’t cause too much damage.  This is my favorite time of year to take pictures, and it will be sad if the high winds pull down all the colorful leaves off the trees!  But we still have tomorrow…more pictures to come!

Why a Collie?

Collies are beautiful, versatile and make wonderful companions.  They are great with children, so they make excellent family dogs.  They are also ready for any activity involving their person, from hiking to binge watching a favorite TV series, your collie will be right by your side.

The collie breed was developed in Scotland and was originally bred to assist with livestock.  In the 1860s Queen Victoria fell in love with the breed and added them to her own private kennels.  With the Queen’s interest in the collie, the breed soon gained in popularity.  It wasn’t long before Americans began importing the collie to our country.  In 1877 the collie debuted at Westminster, one of the top dog shows in our country.  With more and more collies being imported and bred in America, the Collie Club of America was formed in 1886, and created the written collie standard.  The CCA’s  collie standard outlines the structure, intelligence and temperament that every collie should possess.

Collies gained in popularity through the stories written by Albert Payson Terhune.  Terhune was an American writer and collie breeder, and helped to elevate the breed’s popularity by writing about the collie breed’s endearing and admirable qualities.  He initially wrote short stories about his collie, Lad, that were published in a variety of magazines.  The public loved the stories so much, he ended up publishing the collection as a novel, Lad: A Dog, in 1919.  The book became a best seller, and led to Terhune writing numerous other books about his Sunnybank collies throughout the 1920s and 1930s.  Terhune’s books engendered in the public a love and admiration for the breed and ensured that the collie became one of the most beloved dog breeds of that time.

In 1940, Eric Knight published his book, Lassie Come Home, which was then made into a film in 1943. With the debut of Lassie, our obsession with the collie breed was renewed.  The popularity of Lassie Come Home led to the creation of numerous other Lassie movies and eventually multiple, long running, television series.  The collie breed was now the star of books, films and television, and people dreamed of bringing home a collie of their very own.  While the collie is no longer one of the most popular breeds, it is currently ranked #39 in popularity by the AKC.  This ranking includes both rough and smooth collies, which are considered to be two varieties of the same breed.  In the UK they are considered separate breeds, and are not bred together.

Unfortunately, when a dog breed is extremely popular, we see an increased demand for puppies, which can lead to some poor breeding practices by those individuals looking to make a quick profit.  With indiscriminate breeding, any dog breed can end up developing health problems.  But through the hard work of ethical, preservation breeders, the efforts of the Collie Health Foundation and the Collie Club of America, and with the advent of genetic testing, today’s collie is considered to be a relatively healthy breed.  So what type of tests should people look for?

• MDR1 - Collies should be tested for MDR1, which is a gene mutation common in collies that makes them sensitive to certain medications.  Collies should not be given certain medications, heartworm preventatives and anethestics, as the MDR1 gene mutation prevents their bodies from removing certain drugs and toxins from the brain and spinal cord. This can lead to seizures and respiratory distress, along with a few other symptoms.
• CEA - Around 80% of all collies will have some form of CEA, so collies should not only have the genetic test that identifies if they are a carrier, clear or affected, but also be examined by a certified canine ophthalmologist.  Most collies will have mild CEA, which should not impair their vision at all.  The least harmful form of CEA is called choroidal hypoplasia.  The more concerning forms of CEA would be colobomas or retinal detachments, but fortunately those are less common.
• PRA - PRA stands for progressive retinal atrophy.  It can lead to blindness, but the genetic test for this disease is included in the Collie Health Panel and breeders can now exclude these collies from their breeding programs.
• DMS - dermatomyositis.  This is another genetic disorder that can affect collies.  It is progressive, and can cause lesions, hair loss, and muscle weakness.  It is included the collie genetic health panel, and can identify which collies are at low risk for developing this disease.

These health issues while concerning, should not dissuade families from adding a collie to their family, as reputable breeders will test the parents before breeding them.  They will be able to disclose the possible risk your collie has of developing any issues in the future.  With the collie’s sweetness, versatility, intelligence and beauty, the rewards far outweigh any potential risks.  And with the testing now available, owners will know the family history and if their collie is a carrier or at risk, before bringing that collie home.  The collie has remained a beloved companion for generations and will continue to bring love and joy into the hearts of their families.  As with any breed, everyone should do their research and find the dog that fits best into their lifestyles.  But for us, the collie will always be our personal favorite.

Another beautiful fall weekend!

 This weekend was very busy, but the weather was perfect, and we were able to enjoy some of the beautiful Fall foliage that is starting to appear throughout New England. On Saturday, my daughter and I drove from Connecticut to Massachusetts to meet up with a photographer.  This was the same photographer that took some beautiful pictures of Rory, now called Valkyrie, a couple weeks ago.  

Valkyrie, 9/9/25, photo by Pinscher Portraits

She agreed to take some pictures of our other collies, and Valkyrie and her owner came too, so we get some new pictures of the sisters!  While the pictures aren’t ready yet, she did give us a sneak preview…

Morgan left, Valkyrie right, 10/4/25, photo by Pinscher Portraits

The picture is just beautiful, and these two puppies are turning out to be everything we hoped for when we planned this litter!  We can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures! After we finished with the photo session, we drove to Amherst, New Hampshire for another FastCAT trial.  And along the way we were able to see some beautiful Fall colors.  Massachusetts and New Hampshire, being further North, have a lot more color than we do in Connecticut.  We stopped along the way, when we spotted this pretty lake.  My daughter’s collie, Sorsha, agreed to pose for a picture.

Winter is my least favorite season, so I am trying to enjoy every Autumn moment. Winter does have its beauty and it does include my favorite holiday, Christmas, I just hate the shorter days and freezing weather.  This Autumn is a little bittersweet though, as I miss taking pictures of my Ryder, the beautiful Fall colors just seemed designed for him.  But the other collies are happy to pose for me, and I will be sharing more of the pictures taken by Kenzy of Pinscher Portraits when they are ready!  Hope everyone is enjoying the last golden days of Autumn with their best friends!

And Now for Some More Good News!

A couple weeks ago our ZuZu earned her next FastCAT title, DCAT!  She looks so proud of that ribbon!

And this past weekend we were entered at another dog show.  On Saturday, Nolan won Winners Dog, which gave him another point towards his championship.  And on Sunday, he won Best of Winners, for a 3rd point.  He is such a handsome, happy boy.  We can’t wait to see how he does at future shows.

But he wasn’t our only winner.  Saturday ZuZu won Best of Opposite Sex and Best Owner Handled collie.  So she got to go to the Owner Handled Herding Group and won a Group 1!  On Sunday she won Best of Breed, and Best Owner Handled.  We were sure she would have placed in the herding group as well, but sadly a last minute judge change messed that up for her.  We can’t complain though, these were nice wins, and gave her points towards her Grand Championship.

Thank you

Thank you Ann for this image

I just wanted to start this post by thanking everyone who reached out and left condolences about the loss of our perfect boy.  I needed to take a little break, as this blog was started in celebration of our collies, when Ryder was still a puppy.  He was a huge part of our lives and I miss him so much.  And he was always the star of our Fall collie pictures, it won’t be the same without his beautiful face in the pictures.  Ryder was my only boy, and my only rough collie.  We do have Rosie our rough girl, but right now she lives with my daughter.  She will eventually come to live with me, but not until my daughter is finished showing her and she earns her championship title.  We also have our new puppy boy, Nolan.  But Nolan also lives with my daughter, so for the first time in over 20 years, I don’t have a collie boy.  I love my girls, they are each special in their own way, but there is nothing sweeter than a collie boy.  So from time to time, I’ve decided to share some of my favorite Ryder stories and memories.

But we do have some good news to share, and the first is that my Addison has become an AKC Canine Ambassador for the collie breed.  So she and I will be promoting collies, purebred dogs and educating about responsible dog ownership.  We haven’t decided where we will start, but there are many possibilities.  And she will be going to the big Meet the Breeds event in NYC again this Winter.

And speaking of Meet the Breeds events, last week we attended the Big E fair with the collies.  The Big E, or Eastern States Exposition, is a 2 week long fair here in New England.  And each day members of a different purebred dog breed are in attendance, to introduce them to the public and educate everyone about the breed.  We brought Addison, Nolan and Rosie; and 3 members of our collie club brought their collies as well.  Of course, with handsome Nolan being a friendly 9 month old puppy, he was the star.  It was a fun day, and we were able to hang out with the other animals in the agricultural building.