WHERE TO BEGIN??

It has been a very nice holiday season thus far.
Oh yeah...Happy 2009!

Here is one more shot of our visit to Candy and her parents on 12-26-2008.

She is so happy, it makes you smile just to see her with her new Mom and Dad, who ADORE her. BTW: rightfully so, since she is quite a smart, pretty, special little girl!!! ;>)

Here is a link to a video taken that day as well.
Ashley acted like "Mrs Growly Pants", but she was only making sure Candy knew who was the boss.
She was SO happy to see Candy again, she ran around with her in the front yard and turned into a puppy herself all over again.
When Ashleys tail looks like it is going to start acting like a helicopter blade, lifting her rump off the ground, you KNOW she is very very happy. If you look at this video, you will see it never stopped...nor did she in her energetic play time with her three pups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4CiYmKm6mQ

CJ took a back seat and the video shows a clear contrast between Ashley and CJ's reaction to Candy. They usually respond to a new dog the same way. Ashley clearly did not see Candy as a "new" dog.
I hope we get to see Candy again soon. Ashley has been bringing me the GPS set to Candys house with a route via Vermont to pick up Biscuit first!!!!

And on the subject of Biscuit...

A sweeter, more friendly pup I have not met.
I can tell Lacy treats her with a kind, gentle and loving touch! It just OOOOZES from her every pore. Ivy and Biscuit are so similar in their mannerisms, it made me call her Ivy several times. A few moments, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, because she had the exact same procedure for preparing to do her "border collie stare" and it was intense!

Biscuit is entering her "gorky" stage, but I think she will get through it with her dignity in tact. She is just such a perfect, symetrical little merle...I dont think she is going to have much out of place. So many Borders and Shelties go through that homely gork stage... I think she is going to be one of the lucky ones who turns into a swan without suffering the ugly duckling preface.


If this is the start of it, what is full-blown adulthood going to look like? (Heart breaker!)

All the Sheltie people with your bi-blacks...eat your hearts out! There is a new Biscuit in town and you cannot order this one at Hardees!!

P.S.
Dozer misses her dearly and would like to do this again real soon...

It was a lot of fun to spend the week of Christmas with Lacy and Biscuit!

Cobi

Just a few recent pics of Cobi. He is such a good boy and we all love him so much!!











This is what he did right after we were done at the park.

Day After Christmas Puppy Fun

We had Biscuit, Candy and Dozer...all with their Momma...together this afternoon for a little while.

The blog has not had entries from Candy or her family, so we decided to descend on her address and see how they were getting along on Lacy's last day in Virginia.

(Candy is referred to as "Queenie" in the early parts of the blog.)



Ashley was a growl monster to her at first, making sure Candy knew she was still in charge...her tail however, never ceased its warp speed wagging and she encouraged all three of her puppies to run and play with her as shown.

Candy knew us for sure. Wagged her tail and just about jumped into our arms. Michelle and I hope to see her again.

Candy looks excellent and seems to be doing very well. She is VERY happy and to say her parents love her...is an understatement. There are more videos coming.

HO HO HO!!!

Hope all the puppy people have a great holiday season!!!

Ho Ho Ho and a double Ho Ho Ho!!!

Ivy moves to Texas

As Jerry said as soon as Ivy realized that she would not be returning to Virginia there was an instant transformation. I was one of the most incredible things I have seen. Ivy came over and pressed up against me and let me pet her and hold her. She then walked over to my daughter and put her head in Nena's lap. 

The ride home proved to be a great bonding time since we were in a car for another day. We made it as far as Baton Rouge saturday night. When we first traveled with Ivy we had to use the leash to keep her close but Ivy did not know the leash at all and she would just sit down and refuse to walk. By the next morning before even leaving Baton Rouge Ivy had the the hang of the leash. I have attached a short video.

We made it into Houston by about 12:30pm and Ivy is adjusting to her new home. We are so exited to have her and feel very fortunate Jerry was able to let her come live with us. In this short time Ivy has proven to be nothing but amazing. She understands so much and is already learning so quickly. Today she has mastered the leash. We have already been on two walks in the neighborhood and on the second one I even tried a few short jogs and she does just great.

Here are a couple of pictures of Ivy in her new Texas home. 

I think she is perfect. Thanks to jerry and Michelle, not only for letting Ivy come live with us but also for the all their loving care that is truly a big reason why these puppies are so special and smart. 

IVY TAKES A VERY LONG JOURNEY (To her new home and Momma)

It is 3:45 AM on Monday morning and I have just finished getting a fire started to warm things here. The wood stove has been out since Friday afternoon and the house is a bit chilly. Ashley, CJ and I left Crossville, Tennessee this afternoon and headed back to Virginia (thanks so much for your never-ending friendship and hospitality, Cherryl!!).

Our pack is whole again, minus sweet Ivy.

I met Luann and her daughter this weekend in Alabama so she could pick up Ivy without having to drive all the way from Texas to Virginia herself.

After having her for so long, it was VERY difficult to say goodbye to her.

We met just South of Birmingham for a couple of hours.

We took a slow walk around a church property off the highway and after Ivy got to meet her new Momma, this was the scene...

When we were getting near the end of our time together and I was preparing to head back to Tennessee for the night, Ivy KNEW what was going on. Her whole demeanor shifted and she calmly leaned against Luann.


I think they are going to get on very well together and Ivy will have the benefit of some great and gentle one on one attention. (Of course, Luann might just enjoy Ivy a little bit too!)

I am confident we will see updates and pictures as she grows.

Ashley has puppies in Vermont, Illinois, Florida, all over Virginia and now...Texas!

Imagine the vacations Michelle and I are going to be taking so we can see all the babies.

(You all did read the clause in the contracts about putting us up during vacations, right?)

;)

Does your pup know where to go?

Interesting little issue popped up tonight from one of the pup families.

El-pupper does not want to do #1 or #2 unless said pupper is in the back yard at puppers home.

There are varied explanations for this, but if you think about it, these little critters are SO smart that while you are trying to tell them: "please do not do your business on the floor..."

They just might be hearing: "only do your business in the back yard, right here and nowhere else..."

(Anyone who might doubt this, has never been in a bible study...LOL...one sentence, 37 interpretations...)

While this might not sound like a big issue to worry about, think about that vacation you might want to take down the road. There are stories around of Shelties who are so ritualistic in their elimination habits that they will not poop for a week at a time/till they get home to their own yard. Some will even hold pee till it does damage.

If your pup shows signs of shy bladder unless he/she is in your yard at home, it might be time for a paper towel to be dropped on a piddle puddle and placed elsewhere...like in front of your home. The next time your furry bundle of joy asks for the door, grab the leash, walk out front and point to said paper towel (now with the proper scent on it) and encourage a new piddle spot other than the same exact spot used for training.

After the new spot has been baptized, a regular party of praise should follow.

Then again, you might not have this trouble at all.

However, if you think your pup leans in this direction...(one of them already does)...dealing with it right now will save you and pupper much emotional and possibly physical distress in the future. We all know how much easier good habits are to teach at 4 months than at a year.

Thanks for reading and hope all is well in furry BorderSheltie land!!!

J

Trixie gets a bath

OK you have to admit it, She is cute and being very good. Because if you look at the left side of the pic there is a rust colored cats tail poking out and she is sitting still. Now that is self control.

This a much cleaner and nicely brushed Trixie.


A 12 week old Trixie gets a bath. Looks like we have out grown the sink. Next one will have to be in the laundry sink.

My How She has Grown! (click here)

I cannot believe how big Biscuit has gotten! Here's a photo comparison for your viewing pleasure!

Just for Brenna

Before I get into the pic for Brenna, let me just say that the pic under this post of Cobi and Bandit is calendar material.
They are both growing quite nicely! We have seen Cobi, but not as many of Bandit. Nice to see Bandit is a handsome young fella!


Now, on to Brenna's pictures.
As some of you know, we have several Shelties here. Red, our 13 year old male started life as a breeding stud.
Michelle and I found him wandering on the main highway a few miles from our home during a thunder storm and brought him home. That was about three and a half years ago or so.

One thing Red is VERY good at, is enjoying a good pet-down. He will happily stay for hours, huffing his elder-dog breath in your face as you stroke him and scratch his ears.

Brenna took to him very quickly. He was small, calm and friendly...not intimidating to a young person.
Red took to Brenna too. (and her younger sister)
He would seek them out and wag his old tail, patiently waiting for a good pet-down when they came to visit.

He still sleeps at the foot of our bed on the floor, in his own little set-up (a feather pillow, covered with a gauze/flannel blanket) and dreams of his little friends coming to visit again!

Here you go Brenna, pictures of Red, just for you!

Woof Woof, Hi Brenna!

Play Date

Today Bandit came over for a play date with his brother Cobi. After a few minutes of getting reacquainted they were hard at play for close to an hour. I think, in their minds, it was just the two of them and they couldn't have cared about any thing else in the world!

Do these look like two of the happiest dogs in the world or what?

It looks like Ivy has found a new home after all.

After careful thought, (a LOT of it!) we have decided to let Ivy go to a new home in Texas.
I had shut off the internet ad for Ivy, but her Mom-to-be remembered she had seen a video on youtube and contacted us that way.

It's a tough decision, since Ivy has become a part of our family and grown into a very special young pupper with soft fur and a gentle affect on those around her.
When I heard the plans for her future included therapy dog work, it seemed like the right fit.

The week before x-mas, it looks like Ivy and I will be taking a very long road trip and only I will be returning. *sniffle*

Purty pup

Some pictures of Pippin taken at Grandma's house this weekend:

What do you do with clean puppies?

You show them off, of course.

Fluffiness is next to Happiness

As most sheltie owners know, shelties will follow you EVERYWHERE. My neighbor, who works for the Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue, asked me, "Do you ever go to the bathroom by yourself any more?" Nope! Pippin definitely exhibits this sheltie quality, so now I have two sheltie shadows to keep me company.

Pippin is up to 17.5 lbs (from about 12.5 at her first vet visit with us). She definitely can hold her own with Basia now, and soon will probably be the top dog around here. She knows "sit" and "lie down," and her vocabulary is rapidly expanding to learn all of the important words like "walk," "treat," and "chicken." She was a big hit with family yesterday on Thanksgiving! She truly has the sweetest personality you could ever want in a dog. I'd describe her as happy-go-lucky -- she is pretty much happy to do anything as long as she gets to be with her humans!

We have a dog trainer coming to work with Basia next week, and she'll be working with Pippin as well. Both girls are very fast learners, so I expect them to be fetching me sodas from the fridge by Christmas. ;-)

I posted a short video of my girls playing in the backyard on youtube. I'll be updating the page with more videos of Pippin soon! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnwXY8229fc

Biscuit is a Puppy Kindergarten Graduate!

Tomorrow the puppies will be 14 weeks old! Biscuit has grown so much since the little ball of white fuzz that arrived at my door about 8 weeks ago. She has recently graduated from puppy kindergarten and has not had an accident in the house for 5 days now! Biscuit is a great friend and goes with me everywhere. She is highly intelligent and helps me teach my kitty Shasta to do tricks too! Here is a photo of her with her new purple name tag, which I think suits her well :~)

Sincerely, Biscuit's Proud Mama

I LOVE A FRISBEE!!

Cobi has found his true calling. He is a frisbee dog. I imagine before long he'll be jumping 5 ft in the air to catch it. These might be long and boring for some of you but I know J will enjoy them :)

Ivy...

This little gal is still with us.
She is too cute and may well end up staying here now, since she has been with us for 13 weeks+ now.
Do you know someone who would love Ivy with a fenced yard? She is a sweetie!

What can you do in a sink with a bordersheltie?

Well, you can get him wet, of course!!!

Update on Pippin

Photos will be coming soon...as soon as we can find the USB adapter for the camera.  Pippin (aka Pipsqueak aka Pippy LongSchnout) is doing very well in her new home here in Charlottesville.  I just brought her in from a morning of playing in the backyard with her sheltie sister Basia, and she's covered in slobber, which I take to be a good sign.  The girls love playing chase, diving into the high grass together, and even chewing on the same tree.  Pippin has gone for a few walks on the leash, which she had no problem with, but we didn't get very far as she found the piles of leaves on the sidewalk too enticing not to dive into at every opportunity.  She really is too cute!

We had her first vet visit on Saturday and she got a perfect bill of health.  She didn't even mind the shots too much!  She doesn't seem to like riding in the car, however, so it's a good thing the vet is only 5 minutes away.  Next weekend, we'll be visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Maryland, which is a 3 hour drive.  They're very excited to meet their new granddoggie.  

Off to look for that camera adapter...

The Brothers are Together Again...

Today at 11:00 Wade, Brenna, Lauren, Pepere, Memere, Cobi and I all piled into the car to go visit Bandit and his family for the first time after beings separated for the past week. At first Cobi was a bit hesitant but it didn't take long before the two of them were chasing each other and wresting all over the yard.

After an hour of some quality play time Cobi and Bandit were ready to rest! Cobi has been sleeping ever since we got home.

A tired Bandit.

A tired Cobi.

Cobi and Bandit resting.

Blaze (now Pippin) gets a new home.

Blaze, now Pippin, went to her new home yesterday.
She is now living with a nice couple in Charlottesville, VA.
She has a very cute 1 year old (Blue Merle) Sheltie sister.
A phone call tonight let me know that she is doing well and we can expect to see a post, along with a picture or two...or three very soon.

The only one left here with us now is Ivy.

So glad to see the Florida brothers are settling in nicely.
I do not know what Michelle and I would have done had Leo and Marie not agreed to help us out by lightening the load by two for those weeks. When they started to get out of the puppy box, it became unmanageable. (Who would have thought she'd have 9 of them?)

It worked out very well.
Bandit and Cobi got to be educated one on one by Rusty and Cody...and they also got to bond tightly to each other, which will be a good thing.

So far, Biscuit, Bandit and Cobi are the only puppies going to classes as far as I know.

It will be interesting to hear the results.

I had a picture of Joe in the previous posting but it did not go through. Joe - wearing the red shirt - just turned 7. Zach is 10.

Bandit

After much anticipation, my family met Bandit (along with Cobi) at Erin & Wade's house Sunday night 11/02/08. Leo and Marie took such good care of the puppies and we are very appreciative. Bandit has quickly made his way into our hearts. Bandit loves to play with Zach & Joe. Zach faked a stomach ache on Monday so he could come home and play with Bandit ( he won't be doing that anymore). Bandit wakes them up in the mornings and is excited when they come home from school in the afternoons. Bandit follows Karen around the house and I enjoy having him in the office. He is fitting in vey well.

Cobi's finally home!

Sunday November 2nd was a long anticipated day! I'm not much of a writer nor do I like to write so instead here is a video of Cobi's first appearance. Bandit is also in this video because he didn't go to his home till later that evening. As you can see Big Kitten is not thrilled with our newest family addition but they are working things out. He is declawed so he didn't do any physical damage.

Sunday night was the first night he slept without Bandit. He wined and cried for a little while but then just decided to go to sleep. At 2 he woke me up and I took him out. He peed then when right back in his crate and slept till 6. The last two nights he has gone to bed by himself AND hasn't cried at all! He has also slept all night both nights. He's had a few accidents but he's done much better than I was expecting!!

We took him to Brenna's school yesterday and he had about 50 kids pet him and he was such a good boy!! He loves people and if he doesn't get attention from someone he sits and watches them as they pass as if he's saying "Hey don't you want to pet me?"

I'll be taking more pictures of him and the girls. But for now here are a couple from Sunday.

We all LOVE him so much and I know in a few months it will be hard to remember life before him.

...and I get pictures of Trixie in my inbox... :>)

Like magic, they arrive.
Here are a few recent pics of Trixie, who continues to do very well in Illinois.

A shot of Biscuit in Vermont?

I had to share these from Lacy in Vermont.

Think Biscuit gets to see some site up there in the cold mountains?

She is doing very well and continues to try to tell the kitty who is boss.
I am not sure if it has worked yet or not.

A couple more pics for you to enjoy

Midair jump, caught on film. (Well, caught on digital memory chip actually.)

A nice picture of Blaze. Pretty cute, huh?

Blaze and Ivy need homes.