Our history of dogs...

When I was in high school I took a job, working at a boarding kennel.  We took care of dogs and cats, with the occasional bird staying with us too.  I loved working at the kennel; I was a dog lover without a dog, so being surrounded by dogs, sometimes more than 200 dogs, was the perfect job for me.  I loved that job so much that I worked there for ten years.  I would still be working there if I hadn't come to the realization that I needed to find a career that offered other things, like benefits.

I have worked in a few different fields, until settling on a job in the health field.  I have worked in my current job for 13 years now, and while I like my job, I miss working with dogs.  But this post isn't about career choices, it's about how I found my dogs.

When I was a young girl, my parents divorced and my mother and I moved into the first of many apartments, to be near my grandparents.  And all of those apartments did not allow dogs.  So our boxer, Kelly, had to go live with my grandparents.  We were able to visit her often, but after she died, there weren’t any more dogs allowed.  I was the type of child who would find lost dogs, and bring them home.   I would beg my mother and grandmother to let me keep them.  But we always found the dogs' owners, so I sadly returned each of the dogs to their families. 

Me with Kelly

My Uncle Fran was also a dog lover, but he lived out in the mid-west with his five children so I didn’t get to see him often.  He did come to visit once every 12 – 18 months, and he would always have one or two collies with him and his children.  I loved the old Lassie movies, but I first met real collies through my uncle.  My uncle also left some books, by Albert Payson Terhune, at my grandparents’ house.  One day, when I was 10 years old, and while searching for something to do, I discovered those books.  And reading them, I fell in love with the wonderful, brave collies of Sunnybank.  I began dreaming about having a collie of my own one day.  It took over 20 years before that would happen, but Lad was worth the wait.  Sadly, I only had 7 years with my boy, before we lost him.  Lad was everything we could want in a collie - loving, loyal, protective, with a larger than life personality.

Uncle Fran and his children, and their collie

But before there were collies in my life, there were two special dogs that I rescued/adopted.

When I wasn't dreaming about a life with collies, I was imagining saving the lost souls at animal shelters.  I would imagine the day, when as an adult with my own home, I could adopt as many shelter dogs as I could afford.  I always pictured myself surrounded by 4 or 5 shelter dogs, all saved from euthanasia.  So when I moved into my first apartment, while still in college, the first thing I did was convince my landlord to let me have a dog.  He finally agreed, and off to the shelter I went.

I was there to see a puppy, a mastiff/golden retriever mix.  As I walked down the aisle of the kill shelter, I first spotted a little black puppy, with a little white on her chest.  She was an 8 week old black lab/shep mix.  She pressed herself up against the fencing of her cage, and I stopped to say hello, and pet her for a minute.  When I stood up to continue down the aisle she began barking frantically, to get me to continue petting her.  I gave her a little more attention and then walked down to the mastiff mix.  He was a pretty pup, who looked like a mastiff, but with soft, fluffy fur.  The AC officer told me that they had a couple families already interested in him.  And then went on to tell me that the little black, shep mix only had a few days left, and no one wanted her.  Black dogs are the first to be euthanized at shelters, as people tend to fear black dogs.

So I walked back to her cage, where she was still barking and crying for me.  I bent down, looked into her eyes, and my decision was made.  I say that I adopted her from the shelter, and that I chose her, but the truth is that she chose me.  I paid the fee, and took her home with me that day.  I named her Mojo, and she was best friend for almost 15 years. 

Mojo

Mojo was an incredibly smart dog; she was easy to train and grew up to be a beautiful dog.  She figured out how to open the refrigerator, and would make midnight raids, stealing butter and other items.  She figured out which button on the microwave to push to get the door to open, so she could steal the loaves of bread we stored in there.  She was a challenge, and she taught me so much about dogs.  She was protective and loving, she was perfect.  Losing her was a devastating experience for me, it was the first time I had to make that decision, and it took a long time to heal from her loss.

My second dog was a golden retriever named Chloe.  She joined our family when she was two years old.  Her family decided they couldn’t keep her, and offered her to us.  We drove to meet her, and fell in love with her sweet personality.  She came home with us that day and lived with us for more than 12 years.  She became Mojo’s best friend, and they were inseparable.  When Mojo died, Chloe grieved for a long time.  Chloe taught me patience, as she came to us with a few minor behavior issues.  But she was also one of the gentlest dogs I have ever known.  She would take cookies and treats with the softest mouth, you never felt teeth.  She was obsessed with tennis balls, and could play fetch for hours.  She liked nothing more than to have her soft fur stroked, as she leaned against your legs.  She was a wonderful companion, and we miss her a lot.

Chloe

Lad joined our family while we still had Mojo and Chloe, and then over the years the other collies came.  Collies are my passion, and I love them.  But all dogs deserve love, and any dog, no matter what the breed, can become your best friend.  Someday, I know I will return to a shelter and adopt another black dog.  But for now my house is full of collies, and I feel very blessed for all the dogs that have come into my life over the years.  So if you are looking for a dog, and the breed doesn't matter, please consider adopting a shelter dog.

Sad news...

Fall is the season when we reap what we sow.  It's the season when we prepare for the long winter ahead.  It's also the season that brings families together.  We gather together to go apple picking, attend fairs and share a Thanksgiving dinner.  Fall is my favorite season, for many reasons.

I love the smell of cinnamon and spice, as people bake pies and mull wine.  I love the beautiful reds and golds of the leaves as they change color.  I love the faces carved into the pumpkins, that sit guarding the stoops.  Attending Fairs, and wandering among the cows, goats, pigs and ducks never fails to make me smile like a child again.  I look forward to Halloween night, as the children arrive to collect their share of candy, and to proudly display their costumes.  I enjoy the cooler temperatures at night, where curling up under a blanket with a good book is a pleasure to be enjoyed.  Thanksgiving dinner is a time to count your blessings, and share a meal with family and friends.  I even love the sound of the crinkly fallen leaves under my feet, as I shuffle along our favorite hiking trails with our beloved collies.

As my daughter has aged, she no longer wants to dress up for Halloween.  But the collies indulge me, and gamely wear their costumes, to the delight of every child who comes to our door.  We have already bought their costumes, with the promise of some turkey on Thanksgiving as a reward for their good humor.

The Fall also has a special date for our family of collies.  On a September day, 13 years ago, a litter of collie puppies were born.  The first puppy in the litter was a smooth, sable girl.  She was given the name Angel, and she was beautiful.  Angel went on to win at the Collie National, two different years.  She was one of the top collies in the country during her youth.  She is also the mother of our collie, Abby, who resembles her mother so closely.  Angel is also the grandmother of our Holly, Ryder, Kori, Scarlett and of our Lad.  Her 13th birthday would have been this Sunday, but today Angel went to heaven, to wait with all our lost collies at the Rainbow Bridge.  Angel may not have been my collie, but I took care of her many times during her lifetime.  And as I look at the sweet faces of my own collies, I have so much to thank her for...this Fall is going to be a bittersweet time for us, as the absence of one family member will be keenly felt by all.

Angel

Life is too short, but for our canine companions this is especially true.  They are our friends, children and our confidants.  They make us laugh when we are brought low by life's trials and tribulations.  They listen to our problems and celebrate our joys.  They are a never ending source of comfort, providing love without judgment.  And because of their very nature they teach us to unselfishly care for another being, and through this, they redeem us.  So this Fall as the world around us changes, take a moment to appreciate the loved ones in your lives, whether they have two feet or four.

Collie stories...

The Honey Jar

The man and his wife of many years sat at the kitchen table, coffee mugs in hand, the morning paper spread open before them. “Any for sale?” she asked. Every morning, it was like this now.

“I don’t know,” he said, adjusting his glasses as she reached for a jar, scraped it clean and spread honey on buttered toast. No need to break off a piece and toss it to an eager friend now; honey wasn’t on the shopping list any more.

As he searched, the man remembered the bundle of fluff they had brought home that night so long ago. How she snuggled close to him, against the autumn chill, shivering … how his wife’s eyes had lit up.

“For me?” she asked.

“For us,” he said. “To keep us company.” It was a gesture of love between two people who had quietly accepted their childless life. Anything to break the growing silence of their home would be welcome.

“Are there any for sale?” the woman asked again.

Taking a pen from his shirt pocket, he carefully circled a classified ad. “I think we’re in luck,” he smiled.

“We won’t be able to replace her,” he reminded his wife in the car that night, as a couple of beautiful tricolored sheepdogs announced their arrival at the small, well-kept farm.

“I know,” she said sadly. “I wouldn’t want to. Not really.” But, her heart spoke louder than her words.

“You can’t fool me,” he said, resting his hand on hers. “Let’s just see what he has, OK? We don’t have to make up our minds right away.”

They were greeted by a friendly man in boots and an old coat. “Are you here to see the collie puppies?”

“Yes,” they said, following him into the warm barn.

“It’s a little nippy tonight, so I moved their box in here,” he said, inviting them into a roomy horse stall to see seven puppies glowing under a heat lamp.

“Oh, look!” the woman sighed. At the sound of her voice, collie puppies began waking from their sleep. Who was that?

“Do you have their mother?” the man asked.

“She’s around here somewhere,” the breeder said. “Since they’ve been weaned, I don’t let her in with them any more, but she’s never far away. I’ll get her,” he said, leaving them to guard his treasures.

“What do you think?” the man asked his wife when they were alone.

“I don’t know,” she said, suddenly. “I feel like we’re betraying her. Disrespecting her memory.”

Safe among her littermates, one collie puppy was twitching her eyelids and moving her legs in sleep. She was smaller than the others, with a beautiful blue merle mottle; different in a way and not quite as interested in normal puppy things. Something was missing in her life, but not in the dream; the same dream as always. Why are they crying? Why don’t they see me? Did all puppies dream the same thing?

That’s when the blue merle girl heard the voices. At first, she wasn’t sure if it was the dream taking a new turn, tricking her into believing what she hoped for had finally come to be. “I don’t know,” she heard a woman saying.

What! Lifting her head, seeing her littermates with their paws lined up along one side of the whelping box, the collie pup gathered her legs and jumped toward the gentle hands caressing her brothers and sisters. Was this possible?

WAIT!

She jumped so fast, her heart seemed to burst – why don’t these feet move quicker! They used to run across the field behind the house!They used to carry me on hikes in the woods! Hurry, feet – hurry!But, her once agile feet were clumsy now, tripping on themselves as puppies often do.

Wait for me! She pleaded with her deep chocolate eyes, hoped. LOOK at me!

And then she felt it . . . strong hands. Familiar hands flowing with life force and compassion, surrounding her, lifting her!

—

The ride home that night wasn’t quite as chilly as she remembered.

Would they know what she sensed – what filled her with excitement – or would it forever be her little collie mind secret? There would be plenty of time to discover that, she decided. Many years, if they were lucky. Then she felt it. The touch of the woman reaching for her and hugging her close.

“Hello, Honey,” the soft voice whispered … “We’ve missed you.”

Author Ron Hevener

All in the family...

While many historians of the collie breed agree that the first known collie was black and white, within a couple generations the sable and white collie made its appearance through the efforts of those early collie breeders.  Shortly after the sable and white collie,  the blue merle and white collies began appearing.  While many people have an affinity for a certain coat color, all collies should share the same temperament and structure, regardless of coat color.

I have spent a great deal of time researching the history of the collie breed and the history of my own collies in particular.  I have recently been thinking about the changes that have occurred in the breed over the last 100 – 125 years.  The original collies were known to have a slight twist to the bottom of their tails.  This is now considered a fault, and a twist in the tail is not a desirable trait.  The collie heads are now leaner, the eye is almond-shaped instead of round, and the stop isn’t as pronounced.  While these changes aren’t dramatic, they do serve to distinguish today’s collie from the old farm type collies of the past.  There are some breeders who are still breeding the old farm collies, and though they appear different than the more modern collie, they too have the wonderful collie temperament.

When attending the Collie Club of America’s National Specialty, I enjoy watching the Stud dog and Brood bitch classes.  In these classes the Stud dog and Brood bitch are shown with their “get,”  or offspring.  The judge evaluates the quality of the get (the offspring of the dogs or bitches entered in the class) according to the requirements of the breed standard.  The judge is not judging the quality of the Stud Dog or Brood Bitch, but instead is judging what that dog or bitch can produce.  The judging of these classes is a great responsibility, as the winning dogs, are used more frequently as stud dogs.  These winning Stud dogs, when used by many different collie breeders, can have a great impact on the next generation of the breed.  So the offspring that these dogs are producing need to be carefully evaluated.  The Brood Bitch also has an impact on the breed, as breeders may decide to purchase the future offspring of the winners of the Brood bitch class to add to their own kennels and breeding programs.  One of the things I find fascinating about the Stud Dog and Brood Bitch classes is seeing the resemblance in certain families of collies. 

I am continuing my families’ line of collies, and when I look at my collies I look for their similarities in appearance.  As I look at the similarities, I also begin imaging what traits they may have inherited from their ancestors.  I know their sweet expressions come from the Marnus family of collies.  I know their strong herding instinct comes from the Signet family of collies.  But going back ten, twenty or even thirty generations, I can’t help but wonder what traits and characteristics all those collies of the past have contributed to my own collies.  I feel very fortunate that the collie breed has such a well-documented history for us to study and explore.    I’m looking forward to learning more about my beloved collies, and I wonder what contributions my own collies will one day make to the breed.

The party...

We had fun celebrating Ryder’s and Kori’s birthday yesterday. Kia baked them a cake, and when I got home we made special dog cookies for them.  It was my first time trying this recipe, but the collies must have approved, because they were glued to our sides while we were making the cookies.  And with six collies, in a small kitchen, that made it a bit difficult!  (difficult, but funny)  The recipe was posted on my blog a few days ago, but I’ll copy it here, for anyone who wants to try it.

Homemade Dog Biscuits with Peanut Butter & Bacon

•1/8 cup bacon grease

•2 cups whole wheat flour

•1/4 cup ground flax

•1/4 cup wheat bran

•2 tsp baking powder

•1/2 cup natural peanut butter

•1 egg, lightly beaten

•3/4 cup water

Instructions:

1.Preheat oven to 325° F

2.Cook bacon until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.

3.Pour the bacon grease into a glass measuring cup.

4.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground flax, wheat bran, and baking powder.

5.Crumble the bacon, once cooled, and stir into the flour mixture.

6.In a microwave safe bowl, warm the peanut butter. Approximately 30 seconds.

7.In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg. Then pour in the peanut butter, water, and bacon grease. Use a fork to whisk together the wet ingredients until completely combined.

8.Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the peanut butter mixture.

9.Stir until combined.

10.Knead lightly in the bowl with your hands.

11.Lay down one large sheet of parchment paper, roll your dough onto it, then lay another piece of parchment on top. You'll essentially have a dog treat dough sandwich. See the video for tips.

12.Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.

13.Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

14.Cut shapes out of the dough and place on your prepared baking sheet. Gather the extra dough, knead into a ball, and repeat the process of rolling and cutting until there is no more dough.

15.Bake for 15 - 18 minutes.

16.Turn off the oven and leave them there to cool for 2 hours or overnight.

Storing - These homemade dog biscuits will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. They will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Yield - Using a 3 inch bone shaped cookie cutter, you will get 18 homemade dog biscuits.

Tips & Techniques

•Ground Flax - Flax has so many wonderful health benefits. Learn more about using flax in your homemade dog treats, with our Cheesy Flax Squares recipe.

•Choosing Cookie Cutters - Because this recipe uses baking powder, these peanut butter dog biscuits will puff up some during the baking process. Because of that, you will want to choose a dog cookie cutter that has simple shapes. The puffed cookie will not show the same amount of detail as another dog treat recipe.

•Crumble Bacon - After the bacon is cooked and cooled, it's time to crumble. Instead of doing this by hand, one tiny piece at a time, break your bacon into large pieces and place in a plastic zip-lock bag. Then easily break and crumble the bacon inside the bag with your hands. This saves time and greasy fingers! :)

•Bacon Grease - Pour the grease into a glass measuring cup, as opposed to a plastic one, because it will be very hot. You can make these homemade dog biscuits even more special by using the entire amount of bacon grease, instead of just 1/8 of a cup. If you choose to do this, do not add the full amount of water. Depending on how much extra grease you have, add the water 1/4 cup at a time. Continue adding water, up to 3/4 of a cup if needed, to make the dough combine.

•Choice of Bacon - If your dog loves bacon, but needs to keep his homemade dog biscuits on the healthier side, you can use turkey or low-sodium bacon for this recipe.

•Peanut Butter - Once you have warmed the peanut butter, try to work quickly adding the other wet ingredients. The reason is that the peanut butter will start to harden, and it's much easier to combine everything while it is still quite warm.

When we made these last night, we didn’t have the flax or bran, so we just added an extra ½ cup of the flour.  The collies didn’t mind one bit either!

Since the collies had cake and cookies, we didn’t give them their Frosty Paws.  We told them that it would be their birthday weekend, and that we would continue the celebration tonight with a trip to the dog park followed by Frosty Paws.  They did get their presents, but we gave each collie a present, not just Kori and Ryder.  The dog training facility where we go for classes has a little store.  They were selling antlers, and the large antlers were on sale for only $6 each.  Petsmart was selling smaller antlers, for $15 each, or $20 for the large antlers.  So we bought a bunch of the $6 antlers, and everyone got one.  Kori and Ryder each got a new toy, but with the excitement over the antlers, they didn’t care about the toys. 

Waiting for their cake

Ryder and Kori are sad, because they had to wait for cake, while we took pictures.

Ryder: “I think there’s a number we can call, to report this terrible abuse!”

Kori: "I think making us wait like this is beyond animal cruelty!"

Finally!

(they did not get to eat the entire cake, everyone was allowed just one bite)



Dogs and ice cream!

For the Dog Days of August - today's theme is ice cream! 



Laddie enjoying his ice cream!



We miss you Lad! 

(We didn't normally give him ice cream, but this was towards the end of his illness, when we were trying to make every day special for him.)

Happy 1st bithday!

One year ago today, three special collies entered our lives.  We waited years before breeding our first litter of collie puppies.  And we waited, excited and hopeful, throughout Abby’s pregnancy.  We felt the puppies moving, and tried to imagine what they would look like, if they were boys or girls, rough or smooth.

Then a few days before Abby’s due date a hurricane hit the East Coast.  It hit our town particularly hard, and many houses on the beach were destroyed.  There was flooding, and we were left without power for days.  To stop looting of the destroyed homes, the National Guard was called in to patrol the area.

These homes were just a 1/2 mile from us

 

I read that the hurricane caused many pregnant women to go into labor early.  Our Abby decided to join them.  So there we were in the middle of the night, trying to deliver our first litter of puppies by candlelight!  Abby pushed for a while, and finally a little face appeared.  But the puppy was stuck!  And then the worst happened, Abby broke the sack. 

All that was visible was a little nose, and a little mouth with a tongue sticking out.  My sister thought the puppy was dead.  But we had to act quickly, to save the other puppies.  So my daughter and sister began packing everything we would need, as we prepared to take Abby to the animal hospital.  I remained with Abby, to keep her calm, and as I was sitting by the whelping box, the little puppy cried!  The puppy was still alive!

So we raced to the animal hospital, my daughter sitting in the back with Abby.  Abby tried pushing a few more times, and was able to get the puppy’s head and one arm out.  My daughter was able to get the rest of him out.  He was a bit blue by this time, so my daughter rubbed him with towels, as I continued to drive down the highway.  He was a little sable and white, rough male.  Since this puppy was born in the car, on the way to the animal hospital, he was immediately given the name Ryder.

Ryder

We arrived at the animal hospital, and they too were without power.  They had some lanterns, so the veterinarian helped deliver the rest of the litter there on the floor, on a pile of blankets.  The next puppy born was a smooth, sable and white girl.  She was born without her sack, completely blue and stillborn.  The vet tried to revive her, but it was too late.

Next came another smooth, sable girl.  She was born alive, though smaller than Ryder.  Ryder was the largest puppy, he weighed 12 ounces.  The little girl was given a few different names, but we finally decided on Kori.  After a little more time, a final puppy was born.  The fourth puppy was another boy, another sable, rough boy.  He was small like Kori, and weighed 8 ounces.  Which is still a healthy weight for a newborn puppy.  We named him Luke.

Luke

Kori, Ryder and Luke

While losing the one little girl was very sad, we couldn’t help being happy that we had three healthy puppies and a healthy mom.  We bundled them up, and took them home.  We watched them grow, and waited for the day when they would first open their eyes.  We laughed in delight when they began playing and when they discovered how to bark and growl.  We completely fell in love with our puppies. 

Kori (left) and Ryder (right)

Kori

Ryder

Ryder, Luke and Kori

Luke, Kori and Ryder

Little Luke

We had originally planned on keeping just one puppy.  We found the perfect home for little Luke.  The family had lost their elderly collie a few months earlier.  And after speaking with them we discovered their collie was distantly related to ours!  The family had two little boys, who were so polite and gentle around the puppies.  They loved Luke and it was decided that he would be their puppy.  While letting him go was heartbreaking, we couldn’t  have asked for a better home.  They take him everywhere, and he has two best friends.  The family also allows Luke to use their computer to send Ryder and Kori emails, to let us know how he is doing!  This one came today –

Dear Ryder and Kori,

Happy Birthday! Hope you had a fun summer. I went on two vacations – camping in New Hampshire and a week at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Michigan – I had a blast on both trips and was an extra good boy on both trips everyone was proud of me. My kids are planning a small birthday party for me. You can tell Kathleen that I am getting my AKC registration for my birthday.

Have a good day.

Your “baby” brother – LUKE a.k.a. the Lukeness Monster

I think it is so sweet, that they have Luke write the emails.  And I love that his family kept his name, as they could have changed it to anything they wanted.  But the little boys, Matthew and David, thought he looked like a “Luke.”

We decided to keep Kori, and were half-heartedly looking for a family for Ryder.  But after his rough start, almost losing him, and then having my daughter save him, we didn’t want to let him go.  We finally made the decision to keep him too, and had to turn two families away.  We just couldn’t part with him.  And he has grown up to be a beautiful, sweet boy.  And Kori has grown up to be a character.  She is sweet like her brother, but she has a tendency to get herself into trouble.  And Ryder, usually follows along with her plans. 

So happy birthday to our wonderful puppies, we hope to celebrate many, many more birthdays with you both!

A Not so Wordless, favorite picture and cookie recipe kind of post!

So this post is going to cover a few things.  It's Wordless Wednesday, and for the "Dog Days of August," we are suppose to post our favorite pictures.  In keeping with my last post, I also want to add another great recipe I have found for dog cookies.

Wordless Wednesday/Favorite pictures of my dogs -

My favorite picture of Baby Kori

My favorite picture of Baby Ryder

My favorite picture of Abby, Lad and Holly

My favorite picture of Ryder and Kori

Another favorite of Ryder

And another favorite of Kori

And a couple of my favorite pictures of Scarlett



My favorite picture of Abby and Thor (Scarlett's brother)

Bourbon Garlic Liver Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb of Liver (calf, beef or chicken)

1 tsp Garlic Powder (or more to taste)

2 oz Bourbon (dog variety - meaning less than $10 a qt.)

water

2 qt Saucepan

foil covered cookie sheet

Rinse liver and place in pan, cover with water and sprinkle in garlic.  Slosh in bourbon and bring to a simmer.  Simmer gently for 15 minutes and then turn off heat.  Let stand for 20 min. to infuse liver with the maximum bourbon flavor.  Remove liver, drain, and place on foil lined sheet.  Place in oven at 200 degrees for 30 min.  Turn off oven and leave in 10 more minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Cut into small pieces.  Enjoy!