Morgan’s News…

This weekend we took puppy Morgan to a dog show.  We weren’t sure how she would do, and at first she was a bit confused.  But with a little help from my daughter, it didn’t take long for her to figure it all out.

And then our pretty puppy surprised us…

Morgan won the Puppy Herding Group!  We are so proud of her, as this was a lot of new experiences packed into one day.  The building was loud, and the noise from the people and dogs echoed.  There were countless other dog breeds and many new people trying to say hello to her.  The show was decorated with inflatables and Christmas trees, which were all very distracting for a young puppy! 

This was only her 2nd time at a dog show and she did incredible.  She enjoyed the attention and praise, earned points towards her “Puppy of Achievement” certificate, and came home with a pretty pink Group 1st ribbon!  We are going back today, and hopefully she will have another fun day.

So much to be thankful for…

 On Thursdays, in the world of bloggers, we often post about things we are Thankful for each week.  And this week, I have a lot to be thankful for!  Yesterday we took ZuZu for her ultrasound, and the veterinarian gave us 8, possibly 9, reasons to be thankful!  She thinks our ZuZu may be having 8 - 9 collie puppies!  

Of course ultrasounds are not totally reliable, so we won’t know for certain until the puppies arrive.  But what we do know, ZuZu has a nice-sized litter, and they have nice strong heartbeats!  You can see the tiny heart beating in this video.

They aren’t due until Christmas Eve, so we have 5 weeks to go.  We will keep everyone updated, but please send ZuZu and her puppies all your good thoughts and prayers for an easy whelping and for a healthy Mom and puppies!

Another reason we are thankful, Nolan received some mail this week.  With all the winning he has done so far, Nolan earned this “Puppy of Achievement” certificate from the AKC.  This program was created by the AKC to encourage puppy owners to begin practicing in the conformation ring, to socialize and prepare their puppies to begin competing in conformation shows once the puppy turns six months old.  As the 4 - 6  month puppy class does not award actual points towards earning a championship, this certificate is sent to honor and acknowledge the puppy’s wins in those classes, as well as any points they win before they turn a year old.  It’s a nice certificate to receive for Nolan’s wins, and we added it to our Winterberry Collies scrapbook.  Our puppy, Morgan, will be going to her 1st dog show this weekend.  She will be competing in the 4 - 6 month puppy class.   Hopefully she will come home with a bit of ribbon, but even more importantly, we are hoping she has a lot of fun.  We want her to think dog shows are awesome, and hope she gets a chance to shine.

Our Sunnybank Weekend

This year we once again attended The Gathering at Sunnybank.  But this year we proudly came home with exciting news!

Phoebe (left) and Maizie (right)

By the graves of some of the Sunnybank collies

My daughter and Grandson

On Saturday, both Maizie and Phoebe passed the Therapy Dog test!  They can both help fill all the requests we get for visits!  The ladies doing the testing gave me so many compliments on their wonderful temperaments.

Photo courtesy of Roseann Cyngier

On Sunday the Collie Health Foundation held their puppy match.  A match is different from a show, as it’s held just for fun and to help puppies learn how to compost future shows.  We brought both Rory and Morgan, and they did amazing on the long drive to Sunnybank.

Rory 

At the match, the girls made us so proud!  Before the official puppy match began, they hold a “Virtues Match.”  You can choose from Best Front, Best Rear, Best Gait, Best Expression, and a few others.  As collies are judged mainly on their beautiful expressions, a win under the  Best Expression judging is coveted.  And this year our beautiful Rory was awarded Best Expression by the respected panel of judges!

Morgan

Then during the official puppy match that followed the virtues match, our Morgan won 1st place in her age group by Judge Gerry Oliver! (And Rory came in 2nd, showing how similar and consistent these puppies are!) We were so excited and honored by these wins, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two beautiful puppies!

It was an unforgettable weekend for us, and one we will never forget!

And now for something different!

Lately, we have been sharing collie health related topics, which are very valuable.  But now it's time to share something cute and fun!  Last weekend we attended a collie puppy match.  The club holding the match honored us, by asking my daughter to judge sweeps and junior handling.  It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday - surrounded by collie puppies and sunshine!

The puppies were all just too cute!

Busy, hot summer!

Wow, has it been hot here! Yesterday it was 105 degrees outside! The collies are spending most of their time inside, laying in front of the air conditioner. Even Pumpkin is spending most of her time trying to stay cool!

 

 

 

 

Last weekend our collie club hosted a puppy match.  We didn't get a big entry, because it was a hot and rainy day.  But a few people showed up and we had a lot of fun.  This little cutie won the Best puppy and Best in Match.

 

 

 

 

We hope everyone is managing to stay cool in this scorching, blistering, unending heat!