Happy Birthday, Lauren!

  Lauren turned 9 years old on January 20.  I can't believe this delightful girl is now a senior citizen.  It seems only yesterday that she became a part of our family and an important part of our kennel.
  We celebrated in the usual way--a bath for Lauren with extra grooming and pampering and special treats!
  I have a few dog treat cookbooks but I also like to try some new recipes from the All Natural Dog Treat blog.  For Lauren's special day, I chose the Carrot Cheese Puffs recipe.  I knew it would be a hit as it has one of her favorite foods--cheese!  Not only did Lauren enjoy it, but all the other dogs gobbled it down, too!

The finished treats, fresh from the oven!



Lauren enjoying her first birthday treat.

Claire the House Dog

  About a month ago, Claire had a change in status, to house dog!  She adapted very quickly, immediately deciding the couch was a nice place for a nap, expecting treats every time she comes inside and getting lots of pets while we watch television.
  Sometimes she acts like she thinks this is a temporary change, as her behavior going outside is definitely different than coming back in. 
  I take Claire outside with me at mealtimes, giving her an opportunity to spend some time in the play yard and visit with the other dogs.  She doesn't mind being there once we finally arrive, but sometimes the journey is arduous!
  When Claire sees we are going outside, she often balks at the doorway, almost causing me to trip over her.  Not good when I'm carrying an armload of food bowls! 
  She also "loses" her hearing or can't seem to understand "let's go," "hurry up," or even "come."  Miraculously, Claire not only "regains" her hearing upon the return to the house, she doesn't need a single command to get moving!
  Claire had some of her house access restricted recently as she had come into season, but now she's ready for a bath and access to the couch once again!  Just in time, too.  The wood stove is going full blast and I know she'll like napping nearby.  It's nice to have a dog in the house full time and I always enjoy giving one of the seniors the opportunity for special status. 

Being Creative

  Early last spring, our Collie club decided to participate in a Dog Days event.  It was going to be a great chance for the club to show the public our wonderful breed and we could also sell items as a fundraiser.
  My interest in knitting got revived with the arrival of our granddaughter.  I found this paw print pattern on Ravelry and decided to adapt it for some items to sell at the club booth.
  First, I made a scarf.  While I was very proud of myself for being able to reverse the pattern directions so my paw prints matched at each end, I realized it was too time consuming to knit and then sell for its proper value. (But, I now have a very nice scarf for this winter!)
  I decided to add a loop to the corner of the original pattern so that it could hang on a doorknob and be handy for wiping dirty, muddy paws as dogs came into the house.  I thought I had a hit on my hands!  A hand knit cloth, 100% cotton, that could be machine washed and dried, a practical item that would look nice and be convenient for use.  I knit up nine mud cloths, three each in red, brown and black.
  By this time, it was early summer and I was pleased that my project was finished way ahead of deadline.  I showed the cloths to my sister, who said "Where's the back? I thought it was a mitt, which would be a lot easier to use".
  I realized she was right and decided to make a back, using a plain stockinette stitch.  I went right to the craft store to buy three more balls of yarn.  There, I hit snag number one.  The store no longer carried the brand of yarn I had used!  But, it was still available online and since I had my original receipt showing the yarn color names, I was easily able to order the colors I needed.  But then, I hit snag number two.  Since so much time had passed, of course I was using different dye lots and the new ball of red didn't match the original ball of red.  Now, what was I going to do?  I decided to make those backs in a different color and decided on a cream.  Back in business!

  It was going to be a tight deadline to get these finished in time for the Dog Days and I thought I may not have all nine available, but at least I would have six finished.  Then it was a big snag number three!

  As we got closer to the date of the event, our volunteers had things coming up that prevented them from helping out and the club decided to cancel our participation in Dog Days.  So now, I have nine paw print mud mitts with no homes!

  I'm not sure what to do with all these mitts.  We only have one door that the dogs use!  I considered giving them to my dog walking clients as Christmas gifts but I think the dogs would rather have treats. I'm thinking about listing the mitts on Etsy or on Craig's List.   I can also keep the mitts until we have litters this spring and include a mitt in each puppy packet.  

  Here's how the mitts turned out:

Unfortunately, the pattern doesn't show up well in the photos!

Birthday Catch Up

  I've been woefully behind on celebrating the dogs' birthdays!  Mosby turned 11 in July, Gemma and Ref were 2 in September and Claire turned 9 at the beginning of this month.  While I wished them all "happy birthday" on their special days and gave them extra attention, I didn't bake them birthday treats.
  Yesterday, I got caught up and tried a new recipe I had been saving for the occasion.  With my granddaughter's "help", I made Peanut Butter Dog Treat Balls.  It is a super simple and fast recipe to put together--even with a toddler by my side!
   The dogs got their treats this morning and it was huge success!  I think this recipe will be used for holiday gift baking for my dog walking clients.
  Claire's birthday celebration isn't quite finished.  She will be coming inside for a bath, then will become a house dog. I miss having a dog inside, now that Ben and Sophie are gone.  I had planned on making both Claire and Phoebe house dogs this winter but will have to make do for awhile with just one inside dog.  Even though Mosby is older, his coat is always so thick that he would find it hard to adjust to the warm house.  I'm keeping an eye on him though, and Lauren, too (who will be 9 in January).  Maybe if the forecasters are correct and we have a snowy and colder than usual winter, they'll be ready to be full time house dogs, too!

Country Life

  Signs that winter is around the corner are all around! (and I haven't finished my fall chores yet!)  The trees are pretty bare, the deer have their dark winter coats, the bucks are posing in the field with their impressive antlers and the foxes have beautiful, vibrant red coats.  I rush to feed the dogs before the early darkness hits but do enjoy being lazy in the mornings while I wait for the sunrise.
  For the last couple of weeks, just as there was a nip in the air, I could see that something had been digging outside Jackson's kennel.   It was a small hole, which I covered up every time it appeared.  Sometimes, there would be a corresponding hole inside, which I would also refill.  Jackson didn't act like he was sharing his kennel with any stray creatures, but still I don't want wildlife in the kennel with their fleas and diseases.  Rodent bait is on the shopping list for the next trip to Home Depot.
  Yesterday, the hole had appeared again.  Once more, I filled it in, checked inside Jackson's kennel but no holes there.  I set about feeding the dogs their breakfast and checking on their water.  The last kennel, Gibson's and Gemma's, had a surprise!  A mouse in the water bucket!  Either it had attempted to escape from the dogs or it was very thirsty but for whatever reason it had climbed in the bucket, it wasn't able to get back out.  I had the unpleasant task of dumping the water with a floating body in it.
  However, it wasn't easy to do!  When I shrieked (pretty loudly, I would have thought one of the neighbors would have shown up to see what was the matter!) Gibson immediately came over to see what was wrong.  A pat on the head convinced him that I was o.k. and he could go back to eating breakfast.  I wanted both dogs to go outside while I picked up the bucket, but they could tell I was a bit agitated and wanted to be involved in the clean up operation.  I was afraid they'd either knock into the bucket, sloshing the dead mouse onto the ground, or try to grab it from the bucket.  Since David normally changes water during the mid day, the dogs took my picking up the bucket as a sign that they were going to be playing in the yards.  There was a lot of jostling as they tried to get out the gate with me.  Again, I was afraid they would knock into the bucket, but I didn't want to lift it above their heads, which would put the contents on eye level to me.  Finally, I shut my eyes, lifted the bucket and pushed myself in front of the dogs and out the gate.
  I've lived in the country for most of my life and I can deal with most aspects of it.  I work around the deer eating my landscaping, I don't mind my sleep being interrupted by fox calls, I don't even care that the overly fat raccoon eats the food we leave out for the feral cat.  But, two things I can't deal with are snakes and rodents.  It's something about their sneaky ways and surprise appearances, I guess. Or maybe it's because I don't like dealing with the aftermath of meeting them in water buckets, under the tractor, in the garden's bird netting.  Wonder if there's "an app" for that???

My Favorite Brushes

  A few years ago, I received a pin brush from the Collie Health Foundation as a show trophy.  I knew many Collie people like the brush but didn't think it could be that different from any other pin brush.  After only one use, I became a fan and like so many others,  it quickly became my favorite! 
  When my brush broke last year, I dug out one of my old brushes from my tack box.  The dogs didn't like it and I was reminded why I liked the Collie Health Foundation brush so much better.  It's easier to handle, it goes right through a collie coat and easily works out those little tangles behind the ears and in the feathers.  I bought two more brushes so I wouldn't have to worry about going without should I lose my brush at a show or break after years of use.

    Actually, since this past summer, I don't have to worry about going without one of these great brushes for quite a while!  I'm now the promos chair for the Collie Health Foundation!
  When I retired, I wanted to do some type of volunteer work, preferably with dogs.  I was thinking about and would still like to be involved in therapy work.  I wanted to be more involved in the Collie Club of America and also the Collie Health Foundation but wasn't sure where I could be of the most use.  The Foundation's promos position opened and I thought I would just be working on a committee.  Somehow, I ended up the chair!  But, it's not a big time commitment--though between the promos and my job, the blog isn't getting more frequent updates--and it's fun to fill orders and very soon, order new inventory.  Sometimes, I feel like I'm "playing store"!  But the funds that are being raised have a very serious and important purpose--to fund grants to worthwhile organizations for research in breeding, genetics and health issues in all dogs with primary emphasis on the Collie.
  So while a corner of the dogs' room is filled with pin brushes, lanyards, mutt matts, decals, ear rings, catalog covers and (hopefully, soon) new, exciting inventory, I hope I'm giving something back to the breed I love so much.  Amazing what one pin brush can lead to!

My New Job

  I've been remiss in regular postings as I now have a job!  I'm a dog walker for Belly Rubs Pet Care and it's a perfect fit for me.
  I had been looking for something part time since I retired two years ago but couldn't find a position I could get excited about.  Every job ad I looked at had some fault--the schedule, the pay, the job duties.  I wasn't sure if I was too picky or had just become lazy.  After all, doing crossword puzzles over a cup of coffee and then spending time with my dogs is a very appealing lifestyle!  But, my husband isn't getting the overtime like he did in his old job and while I can get creative and stretch food dollars, the budget didn't have space for dog shows.  I needed to be less picky about employment and just get some income.
   After my working interview at the kennel, I didn't have high hopes that I could find a job that was truly part time and didn't involve nights or week-ends.  I thought dog showing might have to be put off for a few more months as I applied for a sales position at Yankee Candle.  I applied for a substitute position with the school system and thought working full days wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.  I saw the position as a dog walker and thought, "Monday through Friday, a schedule of late morning to early afternoon, no nights, no week-ends, working with dogs, working on my own and getting exercise. What's the downside"?  Of course, the downside is walking dogs outside in the rain, the heat and the cold.  I have to be outside to take care of my own dogs and it doesn't bother me too much so I decided to apply for the position.
  I was surprised when I was quickly called for an interview and even more surprised to be offered the job during the interview.  I couldn't start until my background check came back but then it was two days of on the job training and I started solo on the third.
  There is so much more to this job than I thought there would be!  I've learned all the quirks and likes of my individual clients (this one doesn't like to be scratched on his side, that one likes to carry a stuffed toy outside). I've learned how to walk the client, give treats, freshen water bowls and write daily reports  all during the time allotted and not run over too much ('cause there is no time limit for belly rubs and snuggling!).  I've established a rapport with all my dogs and they know that when I'm walking them, they have to behave like dogs, even if they are a spoiled princess with their owners.
  My concern about walking dogs in bad weather turned out to be something I can easily work around.  I do have some discretion on how long the dogs are out during hot days and inclement weather.  I only need to have them outside long enough to relieve themselves then we can go back inside and play the remainder of their visit time.  I've been fortunate so far and we've only had one really rainy day.  The dogs seemed to know they wouldn't be outside long and quickly took care of business to enjoy play sessions.  The company doesn't offer dog walks on snowy days when the federal government is closed, so I won't need to worry if we get the winter weather some forecasters are predicting.
  The best part about my job is that my collies are not affected by my working.  I'm still spending quality time with them, both morning and afternoon.  They still get to spend days in the play yards and we have our games of tug of war and with Dixie, fetch.  I'm able to keep up with their grooming needs and my kennel chores.  Sometimes they are puzzled by the scent of other dogs on my clothes when I come home in the afternoon but only Gibson seems a bit jealous by it.
  I'll be subbing for a couple other dog walkers during the next two weeks. The paycheck from the extra work should probably cover the costs of some new dog toys.  Then my guys will be really happy I'm working again!