A Riddle

What do you get when you take one part Sage:




Add one part Vibe



And mix them well? You get


Blastoff Blue Moon Doggie, bred at Blastoff Border Collies and now residing with me.
He's an amazing puppy, truly amazing. He already knows sit, down, heel (not the walking part, just calling him into position). He's going to give Oliver a run for his money in who can learn the fastest-but Oliver doesn't mind. He's grooving on having another able bodied, ready to rumble kiddo to play with.


Prissy shows off her flashy Blue and White Coat to the newcomer.


More about Blue.


Another comment.


Oliver is not a bit jealous.


Like big brother Oliver, Moon was the house child's favorite. Krystal did a great job of making a socialable, easy going little fellow. The right kid is such a plus when it comes to puppy raising.

As you can see, after losing two of our senior members this year, the crew is really excited about this new pup. And so am I.

Ewww, he did it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I left it here somewhere.....

Hmmm, flooding issues

That's what the weather guy is calling it. Looks like I'll be pulling out the piddle pads. I actually had to carry Oliver outside-he was having none of it.

What's funny as heck is all my dogs love water, love mud, love to splash. But rain on their BACKS? That just aint right.

Oh Why Not

I feed certain treats in crates or solo situations only, so that each dog can enjoy it without competition. But, then there is Prissy.

Prissy, like Dottie before her, is a saver. She eats a bit now, buries some for later. In the spring, later is best when it's outside and in a sunny spot, in winter, a sunny floor will have to do.

Prissy has amassed quite a collection of stubs and has started bringing them out each morning. At first I put them back, citing "it's not fair, I'm not giving the others a treat"...but you know what, it's not fair to Priss either. If she chooses to wait to enjoy her bone in the grass, why the heck shouldn't she?

I don't lock Cody up-it isn't fair to him becaue he won't be getting a treat. But you know what, sometimes Prissy gets her entire bone, sometimes she has to share. If the other ignore her to soon, she'll walk in front of them with her bone waving.

Sometimes it's best just to let dogs be dogs.

A Bad Hairday for Cody

Fortunately, Cody is a dog of high self esteem and believes the new look will be in for the summer.

Lily seems to be thinking "what is all the fuss about, he looks like kaka"

A passing shower

Today we had the first rain shower that felt like spring. A few rumbles of thunder, and much excitement on the part of the dogs who were outside at the time. I'm not sure they were excited about the rain as much as the prospect of coming in and having a leisurely breakfast inside. Oliver is already ready to go back out and hit the puddles....ah, the exhuberance of youth!

My neighborhood is a chain link fence neighborhood, and I have garden fences, and dog pens up as well, so I don't like the dogs to go outside until the thunder passes by.

Oliver and Lily both have the lanky looks of dogs getting ready to hit a growth spurt and they are eating like there is no tomorrow. Lily will probably end up being about the size of Prissy. Oliver is harder to tell, he's a month younger and with his background he could grow longer or taller. However, at 4 months and 7 pounds, he is on track for becoming my 15 pound dog I wanted. At 10.2 pounds, so is Cody, but he's not getting any taller....sigh.

Kids Kids Kids

On the way to pick up my gang, I saw a puppy about Oliver's age that looked a lot like one of his siblings. It was running loose on the street less than a quarter of a mile from where I got Oliver. I'm so grateful my guy is safe, due for his big shots in a week, well loved and not at all nervous around people. I wish that for all dogs.

While I was unloading the crew;an easy job-they are all eager to go smell the backyard, some neighbors were walkig down the street with their little dog. Their dog was on a leash, but another neighbor's dog was not-he's a cute little poodle pup that runs loose constantly.

Now I have a few more dogs than the city ordinance allows, but none of them run down the street, they all have their shots and any medicines that they may require, they all know their names and come to me when I ask. Ok, maybe not Lily and Oliver, but they are babies. I wish that for all dogs too-to be safe, to have a name, and someone who they would want to come to when called.

Good Choice

Oh, I was wise in taking the dogs to the kennel. This whole roofing thing would not go over well with them at all.

Oh well

The turkey leg was a big hit with the kiddos. All are at the kennel-I'm going to Dallas tomorrow and then a family thing on Thursday. Hopefully the roofers will be done and I can pick my dogs up on Friday. Roofers and houseful of small dogs-just not a good idea for sanity.

Babysitting

It amazes me how patient the adults are with Oliver. Greta and Prissy are 2 (3?) and Codyis going on 4, and they put up with him with surprising tolerance. Like any small child, he sometimes has trouble settling in for a nap and they allow him to chew on their feet or pull tails while they doze.

Thinking back, his intro into the pack was very easy. I basically said "hello pack, this is Oliver, he's one of us" and because I have that authority, he was. When he's out in the backyard, Greta or Cody will keep an eye on him if he wanders around and check on him if he goes around a corner and stays too long.

Prissy still live in between worlds. She's a little dog but she's also a young dog. It's fun to watch her adapt to what ever group she's in. Even in the back yard, after the initial group romp, they seperate themselves by size an age.

Prissy has never been an outsider, she was always an extended pack member even when she lived with Mom. She came to us the day after I got Cody and spent her first couple of nights crated next to him. After she moved to Texas to be with us, she and Dottie went back to Oklahoma for awhile when I had surgery.

She and Dottie appear to treat my house and Mom's house as home. Having 2 backyards is great-it expands their territory far beyond that of a regular urban dog. The yard between Mom's and mine is a dogless no man's land, but yes, I covet it for them too.

Snow

I think of this one as "Got Milk?"

Oliver and Prissy tussle with a toy.

Below is Oliver in the snow (he's not really as forlorn as he looks).

Turkey Dinner Yum Yum

My Uncle's home had their Turkey dinner today and I brought leftovers for the dogs. Cody got mostly carrots, but the three black and whites are now in a turkey induced coma. Even just a little does them in. It's a hoot.

Letting Go

Oh my gosh-it's hard to do the right thing. I put Bitty out with the pack today for the first time alone-she trotted right out and part of me was happy and part of me wanted her to NEED me. I'm sitting here now typing and the cat is curled around my shoulder like a lovely tortoise shell muffler-yes dahling, I do wear fur.

Our relationships with our animals mirror those with people (well, we ARE human) only maybe more intensely. It is so tempting to keep Bitty for myself, just a little extra attention, a little favor, and she would me MINE, loyal and devoted and loving only me. AND (all caps for emphasis) she's old, so what would it matter? Really, woud it hurt anything?

But, it isn't the best thing for her. She's already bonded with one person, who had the ill fortune to die, leaving her alone an unbonded. I truly hope I outlive this old dog, but what if I didn't? And, she can love me and my parents and the crew, and that has got to be a more secure feeling than having all your heart in one place.

She's crying at the door and has been out for a good hour, so I'm going to let her in, along with the rest of the pack.

Sleep therapy

Sleeping with me is good therapy for Dottie-my movements cause her to move and keep the blood from pooling-and reduces her cough. Sometimes it's the simple things that help the most, a friendly touch, a little body heat

Prissy is more insistent in her challenges to Dottie's authority. It's the way of dogs to sense weakness and try to improve their own lot. That was one of the first things that alerted me to Dottie's condition.

Dottie's appetite continues to be poor, and I will not force feed her.

In an odd truce, the cat slept at my head while Dottie slept at my side.

The Shrilling of the Shrew

Prissy has the most high pitched bark known to man. She puts the yap in yappers. And when she is not barking at squirrels, passerby and dauschunds, she is barking at her own pack in an effort to get them to chase her.

If that doesn't work, she will chase her tail-but she does it while lying on her back.

She is the youngest (by only a month) and the silliest and most stubborn of all the dogs. She also has the most beautiful head of almost any chi I have seen. Oh, and yes, I love her with all my heart....

How Highs the Water Momma?

Record rainfall in Oklahoma. I have set boundaries-if they dogs want to be water dogs they can run in and out-but must stop at the sun porch that has indoor/outdoor carpeting.

I don't know that they love the rain, they just love the yard and running around and if the rain is part of that, so be it. There is a lesson there for us all.

Now that I am in and getting settled, I am also mourning the loss of Dolly a bit-especially at nap time. That was our special time together-she always loved to nap with me and sleep with me when I visited. She hated storms and rain though, so it's nice to know the weather won't be bothering her.

A BRAG

I had a perfect, four dog in individual crates, turned around and waiting for the treat, morning this morning. YAY Prissy! Now THAT's what I'm talkin about!

New Photos

New photos on the sidebar. My gang is handsome one!

The pack is complete

The home range is secured and a full accompaniement of dogs are policing the area. The schnauzers have been repelled at last. (Ok, their owners moved, but let the chi's enjoy their victory.)

However, we are going to Oklahoma soon (moving) and there will be new backyards to secure and lands to conquer. Let the Okie dogs be warned.