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Jackie
- Just want you to know that Jackie
is doing great. She loves to travel in the truck or car. We
took her to Morro Bay in March and spent a few weeks there.
She is a great traveler! 12.17.2005
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A
Pink Christmas. Checking in to tell
you what a wonderful time we all had with our new family member
in Tahoe for Christmas. We had a place on the lake with 14 people
and 3 dogs. The dogs all got along incredibly well, not a hint
of trouble. Pinky blended so well with everyone, and smiled
for 4 hours straight. Everyone there was very much captured
by Pinky's grace and her adoption story. My daughter just loves
her and was totally taken by her immediately. Pinky has really
bonded with us as well. She is doing VERY well and is in VERY
good and LOVING hands. Here is Pinky and our 16 year old cat
George... 12.10.2005
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Kami.
After spending a week and a half
with Kami, I understand how difficult it must have been for
you to part with her. Please know that she is very, very much
loved and well taken care of. She is sooooo wonderful! She had
a great weekend. On Sunday she had a play date with my step
son's 2 yr old lab mix. They had a great time together and played
and played and played. They ran and ran and hurdled the low
rock wall and embankments in our yard. Their play date lasted
about 5 hours. Of course they weren't running the whole time,
but they rested together and enjoyed each others company. Hopefully
they'll have another play date together this Sunday.
She's also been playing
with the Grandkids. On Saturday she met Anna, the 3 yr old.
At first Anna was afraid because Kami, being her affectionate
puppy self jumped on her. After a while Anna was taking Kami
around the house (inside) on a treasure hunt. It was the cutest
thing you'd ever see! Kami just followed her when Anna called
her, stopped when Anna stopped, etc. The other 2 kids came to
see her at work last week, then again came over with their dog
on Sunday. Garrett, age 5, got along great with her from the
get go, Brianna, age 8, was skeptical, but soon took the leash
and was walking Kami all over, (within range). For one who's
afraid of dogs, she did very well. But really, it's because
Kami is such a love.
My customers all love
Kami. Two ladies went to get their husbands out of the car to
come in and see Kami. They of course fell in love, as have most
of my customers. People have come in to say hi to Kami, and
not even to shop! Good and bad. But whatever, as long as my
beautiful girl is getting and giving love, it's all good.
On Sunday I plan to
leave Kami at home for a couple of hours. The Vet and Trainer
both said to be careful about separation anxiety. I don't want
Kami to ever fear me not coming back to her, so I will practice
leaving her for a couple hours when I can. I love her more than
I can say, and thankfully, I know she loves me just as much.
We are a great pair. 12.01.2005
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Macy
is five and a half months old, and has been a great addition
to our family. She is a sweet, kissy, bouncy, SPOILED baby girl.
Our six month old English Setter Brody is loving his new best
friend. The two pups amuse us for hours, as well as each other.
Our older dogs have welcomed her as well. The cats are not convinced
that two puppies are fun, but are getting used to the idea.
We
feel very fortunate to have found the Collie Rescue site, and
a special thank you to Karen for all your time and effort to
place all these wonderful dogs in their new homes.
10.28.2005 |
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Shadow
joined
us only five months ago - seems like almost forever. He is
a very different dog from the one we met on that October morning…
In
some ways, it should have been very clear from the moment
we first saw him that he was not acting like a real
Collie (running, eating, jumping, etc.); he was probably a
very sick Collie. He fooled at least one Vet along
with the rest of us. In just two days, he turned from lackluster
to lethargic with a raging fever necessitating hospitalization
for a day. He quit eating and drinking, and even moving for
that matter; he needed subcutaneous fluids to prevent dehydration.
The fever broke after 10 days of administering fluids, and
then force-feeding him for 5 days. Finally, he asked for and
took his first piece of chicken! At that time we were desperate
for any sign that this story would end happily, but Shadow's
recovery was agonizingly slow. But as his appetite increased
each day, we knew he'd finally turned the corner. His illness
turned out to be a severe case of Bordetella; while usually
not fatal, it did almost kill him.
As
his condition improved (eating more, sleeping less, and becoming
more active) we learned that this dog did not know how to
run, did not know how to walk on leash, did not know how to
play, and did not know how to jump up (thought all Collies
were born with that trait). In his past life, he had eaten
himself into a 72 lb. hulk. When we first saw him, we were
concerned about his crippled rear leg. A chiropractor thought
the leg damage was so serious that Shadow might never be able
to walk normally. Well, Shadow proved us wrong.
Armed
only with glucosamine, we started his re-training. The first
time we tried to take him for a walk, we got about two houses
away and he quit. Within a week or two he was staying somewhat
close to heel and soon he walked our normal 0.4 mile trek
to the top of the hill. Of course, he was strongly influenced
by being clipped to the same leash as our other two collies!
His weight dropped by 6 pounds during his illness, and he
lost 2 more pounds as he got into shape and onto a decent
diet. A few weeks later he attempted to run, but only a few
feet. We thought that the problem was the crippled leg, but
over the next 3 months, he got stronger and gradually ran
a little more. Now he runs, just for the shear pleasure of
running.
We
suspect that he was just a big overweight dog with atrophied
muscles, perhaps due to little exercise, few walks, no room
to run, and no dogs to play with. In contrast, he knew how
to act inside; he knew that he wanted to get inside; and he
knew how to stay there.
Although
Shadow watches the other dogs play, he does not yet know how
to play. The other dogs sometimes try to get him involved
with their romps, but he is usually on the sidelines with
that, what are they doing(?) look on his face. At least he
shows a few playful sparks like grabbing a rope toy and trying
to shake it to death. He now also jumps a little bit, runs
to people for attention, and runs in circles when he gets
excited. His reduced weight and renewed strength successfully
hide problems from his damaged leg.
A
special thanks to those involved with collie rescue for your
help and encouragement through this very difficult time of
Shadow's recovery. We'll never know what kind of a life he
had in the past, but each day we learn a little more about
him and how he wants to live. 11.30.2005
 
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Robbie
- We first
met Robbie through Collie Rescue; the idea of getting a Collie
through Rescue was suggested and encouraged by our Vet after
Holly, our previous Collie, had died. The minute we saw him
it was love at first sight; we knew he was the one for us. Robbie
is a 3 year old smooth haired male; we had never had a smooth
haired before, but we liked the idea of getting a "smoothy",
as a contrast to our last dog who was a rough, because his coat
is easier to take care of. We quickly got used to the smooth
look, and believe us, he is all Collie; all the usual mannerisms,
the long nose, the inquisitiveness, and yes, the quiet stubbornness.
Robbie is the friendliest dog in the world; he hasn't met any
dog, or person, he doesn't love instantly, and, amazingly, he
is so non-threatening that he rarely upsets others dogs. He
has a weekly play date with Aki, another smooth haired Collie
who lives close by. He doesn't seem to mind being on his own
when we have to go out and he is not destructive. But he does
have his quirks: he is very reluctant to get in a car, and he
won't come up to join us in the loft when we watch TV. Initially,
he was rather shy and spent a lot of time in the computer room,
which he appropriated as his, so it appears that he brought
some baggage with him, and we found that it took a bit of time
to get him acclimatized.
All
in all, he's a wonderful creature, and we are very grateful
to Collie Rescue for finding and taking care of him until we
bonded together. 10.18.2005 |
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Emma
-
Here is a picture
we took today of Emma recently. She loves going for rides in
the car, playing with our 3 other collies, visiting my mom and
her dog Dottie, going for walks, and doing the agility course.
She likes peppermint lifesavers, chasing the deer, and barking
just to voice her own opinion. We enjoy having her in our lives.
She is my best friend. Thank you for bringing her into my life.
09.17.2005 |
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Snowy,
our 10 year old Rough
Tri, was rescued on July 28, 2005. She came from a terribly
neglected situation, covered in ticks, fleas, and filth and
she was underweight. Some parts of her fur needed to be shaved
off.
I
had seen her in April when we had rescued several other dogs
from the location. At that time this poor oldster could hardly
walk and her head was hanging completely down. She was trying
to come towards me and could not do it. There were too many
dogs around and she was limping. The owner said she had suffered
from a stroke which caused her disorientation. From that time
onward, I had developed a soft spot in my heart for her. We
could not get her out in April, as the owner would not give
her up at that time, so she had to suffer an additional 3 months.
When
finally Collie Rescue took her out, she was transported to Napa
Valley where she stayed for a week, was cleaned up, and was
checked by a vet. Instead of having had a stroke, she was diagnosed
as having a very severe ear infection. This infection affected
her balance and explained why she walked very wobbly and sometimes
sideways. She was put on antibiotics. In addition, she had hundreds
of ticks and fleas removed.
Since
she would be a difficult dog to get adopted, we decided to take
her in and give her a forever home. After taking her back to
the vet, she was put on Baytrill for her ear infection. She
also had all kind of worms that were treated. She started to
put on weight. When her ear was cured and she was strong enough,
we got her spayed. Also a fat tumor was removed from one of
her nipples and she got her teeth cleaned. Tough little Snowy
made it through all of this and recovered well. She is a very
sweet dog and seems to be so happy with us. Now she is treated
as a princess, has her own soft dog bed inside and dog house
outside, and gets along well with our Sheltie and our other
Collie. Her hair has grown back and looks so shiny. We are so
happy to have her and I hope she gets to live some more happy
years with us. She totally deserves it.
07.28.2005 |
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Zoey
is walked everyday - by myself and her 2 new brothers - my boys,
14 and 15, just love her so much, as do my husband and I. She
is slowly coming out of her shell. I remember when my boys were
babies each day I would wake up and be so excited to see them
- and I feel the same about Zoey. She seems to be enjoying our
morning walks - although, 5:30 am was a real shocker for her
the first few mornings - she now greets me when I go downstairs
for our walks - she has chosen the den downstairs as "her
place" - her bed is in there also - plus one of the boys
is still sleeping in the room with her until school starts just
so she has company - I know, it sounds like a baby, but to us,
she is!
Thank
you again for being instrumental in our getting Zoey - she has
been such a wonderful addition to our family!
07.15.2005 |
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Mikki
Mikki loves hiking in Auburn State Recreation Area, where I work. She is a wonderfully agile dog and can walk up the steep canyon sides, even offering help if I have trouble. She waits politely at the end of the leash while I catch up to her and will help pull me up if I am having trouble climbing the rocks. She is joyous and happy all the time and she is very good at herding our chickens and ducks back into their pens. She is just the best dog I have had since my border collie died when my kids (now 21 and 18 were little). I told my husband the other day that with a dog like her, you really only feel you need one dog, because it is the perfect dog. I think I am now spoiled for ever having anything other than a collie. 06/10/2005
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Highland Barclay
I am having fun in my new home, we go for several walks every
day, and I usually go to the barn in the afternoon while Mom
rides her horses (unless it's too hot). I bark at the cows
filing past me from the horse trailer where I have a nice
den. Dad takes me every morning to a nearby field for obedience
lessons. I do a good job when there is no distraction, but
I'm afraid I lose all my attention when other dogs walk by,
or bicyclists, or anything. I graduated from puppy class,
but I kind of blew my very last offleash recall because I
needed to go wee-wee so I didn't sit. Dad says I need to repeat
puppy class. The three of us went hiking at Marin headlands
on Dad's birthday. I had a wonderful time hiking ten miles
over the ocean cliff trails, smelling everything. We also
stopped at the lagoon and I got to swim (don't tell Mom and
Dad, I was chasing ducks). Then I rolled in the sand on the
beach, it was lovely. The next day I was visited at home by
the mobile pet groomer who gave me a complete bath and grooming.
05.29.2005
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Nick
is a blind, "double dilute" collie and is doing great!
He is fitting in wonderfully... we don't know how we got along
without him. Our pet sitter came by today to get a key and find
out all the new happenings at our home. She fell in love with
Nick and wished she owned her place so she could have him...
we said sorry he's home where he belongs! We need to go to a
graduation in Nevada this weekend so she will be here day and
night taking care of our little farm. We are truly blessed in
so many ways. 04.24.2005 |
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Chihiro,
our Scottish
princess, was given a Japanese name by our son who was fascinated
by the Miyazaki film Spirited Away at the time that we adopted
her. Chihiro (also known as Chi, Chi Girl, and Chi Chi), is
named after the heroine in the film.
She is
truly an elegant collie and a doll. We love her dearly and
she has been a true delight -- we couldn't have asked for
a better companion. Chi and our cat, Beau, get along absolutely
beautifully as well. We have had a few behavioral issues on
our walks to deal with, but she is still a young, whipper-snapper,
after all. We have her in training and when the trainer is
working with Chihiro, she is incredibly well-behaved and catches
on so quickly. But, when David and I get her, she's a different
dog! Bottom line, Chihiro is the well-behaved one; it's my
husband and I who need the training!
This photo
was taken at the tree farm where we cut our holiday tree.
Adoption date 04.10.2005
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King
Caspian -
Caspian
is doing well. As I think you told me, it often takes a year
for a rescue dog to show his "true" personality --
and I think we're seeing more of Caspian's now.
He
has grown more comfortable around my son. He likes to "roughhouse"
with me and romp with other dogs whenever given the chance.
He also likes to play "fetch" with a stuffed animal,
usually after dinner. He barks to get the attention of other
people and dogs, but usually stops if they greet/pet him. Some
dogs growl at him, and he always seems surprised by this. He's
on a pretty regular schedule -- up around 7am, walk around 9am
(except weekends and vacations), dinner around 5:30 pm. My daughter
is now feeding him every night, so he's learning to look for
her for dinner. He now sleeps in the children's room and goes
to bed when they do (around 8:30 pm), which works out well for
everyone. He was waking up and barking when he slept in the
downstairs bathroom. Now he sleeps through the night.
His
coat is still growing in and every week I can see it grow blacker.
I think his previous owners must have left him outside mostly
(where he likes to bark to communicate with other dogs) and
rarely brushed him. He doesn't like being brushed, but he tolerates
it even when I know I've pulled his hair.
In
short, Caspian is a good dog who has become a part of our family
-- our third child. He's a good dog -- remarkable, really, when
we consider that we know nothing of his first three years and
that we're at least his third owners.
Thanks
for rescuing him -- and thanks for helping so many families
find good companions. 03.17.2005 |
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Tuxedo
and Dusty are
doing great. We affectionately refer to Dusty as Lazarus. He
still has his arthritis and weak hind end...and makes it thru
the night without too many problems. He gets walks twice a day
and guards the house at the head of the driveway. He loves being
with all the guys and gets really upset if he isn't included
in activities. We usually pair them - Dusty & Danny (the
older gentlemen) and Tux & Brigadoon (the energetic duo).
They get a beach trip 2-3 times a week. That's were Tux really
lets it all out. We have trained him well on the lead and he
is pretty responsive to voice commands. All dogs get along well.......sometimes
Dan gets peeved at Tux but by in large its a happy and playful
brood. Danny really looks after Dusty and he is truly a joy.
02.09.2005
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Merry
and Sailor have been an incredible
source of love and joy for me. I am amazed at how much they
progress. The first time Merry went camping and hiking, she
cried at every obstacle in her way. After a 5 day backpacking
trip, she has become quite adept to the outdoors. She will cross
streams, walks over tree bridges, climbs up and down rocks,
climbs over down trees on the trails...all with a backpack on.
She has come a long way. Sailor has always been very agile.
During that same backpacking trip, he wanted out of the tent
every couple of hours to patrol camp and make sure all was ok.
I believe he chased away a few critters. He has become very
inquisitive, which I hope means he's gaining more confidence
in himself. They both listen well, travel well, and are so happy
and full of love. I am so blessed to have two wonderful and
amazing collies. By the way, they both received their good canine
citizenship certificates! Now that's progress! 01.01.2005 |
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