Hillcroft Collies Blog

Solo Sophie

2012-02-02T03:29:00.000-08:00

One of our concerns about losing Ben was how hard it would affect Sophie. They had always been extremely close. As they aged and Sophie seemed to have some vision and hearing loss, she would take her cues from Ben, looking at him before reacting to something, barking when he did, trotting over to the same spot in the yard and such. We were facing the very real possibility that Sophie would not be able to live without her brother and we would lose her, too. I delayed making the decision about Ben because I wasn't ready for that double loss.
When we came home after the trip to the vet, I found Sophie laying in Ben's crate, with a very sad face. She came out of the crate when I called her, burying her head into my chest when I knelt down. Somehow she knew her brother was gone and was clearly grieving. She didn't touch her supper that night but we enticed her to eat with some treats.
The next morning, she was listless but showed some interest in breakfast after awhile. I spent a lot of time with her, brushing her coat and fussing over her. I also changed her routine, using different yards for exercise instead of the one she shared with Ben.
By the middle of the week, Sophie started to show some interest in her surroundings and her appetite perked up. She doesn't dive into her meals like she used to, but she does like to explore the scents in the yard (I think it's a big traffic area for the wildlife). She trots along the fence line as I walk up the drive to get the paper and has enjoyed some time by the wood stove as I watch t.v. She even picked up a rawhide and chewed it!
We've had glorious, spring-like weather the last two days and the dogs have been in the play yard to enjoy it. I put Sophie in her yard and while she seemed to look around for Ben, she was very interested in the activity next door. She barked at the dogs while they play tussled and touched noses with a couple through the fence.
I think her adjustment is going well, actually better than I thought it would. I do enjoy these days with her!

Taking her morning stroll

Breaking into a little trot!

The Pup That Picked Me

2012-01-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

On April 13, 1999, we had two litters of puppies born, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning litter had 4 puppies and the afternoon litter had 8. We had very high hopes that between the two litters, we would find one special puppy to keep as a show prospect.
What fun puppies they were! Loaded with personality and with such individual characteristics that we were able to combine the two litters by the time they were weaned and still know who belonged to which mother. The best time of the day was after work when the pups would be fed, then let outside to play in the late spring/early summer evenings. David would entice the puppies to run after him in the field and I can still see the pack of fuzz balls, running with all their might on their little legs! Afterwards, they would be too tired to walk all the way back to the house so we would carry them in, two and three at a time in our arms, their heads bobbing as they fell asleep.
I spent a lot of time those days just watching the puppies play and explore. One little guy kept catching my eye. I sat on the slope of the yard one evening to watch the pups in the yard below. The little mahogany puppy saw me, walked up the hill, then walked up my outstretched legs until he got onto my lap. He placed his head against my chest and sighed... and so started my great bond with Ben.
We registered him as Hillcroft Ablaze. His show and stud career did not pan out as we had hoped. Ben earned 8 points towards his championship and sired one litter. After he stopped showing, I taught Ben how to pull a wagon and he participated in parades with the library staff. He was always game to wear any costume we came up with!
We also had an opportunity to spend two weeks with the Outreach staff to do a program in the nursing and retirement homes. Ben would pull his wagon, loaded with books, into the community room, then I would do a short talk about Ben and he would do his one trick--sit and "wave". After the program, I would walk him to each resident who wanted to pet and visit with him. Riding in the van after the visits, Ben would lay across my feet, so tired but still ready and willing to do another program. I was so proud of my gentle boy and glad we got to share such special experiences!
By the time Ben was 11, his muzzle had gone gray and he was slowing down. He was showing signs of arthritis and his days of wagon pulling were long over. He and his sister, Sophie, have been house dogs the last year, going outside on mild days to snooze in the sunshine--their favorite pastime. But, even the walk from the house to the kennel was sometimes difficult for Ben. I finally had to face what path we were on.
Ben was put down this past Monday, January 23. He had lost ten pounds in the last 9 months, the arthritis was getting severe and his mind was going. Sometimes, I wondered if he even knew who I was. That was the most painful thing for me. From the time he walked up my legs as a puppy, Ben would always watch me, wanting to sit close to me, often laying a foot on mine. Whenever we reunited after being separated because of shows or such, he would jump up against me, lay his head on my chest and sigh--just like when he was a baby. People always commented on how Ben only had eyes for me. As the medicine took effect Monday night, I looked deep into Ben's eyes. For just a second, I saw a flicker of recognition, then he closed his eyes and relaxed. I put my head against his and held him, my special puppy.

Ben as a puppy

Ben and his best buddy, his sister, Sophie

The first point I put on a dog was with Ben. What a thrill!!!

Ben in one of his last shows--he won, of course!

Visiting a resident at one of the Outreach programs.

"Waving" for an Irish coffee!

Almost 11 years old during the blizzard of 2010 and still enjoyed a romp in the snow!

Christmas Parade

2012-01-22T15:48:00.000-08:00

I didn't mean to leave the blog as a cliffhanger! Too many things going on with the holidays and I never got back to post the pictures from the Leesburg Christmas Parade. It was a very chilly day, but we had lots of fun. At one point, Claire got swallowed up by the crowd of children along the street! The dogs enjoyed all the attention and we enjoyed the many compliments we received on our beautiful dogs!

We Love a Parade!

2011-12-08T17:17:00.000-08:00

Our collie club is going to participate in the Leesburg Holiday Parade this Saturday. It's just a fun event, and an opportunity to let the community know about the club. To do that, I printed labels with the club's web address and "Find Us on Facebook"! that I then stuck on 300 wrapped candy canes. Actually, 296--one wrapper was empty, one wrapper wasn't sealed and we seemed to be shorted 2 candy canes. We'll pass out the candy canes to parade spectators along the about one mile route.
Hopefully, the collies will draw more attention than the candy! We have about 10 people participating and about 8 collies with two other dogs who will be collies for the day. The dogs will be wearing antlers or other festive attire, if willing. Lauren will be pulling her wagon that will be decorated with garlands and stockings. Her harness will have bells on it that I polished up this morning.
Saturday's weather is predicted to be chilly, but that should help put us in the Christmas mood!
Here's the prep so far:

Missed Opportunities

2011-11-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

We entered Gibson and Gemma in the "Turkey Cluster" this past week-end, so hoping that Gibson would finally have his championship. We employed a bit of strategy to achieve this goal. I'll explain for those that don't follow dog shows that closely. Points are earned based on the number of dogs entered. Sometimes, there will be more points for one sex than the other. In that case, exhibitors always hope the judge will "split" the points, meaning the Best of Winners earns the higher number of points. In Gibson's case, we were hoping he would be Winners Dog and Best of Winners for two majors as the number of females entered were the right number.
On Friday, Gibson was very relaxed outside the ring and gaited the best he's ever done for me. Unfortunately, he still doesn't like the judge's exam. The judge told me she couldn't give me Winners since he backed away. The judge did split the points but since Gibson was Reserve Winners Dog, it was an opportunity lost.
On Saturday, Gibson was better. He was comfortable outside the ring again, moved well again and did better for the exam. He was Winners Dog! He had difficulty in Best of Variety competition though. There was some poop in the ring that for some reason unnerved him and the Winners Bitch was in season which also unsettled him. That's hard for any dog but especially so for Gibson, who has already worked out so many issues. Saturday's judge did not split the points--Gibson missed another opportunity for a major.
On Sunday, Gibson showed the best he's ever had for me. He was Winners Dog and Best of Winners, unfortunately, there wasn't a major in bitches.
The week-end left me a bit disheartened. Gibson has tried so hard and I've worked so much with him. I'm not sure if I should continue this quest with him or not. I think he enjoys showing but I'm stymied as to how to have him achieve his potential. It's truly been two steps forward and one step back.
The week-end wasn't a total bust though. Gemma, who had been entered for the experience and to help make majors, surprised me. She was Winners Bitch on Sunday for her very first point! When I saw the judge look her way as we were lined up, I wondered if she was being considered. Then, the judge took a bit longer on examing her head. I made sure Gemma was moving well on the final go around and was thrilled when the judge pointed to us!
Both Gibson and Gemma were rewarded with special treats for their week-end of work. We rewarded ourselves with cheese, crackers and a bottle of wine from our local winery, Casanel, after we got home!

Baby Fever

2011-11-28T16:09:00.000-08:00

We were blessed with our first grandchild on Aug 6. Our daughter-in-law had a great career opportunity to change jobs but it meant starting back to work before she had planned. Taylor is going to start day care in January but who was going to care for her in the meantime? Grandma was asked and I leapt at the opportunity to spend time with the beautiful girl!
Generally, after a day with Taylor, I feed the dogs as soon as I get home. The dogs are very excited to see me as I'm not spending as much time with them. But, dinner always has priority and once their bowls are in their kennels, eating is the focus. Dixie, however, is the exception. I always hold Taylor in my left arm and when I enter Dixie's kennel, she immediately starts to sniff my arm. Even when I'm wearing a coat she will check out my arm then sniff around my neck as I bend down to give her her bowl. Baby Magic and diaper cream is not my normal "scent" but Dixie seems fascinated with these smells! Last fall, after the puppies' debut to the yard, she was equally fascinated with them, becoming quite maternal. I think she's looking forward to spring and having babies of her own!

Healing Waters?

2011-11-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

I have blogged before about our senior dogs, Ben and Sophie. They are now 12 1/2 and we know that every day we have with them is a gift. They have good days and bad days and Ben, especially, has started with longer cycles of bad days. We watch them carefully for signs that it is time to say good-bye, but are always relieved when that decision can be put off for at least one more day.
Ben and Sophie spend quite a bit of time sleeping, have difficulty getting up, their balance can be unsteady, their appetite inconsitent and Sophie is unable to spend a long night inside without an accident. A few weeks ago, their difficulties were very apparent and severe. With a heavy heart, I thought it was time to take Ben to the vet, with Sophie to follow very soon after.
When that last day comes, I always give the dog a bath and a good grooming if possible. It gives me quality time with the dog, a chance to say good bye privately and lets them cross over with the dignity they deserve. After deciding that it was time to make arrangements for Ben in the upcoming week, I spent the week-end trimming nails, brushing and then bathing Ben and Sophie. They can't tolerate long times on the grooming table, so over the course of the two days, many short sessions were needed to finish the brushing. By dinner on Sunday, they looked like the show dogs they used to be! They had a spring to their step and a sparkle in their eye. I felt good, knowing they were comfortable and we had had good, final days.
Monday was a surprise! Ben and Sophie greeted me at the door of their room in the morning, eager for breakfast. Ben finished his and was looking for more! The walk to the kennel was energetic and they were interested in visiting the other dogs. I began to think I could wait another week before calling the vet. In the days that followed, it was if time was reversing itself. Both dogs ate their meals every day, greeted us enthusiastically, even started playing! When I would let the rest of the dogs out in the play yards, they would trot over to the fence and watch the activity. Sometimes, they would bark with the rest of the dogs as the deer would come out of the woods and cross the property.
I'm not sure why Ben and Sophie are suddenly doing so well, but I'm certainly not complaining! Could the baths have had healing properties? If so, I wish it would work as well for my own aches and pains!

A Great Hike

2011-11-13T03:34:00.000-08:00

Three other members of the Northern Virginia Collie Club and I went for a hike on Veterans Day at Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park. It was a chilly day, but once we started on the wooded path, the trees blocked the wind, making it much more pleasant.
Balls Bluff is the site of a Civil War battlefield and our country's smallest national cemetery. Each of the graves had an American flag on it from a daybreak ceremony honoring veterans. Perhaps the dogs sensed the importance of the day, too. They behaved nicely as we stopped to pay our respects.
I should probably put that another way. Because Chloe is always good and while Frazier has all the energy of his not quite six months, he listens to his owner. It was Treasure who stopped pulling on her lead long enough for me to pause at the cemetery.
When we planned the hike, I couldn't decide which dog to take along. Whenever I do an activity, I try to choose a dog that has not had a big block of solitary time with me. I thought the older dogs would have found the hilly, wooded paths a bit stressful on their joints so they weren't considered for this trip. Gemma and Gibson have shows in a couple of weeks, Jackson had just had a morning out with me, which left me the choice of Bijou, Ref or Treasure. I don't know why I chose Treasure, but she was the lucky one.
As soon as I opened her kennel door, she bolted out the door and started running around the building. I let her make a couple of rounds, to burn off some energy, but when I called her to me, it seemed to make her go faster! She'd race around, only stopping at Ref's or Gemma and Bijou's kennels to bark at them. When she saw me coming, she'd twist around and race in the opposite direction. I'm not sure how long she spent running, but I was ready to leave her behind and take another dog! Treasure either ran out of energy or recognized by the tone of my voice that I had had enough of her antics. She stopped abruptly and let me put the leash and collar on her.
On the hike, Treasure pulled constantly on the leash. My upper arm and shoulder were quite sore that night! I've not experienced such a headstrong determination in Treasure before. It was one of the few times that she's interacted with dogs from outside our kennel. Plus, the woods had lots of great scents that needed to be explored. We saw a young buck run through the woods, which made all the dogs want to give chase!
I don't have pictures to share as the battery on my phone suddenly started to go. I didn't want to take a chance on using up the battery on pictures, then needing my phone later. It was a very pretty day, though. Most of the leaves were off the trees but still had color. The path was very colorful with all the reds and yellows!

Phoebe's Surprise

2011-10-15T04:41:00.000-07:00

The other day, I took advantage of the nice weather and did some outside chores. It was also a good day for the dogs to play outside. I spent a bit of time working around the big play yard where we mutually enjoyed each other's company.
Phoebe has always been a bit of a diva, not joining in with the pack when they are let out to play. Now that she is a senior, she is a bit more aloof, avoiding the rough housing and mad racing about the yard. She also likes to sleep more, finding quiet corners for her naps.
I was installing an additional bolt on the big, wooden doors of the play yard. All the dogs, except Phoebe, were watching me, jockeying for better positions near the wire fencing. Phoebe was sleeping, very hard, outstretched in a shady corner away from us. As I was finishing up with the bolt, I heard a "fwop, fwop, fwop". Looking up, I saw a huge black vulture rising up from the ground, near where Phoebe was asleep. It must have thought Phoebe was a potential meal! The noise of the vulture taking flight woke Phoebe up, and she had the most surprised look on her face when she saw the big bird! One of those times I wished I had a camera!

An Afternoon Out for Treasure

2011-10-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

Treasure has been entered in her first show. She's been a homebody for a few weeks so we thought it would be good for her to meet new people and experience new things before the show. We took her to Casanel Vineyards for a fun, relaxing afternoon. Treasure met lots of new people, a couple of other dogs and had a snack of bread crusts and cheese rinds. She even seemed to enjoy the musician that was playing when we first arrived!

Relaxing on the Patio

Hoping there is something left to share!

Walking home

Too Smart!

2011-10-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

September was a very busy month for us, with all the preparations for our son's wedding. The blog has been neglected and the dogs must have felt very neglected! With wedding showers, rehearsal dinner plans and many, many days of rain, the collies had to spend much of the month in the kennel, with few opportunities to play in the big yards.
Bijou especially wanted to do something different and took advantage of my distracted mind the day of the rehearsal dinner. I forgot to lock her gate after breakfast and as is her habit, she tried the latch late in the day. I heard quite a bit of barking but thought the dogs were upset with the squirrels, which are coming into the kennels now to get the fallen black walnuts. Lauren was in "tattling" mode as I took the stack of dinner bowls out. I didn't pay much attention to her, as, like usual, I was on a tight schedule and had just enough time to feed the dogs and get ready for dinner. When I tried to open the kennel door, two things quickly registered--Bijou and Gemma were staring at me through the glass and the door was locked! When they jumped up to grab the supply of poop bags--which were shredded and thrown about--they must have hit the door knob and turned it into the locking position. The back door won't stay closed on windy days and I usually use the dead bolt on it. Just to be sure, I ran around the kennel and tried the door--yep, it was locked, too. No choice but to put the bowls down and crawl through one of the dogs' kennel doors. I thought Phoebe and Claire would be the least likely to hassle me as I tried this, but just to be sure, I gave them their dinners. The other 9 pairs of eyes looking at me as I crawled through the door was a mix of surprise and delight. The younger ones thought this was a great new game and looked at their doors, as if someone would be crawling into their kennels, too!
The unexpected change in their routine didn't damper their appetites and once Bijou and Gemma were back in their kennel and everyone fed, I quickly got back to mother of the groom mode. I had a funny story to tell at the wonderful rehearsal dinner and beautiful wedding!

Storm Prep

2011-08-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

  Fortunately, it looks like Hurricane Irene will not affect our area that much. Still, we should be getting some heavy rains today and high winds. Our trees have been stressed so much this summer with several severe storms that it doesn't take much now to lose limbs plus we've had some problems with water running through the kennel after a hard rain since we had trees taken down last fall. I decided to try to correct the water problems before the week-ends rains and see if I could find a temporary fix. I think ultimately we will need to take down the fencing, grade the property and replace the runs. In anticipation of this costly endeavor, I'm scrimping and saving!
  In the meantime, I spent a morning this past week moving gravel, not a favorite activity, but a good workout! The dogs have run off the grass in the play yard across from the west side of the kennel so I started to spread the gravel there. I put more gravel in Jackson's kennel and attempted to pack it down. The ground is hard as rock, so that wasn't very successful.
  My one theory as to why we've had so much water in the kennel since last fall is that the trees, though mainly dead, had had enough leaves that with the limbs provided enough diffusion of the falling rain during heavy storms. I remembered yesterday that we had a kennel sun shade in the shed. I spread that across the tops of two of the runs that had the biggest trees. I'm hoping it will provide some of the diffusion that the trees did.
  What a difficult task to do alone! Jackson was rather scared of the cover so he stayed inside, making his run almost easy to manage. Phoebe, Claire and Lauren were so happy that I was inside their run that they were underfoot, trying to get my attention, knocking into me as they pushed against each other to get to me. Ref and Treasure thought they were getting a great, new toy! As I was trying to tie the cover onto their kennel fence, they were trying to pull the end down into their yard and nipping my fingers as they tried to catch the string I was using. I had my doubts my work would last long, but the cover is still there today! The dogs ignore it and the girls seem to like the extra shade.
  Now we just wait to see what the weather will do.   So, pass on through, Irene!

I MEAN IT!

2011-08-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

  Poor Jackson has had a rather rough month. His kennel mate, Dixie, came into season in early July, which necessitated changing rooming assignments. Jackson was by himself for a little bit, then Gemma moved in with him. He had to get used to a new roomie, at the same time figure out all those wonderful smells in the other kennels as all the girls have taken turns coming into season. His 13 month old body (and brain!) must have lots of conflicting urges. Sometimes when I'm in his kennel, he just jumps up against me, wraps his paws around my waist and buries his head in my chest!
  Gemma is now showing signs of coming into heat and has a great reluctance to share a kennel with Jackson. This morning, I switched Gemma and Dixie, now that her season is finished. Dixie was so happy to be back in her kennel! She can watch the house easier (a favorite pastime of all the dogs) and can relax on her favorite tree stump. I don't know why that is her favorite bed, although it does give her a good view of the house, but it was the first place she went.
  Dixie was not so happy to have Jackson's welcome home. He can be quite over-enthusiastic under normal circumstances, but after being apart, he pestered her unmercifully. Dixie generally enjoys being kenneled with Jackson, but has no patience when he bothers her. She barely gave him a warning growl before snapping at him when he jumped on her. Undaunted, Jackson went to her other side and tried again. Again, she snapped at him, then used her body to shove him away. He bothered her so much that Dixie gave up her place on her stump and went inside. Jackson tried to follow her and Dixie just exploded. I heard a ruckus and then it looked like she bodily threw Jackson out the door! After that, he must have decided that she was serious. It's been quiet the rest of the morning!

Misbehavin'

2011-07-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

  Treasure is the most confident and self assured puppy I have ever seen! Unlike Dixie (aka "the Bad Baby") who always tested limits and pushed boundaries, Treasure just does what she wants until told otherwise. She's also a smart girl so generally only has to be told "no" once to respect the rules. She'll have a puzzled look on her face, wondering why she can't continue her chosen behavior, but always respects the boundaries placed before her.
  But, oh, the things Treasure tries! She's been chastised by her kennel mates, her uncle, her grandmother and myself. She takes toys, eats out of others' bowls, torments someone to play with her or refuses to join in group games. The other day Treasure ignored the established fetch rules that Dixie has when we play and grabbed her by the ear. Dixie gave her a snap and a verbal thrashing so Treasure didn't do that again but did keep trying to get the toy until Dixie corrected her again.
  Treasure also has a fascination with my hair and clothes. She'll grab my ponytail, try to chew on my hair when it's loose or if it's tucked up in a cap, try to grab the bill. She was especially curious about the drawstring on my shorts the other day. Quietly, she began to chew on the end while I was busy giving her a back scratch. I didn't realize what she was up to until she tried to dash off with the string in her mouth, practically jerking me off my feet! She also surprised me another morning when she nipped me in the backside as I was collecting food bowls. I jumped around to see Treasure looking innocent, with a "oh, that's not an acceptable game"? expression on her face. Gibson, who now watches and imitates the behavior of the other dogs, had a grin on his face that clearly said "I didn't know we could do that"! I had to quickly squelch that notion!

I'm in Trouble

2011-07-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

My husband is in love. It's my own fault, really. I frequently have this girl in our home, working on some beauty issues--hair, nails, etc. I didn't notice David's interest until I suggested we take her with us to Gibson's last agility session. They were shameless! And right in front of me! I didn't realize she was such a hussy until I saw her wiggle her cute backside as she locked eyes with David. They made a beeline for each other! Since that night, she's all he talks about. He wants to take her with us to any activity we've done lately. Last night he started talking about her career and how great she'll be. So, it looks like I need to face reality--and take Bijou off the Available page on the website.

Crotchety Dogs

2011-07-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

  Old dogs and heat do not mix! Ben and Sophie have been sniping at each other over every little thing since these heat waves started last week. It hasn't helped that we have girls in season, which has irritated Sophie as her brother is mooning over them instead of spending time with her.
  Sophie has also been irked by the puppies playing and this morning objected to Lauren walking by her kennel. This made Sophie start to snarl and bark. Lauren, who always enjoys a fence fight, obliged Sophie by barking back. Ben wisely stayed away from the fuss but was not so lucky last week. Ben has been as quick as Sophie to express displeasure over something. Although Sophie generally acquiesces to his short temper tantrums, sometimes she just lets him know she's had enough. I came home from a show to find him with scrape marks along his muzzle and eye. He made the scrapes worse by rubbing his face along the fence and having flies bite where he made the scratches bleed. Needless to say, Ben's been spending a lot of time in the house, getting TLC! He enjoys the extra attention, but both he and Sophie prefer to be outside. They come inside during the heat of the day, going outside in the cooler evenings. They seem to enjoy being part of the gang even if they do find their habits annoying!
  While the cuts were shallow and healed quickly, it's been hard to watch Ben visibly age these last few months. His muzzle is mainly white, sometimes his balance is unsteady and he doesn't always feel like eating. I wish I could tell him to stop acting like a young dog, expending too much energy on silly fights, which are really for show and their entertainment! But, on good days, Ben still has a spring to his step, wags his tail and enjoys a good brushing on the grooming table. Best of all, he still leans against my leg and looks at me as if I'm the only person for him! That makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world!

Sadie's New Home

2011-07-19T04:22:00.000-07:00

  Last month, Sadie went to her new home in Lyndhurst. It was hard to part with our sweet, funny girl and it had to be the perfect home before we would give her up. We couldn't have asked for anything better than for Sadie to live with Don and Katherine! She is their constant companion, brushed daily, spoiled with toys and attention.
  Sadie took a little bit of time to adjust to her new home. She is the only dog, but does have a great friend in Buddy, the cat. They hit it off instantly! She also has horses, but prefers to keep her distance from them!
  Here she is, settling in:

Way Behind!

2011-07-18T04:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for over a month! Gardens and dog shows have been taking up all my free time but now I'm in a lull (especially with a forecast of high 90-100 temps this week). I'll do lots of posts to catch up on what has been happening here at Hillcroft! Except, right now, I hear Claire demanding her breakfast. Dogs always come first!

Pool's Open!

2011-06-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

  The weather this past week-end was exactly as it should be for Memorial Day--HOT! I pulled out the kiddie pool for the dogs, washed out the stink bugs (the bane of my existence) and gave the dogs a chance to play and cool down.
  The puppies and Dixie got the pool first. Or, I should say, Jackson got the pool. He was in there as soon as I started to fill it. The other dogs hardly got a chance! He was drinking the water, splashing, grabbing the toys. The others cautiously checked out the new yard addition, but weren't as enthusiastic as Jackson, or maybe they didn't want to be in the water that Jackson had quickly muddied. Treasure was more adventurous, but quickly abandoned the pool for a game of chase with Dixie. Gemma put her muzzle in the water and all of the dogs put their feet in for a few minutes. Dixie mainly wanted the toys that I had put in to float.
  Then it was the adults' turn. Sadie, surprisingly, didn't want to be in the water at all! She was our "bathing beauty" as a puppy and was featured in a YouTube video. On Monday, Sadie would only put her muzzle in the water and blow bubbles. Lauren put one foot in the water, then jerked it out as if the water was scalding. No more pool time for her! Gibson enjoyed himself. With the new confidence he has developed since taking agility, he couldn't wait to see what the big blue thing was I threw over the fence. Then, he tried to bite the water coming out of the hose as I filled the pool. He was the first one to try out the water, splashing and snuffling. I think we should buy him a snorkel set!

Jackson commandeers the pool

And has a great time splashing!

The puppies try it just to get to the toys

Treasure finds a prize!

Dixie isn't sure she wants the toy that badly.

Even though the water is rather muddy, Gemma enjoyed dipping her face in it

Sadie snuffles while Lauren cautiously checks out the pool

Sadie tries dipping her toes in.

Gibson enjoyed splashing!

Dog Days

2011-05-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been very busy times for the dogs. We hosted an Ice Cream Social and Fun Match for the Northern Virginia Collie club last week-end, and almost every spare minute was spent getting the property, the kennel and the dogs ready for the event.
We did take a break for some fun, and took Jackson with us to the Reston Pet Fiesta on May 7. It was very crowded and a bit hot. We did get some nice samples of dog products, one of which was a treat that Jackson really liked and would put him into "show mode". After the Pet Fiesta, we went to Casanel Winery to relax and have an early dinner. They now occasionally offer meals, prepared by a chef from a great restaurant. We enjoyed individual pizzas, good cheese and a pate.

This Newfie knew where to spend the day at the Reston Pet Fiesta!

Jackson meets an admirer at the Pet Fiesta

Jackson at Casanel

  The next week was spent intensely preparing for the Ice Cream Social. I was in charge of the raffle and had contacted dog companies for prizes. The generous donations started to arrive that week--it was like Christmas! Our UPS driver is now on a first name basis with me.
  All of our preparations were going along quite smoothly, but there was one key element we couldn't control--the weather. The forecast called for rain and thunderstorms for all of Sunday. We decided to make the call on postponing the Social a last minute decision. The day started cloudy, then cleared and the sun came out. The Social was a go! The turnout was about what we expected and the day was a blast!
  I entered Gibson in two of the Match classes--Best Muzzle and Best Expression. He was second in Best Muzzle! It was a good dry run for him getting back into the show ring as it was very much a show atmosphere, just very relaxed.
  Lauren even got to show again. A neighbor's granddaughter wanted to try Junior Handling but didn't have a dog. I threw a show collar and lead on Lauren and off they went. Even though it's been over three years since Lauren has shown, she knew exactly what to do and loved every second of it!

Just a few of the raffle prizes.

Gibson, back in the ring!

Lauren, happy to be showing.

The New Gibson

2011-05-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

  I enrolled Gibson in a Basic Agility class in March through the Dulles Gateway Obedience Training Club and now we're taking a Just for Fun Agility Class. What a difference this has made in him! He's much more confident and is overall a happier dog. He plays more with the dogs at home, has a twinkle in his eye and is mischievous like he was as a pup. He's more relaxed when we take him to public places and is interested in the activity around him instead of being nervous. We're hoping this new confidence will transfer to the show ring and have entered him at the Mattaponi Kennel Club shows in two weeks to see what will happen.
  Our Just for Fun Agility class just started this past week. There's only five dogs in the class, Gibson had lots of run throughs in an hour! He was pretty tired by the end of class and I had lots of exercise, too! David was on vacation last week so he came along to watch and take pictures. We ended a fun evening with dinner at Doener Bistro. Gibson got his share of my doener and fries, of course!
  There's more pictures of Gibson on the Hillcroft Collies Facebook page.

Treasure at the Races

2011-04-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

Our spring family tradition is to go to the Point to Point races held at the historic Oatlands Plantation. We usually take a dog with us, and this year, it was Treasure's turn.

Treasure is our out-going, super confident puppy. She's also very opinionated, often very determined to do as she wishes. The races were an excellent experience for her, meeting other dogs and learning she couldn't go just where she pleased--the food table, especially!

Treasure was unusually interested in the actual races, it seemed she was watching the horses come down the stretch in front of us and knew when each race was finished. She had one especially close encounter with a horse. The race official was visiting the group next to us, getting some refreshments, and walked his horse right up to our row of chairs. He allowed his horse to get closer and closer to us (we were wondering if she was a "lap" horse!). Treasure definitely had to introduce herself! She bounced about the mare, tail wagging, then went into play bows, trying to entice the horse to play. Treasure was especially fascinated with the horse eating grass. She must have thought it was some type of game! She acted like the horse had a tug in her mouth, then she searched through the grass, hoping to find a toy of her own. By this time, the horse was definitely too close to us. I realized the rider's "refreshments" may have been impairing his common sense a bit, and pulled Treasure by my side after the horse started tossing her head and raised a hoof in our direction. The rider assured me his horse loved dogs, but I wasn't taking any chances!

It's April 18!

2011-04-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Which means, Lauren's puppies--which is why this blog started--are now three! Happy Birthday Gibson and Sadie!!! And of course, also to Fiona, Jewel, Twister, Macallan and John Paul!
Gibson and Sadie were very excited to hear that today is their birthday. It was my tone of voice that caused the excitement and not the date, but still we had to commemorate the day. Gibson and Sadie got extra play time in the yard before being joined by Lauren and Dixie. They also got extra belly rubs and nose kisses. They should have had birthday baths but with the amount of rain we've had and coming up this week, that would be a waste of time!

Whatever the occasion, Sadie loves to run!

Gibson tries out a Pointer stance

Play with the ball or jump over the branch? He didn't do either one!

It's Good to Be Home!

2011-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

  Jackson had his first trip away from home. He was in northern NJ last week with Ellen for four shows. Jackson didn't come home with points, but it wasn't a bad trip. I was afraid he might get mopey, as he's very much my baby. But for most of the trip, he ate well, interacted nicely with Ellen (except for a couple grooming issues) and showed for her in the ring. Jackson didn't show on Saturday as he had had a bout of diarrhea, then wouldn't eat for a day. It might have been a touch of something, ring nerves, a small bout of homesickness or a combination of all three, but within 24 hours he was eating again.
  Ellen said he never acted like he felt bad, his tail was always wagging. But, as a growing boy and a bit on the thin side anyway, the episode stripped off the weight gain we had managed to put on him since January. Sunday's judge said he was "horribly thin". We had tried increasing his puppy food during the winter to put on some pounds, but that caused an upset to his system. As soon as Jackson came home, we tried mixing his puppy food with a cup of adult Evo. That seems to be working. He's had some minor digestive upset with the new food, but he's gaining weight already.
  We drove to New Jersey on Sunday to watch Jackson show and bring him home. We were so pleased with how he showed for Ellen! I think they'll have fun together during his championship journey. I was afraid I could distract Jackson by sitting ringside, but he was (almost) all business in the ring. He certainly enjoyed himself--most of the pictures I took had a blurred spot on his tail as it moved non-stop!
  I kept Jackson with me until we knew if he would be back in the ring for Winners. He was so excited to be with me again. He put his front paws on my lap, laid his head against by chest, then buried it under my arm, wanting a hug. When I took him outside to our car, he surveyed the parking lot, seemed to recognize the Sequoia, then jumped up against me, wrapping his front paws around my waist. He wouldn't let go--just kept hugging me and jumping up and down!
  On Tuesday, Jackson and the puppies were reunited in the yard for a day of play. They seemed to miss their cousin over the week-end. As soon as they were together, all four started wrestling with Jackson, pulling on his fur and tackling him to the ground. He was good, as always, about being their chew toy but also led them on a game of chase. I made their afternoon by working in the kennels, moving gravel, then trimming the bushes outside their fence. We all slept well that night!

New Toy Joy

2011-03-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, which one to choose?

This one looks like fun...

...but this one smells nice.

The giraffe won out!

It's perfect for playing fetch!

Oops, it almost got away!

Happy Dixie!

Good Day Out

2011-03-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

  Gemma had a long, solo day with us. Right after breakfast, she was plopped into the tub for a scrub down for the big day. She is still not crazy about the forced air dryer, is better about having her nails filed and is easily appeased with treats!
  She didn't like traveling alone and expressed her displeasure both vocally and getting car sick. Our first stop was to Pat and Rich's house. They donated a tent to our collie club, along with some other items for the upcoming Ice Cream Social. They live with Duncan and Gemma's aunt, Fiona, two dogs from our breeding who have the most wonderful home! We had a very nice visit and Gemma had some time to play, explore and chase the birds.
  Then, we went to the Super Pet Expo to spend the rest of the afternoon. The Dulles Expo Center was packed with vendors, people and dogs. We wanted to talk to as many vendors as possible to solicit donations for the raffle at the club's Ice Cream Social. Our first vendor was Natura, which makes the food our dogs eat. The vendor exclaimed over Gemma's coat and when I said, she only eats Innova puppy food and her adult relatives only eat Evo, he was more than happy to tell me who to contact to get a donation!
  Gemma was very excited, of course, over all the smells, new dogs and people. She learned at the Natura booth that samples were on the table. After that, she jumped up on every table to look for more goodies! She was very good about the new experiences, wasn't startled at anything, not even strange dogs suddenly appearing from behind to sniff her out. I did find Gemma hard to control when we first arrived, she wanted to go to every booth RIGHT NOW! She pulled on her leash, wouldn't walk in a straight line and would suddenly dart in front of me to see if the item on the floor was a discarded treat. Then, we stopped at the Intracell booth. He was promoting a product called The Stick, with versions for both people and dogs. We had a massage with the people version, then Gemma had her own with the dog version. She stopped hopping around and really enjoyed it! After that, she was much calmer and walked like a perfect puppy! This is definitely on our shopping list for the dogs.
  Gemma tried out a toy, the Physipet and enjoyed it, so that goes on the wish list, too.
  We bought two new toys for the yard, ones I think Dixie especially will enjoy. We didn't get home in time for everyone to get time in the play yards so the new toys will have to wait until tomorrow.
  Gemma slept almost all the way home! She must have recognized when we turned onto our road as she suddenly sat up in her crate and started fussing. Back in the kennel, she acted like she wanted to tell everyone about her adventures!

Such Help!

2011-03-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

  It's a beautiful, early, spring day! After a couple days of rain and clouds, it's been sunny and warm. It's also made us see all the chores that need to be done in the kennel after the winter!
  We still need to cut up and haul the remainder of the wood left over from taking down the trees in the fall. David couldn't get the chain saw to start--after a winter of hard use, it must need a service treatment! So instead of cutting wood, we worked on the vines and weeds that have already started growing around the one play yard.
  Even though the ground is pretty saturated, everyone's out in the yards today. The warm sunshine made their energy levels spike! We worked next to the yard that the five puppies (Jackson, Treasure, Ref, Bijou and Gemma) were in. In between bouts of wrestling, the puppies were very helpful with our chores! As we clipped the vines from the fence, they were right there, inspecting our work, pulling the vines and pointing out spots we had missed! Treasure, who is quite vocal, frequently had an opinion on the quality of the work, along with her displeasure of her siblings taking naps. Jackson was very good natured about being the chew toy of choice for his cousins, as well as being the chief vine puller. Gemma was more of a supervisor than a laborer and spent much of her time chewing on the water bucket and making it roll across the slope of the yard. Ref thought the best place for him to be was right where we were working--despite the snips of clippers and debris falling from the tree above him! Bijou found the whole project exhausting--she slept so soundly that she didn't even rouse from being poked by the other pups.
  The seniors slept most of the day in the wonderful sunshine. A day like this brings out a lot of foot traffic on our road, plus more cars on the way to the neighborhood winery. The rest of the dogs spent their time notifying us of the increased traffic and discovering the toys that had been neglected during their absence from the play yard. I don't think Dixie knew what to do first--play with her frisbee or race with Sadie!
  This upcoming week promises more days for play. I know the dogs will appreciate it!

My Protector???

2011-03-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

  Nothing has been as motivating to inspire me to lose my (many) winters' pounds as the prospect of becoming a grandmother followed by the wedding of our younger son. I wasn't that motivated when our older son got married but for some reason this time I really want to shed those extra pounds. We started hiking at Ball's Bluff, thinking it would be a great conditioning program for Jackson, but it's been very good for me, too!
  I recently saw a big dip in the scale and decided I didn't want to wait for the week-end to hike through the park again (the only time David can go with me). We discussed whether it would be safe for me to go solo during the week. The park abuts a neighborhood but once deep in the woods, civilization seems far, far away. David thought it would be perfectly fine for me to hike alone. I thought I should be cautious and call him as I was starting my hike, tell him which colored trail I was taking and then call when I was back in the car. He thought I was overly cautious--actually, I think the word he used was paranoid!
  I decided today was a good day for a hike and took Gibson along for added protection. Jackson is in pretty good condition now and is such a happy go lucky guy that he would try to make friends with any potential boogey-men! Gibson is big and muscular. Most people are wary of approaching him, especially if he starts to bark.
  I called David shortly before I got to the park, told him which trail I had decided on and about what time I thought I'd be finished. He told me to enjoy my outing and not worry. Imagine his surprise when I called him after the hike to say I encountered a van full of "bad men"! Of course, I was startled too, to come around a curve in the path and find several men in striped jumpsuits--a Work Release crew from the Sheriff's Department! They were hauling the debris from the downed trees into a trailer. Gibson was fine with the inmates but not with the trailer! He tried to bolt when they passed us on their way back to the parking lot. They were off-loading the trailer by the time we got back to the car. I thought Gibson was ready for a drink and I was certainly ready to sit a bit. I opened the back of the Sequoia to perch myself and Gibson immediately jumped up beside me. He plastered himself against me, shaking, as the men finished dumping the limbs. Once the trailer rattled past us once again, Gibson relaxed, then started to look around as if to say "Yep, all secure, she's safe. I've done my job"!

Treasure's Turn

2011-03-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Today's nice weather had us heading to Ball's Bluff again for a hike. We took Jackson and Treasure on our outing and had a much longer hike than last time (much to Treasure's dismay). It was a good work out for Jackson but perhaps a bit too much for Treasure. Her tail stopped wagging shortly after we hit the trail! But, she was a trooper and persevered, even though it was apparent she'd rather be napping. She did find some good scents to investigate and there were a few people on the trails to pet her. We finished our trip to Leesburg with a stop at Home Depot where she got lots and lots of attention, plus a treat from the cashier. It was a great day out for her!

Jackson on the trail

Treasure

Jump over the log! You can do it, Treasure!

Hmmm, something smells mighty good!

My babies!

I seem to be having quite a serious conversation with Treasure!

Exhausted Treasure

Back to Work

2011-03-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

One of the many lunch topics Ellen and I chatted about yesterday was shows for the puppies. We decided to let the younger babies stay home a bit longer and just take Jackson out. He's going to go to a set of shows in NJ in late March and then be closer to home in April.
I've been concentrating on Treasure, Gemma and Ref but now it's time for Jackson to get back into the more intensive groove. Long walks as often as the weather allows, some hikes at Balls Bluff, lots of time on the grooming table...I feel like I should have a whistle and clipboard when we're in training mode!

In Training

2011-02-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

  Earlier in the month, we took Ref and Gemma to a match in Maryland. Both the pups behaved horribly, bolting around the ring, backing away from the judge. Ref was so bad, I truly wanted to just put him back in his crate! The match judge said (after three attempts at the down and back), "I've yet to see that puppy move".
  But, it showed what I needed to work on with the babies and they've been receiving daily lessons. One mile walks to improve leash manners, time on the grooming table to accept nail filing and whisker trimming and close monitoring of their ear carriage.
  Yesterday, it was time to put all the lessons together and try another match. After taking out the braces in Treasure's ears, I decided she needed to stay home as her ears were not in placement yet. Ref's ears are breaking over way too far, but I felt it was more important to have him in the show atmosphere again after his last experience.
  Ref was terrific at the match! Everything he did wrong last time, he did right this time. He moved nicely, stood for the judge's exam and even stood confidently enough that I could move to the end of the lead instead of standing next to him. Gemma, however, did not show as well. She was in a headstrong mood and would not gait correctly. She did stand nicely for brief periods, though. Ref won the Variety, then placed third in the Puppy Group!
  Even though the forecast had called for cooler temps and the chance of showers, the afternoon was warm and sunny. We decided to celebrate the puppies' improved behavior with relaxing the rest of the day at Casanel Vineyards. We shared our cheese and crackers with Ref and Gemma, who were not content with their snacks. Ref was determined to eat the cigarette butts in the large container and Gemma knocked over a glass of wine, then lapped it up, which caused a sneezing fit. Not even six months old and they've developed vices!
  Today was back to work. Ref and Treasure have braces back in their ears and all three puppies took a trip to Buckeystown so Ellen could see their progress. I had a nice visit with Ellen and a good lunch--it was a great day!

Gemma gets a whisker trim

And a bath!

Waiting for the match to start

Ref relaxes at Casanel

Nature Boy

2011-02-26T05:18:00.000-08:00

  We took Jackson on a hike at Ball's Bluff, a beautiful wooded regional park along the Potomac River. It's the site of a small battle of the Civil War and also the smallest national cemetery. It was a very windy day with strong gusts. When I saw the amount of downed trees since my hike last month, I questioned the wisdom of hiking in an isolated area on such a day! But, we had a great time and emerged from the woods unharmed.
  Jackson had a ball! Not only did he not have to share his time with us with the rest of our dogs, he had lots of smells to explore among the leaves, trees to jump over and sticks to chew on. While pausing to take some pictures, we met a father and his two young sons. Lots of pats for Jackson and the two little ones took turns "feeding" Jackson sticks. I could tell he thought little people were great!
  After our hike, we went to Panera for lunch. Even though it was breezy, it was warm so we brought Jackson to the patio outside while we ate. I shared the bread crusts off my sandwich with him but I could tell he rather have had the chicken salad!
  We finished our day with errands at Petco and Home Depot. Jackson was so interested in those new surroundings, he didn't notice he was walking on the floor surface that scares him!

Along the Potomac. Notice how the wind gust is ruffling his coat!

Meeting new people

This looks intriguing!

Jackson learns little boys are fun!

But the woods are full of sticks and he can find one to chew on by himself!

Getting some local history

Re-hydrating after that long walk!

Lunch!

Lap Dog

Is Pick Pocketing Next?

2011-02-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

We have two very adept gate latch flippers. Little Bijou can open a gate so quickly, I sometimes don't have time to put the lock on it before she's flipped the latch, I'm hit by the gate and the stampede of her siblings. We don't normally lock the indoor gates but are trying to get into the habit of consistently locking the puppies' run. Bijou was only occasionally opening the gate at night and I'd open the kennel door in the morning to shredded poop bags and the foraging of rawhide toys. Then she learned that Mosby also has a latch on his kennel and I started to find puppies in his run. One night, there was a complete switch--Mosby was in the puppies' kennel, they were in his and they had moved all their toys in there, too!
Her uncle, Gibson, can also open a gate but he only does the one from the main play yard (thank heavens for double fencing and double gates!) But, he's very sneaky. The other day Gibson was watching me clean kennels while he eased up the latch and slipped through the gate. Then, he bounded over to me, so pleased with his accomplishment! Fortunately, Gibson hasn't realized that all the latches are the same and he could open his own kennel gate as easily as the play yard gate. I think I'll stop by Home Depot to buy some snap locks before that happens!

YUCK! (Doubly So)

2011-02-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

We finally have some warm weather. But now, my floors look like this:

Because the dogs' feet look like this at the end of the day:

As their yard looks like this:

It's now endless rounds of sweeping, mopping and washing crate mats. I was hoping for real spring weather--clear, blue skies, gentle breezes and dry yards with the first grass shoots poking up. Instead, we have snow islands, rock hard ice slabs and where everything has melted, squishy, muddy paths that squirt water as I walk.

There is some hope that this is the worst of it and conditions truly will improve soon. A chillier day is forecast for tomorrow, but right now, we're having very high winds which should help to dry up the ground a bit. By the end of the week, temps might reach 70! The dogs will definitely get a play day then! I just might need to add a round of baths to my chores but it will be worth it!

Puppy Updates

2011-02-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

The puppies are five months old today! From this litter, we are keeping one smooth male (Ref) one smooth female (Gemma) and one rough female (Treasure). The other smooth female (Bijou) is available, preferably to a show home.
We're starting to look at upcoming shows where they can make their debut. In the meantime, I have lots of work to do with these guys! Ref has been to two matches and Gemma to one. Ref did well in his first match, but this past week-end showed me what I need to do get them ready for competition. With our snowy weather, I had not been working with the puppies on walking on a leash nor had them on the grooming table. Neither Ref nor Gemma would let me trim their nails for the match. I quicked Gemma, which hurt her feelings and made her uncooperative the rest of the day. Both puppies would not walk properly at the match and would not let the judge examine them. Gemma did better for Group competition, coming in fourth. So now my day starts with a short walk for the pups, some time on the grooming table and lots of treats! We're going to take Ref, Gemma and Treasure to another match at the end of the month, hopefully it will go much better!

Treasure

Gemma

Ref

Bijou

YUCK!

2011-02-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

I do appreciate a fresh snowfall (especially if all my loved ones are home safe) and enjoy letting the dogs play for moments like this:

  But now, it's a week later. A week of melting, more snow, some ice, some rain and re-freezing. We've had just enough melting to make muddy paths in the runs but not enough melting to get rid of all the snow. Cleaning kennels has become a horrible chore. Each day brings a different surface to walk on. This morning, some of the runs had pretty solid sheets of ice, usually where a slope is, of course. In all of the kennels, I have to chip the poop loose. The bags fill up rapidly as I'm scooping ice and gravel, too.
  Ben and Sophie are pretty content to sleep their days away inside. Even though we've had milder days, there's too much snow left on the ground for them to be in a yard for too much time. They don't seem to enjoy navigating across the frozen paths.
  Gibson, Sadie and Lauren seem to ask every morning for another play session like last week but it's either too frozen or too slushy in the play yard.
  I know it's only the beginning of February and that spring will get her, but I want it to HURRY UP!

Jackson's Show Debut

2011-01-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

  Jackson had his show debut and what a great experience that was! I didn't expect anything to come of the five days of shows, just experience for him and me. His very first show in Fredericksburg, at the Northern Neck Kennel Club show, Jackson was Reserve Winners Dog! The next day, at the same show, he was Winners for his very first point! What a thrill for me to put the first point on him.
  The next two days (as blogged earlier!) didn't go as well but I was pleased with how Jackson was learning the routine and how well he adapted to new experiences.
  The Collie Club of Maryland specialty was another good day. Jackson finished fourth in the Sweeps (earning six dollars in prize money!!!) and he continued to gain confidence each time he went into the ring. After Sweeps, a highly regarded handler and a specialty judge came over to see Jackson. She said she couldn't understand what the judges were missing that he wasn't placing higher. The judge told me that Jackson has a real ring presence, then they both gave me some tips and assistance with my grooming. A good friend who is a long time breeder also saw Jackson for the first time. She told me he is the best we've produced so far. It felt so good to have people appreciate our boy! We haven't completely decided on a show schedule for Jackson, but I'm sure this will be an exciting journey as he works towards his championship!

Here we are at the Mason Dixon Specialty

Judge Mary Benjamin examines Jackson

Collie Club of Maryland Specialty

Sweeps Judging

Judge Mike Esch goes over Jackson

Show Escapades

2011-01-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

  Tomorrow, I'll blog about Jackson's results at the Fredericksburg shows and the Maryland Specialties but today, it's about the side of dog handling people don't normally see. Actually, anyone who knows me, probably sees these things all too often!
  After two good days of showing, I was probably more than a bit over-confident that the final day in Fredericksburg would be successful and stress free. Right off, I got shampoo in my eye during my early morning shower. I should have seen that as a sign of things to come, but unfortunately, didn't. The drive to Fredericksburg was event free and I arrived with time to spare--which I should have spent finding an easy parking space! Instead, I took a close one amidst all the larger vans. I pulled in at an odd angle which left my rear bumper close to the van on my left. I got out, took one load into the show building, then decided I really should straighten my vehicle. I think I'm a good driver and can normally park in a straight line, but not that day. I don't know what I was doing, but it wasn't moving the Sequoia over to the right, instead I kept getting closer to the van on my left. I was so close, I had to move my mirror to prevent hitting the van! Finally, I gave up and took Jackson inside. With all my jerky attempts to fix my parking error, he was getting car sick!
  I asked Ellen if she was good at maneuvering a large vehicle in tight spots. Instead, she knew who belonged to the van and took me to the owner. He moved it forward as soon as he could, giving me some space to work and Ellen directed me while I fixed my parking errors. (what would I do without Ellen???)
  Before I could move my vehicle, it was time to take Jackson into the ring. The parking fiasco had unnerved me, but I was able to calm down, get Jackson brushed out and I was looking forward to handling him again. Jackson, however, was on the wrong time table. Waiting to go into the ring, he was antsy, then started barking. Something was off, but I didn't know what it could be. He didn't want to use the exercise pen when we arrived and refused a drink of water before he got off the grooming table. In the ring, he was hard to handle, not paying attention and then moving too fast when gaited.
  While waiting to go back in for Winners, he started spinning in circles then squatted. I didn't have time to get him back to the ex pen, asked the ring steward for a paper towel but then he acted like things were fine. During the competition, though, I could tell he really needed to go. It seemed like the judge took forever to make his decision! I got Jackson out of the ring as quick as I could, then ran him to the inside exercise pen. He didn't like the pen and refused to go. I made a quick stop at our setup so I could grab my jacket to take him outside, but then Jackson decided he was thirsty and drank half of his bucket of water. By the panicked look in his eyes, I could tell he still needed to get outside and we made it out the door just in time.
  I thought I had avoided disaster (well, except for the parking fiasco) and that the next day's show, the Mason Dixon Collie Club Specialty, would be just a fun day. We took our equipment up the night before and I made sure Jackson had plenty of exercise time at home the morning of the show. Once again, he refused to use the exercise areas at the show site, but I wasn't too concerned as I knew he had gone at home.
  During Sweepstakes, Jackson was silly, wanting to romp and play. He settled down for a nap in his crate during the Smooth competition. I was told there was going to be a break between the Smooths and the Roughs, but instead, the judge went right to the Rough Dogs competition. I had just awakened Jackson from his nap and was going to take him to the exercise area. Instead, we were running to the ring, me grooming him along the way. In the ring, he was nicely settled and I was relaxed. We did our first go around and the dog ahead of us was being examined by the judge. I looked at Jackson to make sure he was standing correctly--he was spinning in circles! Suddenly, he started to squat! Thankfully, someone at ringside gave me some paper towels which I was able to get in place to avoid a huge ring mess. (I was complemented on my towel placement ability!) Judging was suspended while Jackson was busy, but then he seemed to be distracted. He was still squatting while looking at the ceiling, then the people ringside then the dog next to him. How do you get a puppy to focus on the job at hand??? Finally, he was ready to show again, I apologized to the judge and we continued. Surprisingly, he didn't place first in his class!
  All in all, it was a good set of shows for Jackson and excellent ring experience for me. I learned a lot and am ready for the next shows at Howard County this week!

First Win

2011-01-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

  After going back and forth on how many puppies to take to the match, who it was going to be, the decision was pretty easy. I couldn't show the puppies in Sweeps with their ears glued, or with braces, although I could in the regular match class as they were being entered "For Exhibit Only". Ref's glue came loose on Friday and his ears were in good position so I decided only one puppy was going to the match. Plus, after their vet visit on Friday, I had four slobbery, car sick puppies and didn't want to have to deal with four baths on Friday, then four spot clean ups at the match site.
  I took Jackson to the match, too, just to give him some exposure to a show site and noise. There wasn't a lot of activity as the entry was quite small, probably due to the bit of snow we had this morning. Jackson was very good, interested in the goings on and was quite relaxed.
  Ref settled in pretty quickly, too. He showed pretty much as I expected, holding still for part of the exam, generally moving forward when I wanted him to. He did stop a couple of times to scratch at his collar--it suddenly bothered him that he was wearing one. Liz Manuel of Raebeth Collies was the Sweeps judge and she liked his chest and his expression. Ref was Best in Sweeps! He was also Ellen's pick for best smooth in the regular match class. Not a hard decision, Ref was the only smooth collie at the match!
  For his efforts, Ref won some treats and two toys. The treats were shared with Jackson, who also got some ring experience, even though he wasn't entered in the match. Jackson wasn't intimidated by the ring mats or running a ring pattern. He is a bit underweight though, and needs more development in his back legs to have proper movement and be a strong contender in competition. I have entered him in his first shows this coming week. I can get some weight on him pretty quickly, but with winter re-appearing, will probably not be able to get much conditioning done, if any. Oh well, it will be good experience for Jackson just to go to the shows.

In Training

2011-01-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

I've started working with the puppies in preparation for a match offered by Mason Dixon Collie Club this Saturday. They've all had some experience with walking on a leash, nail trimming and general grooming but now it's time to get serious! Ref and Treasure had their sessions this morning. Ears re-glued, nails trimmed by the dremmel, time on the grooming table, practice gaiting and stacking--with each accomplishment receiving lots of praise and cookies! Ref did very well on the leash, didn't enjoy the table experiences so much. Treasure was completely relaxed on the table but during the leash training kept flopping down on the floor and refused to try to gait. She did much better on the leash when we were outside, walking back to the kennel.
Tomorrow I'll work with Gemma and Bijou. Gemma should be a snap to work with, she already got some experience when we took her to a show in November and quickly picked up on what was expected of her. The rest of the week will be daily short sessions for each of the pups. I hope I'll be able to take all four to the match. It will depend on how the training goes and if I can recruit some help with handling.

Old Dogs

2010-12-31T06:19:00.000-08:00

I enjoy every phase of a dog's life. Since we have dogs that span from puppy to senior, I get to see all the changes that occur during the life span. I find it very fascinating!

Ben and Sophie are currently our two oldest. They will be 12 in April. A collie's life span is 10-12 years. We've had a couple that were a little over 11 when they passed away, but certainly Benny and Soph are the healthiest and oldest of the collies we have had. I think what I have learned the last few years about nutrition and the level of care they receive contribute to their longevity.

This is not to say that they can be with the rest of the dogs! Along with the gray on the muzzles, they have slowed down, sleep harder than they used to and while they think they can still run hard and wrestle, it often ends up they aggravate the touch of arthritis they both have. They still have great appetites and enjoy a treat but I have to be careful how many treats they get and make sure it's not too rich.

During these bitter cold days, they spend most of their time inside where they get extra attention and care. Both dogs seem to have lost some hearing, but Sophie will sometimes be completely deaf. Usually, that happens when I tell her not to get into the cats' food or their litter box, it's time to go outside---hmmm, I wonder if there is a connection????

As they have aged, both Ben and Sophie have developed unique traits and habits that still make us laugh. I taught Ben how to sit and "wave" a few years ago. He will doggedly do this trick whenever he wants attention, even while Sophie knocks into him trying to be first for the hugs. Sophie still likes to be the alpha and tries to incite barking contests with the other dogs when she's outside. The adults largely ignore her, but the puppies can always be counted on to play the game. Sophie will rush along the fence, barking and snarling and the puppies run from the other side, also doing their best to sound ferocious. The game lasts about five minutes these days. Sophie has lost a few teeth so the snapping of her mouth makes no sound, wrinkling up her snout to snarl makes her sneeze and she just doesn't have the stamina like she used to. The puppies get easily bored, too, and since the game never varies anymore, they can't be enticed to join in for very long. Sophie gets so frustrated when she's at her "fiercest" and the puppies have moved on to other toys!

Sophie did give me a scare a couple of weeks ago. When I went into their room, she was in a crate, eyes partially open and I couldn't see her chest move as she was breathing. I called her name with no response. I thought for sure she had slipped away during the night. Finally, after my panicked, shaky call of "Sooophieee", she raised her head. I'm sure she wondered why I was hugging her and laughing like a fool! Ben was immediately jealous of all the attention his sister was getting and tried to get into the hugging, too! (which, of course, he did!)

I know the day is coming when there will be a blog post that one of these guys have left us. While I dread it and know that that day will be very painful, I would never trade losing all these other wonderful days by not having these dogs in my life. Each day is precious!

Why Are We Surprised?

2010-12-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

  Since the snow on Thursday, I've kept the puppies in the kennel instead of their yard. It was just enough snow to form a layer of ice on the gravel and the babies didn't have a place that was dry to play. At the same time, it was chilly and damp enough that I didn't want seniors Ben and Sophie to be outside (right after my last post, they started blowing coats for some reason) as it seemed to be bothering them. With a little re-arranging of kennel assignments, I freed up one run for the four pups.
  Saturday, David found the inside gate open and the pups running about. Sunday, he found them in the next door kennel with their mom and Uncle Gibson. I discovered that they could push under the communal fence inside, plus the outside sloped away enough that they could squeeze under there, too. I re-attached the fence to the rail inside then tried to find something to place under the outside rail to discourage the kennel hopping. The gravel is frozen (plus, they would easily dig through that) so I couldn't haul a few wheelbarrows into their kennel run. Likewise, some stray pavers are stuck to the ground like glue. Maybe some logs? Either too big or also frozen to the ground. Finally, I found a metal fence post that I rolled into the low spot, then positioned their outside bed on top of that. Problem solved! (I thought)
  I tried to finish my Christmas shopping, did grocery shopping and a couple of errands. Late in the afternoon I went to feed the dogs and it looked like two of the puppies were in Jewel and Gibson's yard. Inside the kennel, I found the puppies had opened their gate and were at the door waiting for me (not sure how the ones in the run got back inside so quick). I had forgotten to secure their inside gate! I gave them their dinner and saw that they had moved both the fence post and the bed. Tomorrow's project will be to find something more secure to place on that outside fence rail. I already fixed the inside gate latch so they can't flip that up.
  I should have expected these puppies to be the escape artists that they are. There is a post from 2008 about their mom, Jewel, and her Houdini ways. She slipped under gates as easily as an eel through water!

How Low Can It Go?

2010-12-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

  The temperature, that is. After what seemed like an endless summer (I was still wearing shorts in October!), winter has arrived with a vengeance. Almost overnight, the temperatures went from the 50's to low 40's, 30's and 20's. The coldest days have been accompanied by high winds, making the wind chill into the teens and single digits---brrrrr!
  The dogs, though, are barely affected. Even the puppies are not bothered by this sudden change of seasons. They come in at night, of course, but tear across the frozen ground every morning, ready to romp and play in their yard. We drop the kennel doors for the adults at night. Their combined body heat keeps the building so comfortable, the water buckets only have a skim of ice in the morning! I was afraid our warm fall would delay their winter coat build up, but even senior dogs Ben and Sophie look like they could step into a show ring with their gorgeous coats!
  Today is still quite cold, but the wind has mercifully calmed a bit. The sky is very clear with a strong sun and the dogs hinted they would like a play day. Off they went after breakfast, running and chasing each other, Dixie trying to entice someone to play tug of war with her. I opted to watch them from inside, next to the woodstove, rather than partake in their play. Every time I peek out the windows to check on the dogs, they are contentedly watching road activity, looking for squirrels or sunbathing. Short winter days though, means the fun ends early. I'll let them stay out for another couple of hours, then it's time to come in for dinner.
  Tomorrow's forecast includes the word S*N*O*W. Nothing like the blizzards of last year, but should be enough for the puppies to have a new experience!

Leesburg Holiday Parade

2010-12-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

This morning we took Jackson and Treasure to the Leesburg holiday parade. Jackson hadn't been out in awhile and Treasure hasn't had any leash experience or recent socialization. It was a great outing for both of them! I thought Treasure was slow to learn how to walk on a leash, then realized she was outsmarting us. Every time she refused to move and sat down, people would stop and make over her! Being younger, she got lots of attention--Jackson would have none of that! He would push his way into the crowd around his cousin and get his fair share of pats.

The first marching band made Treasure try to bolt away. Jackson wasn't upset by any of the entries which helped to calm Treasure. He would also try to get her to play during slow spots of the parade and finally succeeded. About midway through the parade, one person was passing out dog treats. That was all Treasure needed to decide this was a fun event!

After the parade, we walked the pups downtown, taking the long way back to our car. We stopped at the Farmer's Market, where they got lots more attention. Finally, we got back home and let all the dogs out in the play yards. It's been so rainy, then cold and windy, that the dogs have stayed in the kennel. Lots of pent up energy! They certainly appreciated a pretty day!

Jackson trying to get Treasure to play

She finally starts to romp with him

Getting a treat from a parade participant

Taking a Mulligan

2010-12-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

  We've done a re-do on Callie's name. I still think it's a cute name but too many people said "Callie the collie"? Plus, it turned out David didn't like it! (he should have said something sooner) At the shows this past week-end, everyone put their heads together to come up with just the right name. Ellen is excellent at names and suggested "Gemma". Perfect! Emma is a favorite name of mine, plus this variation reflects the gem/jewel/treasure theme for the litter. Gemma will be Hillcroft Gemstone.
  Ellen was on a roll and came up with the registered name for Treasure, the rough girl we are keeping--Hillcroft Hidden Treasure. She then cleverly came up with names for the remaining two puppies, who we are keeping until show homes arrive. The girl will be Hillcroft Bejeweled (Bijou) and the boy will reflect his father's name, Hillcroft Play By the Rules (Ref).
  Gemma went to the show with us on Saturday and got lots of practice with her new name. She enjoyed the atmosphere at the show, was intrigued by the activity in the Group ring and quickly learned that hands often produce treats!

Bad Blood

2010-11-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

I don't know what has happened with Mosby and Gibson but they are friends no more. For two years, they've been kenneled next to each other and have played in the yards, always getting along. A few times tempers have flared over a toy or a treat, but always returned to friendly harmony. The past couple of weeks have seen an increase in the flare ups, then the other day, it became an all out fight. I went to feed the dogs and found both boys bloodied and Mosby limping. The cuts turned out to be superficial that bled easily. Mosby is in the house to rest his leg and is just about back to normal. I put him in the yard this morning while I fed everyone else. Gibson thought it was going to be a play day and ran to the yard gate after he finished eating. When he saw Mosby, both boys started posturing and egged each other to make an opening move. I got Gibson back inside and returned Mosby to his comfy bed in the house.
I'm quite puzzled as to what is going on between them. I've had intact males together in the yard for quite some time without fighting. Mosby has always been good with the other dogs but I'm wondering if his personality is changing as he ages (he's now 9). Or is Gibson trying to assert his dominance as the alpha male?

Puppy Socialization

2010-11-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

The Barkfest didn't turn out to be too much, but then we got there quite late. The puppy did get some attention and she got to see other dogs that aren't collies. She just started to get comfortable with the leash and collar as the Barkfest was ending so we decided to take her to Casanel Vineyards for more socializing. She really put the social into socializing! She got attention as soon as we arrived and within minutes of sitting at a table, she started acting like the patio hostess. She looked up at every arrival, often walking over to try to greet the new customers. When part of a wine bus tour group came to see her, she went into full adorable puppy mode! She flopped down to get her belly scratched, she looked sweet, she chewed on both boots and fingers and the base of a wine glass, all the time looking around as if to say "Aren't I cute"???
We think this is the smooth puppy that we will keep for showing. Her name will be Callie, which we called her this afternoon and she quickly picked up on it. She is a sweetie!

Lots to Do!

2010-11-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday, so of course that means the "to-do" list is lengthy! We need to brace puppy ears, get updated pictures on the website and here and get some good pictures of new champ Dixie for advertising. But first, we're going to take one of the puppies--the smooth girl we think we'll keep--to a "Barkfest". There won't be much for us to do but gives us a chance to get her out and socialized individually.
Last week-end, we did manage to get a couple of pictures. Here's the rough girl and one of the smooth boys having fun:

Maggie Goes Home

2010-11-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

The first puppy has gone to her new home. "Rough Girl B" in the pictures on the website and Facebook page is now Maggie and living with a wonderful family near us in Ashburn. They had visited about 3 weeks and thought she would be a perfect addition.
Maggie's had quite a busy couple of days! All the puppies went for their first vet visit on Thursday for a vaccine and exam. They were pronounced healthy and happy! I forgot a fecal sample, but three of the pups obligingly supplied one in the exam room. Maggie got microchipped, as will the others when they go home. I did a couple of errands after the vet visit, which must have been too much time in the car as the puppies started getting car sick. Thursday was a rainy day and the puppies found mud to get into to add to the car sick sliminess that was tracked into the house.
Today, Maggie had her first bath, which she did not like. Just turning on the bath water made her scream like a wounded calf! She did enjoy being dried with a towel and cuddled but started crying again when she discovered she was in the puppy room without her siblings. When her family came though, the tail was wagging hard enough to almost come off! I brushed Maggie up a bit and showed how to brace ears. After going through all the paperwork, it was time to say good-bye. Maggie did a quick potty stop in the yard and she was ready for her trip to her great home. She's going to be well loved!

Gibson Therapy

2010-10-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

We are trying something else with Gibson to overcome his show phobia. I bought a "Thundershirt" which is used to help dogs with thunderstorm anxiety, but also helps with general anxiety. It's light weight fabric with velcro closures that puts pressure on the relaxation points of the body (also has a money back guarantee, another selling point). Shortly after it arrived, I put it on Gibson and took him to Home Depot and the local Farmer's Market--two places that makes him anxious. Gibson was more relaxed in the car, laying down in his crate for the ride to Home Depot. But once there, he was his usual self, pulling on the lead, shying away from the carts and people. At the Farmer's Market though, it was a huge difference! While I could tell he wasn't 100% comfortable, he was much calmer than at Home Depot and willingly let kids come up to pet him. Someone recognized the Thundershirt logo and asked me how it was working for Gibson. We ended up talking for quite awhile and she could see Gibson relaxing as we talked. At one point, the wind picked up a nearby vendor's sign and it blew right into Gibby--he barely flinched!
Today, we took Gibson to the Middleburg Kennel Club show in his shirt. When we first arrived, it was normal behavior for Gibson, but shortly after we stood at ringside, he started calming down. Ears up, self stacking, relaxed lead . The only time Gibson got anxious was when we walked around the vendors and were near generators. So, now I know one of his anxiety triggers.
After the show, we had lunch at Doener Bistro. I could see that Gibson wasn't comfortable, but he was working to calm himself (something I've noticed he does since his reiki treatment). Success! Gibson was able to take (and eat!) french fries and some bread from my doener. He watched the soccer game on the t.v. near our table and was generally the happy guy we see at home.
Gibson is very much my boy and I will probably have to be his handler in the show ring. But, there is a definite difference in his behavior outside of the safety of home and now we can formulate a plan. It will be babysteps but so gratifying to see Gibson become the dog he should be!

The Fashionista

2010-10-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Poor Jewel! Her piranha babies are really rough on her and her not so subtle suggestions to stop nursing are not having much effect. It really is too soon to separate her from the puppies so I'm trying to fashion a way to just separate the "food bar" from them until Jewel's milk dries up. My first attempt with a t-shirt did not work out quite as I had hoped. The puppies started to use their mother as a tug toy! Some modifications have us on the right path as the puppies' appetites have almost doubled in less than 24 hours! This morning was better than yesterday. Jewel was playing with her puppies with an actual tug toy and was enjoying her babies once again.

Just one of the reasons Jewel's wearing this shirt!

Jewel's not very happy with her new wardrobe (it wasn't one of my favorite t-shirts, either!)

Once she walked around a bit and got some relief from little teeth, it seemed o.k.

The Fashionista!

Dixie Did It!

2010-10-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

We now have our second champion and first homebred champion, CH Hillcroft Heartsong! Dixie won Best of Variety yesterday to finish. In the Group competition, she was pulled for consideration, but didn't place. We couldn't be more pleased with our girl! Dixie looked like she was having such a great time, I wish we had more shows lined up for her. She's due to come into season soon and then it will be her turn in the whelping box. Such exciting times!

News from the Show!

2010-10-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dixie has her 14th point! Only need one more for her championship!

Busy Day

2010-10-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was dog day! The puppies had their eye exam, which is a major undertaking for a large litter. David and I packed everybody up, loaded up on towels and an extra crate mat for the 1+ hour trip to the canine opthamologist. The puppies did great! Lots of crying but no car sickness. The eye exams were even better. One of the smooth boys is normal eyed, and everyone else is very mild to mild for choroidal hypoplasia.
We caused quite a stir as we came off the elevator after the appointment. The pups were in a crate on a dolly and were pretty quiet at this point. But then, the waiting room of patients practially exploded as everyone started exclaiming over the puppies and rushed to see them. Several people whipped out their cell phones and started taking pictures. What could the pups do but look adorable and pose? It took us quite awhile to get back to the car!
We swung by the library on the way home so my former co-workers could get a peek at them. More oohing and aahing then it was time to get home for the second half of the day.
Dixie got a bath in preparation for a week-end of shows in Cumberland, MD. We decided to take Jackson along to meet Ellen. The car was packed up once again with an extra crate and towels and we were under way. But, somehow, Ellen and I got our signals crossed and we were at the meeting point an hour and a half early! Plan B was to meet at the Red, Hot and Blue in Annapolis which worked out better for me as that meant dinner out! Ellen liked Jackson and he showed off nicely for her. He was slobbery on the trip up, but didn't get car sick until halfway home.
Dixie was a funny girl though. She readily went to Ellen's van, but wouldn't jump into her crate like she normally does. Usually she's so excited about shows that she doesn't pay me any notice but yesterday she looked like she didn't want me to leave her. She has been maturing and losing her "bad baby" ways. I've been anxiously waiting for that to happen, but now that it is, I'm not sure I like it!

The Thrill Is Gone

2010-10-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought Jewel would never entertain the thought of weaning the puppies, she's had enough! Within the course of 24 hours, she's gone from pining to be with her babies to snarling when they start to nurse. They have doubled their food needs with this change in the game plan but are still nursing whenever Jewel is in the mood. At one point today, I saw a puppy chewing on Jewel like she was a rawhide! No wonder sweet Jewel is snarling and snapping at her babies! I don't want to separate Jewel from the pups at this point as they are still so young, but I hope her milk dries up soon. I think she would enjoy playing with her babies far more than being the snack bar!

Outdoor Adventures

2010-10-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of summer's return and introduced the puppies to the great outdoors. Initially, they'd be outside for about 10-15 minutes, now they are out for about half an hour, two or three times a day. They're getting bolder and more adventuresome, exploring the garden and the back yard before running back to me. They are starting to explore more inside, too. This morning, they were in the t.v. room, meeting Bootsie the cat, while I cleaned their room. Jewel is spending more time outside, too, and seems to like the break.

Fresh air really wears a puppy out!

Add caption

First Video!

2010-10-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

The puppies have their first video on YouTube!

What a Difference!

2010-10-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

  The tree work was done in the kennel on Tuesday. We had planned on having the four trees inside the runs taken down, but once the guys were in the tree tops, they could see some damage in a tree in one of the play yards. That one needed some limbs removed, although it really needs to come down completely soon. I had the men look at two trees at the front of the big play yard, and yep, those needed to come down, too. One actually made a cracking noise just from them pushing on it! In the fall and winter, we get very strong winds from the west. If those trees went down, it would take the fence with it. Almost all the wood is burnable, so we have a huge pile for the woodstove!
  The dogs were very good during all the work. Noisy chain saws and falling limbs didn't bother them at all. Jackson was not as brave by the end of the day. The pile of debris and the cutting of the tree closest to his yard must have unnerved him as I found him standing on his gym, frozen, when I went to get him out of harm's way so the tree top could be trimmed. When I picked him up, he started shaking so I carried him into the house. When the work was finished, I took him back outside and at first he wasn't sure about navigating through all the logs and limbs, then decided everything was o.k. One of the workers described Jackson as "the puppy with the mohawk". With his ears glued over and his fuzzy puppy head, it does look like a mohawk!
  When I let the adult dogs into the kennel for their dinner, they had a great time sniffing out the new smells the cut up logs must have released. Sadie and Phoebe had a great time snuffling through the sawdust. Along with the new view, it's much quieter in the kennel now that the squirrels aren't running through the trees aggravating the dogs.
  We still have a lot to clean up, but here's the new look:

It's Done!

2010-10-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

I finished knitting my great-nephew's gift and got to spend some (but not enough!) time with him on Tuesday. O.K., technically, this isn't a post about the dogs, but Ian is so darn cute that I'm sure you'll see why the puppies had to take a back seat for a little bit! My lucky sister is blessed with four wonderful grandchildren--Ally, Aaron, James and Ian. I don't get to see them nearly enough!

Ian is a ham!

Ian was more impressed with the tissue paper than Ziggy the Zebra gift!

Well...

2010-10-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

today didn't go as planned at all! Yesterday, we had contracted to have some troublesome trees taken down from the kennel. The job would be finished by the time we got back from the show this afternoon. Ellen was going to come back to our house to see the puppies and hopefully we'd be celebrating at dinner the points Dixie and Gibson won.
The day started at planned. I was right on schedule feeding dogs, cleaning kennels and washing Dixie and Gibson. Two of the tree guys were here right on schedule but the vital tree climber guy never showed up. Truck trouble or maybe too much Saturday night fun? Whichever, the tree cutting is now postponed. Then, Ellen called to say she had an emergency and wouldn't be able to make it, but she had already arranged a back up plan for handling for me.
At the show site, all was going well until Dixie got on the grooming table. I found a small puncture wound on her front leg and remembered she had an overly enthusiastic play session yesterday. While I was brushing her, she snarled when I went over her shoulder. Gibson, however, was great on the table! When we went to the ring, Gibson seemed relaxed, Dixie was behaving pretty good and I thought we were right on track. The judge arrived a couple minutes late but seemed like a laid back person, who I thought would be good for Gibson. When she went over to the judge's table, she lit up a cigarette--a first for me to see! While she was smoking, Gibson was called into the ring. He was a little antsy at first, then lost it during the exam. I think the judge's cigarette breath was the cause as he settled back down for the down and back. Dixie was no better, also backing away from the judge, then looked for food on the ground for the entire down and back. She didn't behave much better for Winners, refusing to show and pretty much blowing off the judge. Dixie went Reserve but we were very happy that Deb's puppette, Anna, won her first point! Anna also went Best of Winners, so no point for Gibson.
So, even though the day didn't go as we wanted, Dixie has some chances in a couple of weeks to finish, Gibson is coming out of his show jitters, Anna is pointed and we still had some fun. On to the next show!
I was also told today by a couple of people that the blog needs more pictures of Jackson and the puppies. I'm knitting a gift for my great nephew, but, after Monday (when it WILL be finished!) there will be lots of pictures and probably a video or two!

Retirement Life

2010-09-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

The dogs are loving my retirement as much as I am! Since I am home almost every day, they get to play in the yards all day long. The ones who need to lose weight (Phoebe) are less chunky, the ones who need some toning (Sadie) are less flabby and everybody is getting groomed and nails filed on a regular basis. Ben, at 11 1/2, has a new lease on life! I make sure he doesn't over do and yesteday's rain seemed to aggravate his arthritis, but most days he has a spring to his step and is interested in the kennel happenings. I'm spending much more time playing with the dogs and giving them one-on-one time. Gibson seems to be benefiting the most from this, he's very relaxed and has become quite mischevious! Even Dixie has settled a little bit, showing flashes of a sweet girl that will walk calmly with me and come when I call her. But don't worry, "Bad Baby" is still her dominate character trait!
I also get to spend much more time with the puppies and am marveling at big changes in a short amount of time. When I was working, I wouldn't see puppies for 9-10 hours at a time and didn't get to see the little milestones or how quickly one development leads to another. With this litter, I've seen how much can happen in just a couple of hours! One eye opens, then the other, followed by the ears--suddenly, the same noise I made an hour earlier scares them. Just as quickly though, they recognize my voice and scent and are eager for me to pet them. They manage to stand up, start walking in no time and within a day are running!
Yep, life is good!

Two Weeks Old!

2010-09-22T18:07:00.001-07:00

The puppies are now two weeks old. For those not on Facebook to know this update, we had another loss yesterday. The tiny girl died early in the morning. I'm not sure what caused it, but she was not gaining as quickly as her bigger siblings. Often in the last week and a half, I'd find Jewel feeding her separately from the others so I didn't think I needed to supplement her. She was moving well, trying to stand and was almost the first to scoot to Jewel when it was feeding time for the whole crew. Friday morning, I found her and Jewel outside the box. I think she was still nursing when Jewel left the box and being tiny, Jewel must not have realized she was still hanging on. Perhaps when the pup fell off the nipple and hit the floor she was injured? The heat lamp also burned out during the night on Saturday and the room was cool when I discovered it. I got the tiny pup warmed up and started to supplement as she wouldn't nurse anymore. At first it seemed she was responding, but while she would swallow the formula, she wouldn't suckle. She would still scoot over to Jewel but wouldn't try to nurse. It seemed she was behaving by instinct and had lost ground developmentally. When I went into the nursery first thing yesterday morning, I knew she was gone. Jewel was laying in the box, puzzled by her still baby but still wanting to mother her. Jewel's been good with her smaller family and was not distressed when I took away the little pup.
The remaining six puppies are fat and active. Jewel is not nursing them continuously but she still needs a lot to eat to keep up with their demands. She's eating about six cups of food a day! I'm sure she'll be glad when it's time to introduce cereal.
Here are some birthday pictures:

Jackson at Casanel Vineyards

2010-09-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we took advantage of being within walking distance of a winery and took Jackson to Casanel for an afternoon of relaxing and listening to live music from a local band, Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings (makes for a very cheap date!). That was the farthest Jackson has walked on a leash! He did pretty well and enjoyed himself on the patio. The only available table was closer to the band that I wanted to be, but Jackson was fine with it. He got to make the rounds of the other tables and meet the band, then quickly realized he would far more enjoy the cheese I brought for us than his dog cookies. I made him "show" for his cheese, then let him drape himself across my legs while I listened to the music. We realized while we were at Casanel that it was Jackson's birthday! He's 3 months old! So of course, he got to finish off the cheese plate. We decided we needed to go home after some Boston Terriers arrived and didn't want Jackson near their table, or even near our table. Their owners kept saying everything was fine, but when the dogs rushed at Jackson who was under my chair, we thought the wine may have clouded their judgement (and they certainly weren't keeping their dogs under control) and went home.

Jackson hoping more cheese is in the offering!

Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings

Settling In

2010-09-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

We've had a good first week. All the puppies are gaining weight and thriving. Here they are at five days old:

Smooth male

Smooth female

Rough female

Jewel's Puppies

2010-09-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jewel whelped the puppies last Wednesday, September 8. Like her sister, Sadie, she delivered before her due date and very quietly. Also like Sadie, she didn't exhibit any delivery is near symptoms--no nesting, no change in temperature, just the appearance of puppies. I checked on Jewel around noon and she was in her crate, dozing. She was panting a bit but it was a warm day so that wasn't out of the ordinary. She had had a couple of accidents in the house, which was unusual for her but I just chalked it up to late pregnancy. When I checked on Jewel a little bit before 2:00, the first thing I saw was another accident--and a puppy. Jewel was in her crate, obviously in labor. It didn't look like the pup was alive so I quickly got Jewel into the whelping box as it appeared another pup was on the way. She settled in right away and focused on the next delivery, which gave me a chance to check on the first pup. Unfortunately, it was not alive. I wrapped him up in a towel and whisked him out of the room before Jewel understood what was happening. At 2:10, the next puppy was born--a 12 ounce boy! She delivered two more good size males, each in half hour increments, then took about an hour break. At 4:20, it was the girls' turn. Two girls were born half an hour apart and then I thought Jewel was finished. She had an appointment at the vet's for an x-ray at 6:45, but after a potty break and a snack, whelped two more girls before it was time to leave! Even though the "tape measure test" indicated Jewel was going to have 9 puppies, I didn't really think it would be more accurate than an ultrasound. The vet's palpatation of her stomach didn't indicate any more pups so an x-ray was done just to be sure. Surprise!!! One more pup, way up in the horn of the uterus. We quickly packed up the puppies and Jewel and hurried home. The vet's office didn't have any oxytocin, which helps bring on contractions, but since Jewel didn't appear to be in uterine inertia and it was only a little over 5 hours since the first puppy had been born, the vet thought we might be o.k. The plan was to let the puppies nurse, which also helps with contractions, but take Jewel to the Emergency Care Center if the pup didn't appear by 8:30. On the way home, Jewel started grunting--a good sign! We got her back into the whelping box, started the pups nursing and I could see contractions starting. By 8:15, the contractions slowed and stopped at 8:30. I took Jewel to the Emergency Care, arriving a little before 9:00. An x-ray showed that the pup had not moved but was in good position to be born naturally. An ultrasound confirmed a heartbeat and no puppy distress. Jewel had a shot of oxytocin and started with contractions 45 minutes later, but no puppy. By this time, I was concerned about the puppies at home as it had been about two hours since they had nursed. I went home to get the puppies (and a jacket as it was really cold in the waiting room!). Jewel got a second shot of oxytocin and shortly after I left the ER, at 10:50, the last baby girl was born! She was a tiny mite, weighing only a little over 7 ounces. I was concerned at first, as she was not interested in nursing and looked so tiny next to her bigger siblings. But, the entire litter got a chance to nurse at the ER, Jewel got to rest and by the time we left, all the pups had had a good meal.
The first night went well. Jewel is an excellent mother and spends almost all her time in the whelping box, letting the pups nurse as they wish. I slept downstairs, checking on the new family frequently. Jewel had some intestinal upsets which is not unusual for whelping a large litter and I wasn't concerned. I was concentrating on the tiny girl,making sure she was nursing and gaining weight. All seemed well those first 24 hours, then one of the boys was outside of the group. Jewel had been licking him and he was wet and chilled. I dried him off, warmed him up and kept placing him in the best spots to nurse, but he didn't try to nurse. I gave him a little bit of the milk supplement the ER had given me for the tiny girl, which seemed to help. In the evening, he started with seizures and we lost him about 9:30.
The next morning, Jewel's temperature was up and she was agitated. She had had several bouts of diarrhea and I was suspecting the canned food we had recently given her was not agreeing with her. Some post-partum hormones probably was also contributing to her agitation but by mid morning, she had settled back down. We changed her canned food and she's on some pro-biotics, which helped immediately. Jewel is a content girl once again, enjoying her family, which is growing by leaps and bounds! The tiny mite girl is a strong nurser, not letting her bigger siblings knock her off the best meal opportunities. All the puppies glow with good health (thank heavens!) and seem to be much stronger than Sadie's puppies at this stage.
I'm now superstitous about posting pictures to either this blog or Facebook. It seems (at least for the last 3 litters) that as soon as I post a picture, I lose a pup. So, for the time being, no pictures of these puppies, but they are beautiful! We have 2 males and 5 females, not sure of the smooth to rough breakdown but it looks like mainly smooth.

Retirement Projects

2010-09-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

  After 32 years with Loudoun County Public Library, I retired last week. I'm sure I will need to go back to work at some point, but for the next few months, I'm home! I'm catching up on things--gardening, bills, housework--and doing different projects.
  I decided the whelping box needed a make-over before Jewel's puppies arrived. I tiled the floor, but after discovering the difficulties in measuring, cutting and fitting the corners, decided to nix the idea of tiling the walls, too. I painted the outside and inside in white, then stenciled the outside with pink and blue paw prints, toys and a puppy. I know it sounds like I already have too much time on my hands, but I figured when I spend so much time in the nursery, I'd like to have something nice to look at!
  Here's how it turned out:

Before

After

Look real carefully in the left hand corner and you'll see the first occupants! Jewel gave me enough time to clean up the room before going into early labor. Complete details in my next post!

Virginia Scottish Games

2010-09-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we took Gibson and Jackson to the Virginia Scottish Games at Great Meadow as part of our booth for the Northern Virginia Collie Club. It was a long day! We were there by 8:00, set up and started greeting people by 8:30 and stayed until 3:30 or so. Neither Gibson nor Jackson were that enamored of the bagpipes and drums--although I liked them!--and Gibson particularly didn't like being poked and prodded by little fingers. He was good and patient with the children, though, but by mid afternoon, I thought he had been patient enough. Both the boys drew lots of attention, Gibson because he's smooth, Jackson because he's a puppy. We got lots of questions about smooth coats and the blue merle coloring.
We had Jackson try the "Terrier Wannabee" races. A chute is marked with fencing and the dog chases a "rabbit" into a hole made of hay bales. Jackson took off after the rabbit, but immediately got distracted by the people lining along the way. He ambled down the course, greeting people one side then the other, finally just stopping at the hay bales, wagging his tail. He did win a first place ribbon though!

Jackson getting ready for the "Terrier Wannabee" race

"Going to Ground"

Jackson's reaction to bagpipes and drums

Gibson and Jackson greeting visitors

Busy Days

2010-09-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Jackson has been spending the nice days outside and loves it. There's lots to see and do--the big dogs in the yards next to his, new toys to play with, a climbing gym to explore.

Meeting Mosby

Meeting Sophie

Trying out the gym

Jackson tries out the tire tug toy

Puppies?? OH, YEAH!!!!!

2010-08-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

Jewel had her ultrasound this morning. We were sure she is pregnant (or else the best false pregnancy in dog history!) but anxious to get an idea of how many puppies are in that every growing tummy. I read in one of my books of a breeder that uses a tape measure to get an idea of how many puppies were in a litter. I've meant to try this before, but would forget to find the tape measure until a few weeks after the breeding. For Jewel, though, I got the tape measure and measured her within the first week of being bred to Evan. She's to be measured right at the last rib and each inch increase equals one puppy. Her starting measurement was 22 inches. By yesterday, it was 28 inches and we still have 3 weeks before her due date! I didn't say anything about this experiment to my vet until Dr. Robbins was counting puppies on the ultrasound screen. The first puppy showed up the instant he touched the scanner to Jewel's tummy. And such sweet words to hear, "oh yeah, she is pregnant". From there, we just saw one heartbeat after another...three...four...five...six...seven? Dr. Robbins wanted to re-count, but the puppies started to really begin moving and rolling. He was looking for the heartbeats and I was watching the shapes dart in and up, in and out of view on the screen. Finally, he pronounced it would be a litter of seven, plus or minus. He guessed we could go as high as nine, definitely six. I explained the tape measure experiment, which he found very intriguing and wants me to let him know Jewel's final measurement. A high tech machine versus a tape measure--we'll see which is more accurate!

First Public Outings

2010-08-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

  Jackson has made his first public debuts! He's been to the vet, then two fun outings. A week ago, he made his first trip to Casanel Winery where he was a big hit with all De Souza's, of course! (actually, everybody he encountered) It was his first experience with a leash and collar, but after just a couple of minutes, he acted like it was no big deal and walked like an experienced pup! Our club had a private wine tasting and spent the afternoon enjoying wine, and relaxing with our dogs. Jackson acted as if he's been to club events many a time. He enjoyed meeting people and the other dogs. He pestered poor Dylan for a bit, but Dylan, being the good sport he is, tolerated it for as long as he could, then just slipped away from Jackson.
  The other day, we took Jackson along for dinner at Lowry's Crab Shack. Again, he was perfectly behaved, had a great time and got lots of attention. Other than trying to play with stray crab part and a cigarette butt, he was content to play with his toys and watch the activity around him. One person thought he was a huskie puppy (?????) but everyone thought he was beautiful. We do, too!
  Here he is at Casanel:

Taste Testers

2010-08-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Our club, The Northern Virginia Collie Club, is going to have a booth at the Virginia Scottish Games as part of the Dogs of Scotland. There will be special events for Sunday and I'm wondering if Jackson is old enough to participate in the "Terrier Wannabe" races. The club is hoping we can raise some money by having a raffle and selling treats. I've been going through some dog cookbooks, picking out recipes. I'm thinking about making pretzels, biscotti and different cookies. I think my first three days of retirement will be spent baking! The first recipe I tested from the Three Dog Bakery Cookbook was Blue Blue Berry Berry Buns Buns. Our dogs loved them! I took some to share with the club's dogs at our taste testing at Casanel Winery, but they didn't seem to enjoy them as much. Our dogs don't get lots of special treats so they might not be good barometers for testing recipes!
Sasha definitely thinks I'm spending too much time on this project. I need to find a cat treat cookbook to appease her hurt feelings (and to get back my dog cookbooks):

5 1/2 Weeks Old

2010-07-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Two Firsts

2010-07-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Baby Blue Boy had two milestones today--first solid food and first time outside. He definitely enjoyed his breakfast and did like being outside at first, then wanted the comfort of something familiar! He snuggled into my chest as soon as I picked him up. His first outdoor adventure wore him out-he has slept most of the day!

Plotting His Escape

2010-07-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Baby Blue Boy has discovered that there is a world outside his whelping box and he knows he's missing out on some important action! He has started throwing himself at the entrance of the box, which has boards to stop him from escaping, hooks his elbows on the top, then wails and cries about missing the fun that is happening just beyond his reach. I hope he will stay in his box until this week-end when I will have time to get the other room puppy proof. Aunty Jewel is staying there right now, but she probably won't mind moving into the nursery side.
Jewel came into season a little sooner than I expected but the timing turned out to be perfect. We have chosen CH Jag-View It's How You Play as the sire for her litter. It is a line bred cross and should improve the head qualities where Jewel is lacking. Both Jewel and Evan have the happy, fun personalities that we like in our collies and nice movement. Evan is a tri smooth but is rough factored like Jewel so this litter should have both coat types. We think Jewel is pure sable which will make the puppies sable, but tri factored.
I tried something a litte different with this breeding. Both Shannon (Evan's owner) and I had commitments that made it very dicey to get Jewel to Evan. To better pinpoint the day of breeding and hoping it would coincide when I was off work, I took Jewel to the vet's for cytology exams. It's not as exact as progesterone, but Jewel seems to have a very small window for breeding and we didn't have time for the vet office to order the progesterone test. Saturday's test showed that Jewel had started into her fertile period and Dr. Robbins thought Monday would be the optimum breeding day. What great timing! I was off work and Shannon was also available to do the breeding. Jewel and I took off for the four hour drive to Brookneal. It was an easy drive and the scenery is so pretty through Charlottesville and Lynchburg. There were a few sprinkles around Lynchburg but the sun came back out in Brookneal. The breeding went well and we were back on the road by 2:00. Within half an hour, I hit rain, not too bad a first, then torrential downpours! I kept thinking of David's trip back from Tennessee with Sadie and hoped this was a good sign that we had another successful breeding. This litter would be due two weeks after I retire. Surely, that's another good sign!

Big Blue

2010-07-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Baby Blue Boy is now 3 weeks old! We call him the Puppy Prodigy as we don't think any other puppy (including all those whelped at Hillcroft, so this is a big boast) is as smart as this guy! His eyes and ears have been open for a little while now. I think his eyes are very dark blue, but it's still hard to tell. At the tender age of 2 weeks and 2 days, he was able to stand and piddle on his own! He quickly went from walking to running, although he's still a bit unsteady at both modes of locomotion. He barks and growls, was actually very vicious sounding towards my sister when she visited this past Wednesday. At least, as vicious as a toothless, four pound, 2 1/2 week old can be! His teeth have now broken through the gums (watch out burglars!) and he is busy gnawing on toys, the pig rail, sometimes his legs. He will also "patrol" the whelping box, marching in a circle, stopping to growl and bark at whatever trespassers must lurk near the pig rail. Under the pig rail has been his favorite place to sleep, but the growth spurts of this past week have made it very difficult for him to squeeze beneath. This has been a hard transition for the little guy and he appears to have a bit of a temper. There has been quite a bit of screaming and yelling as he tries to stuff himself under the rail, bumping his head in the process.
Yesterday was his first meet and greet of what we know will be an adoring public. We hosted a family reunion and many of my cousins wanted to tour the kennels and of course see the puppy. Sadie is not thrilled with strangers near her baby so she had a long walk while everyone snuck in to get a peek. Of course, they couldn't resist petting and a couple cousins wanted to hold him. Jacob was so gentle with the baby! He did a great job holding him. The puppy was good with the unfamiliar sounds and hands of company but did snuggle into my neck when I took him to put him back in his box. Then, he put on his "tough guy" show for the audience, barking and growling!

On "patrol":

Attack!:

This board won't keep him in much longer!:

Happy puppy:

Almost nap time:

Gibson Got Reiki'd

2010-07-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

And what a difference it made! In June, we hosted an ice cream social for the Northern VA Collie Club (the day after the puppy was born) and one of the demos was reiki by Mary Pat Corrigan of Higher Ground Bodywork. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress-reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is a hands-on technique that works the energy field within/surrounding all beings. The hands of Reiki practitioners have been shown to produce electro-magnetic pulses -- working with the patient's own electro-magnetic fields to restore balance, harmony and health. We had wondered if reiki could help Gibson with his phobias, especially when it came to being in the show ring. I felt that I had done all I could to help him and even though Gibson has shown vast improvement, we still needed a break through. I think reiki will be it! He will need more sessions of course, but even this brief demo showed that this is a good therapy for him. The ice cream social had most everything that will stress Gibson--noise, strangers, men, change in his surroundings (we had tents in the back yard) and he reacted as I expected when I brought him over from the kennel. He was tense, wanted to go back to his home and was rather jittery. Gibson jumped right up on the grooming table that was set up for the demos (for some reason, he finds that comforting). Within minutes of Mary Pat starting the reiki, he began to relax, his eyes softened and he started to look around at the crowd. It even looked like he was smiling! Even more telling, he began to release gas, a sign that Mary Pat said he was relaxed and responding to the therapy. That part of reiki I'm not so happy about! Since the reiki, Gibson has been more calm and centered, confident in himself instead of looking for ways to make me happy. This makes me more relaxed when I'm with him, which I'm sure builds on the reiki results. Today, I gave him a bath and it was actually fun! I dried and brushed him outside and he was playful, wagging his tail, even mischievous as he stole the treat bag and finished it off.
We plan on Mary Pat becoming a regular visitor to our house--especially since I won a reiki gift certificate at the raffle!

Wish I had some better pictures, but the best ones will hopefully be in the fall, when Gibson has those big rosette show pictures!

OH! DIXIE!!!

2010-07-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

And when she was good,

She was very, very good

But when she was bad she was horrid.

This nursery rhyme would describe Dixie in the ring, especially when I'm handling! With her lack of coat (she actually has some bare patches!) there was no need for Ellen to handle Dixie today at the Rock Creek Kennel Club show. I would have preferred to just have her absent, but she was needed to hold the major so I took her in the ring. Dixie had already started to misbehave the previous day and when we arrived at the show site, she was in her crate with towels covering it to prevent her from seeing (and barking) at other dogs. Like her mom, Dixie will vocally object to anything she finds disturbing--the list is long and continually growing. But, at least Phoebe would stop in the ring! Dixie seems to have developed a very strong sense of what should be allowed and is the self appointed collie cop of all things wrong. She lulled me into a false sense of "this will be a fun ring experience" by behaving perfectly outside the ring, sweetly waiting for our class, and stacking wonderfully when we first entered the ring. Our initial go around was great! I caught the judge looking our way! I didn't think she'd win the class, but perhaps she could go second??? NO, we were lucky we weren't excused!!!! Dixie wouldn't stand to be examined, then jerked her head out of the judge's hands. When I tried to hold her head still, forgetting that I had bait in my hand, Dixie tried to grab the bait, earning me an admonishment from the judge--"don't feed her now"! Dixie started to dance around, I was trying so hard to get her to behave, then I straightened as the judge bent over--almost knocking the judge's hat off her head! After that good first impression, it was time for the down and back. A piece of paper was blowing outside the ring and a couple were walking with their dog. Oh, the horror, this can't be allowed!!! Dixie started barking, charging towards the edge of the ring (unfortunately, not in the direction we were supposed to go), her tail straight up like an antennae. Somehow I got her to the proper corner of the ring, gave her an admonishment, which she blew off, then tried to gait her back to the judge. Dixie had her hackles up, was looking backwards and was barking! David was going to get some pictures of us in the ring, but Ellen just murmured, "oh no, don't take pictures of that". We finished third (out of three entries) but I was so glad that the judge didn't say "don't ever show a dog to me again" that I just kept saying "thank you, thank you"! Apparently, the people watching the show (friends and other exhibitors) thought is was very amusing as I heard various comments--"I hope you weren't upset that I was laughing", "I've never seen a dog raise their hackles in the ring before", "she was having more fun than should be allowed". Back at Ellen's set up, Dixie flopped into her crate, exhausted. It's hard to show and keep order a the same time!

Puppy Update

2010-06-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

The remaining puppy is doing well and growing, growing, growing! He weighs over 2 pounds! He wiggles so on the scale, it's hard to get an exact weight. I found if I roll him onto his back and make him hold still for a couple of seconds, the weight is fairly accurate. It looks like his eyes might just about be starting to open. He can stand up and will take a few shaky steps. For the last few days, he's made some barking and growling sounds! Sadie still likes her little guy but is not so quick to come when he calls--that's when he starts to barks! Sometimes, though, Sadie acts like she's ready for something new. She's back to being a picky eater. I have to entice her with canned food in her dry kibble to get her to eat. On Friday, she looked at her bowl of dry food, looked at me and sighed, then walked to the box, looked at the puppy and sighed. She doesn't want to socialize with her buddies in the kennel but is very interested in the utility work that is happening on our road. Hmmmm, I wonder if there is a canine version of a neighborhood book club or a mother's day out that she might enjoy????
Here's some pictures of the big boy at eleven days old:

Stick to the Play Book!

2010-06-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

So, the week has not gone according to plan. Sadie was supposed to have the puppies this past Monday, not the previous Friday, the delivery was supposed to go smoothly and we would have had 4 healthy, fat puppies now, not just a healthy, fat singleton that is complaining loudly as I write this. (if he doesn't eat every half hour, he apparently thinks he will never eat again).
We were confident though, that the end of the week would go according to plan. Dixie would finish her championship on Thursday and there was a good chance Jewel would pick up a major either Friday or Saturday. The Fates/Collie gods must really be having a good laugh at our expense! When I was bathing Dixie on Sunday, something didn't look quite right with her eye. By Monday morning, when Ellen went to feed her, Dixie's eye was swollen and weeping. It looked like she had been stung, but off to the vet to make sure she hadn't scratched it in some way. It was a race against time, hoping the medicine would bring down the swelling before her show on Thursday. By Thursday, her eye was much better, but not enough to go into the ring, pushing the hope for her championship to the next day and eliminating one of Jewel's chances for a major. Late Thursday afternoon, Ellen noticed Dixie was scratching, in fact scratching so badly she had taken hair off the inside of her back legs (this is in addition to blowing coat!) Dixie has fleas! All my efforts to treat those pests naturally have been for naught and my insurance order of flea medicine didn't arrive in time before she left for the shows. In Friday's show, Dixie finished third in a class of three. Ellen said Jewel showed great and it sounded like she enjoyed being in the ring but there was no Winners ribbon or major points for her.
So now, we hope that next week-end will bring us the results we want. Maybe I should give Dixie and Jewel a copy of the play book for them to study ahead of time????

A Loss

2010-06-25T04:16:00.000-07:00

Just as I thought we had turned a corner, that I could start to relax and that all was well, we lost one of the puppies. He slipped away early Wednesday morning, of no apparent trauma or obvious cause. He had been steadily gaining weight and while I said he was more mellow than his brother, he was active enough that I didn't anticipate this. The remaining pup is very vigorous (thank heavens!), very vocal in expressing his needs and dislikes. He really doesn't appreciate me waking him constantly to make sure he is still strong and healthy or weighing him every few hours!

Smooth Sailing Now

2010-06-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Just as I thought Sadie would never settle down and I would be obligated to a month of sleeping in only 2 hour increments, everything turned around! Sadie coughed up a nasty hair ball on Sunday afternoon, was calmer that night and by Monday morning was back to her sweet self. I took the precaution of keeping her in a crate when I needed to do an errand, then heavily supervised her when she was with the puppies. She had stopped picking them up by their various body parts, attempting to move them, but was still scratching up the rug in the whelping box, often covering the little guys. By late afternoon, I removed the gate from the box, giving Sadie the freedom to move in and out as she wished. Last night, she was sleeping in front of the box entrance, this morning, she started sleeping in her crate again. She's had a frozen treat left over from our club's event this past Saturday and a good brushing to remove all that hair that is just now coming loose, instead of before whelping as it should have! Sadie once again wants to hassle Bootsie, the cat, as she goes in and out of the house and relishes her meals.
The good digital scale I ordered has just arrived and as soon as I find some batteries, I'll get an accurate weight on the puppies. I'm anxious to see how much weight they've gained since Friday!

SURPRISE!!!!!

2010-06-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

  The last thing I said to Sadie on Thursday night was, "have your babies tomorrow if you must, but not on Saturday, I'd rather you didn't on Sunday, but Monday would be great"! I went to bed, confident that nothing was going to happen--after all, she ate a huge dinner (finally found the right menu!), her temperature was normal and her tummy hair was firmly in place. Both David and I thought puppies were not a possibility until Monday, at the very earliest....boy, were we wrong! Sometime between 3:30 a.m.--when David peeked in before going to work--and my getting up at 6:00, Sadie had gone into labor, delivered four puppies and cleaned everything up! She started barking when she heard me moving around and I hurried to her room, thinking the remote possibility she might be starting labor but expecting she must really need to potty. What a shock when I opened the door--two puppies in the crate, very vigorous, one puppy lifeless on the cold floor, another puppy barely moving behind the crate. I quickly gathered up all the puppies, hoping that I could help all four. I got the heat lamp on, towels to rub the puppies, newspapers on the whelping box floor but unfortunately, only the two pups from the crate survived. I then sat with Sadie in the whelping box, hoping another puppy or two might appear. We were at the vets by 9:00 for an x-ray to show that the two pups would be it. The good news was that each was in terrific weight, one 10 oz, one 9 oz.
  The rest of the day was spent getting Sadie adjusted to her new status. She is a terrific mama! At least, until David got home about 7:00, when she began to get anxious and started picking the puppies up, trying to move them out of the box. She settled back down after David went to bed, so we thought she wasn't comfortable with extra noise, however slight. I spent Friday night on the sofa bed, checking on the new family every couple of hours. In the morning, as the activity in the house increased, Sadie became more anxious, even frantic, which made her temperature start to spike. I quickly got her to the vet and after a thorough exam, we decided to play it safe and Sadie was put on an antibiotic and a mild sedative. What a difference! We don't trust her to not accidently hurt the puppies, so she's in a crate for periods when we can't monitor her with her boys. She's quite accepting of this, but when she's with the pups, she's the wonderful mom we had expected. The pups are nursing well and now weigh about a pound each. We're giving her longer and longer periods of time alone with the pups (always with one ear open to some squeaks) and she does well, as long as the house is quiet. I made the mistake this afternoon of letting our son and daughter in law sneak a peek at the new babies, then spent the next couple of hours "apologizing" to Sadie. I expect by Tuesday that all will be well.
  Here are some pictures from the last couple of days:

A few hours old

Sadie and her sons

Two days old

And So It Begins....

2010-06-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Sweet Sadie is not so sweet anymore! Fat and grumpy, she's not adjusting to impending motherhood or perhaps she's just impatient with late pregnancy. She no longer likes any food we give her for more than one meal. We're tempting her with various puppy foods, chicken broth, hand feeding and when all else fails, expensive dog cookies. Tonight she did something funny--took her cookies into a crate and tried to hoard them inside the mat! I could hear her tummy rumbling and finally Sadie relented and ate her cookies. All the while, her full food bowl is sitting nearby.
Sadie now refuses to go into her special kennel yard but I think she doesn't like to be alone anymore. She's in the nursery now, probably sleeping, and we'll indulge her every whim until the puppies arrive. Tomorrow I will finish cleaning her room, give her a bath and hope that Sadie won't have the puppies at least until Monday. Saturday, we're hosting an ice cream social at our house for the Northern Virginia Collie Club and I'm not planning on a whelping puppy demo to go with the rest of the events!

Puppies? Puppies! Puppies!!!!

2010-06-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

  Sadie had her x-ray this morning and four puppies were definitely in view! There is probably a fifth and I'm hoping she rounds it up to an even six. Sadie as gained ten pound since last August, which makes me wonder if the count could be even higher, that the pups were so well lined up in the x-ray that they were not discernible.
  We have one to two weeks before the mystery is solved. Sadie is not giving us clues if she will deliver on her first due date or last so we will be prepared for the babies starting June 21--and keep a careful watch on Sadie at all times. She's become a picky eater, doesn't care much for the puppy food we started her on. I added chicken broth to tempt her appetite but that only worked for a couple of days. I tried a different brand of food this morning, adding the broth for good measure, and she seemed more interested.
  Sadie's fur is coming off her belly and her coat is rather loose in general. I'll do some trimming as delivery time nears, but in the meantime, I'm sure she'll enjoy a daily brushing!

Our Favorite Kind of Phone Call

2010-05-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

Ellen called this afternoon with the news we always love--Dixie won! She earned a four point major at the Cincinnati Kennel Club show in Ohio. She only needs two more points before she has her championship title!

First Points!

2010-05-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

What a great week-end we had last week! We entered Gibson and Jewel in the Mattaponi Kennel Club shows in Manassas. Gibson did much better in the ring than his last show in the fall. Saturday's judge, Houston Clark, was very encouraging, telling me Gibson is "a decent enough dog" but he likes to see the temperament and movement of a herding dog. When I told him that Gibson was 100% better than his last show, that his preference then was to collapse in a puddle, especially if the judge was male, Mr Clark said I must be on the right track and to keep working with Gibson. When I took Jewel in the ring, Mr Clark said, "that's more like it"! Jewel was Winners and Best of Winners for her first point!

Sunday's judge was not as fun to show under. Gibson was more relaxed and confident than on Saturday, but was still startled by a sudden movement by the judge shortly after we entered the ring. Gibson gave a quick growl, which of course did not please the judge, but was fine after that. I was thankful he didn't disqualify us, but felt he then had us stack our dogs in Winners in a way that he knew Gibson wouldn't be comfortable. Except for the final stack, Gibson moved so well and showed so much better than the day before that it was almost like the old Gibson was back! Jewel was Winners, Best of Winners and Best of Variety for her second point! She lost her composure during pictures--it was her first time, after all--and the judge grew impatient with us. He didn't act like he enjoyed his assignment at all! I knew he wouldn't give her any consideration in the Group judging, plus my handling skills are not up to that kind of pressure, so we packed up and headed home.

Besides earning points, the best part of showing is catching up with friends and making new friends. We had a fun group back at our house Saturday night for a very informal supper. David cooked chicken on the grill and everyone brought something to go with it. We toasted those who had won that day, especially Michelle's malamute who won his championship on Saturday! Her lucky dogs got a special treat for their accomplishments--a steak! We had our own special treats--sinful desserts from Pastries by Randolph.

As if points, good friends and good food were not enough, Ellen took one look at Sadie and said "of course she's pregnant, look at her"! We had started to think Sadie was expecting as she had expanded a bit and her behavior had changed that week. She had been getting into all the show things, something she had never touched before. She's chewed the tops to almost every spray bottle I have and ate the remnants of a jar of first aide cream that I didn't even know was in her room. Fortunately, she threw that right back up and it's obviously not affected the puppies as she's growing on a daily basis. She found the heat the last couple of days to be unbearable. Poor Sadie, how will she be able to endure another month? We're going to take her to Casanel this afternoon for some pampering and showers of attention, that should perk her up!

Exciting News!

2010-05-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have been too caught up in dogs and gardens to post! I have many pictures to post of Gibson and Jewel, from a couple fun things we've done this spring, but this is an update about Sadie and Dixie.
Sadie came into season in early April and after much thought, we bred her to Wyndlair Avalanche, who is at stud at Southland Collies in Tennessee. I made the 11 hour trip to take Sadie to Southland--I had never done a trip like that by myself before! While it was a lot of driving, Sadie was a good passenger, the countryside was pretty and it was a rather easy drive (plus I had a good book on cd to listen to!). The destination was well worth the trip! The mistress of Southland, Mike Cheatham, is a wonderful person, very welcoming and I knew Sadie would be well cared for while away from home. Mike gave me a tour of her beautiful kennels and I was able to spend a bit of time with her stunning collies. I left Southland with a severe case of kennel envy and wondering how quickly I could return to incorporate her other studs into our breeding program. So many thoughts whirling about in my head--it was hard to settle down to sleep in the motel that night!
David made the return trip last week-end to bring Sadie home. He arrived shortly before that terrible storm did and he only stayed long enough to exchange pleasantries before crating Sadie for the start of home. They got caught in the heavy rain for about 3 hours, then drove for a couple more before finding a nice motel for the night. Sadie had her first ride in an elevator! David said she was a quiet and model room-mate but he was so exhausted from the drive through the storm that he probably didn't hear her!
Now, we're just waiting for signs that puppies are on the way. While I occupy myself with puppy names and thoughts of kennel improvements after seeing Southland--with David ignoring my proposals--we are basking in Dixie's latest accomplishment. She was Winners Bitch and Best of Winners at the Baltimore Kennel Club for her first major!!! The day before, she was Reserve Winners at the Old Dominion Kennel Club show. I was really hoping that would be her first major, as her mom, Phoebe, had her first major at that show in 2005. Dixie will be going to Ohio in late May for a week-end of major shows--could she come home a champion? Let's hope early summer brings us a champion and puppies!!!!

Spring Clean Up

2010-03-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Is spring finally here? I sure hope so! It looks like it in our kennel, many chores to be done after winter's final blast of snows and winds. Lots of branches to pick up and gutters to be cleaned before we get too many spring showers. I moved the gravel in the runs the best I could last week, after all the snow finally melted but we have lots of muddy patches and the dogs look like they have been wallowing in it. March starts the round of annual vet visits for all the dogs and Ben and Sophie were the first to get their appointments. They got their baths and a good grooming--including a much overdue foot trim! Both are in perfect weight and were model patients. Of course, they know Terry will spoil them with treats while we are paying the bill! She's their favorite staffer at the reception desk!
Ben and Jewel have started blowing coat, which means I need to get my arms ready for lots of brushing as warm weather will have everyone shedding their winter coats. Dixie has completed her first heat, Lauren is almost finished being in season and we are anxiously awaiting Sadie to come into season for her first breeding. Everybody has had lots of play time with the nicer weather and longer days.
We're making our spring and early summer show plans for Dixie, Jewel and Gibson. If Sadie is not busy in the whelping box, she'll join in the fun, too!
Pretty days, happy dogs, potential puppies, dogs shows--this is my favorite time of the year!

A Step Back?

2010-02-26T06:16:00.000-08:00

One good thing that can be said about this massive snow that we've received, is that is seems to be a confidence builder for Gibson. We had him make so many paths for us and he got so much praise for his efforts that there was a noticeable change. He's more relaxed, stands a bit taller and doesn't let himself get spooked over sudden noises.
On Sunday, I took him to Leesburg for an outing, which may have been a mistake. We started walking around Ida Lee Park. That went very well! Gibson didn't pay any attention to cars passing by, bravely barked at joggers--something he doesn't normally see--had a nice spring to his step and wagged his tail the entire time. He was concerned over a boy on a bike. The little guy was almost the same height as Gibson and was wearing a bike helmet, which seemed to take Gibson aback. Once the boy was talking and petting him, Gibson relaxed and while he seemed still puzzled by the little person with the odd thing on his head, enjoyed the pause in our walk. We practiced show stands while skateboarders went by and everything seemed just fine.
Our next stop was PetSmart to buy cookies. I should have left Gibson in the car! He was not thrilled about walking through the sliding doors and began to get apprehensive. I could see that he was trying to calm himself down and I thought a quick walk down the main aisle for Gibson to see more dogs would be good. The store was having an adoption event so it was crowded and noisy. As we tried to walk down the aisle, a volunteer was standing with a small dog and a pit pull. Gibson and the pit bull greeted each other, then when Gibson started to sniff the small dog, the pit bull went after him. We had no place to go, there was a display to the left of us, the pit bull to the right of us and more people behind us. The volunteer didn't seem inclined to back up with his growling, snapping dog, so I shoved/pulled Gibson out of the way. Poor Gibson, he was so rattled by it all! I worked at calming him down and I saw someone I know, so spent a few moments chatting to him. The pit bull was working his way down where I was standing and I decided that was a good time to pay for our cookies and get home. Gibson didn't even attempt to make eye contact with the other dog, but the pit bull lunged again as we went to the checkout counters (this time I kept a display between us and the pit bull). At the checkout counter, the cashier offered Gibson a cookie, but wanted to make him sit for it. I told him that Gibson didn't know that command but the kid kept saying "sit! sit!", raising his voice each time. Gibson went into full panic mode, tried to crawl into the space under the cash register, then tried to bolt for the door. Outside, his tail was tucked firmly under his belly. Once again, I massaged his ears, his tummy and could feel him start to settle. Then, he began to get frantic again--the pit bull was coming out the door! We dashed across the parking lot to the Sequoia. Gibson barely waited for the back door to open before he jumped into the back and the sanctuary of his crate. He didn't even want one of the good cookies I had just bought. He just stared at me with his eyes big and round. I won't be taking Gibson back to PetSmart anytime soon, and I'm wondering if this is just a setback or have I completely ruined him for the show ring?

Snowmageddon Part Two

2010-02-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

Here's some pictures and video from the blizzards:

The Collies and the Blizzard

2010-02-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

A lot of people are wondering how our dogs cope during severe weather, like our current "Snowmaggedon", the blizzard from the week-end. Ben and Sophie, as the seniors going on 11 years old, are house dogs as soon as the temperature starts dropping in autumn. If we had puppies, they would also be inside. As for the others, our kennel is well built with drop doors to keep the dogs inside during heavy wind, snow or rain. Friday night, we dropped the doors and with their heavy show coats, the dogs generated enough body heat to keep their water buckets ice free! When I opened the doors on Saturday morning, the dogs made short work of making paths in their runs and packing the snow down. That night, I wasn't comfortable with closing the doors, after hearing too many reports of collapsed roofs, including on a barn. The kennel is surrounded by trees and even our sturdy building would not be a match for a couple of those massive oaks. I was concerned that if a tree came down, the dogs could be trapped inside. The only effect has been that we've had to break ice in the water buckets morning and night which delights Sadie. She's an ice cruncher! She dunks her muzzle into the bucket, fishes around for the biggest piece she can find then happily crunches away while the water drips off her whiskers.
The dogs love to play in the snow and they were more than ready to go out on Saturday. I wasn't in the mood to stand outside while the snow pelted my face, so they had to wait until Sunday for a chance to play. Lauren couldn't wait! She barked incessantly at me as soon as I went outside with their breakfast. Once she ate, she started jumping against the gate, pleading to go out. I had a couple chores to do inside before they could play and as I was moving around the house, I could see Lauren steadily staring at the window, willing me to come back out. But when I let them out, Lauren found the snow to be too deep for her liking and she kept to the couple paths we had made in front of the kennel. Gibson, Dixie and I made two huge circles around the play yard, then everyone came running through. Actually, for Claire and Phoebe it was more of a short stroll. They can become quite the princesses in snow, acting as if they are too delicate to romp with the others. Claire did forget for a minute that she couldn't be in deep snow and started to run with the gang, then made my heart skip a few beats as she turned towards me with her front leg held high, her paw dangling. I was afraid she had somehow broken her leg, wondering how we'd get her to the vet's, only to find she had ice balls between her toes and she wanted me to take care of it!
This morning's play session found us making more paths through the snow in the play yard. Gibson, Dixie and Sadie forged ahead and found a spot along the fence that is so packed down that they did not break through the snow. They could have easily hopped over the fence and I could see the wheels turning in Dixie's head as she was starting to figure that out. Somehow, she communicated that to Sadie and the two of them stood at the fence, almost like they were double daring each other to go over first. I decided play time was over and got everyone but those two back towards the kennel before the pack mentality started to kick in and everyone thought about hopping the fence. Fortunately, I can bribe them with the promise of a cookie and got most everyone in, but this morning Sadie and Dixie weren't buying it! They picked up on the panic in my voice and refused to come back. They started teasing me, taking a couple steps away from the fence and down the path, then bouncing back on the snow and towards the fence. Finally, the lure of cookies brought them in. All I could envision was them getting over the fence, finding packed snow on the other side, jumping on to the drive and running out to the road. We don't have too much traffice yet, but the road is basically one lane and treacherous.
Tonight's forecast is snow through the night and heavy winds, causing drifts up to 6 feet. I'm planning on doubling and tripling the dogs into the runs on the east side of the kennel to concentrate their body heat. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning and the prospect of battling wind gusts of possibly 40 mph and blowing snow to feed the dogs.

Twister's Gone Home!

2010-02-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

Twister's family has found him and he went home this past Thursday!!! Just in time for the "epic" snow and a week-end of intense bonding and lots of play with his new boys, Tom and Ben! We had been frustrated that Twister had not gone home yet since he is so sweet and loving. We had a few inquiries, one visitor that never called back (???) and two great possibilities that resulted in friendships for us but weren't exactly right for Twister. Then, about a week ago, Karen called and everything just clicked! They have located to Loudoun County from New Hampshire and weren't ready for a dog until now. On their initial visit, it was mutual love at first sight. Twister knew they were his family and tried to leave with them that day! I had to drag him back into his kennel and look at those expressive eyes that were saying, "What gives? My family's here and I need to go with them". Every day after that, he would look at me puzzled whenever I went into the kennel. Finally, I could tell him the day had arrived! He was bathed and prepped to go but was hesitant to go up the steps, since he's not used to them but then---he heard his family talking and he went right up the stairs, bounded into the kitchen, nuzzling everyone with his tail wagging! Karen called the next day to say how well he'd adjusted already. If it ever stops snowing, we're going to get together for doggy play dates. I think this has been the best placement we've ever made with one of our dogs!

Foolish, Foolhardy, But...Oh So Worth It!

2010-01-31T16:58:00.000-08:00

To spare you scrolling to the bottom of this post, I'll go right to the good news--Dixie got her first specialty show win today! She was Winners Bitch at the Chesapeake Collie Club under judge Sally Futh!

Now, some indications that we have been seriously infected by the dog show bug. I've spent most of the week fighting off a sinus "thing" but have spent the last two days by the woodstove, watching movies. Didn't go to work, no housework, no grocery shopping, just conserving my energy so I could get Dixie ready for her show. When I got up on Saturday, my voice was gone and I felt horrible, but by the time I went to bed, Dixie had had her bath, her nails had been filed and I had showered, washed and curled my hair for our early drive the next morning. David woke me at 4:00 (yes, 4 a.m) and after a couple cups of coffee, I was dressed and warming up the car while he stoked up the woodstoves and fed the dogs. David brought Dixie out to the car, told me the house was locked up, then asked if I had a key to the back door as he had deadbolted the front, then went out the back door. I have never been able to get my key to work in the back door and don't deadbolt the front as I didn't think I have that key on my ring. David heard a few choice words, got many dirty looks, but since it was still dark, there was no point in trying to fix the likelihood that we were locked out of our house right that moment. Oh,did I mention it had snowed??? The forecast called for nothing to perhaps a dusting--but we had about 6 inches by the time it stopped snowing on Saturday. Still, we were going south, confident that once we we got to Richmond and daylight, the roads would be a snap to navigate. Boy, were we wrong!!! From Ashland to Portsmouth, all interstate driving, the roads were snowy and icy, usually only one lane open. We do have four wheel drive, but I suggested several times we only drive just a bit further, then turn around and go home. We managed to get to the show site only half an hour later than we planned. Dixie got a potty break but we didn't get any breakfast. The show was in a very nice location, a hotel, but since we didn't plan on staying much past Dixie's class, we didn't bring her crate in with us. The grooming areas were all protected with heavy plastic sheeting. Ellen put the finishing touches on our girl and we were set--but the judge was running late, having encountered the same weather we did. Dixie either became bored or was just acting her age and started to entertain herself. She ripped a hole in the plastic sheeting, tried to chew the chair molding on the wall and was up for any and all barking contests from the other entries. Ellen and I alternated and sometimes simoultaneously said "stop that" until it was show time. Waiting to enter the ring, Dixie was still being silly and I could hear Ellen saying, "act like a princess, act like a princess". Fortunately, Dixie did and she won her 6th point! For pictures,though, she reverted back to silly girl, exploring the pattern on the carpet, then poking her nose into the large floral arrangement next to her.

We were back on the road by 1:00. The roads in Portsmouth were still a mess, but conditions improved on the interstates. Most of the lanes were open, traffic was relatively light and we made good time, pulling into our driveway about 5:00. The first key I tried didn't fit the deadbolt, but hallelujah!--the second key did!!! David didn't have to sleep in the kennel/find a divorce lawyer. He's fed the dogs, we've re-started the woodstoves and after a celebration dinner of Quiznos subs and beer, we're ready to drop into bed. It seems we've become "those people" others shake their heads over, but...it was a great day!

Some Show Pictures

2010-01-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Sweepstakes at Mason Dixon Collie Club show. Judge Judy Porter made sure she was right on the proper level to see the expression!

Dixie showing for conformation class judge, Mary Benedict

Dixie at the Collie Club of Maryland show with judge Joan Kefeli

Picking Up Where She Left Off...

2010-01-23T05:10:00.000-08:00

Dixie's back from her show break without missing a beat! She was Reserve Winners last Sunday at the Collie Club of Maryland show and was Winners yesterday at Carroll Kennel Club for one point. She has two more shows this week-end and has a good possibility of either minoring out or getting her first major!

Back to the Ring

2010-01-13T04:57:00.000-08:00

Dixie's break is over--she'll be back in the show ring starting this Saturday. She has two collie specialties this week-end at Point of Rocks, MD, three full days of showing next week-end at Howard County fairgrounds and at the end of the month, another collie specialty in the Virginia Beach area.

The Mason Dixon show on Saturday will begin with Rally at 8:00 a.m. Dixie will be in the ring about 10:30 in the Sweeps before her regular class after the Junior Showmanship. For the Collie Club of Maryland show on Sunday, Sweepstakes begins at 10:00.

Specialties are always fun! Meet new people, see old friends and always learn something new! Can't wait for the week-end!

No Puppies

2010-01-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

At least, not for this month. Jewel had her ultrasound and she is not pregnant. We're disappointed, of course, but don't think this will happen to her the next attempt. She's very much enjoyed her time in the house and has become a regular couch potato! Surprisingly, even with her lack of actitivity this past month, she had not put on any weight, so off to the show ring we will go!

Dixie's First Show Pictures

2010-01-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here's our girl with Ellen after she won her first point!

Dixie with Cathy Keefer (her "grandmother") after going Puppy Group 3. Look how Dixie seems so much more relaxed on the platform--it must be old hat for her!

Need to Catch Up

2010-01-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

We've had a sick cat this past week and between nursing Bootsie and the holidays, I've not kept up with the blog. But, Bootsie is on the mend and I'll have free time these next two days! Certainly won't be going outside for any length of time. It's bitterly cold and windy!!!! Yet, one of the boys, I think it's Twister, is sitting outside the kennel, watching everything blow around. I'm tempted to let everyone in the big yard for a few hours but there is not much of wind block from the front so it probably wouldn't be a fun time for them.
I have two great show pictures of Dixie that I will post shortly.

First Disappointment

2009-12-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

I took Claire to our favorite vet for her ultrasound to see if she's pregnant. She's been showing many pregancy symptoms, unfortunately starting right after she was bred--not a good sign. Past history has meant she was having a false pregnancy and the ultrasound confirmed it. Claire's now retired from the breeding program and will have to be content to be just a pampered pet. I think that will suit her just fine!
Jewel only had one breeding before she and Henry lost interest. Hopefully, only one breeding was needed but we're not going to expect too much. We'll know more in a couple of weeks.