The Paw-fect Day

I think I just had the paw-fect weekend. On Friday mom got up and told me we were going to work with the sheepies. So after breakfast, Mom and I got in the car and went to Aunt Cindi's house. I got to play with some of my border dollie friends there, then it was time for me to go to the pen. Emma came with us, but Aunt Cindi said that today I was going to do it all by myself.

It was soooo hard to act like Roo and Emma do...they are so wise and so in control. I was so excited that I just wanted to play with the sheepies. Aunt Cindi said that today I had to learn about control. I don't know what that is, but it very important to her. So I had to walk past the sheepies in their pen and do what Aunt Cindi wanted. I wanted to go sniff their noses, but she told me that I had to stay with her. After a couple of times, I did it PAW-fect, so Mom got a turn. I showed her what to do!

Then I had to go behind the pen and get them out of the pen without chasing them and making them scared. I tried really hard to be grown up like Roo and Emma, but it was very hard. I really wanted to play chase with them...but I know when Mom says, "that'll do!" that I need to come back.

Next came the hard part. I had to put them back in their pen. That was really hard. I got them back near their pen, but every time they got close, I got too excited. Mom says that is when the Control thing is important. I guess I lost mine. If anyone finds it, can you email me so I can come pick it up?

Then when we got home, we went to an agility trial at Auntie Doreen's in Vermont. She has a big puddle and a fun pen to play in. I liked playing fetch in the puddle. Then I got to make lots of friends in the pen. Mom said that I could play while I dried off. I showed her the best way to dry off--roll in the dirt! So she tool me to the puddle to rinse off again. I wanted to make sure I got dry fast, so I rolled in the dirt again. then she did it one more time. I am not sure how many times she was going to take me to the puddle, but I thought it was fun. ...and I rolled in the dirt again. This time Mom just laughed and let me stay dirty.

I played with my friend Larkin, the Aussie, and I met a new Aussie friend, Radar. Radar is just a baby, but he is bigger than I am. Then I played with his border collie sister, Chloe, and border collie brother, Riddick. Aunt Wendy brought border collies Vivi and Aby in to play, too. It was all herding dogs. We played and played. Then our new friend, Hershey, came in. She is not a herding dog, but she was black and liked balls, so we had fun!

Then I was tired, so I went back to the RV and slept. It was the Paw-fect day!

Being a Barbie

The first time someone called me a Barbie Collie I asked my mom what that meant. She smiled and said that it meant that I was pretty. I asked mom if my doggy mom and dad were "pretty dogs," too. She told me she didn't know.

"Barbie" - my mom's mom
But then she and Raechel started searching on the internet to see if they could find out. Miss Emily gave mom the information that she had about where I was born. Mom searched and searched. One day, one of the people that she "me-mailed" ('cuz its about ME!) wrote back saying she found where I was born. Mommy called my doggy mom's person and mommy learned about me. She got pictures of my grandma and grandpa from my mom's side. "Fudge"- my mom's dad

Then she called my doggy daddy's people. I come from the Sportingfields border collies which are from the Borderfame border collies from Australia. My doggy grandpa on my daddy's side is kind of famous. Mommy said that he won best of breed for border collies at Westminster for the past two years. I have no idea what that means except that mom made me watch videos of my grandpa. He is a handome guy, but that running around the ring and standing....I just don't get it. There were no jumps or tunnels and no sheepies! But everyone seemed pretty happy when he runs around on a leash. Maybe that is why mom never let me run around in public without a leash...maybe she was just imitating him?!

"Airely" - my dad's dad

Anyway...I think my family is pretty special...even if it makes me a Barbie collie. But I told mom I am gonna prove that a Barbie collie can be smart and work hard, too! But all this thinking about working is making me tired, so I better take a nap...
me in my princess bed

Mom IS trainable!!!

I thought it was hopeless but I just learned that my mom is trainable! Ever since she got me she has been trying to treat me like a border collie, but she keeps not getting it.

Her friend from Michigan came to visit with her dog. We all went to the river to swim with her dog, my new friend Fantom...and she made me keep my long line on. I was so embarassed. Fantom kept looking at me like I was a baby...but I'm not. I'm almost 2 years old. Miss Sonja told my mom to let me off my leash, but mom said she was nervous. Then she said those wonderful words..."Let her off her leash. She's a border collie. She'll come back." But mom was still nervous.

The following morning another friend with her border collie was playing in the field. Mom took me over to play with him. He is my friend Hazard. Hazard's mom said we could play but only if I was off leash. She was afraid my leash would hurt someone. I looked at mom with my big brown eyes and said "PLEASE!!!!!" Mom let me off my leash and we played. Mom said afterwards that she was so nervous that she was shaking.

Then later that week Miss Cindi, my herding instructor, took us for a walk before our lesson. She told mom to let me off my leash. I played with Roo and Duffy. Mom was still nervous, but Miss Cindi kept talking to her and keeping her calm. Then she told mom that my homework was to be able to listen to commands far away and the only way to practice that is if we walk off leash.

For the last 3 days, mom has been taking me for a walk off leash twice a day. The first time, she kept screaming my name. I came back every time so she got more relaxed. I am glad becuase her constant screeching was even making me nervous.

Tonight we went for a different walk. Instead of walking the half mile to the mailbox, we went up the mountain to find the meadow where daddy says we might put our sheepies. We walked and walked and climbed and jumped over fallen trees. It was so much fun. I figured I would cut mom a break and I stayed nearby her. But I didn't sense she was nervous at all. We went all the way to the top then back down the other side of the house.

Then I stayed real nice in the front yard while our neighbor drove by and mom talked to him. I overheard her say something about buying part of his field across the road so the sheepies would be nearby. I guess maybe that mountain walk was a bit too much for mom!

I know that dad went to classes all weekend to learn about something called med-oh's. He was learning how to manage his med-oh for the sheepies. Mom said she didn't know we had one of those...then they laughed. After our walk mom said she still doesn't know where our med-oh is. I hope no one took it! 'cuz dad says our sheepies will need it, and I know we can't get our sheepies until we find it!

Oh well...I'll have to ask dad if he knows where it went...