A new collie blogger!

We wanted to share the news that a new blog has just recently joined the world of pet bloggers!  And this wonderful blog is worth checking out - it's written by a rescue collie and contains stories about the lives of three special rescued collies.  So please join me in welcoming 3 collies to blogville!

http://3collies.blogspot.com

Making friends wherever she goes!

Some dogs prefer the company of their own families.  They are not "snobs,"  it's just that they only feel comfortable around the people and dogs that they know and love.  Sometimes this can be the result of a lack of socialization when they were young pups.  Sometimes it can be the result of a canine "meet and greet" that went horribly wrong.  Sometimes it is an inherent part of their breed's personality.  And sometimes, it just is what it is...Not convinced I’m right?  Try and walk in your dog’s pawsteps for just a moment.  Just imagine that you are taking a lovely walk with your best friend.  The wind is carrying all kinds of enticing scents your way, the sky is blue, the sun is shining and all is right in your world.  Then out of the blue some strange man or woman comes running right at you!  He or she then grabs onto you, without so much as a hello, and starts humping you!  Would you be a little freaked out?  I know I would!  (ok, chances are this would never happen to you, and it’s true that your average dog reacts differently to this sort of thing than your average human.  But I think you understand my point, this could seriously scare an already fearful dog.)

We are fortunate because all our collies are very social animals.  They love to meet new people, and they love to meet new dogs.  (Providing that the other dogs are not rude, and do not skip the customary butt sniff greeting, and proceed to try and hump them...)  In most cases the collies are very friendly towards newcomers, big and small.  But our girl, Kori, has shown she possesses all the skills necessary to be considered a Collie ambassador!

When another dog is acting inappropriate or snarky, she immediately offers appeasement behaviors.  Because she is so gentle, and because she tries so hard to make other dogs comfortable, she is well-liked by almost every dog she meets.  Because of this, my daughter will occasionally take Kori with her to work.  My daughter works at a boarding kennel that also offers Doggie daycare.  And today, Kori was invited to accompany her to work, to hang out with her in the daycare.  And as usual, Kori made friends!

Hi there!

This boy, Felix, is deaf.  Kori has figured this out already, and she gently pats him with her paw when she wants his attention.  My daughter sent me these pictures and told me that Kori and Felix are now BFF's, and are now inseperable!  Way to go Kori!

But not all dogs are so outgoing and friendly.  There is even a name for these dogs, they are called DINOS.  Which stands for "dogs in need of space."  There is a movement to identify these dogs with yellow ribbons.  Have you heard of this, or have you seen a dog wearing a yellow ribbon?  Owners of DINOS ask that you please refrain from approaching their dogs with yours.  They also ask that you do not pet them or allow your children to pet these dogs without asking for permission.  And please, do not assume that just because your dog is friendly that it will be ok to let him or her run up to strange dogs.  Not all dogs are comfortable around other canines or their humans.  They deserve to have their need for space respected.  For more information, please check out this site:
http://dogsinneedofspace.com/

More of my collies history...

I have written numerous posts about the history of my collies.  When I decided to trace my collies' pedigrees back through as many generations as possible, I had no idea how fascinated I would become by the history of this special breed.  During this process, I was excited to discover that my collies are descended from some very famous collies.  When people ask me about the history of my line of collies, images of all these beautiful collies, who appear in the pedigrees of my own collies, begin to fill my mind.  And I can't help but wonder where the collie breed would be today if it weren't for these stunning collies of the past - CH Marnus Golden Ruler, CH Parader's Bold Venture and Parader's Golden Image, CH Countryview's Golden Star, CH Tartanside Th' Critics Choice, CH Tartanside Heir Apparent, CH Tartanside The Gladiator - just to name a few.

CH Marnus Golden Ruler

 

 

 

Parader's Golden Image



 

 

 

CH Tartanside The Gladiator

 

 

And these are just some of the collies, in some of the more recent generations, I have written previous posts describing how I traced their pedigrees all the way back to the first collies brought to America, and beyond.  I have discovered three websites, designed and maintained by collie lovers, where you can search and view for old and new pedigrees of collies.  When I look at pictures of all these collies of the past, who contributed so significantly to the breed, I can see where my own collies have inherited certain physical characteristics.  I wonder if other dog breeds have established websites, with thousands of pedigrees going back 200 or more years?

New Year's Resolutions - collie style!

The new year has arrived, and it is just full of possibilities!  We are very excited, and each of us have a goal for 2014!

Holly's goal is to get back in the dog show ring with her best friend!  She really misses all the fun and attention she gets when she is competing at a dog show!

Abby's goal is to spend more time relaxing, and playing with her three kids!

Ryder's goal is to spend more time playing outside! 

And he would like to go to his first dog show!

Kori wants to go on more hikes in the woods, and to also go to some more dog shows!

And Scarlett, her goal is to finish her championship, continue enjoying every moment, and to try to be a little less naughty!

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a very Merry Collie Christmas!

 

 

 

And a Happy New Year!

Today is Holly's 8th birthday! 

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

On Saturday, my daughter took Abby to work with her.  Abby needed a bath, so she went to the kennel for the full spa treatment!  (I'm not sure Abby appreciated this particular Christmas gift!) After she was clean and dry, my daughter put Abby's Christmas jingle collar back on, and she went out to play with some of the daycare dogs.

Yesterday we spent the day in New York City.  We went to see the musical, A Christmas Story, which is based on the movie.  We did a lot of walking, and spent quite a bit of time riding on the subways, as we got on the wrong train and ended up in Brooklyn!  But we still had a great time, and the weather was unseasonably warm.  It was in the 60's, and we saw many people wandering around in shorts...in December...in New England!  The city was fully decorated for Christmas, and the store window displays were beautiful.

The collies would have enjoyed all the walking we did, but it was very crowded.  So they stayed home and one of my daughter's friends stopped over a couple times to let them outside.  Tonight it's back out to fight the crowds, so I can finish up my Christmas shopping.  Hope you are all enjoying the hustle and bustle and the magic of the Christmas season!

Tis the season!

Christmas is fast approaching, and I am way behind on my shopping!  Where does the time go?  Fortunately, the four-footed members of our little family are set!  And thanks to my daughter, their gifts are already wrapped!  Do you buy your furry family members presents?  Do they enjoy unwrapping their gifts?

More snow!

Just what we need!  Something tells me this is going to be a snowy Winter!



Some pup doesn't mind one bit, snow looks good on him!