River - ADOPTED!!!

1/2/10 CONGRATS TO DEREK OF MPLS ON THE ADOPTION OF RIVER!!! SHE'S A VERY LUCKY GIRL!!!
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11/15/09 We received River from Aussie Rescue on 11/12, she is approx. 2-3 years old, Black Tri Female Aussie with a tail, she may be an Aussie Mix but I don't think there's much of anything else there. River is house broken, she goes to the door and whines and we haven't had a single accident! She sorta knows Sit and Come too. She's a little over weight, but not bad, and she LOVES to snuggle!!! She also plays really well with Cache. The first few minutes were a little growly, but I've come to the conclusion that Cache is a brilliant idiot LOL Now they are playing tug, snuggling on the couch, they even eat next to each other already!

Now that we have a nice sunny day I'll take her outside and get some pics of this beautiful girl for everyone to see :)

11/21/09 My appologies to everyone that follows my blog for not updating sooner. I am finally getting around to uploading the photos of Miss River and tell you all more about her.

River was spayed and micro chipped this last Tuesday (11/17). We had a few days were she wasn't feeling good at all, and wouldn't even eat. I stopped at the local vet and picked up 2 cans of "id" which is a VERY bland but tempting canned dog food. It is usually only given as a prescription, but the vet was nice enough to let me purchase some :) It did the trick, she started to eat and is now feeling MUCH better! although still not 100% herself yet.

Prior to her vet appt I had been playing fetch with her in the back yard after work, she was showing good toy drive and really wants to please. Since being spayed (and still in recovery) she hasn't shown much interest in fetch (rope toy, ball, frisbee...nothing), she will however still play a little tug with Cache and chew on the toys in the house.

River is crate trained, she doesn't like to be told to go in the crate and will (most of the time) do the "crappy flop" on the floor in protest LOL, she will however dive in after a treat or just go in on her own to sleep on the doggy bed in the there. Once she is in the kennel she will just lay down and go to sleep. She isn't much of a barker, but does "talk" when she is really excited, it's super cute, quiet little whimpery talking LOL, she has barked when the door bell rang and when Cache starts barking about nothing, but is soon quiet.

The only real negatives I've discovered are: she WILL counter surf, almost every time she has come in from outside she has gone into the kitchen and put her paws on the counter looking for goodies to get into. She is also completely in your face when you are eating, and WILL table surf if you step away, turn around, or anything before cleaning up. Both these problems will completely go away with consistant correction and training, she just probably hasn't been told not to very often before coming to live with us.

I think Rivers ideal home would be with a more active family who is looking for both a great house dog/family pet and an agility type activity or bike riding partner. She seems to require more excersize and activity then the average family dog but isn't neccessarily the most high drive girl that I have met. She hasn't met children with me yet, although I'm more then sure that she will lay down and beg for a belly rub and I'm not sure how she would be with Cats yet either as I haven't tested her on them yet. She does have a decent play drive and may be too tempted to chase them, but she may be fine with them. I will let you all know how she does once I have the chance to find out.

11/27/09 River is really settling in here nicely, she is becoming a MUCH more relaxed and calm girl then I thought she really ever would be. River likes to play, but she's just as content with a walk around the neighborhood. She is very sweet and LOVES to snuggle! She loves the doggy bed in her kennel too, if she's out and we're just relaxing, she will go in the kennel and lay on her bed all on her own. Right now she's laying on the couch watching me sit on the laptop :)

River will be getting her stitches out this next Tuesday. I'm sure that won't be a problem at all, she's so mellow and as long as someone is petting her she'll stay in one place for quite a while LOL

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! now to do the Christmas decorations (cross your fingers for me with the foster dogs LOL, this will be an interesting one LOL)

Ben - ADOPTED!!!

9/18/09 Ben (Benjamin) has arrived. He was able to catch a plane ride with Maggie from Indianapolis to So. St. Paul. He is a 2 year old Black-Tri Aussie who is obviously stressed out by his trip up here. So far he is a little growly and snappy, but I'm just chauking it up to the stress of leaving his family, going on a plane ride, then an hour car ride...I'd be crabby too. He is still intact so will be getting neutered here shortly, and seems to have some obedience training. Here are a few of the initial (not so happy to be here) pics of him. I'll get more (hopefully better) pics of him in the next few days.


9/19/09 As I had hoped, Ben is doing better this morning. I took him outside, put him on the chain and hung out with him in the back yard. He discovered the neighbors cats in the window and was interested in them and wanted to get closer but didn't show any signs of aggression. On the relinquishment form it states that he would "chase" the neighbors cat but nothing else. He gave me a few kisses on my hand and even jumped up to sneak a kiss on my face while we were outside. I brought him inside and fed both of the dogs, then back outside. He played with Cache a little, but wasn't overly excited, just followed Cache around the yard.

Mike came outside and Ben walked up to him to say hi, Mike was able to pet him without any growling or issues. We took a few pics of him, he didn't want to really hold still so they aren't great pics, but at least they are outside of the kennel LOL we even got a little video clip of him that I will post below and on my blip.tv account.

http://aussielvr07.blip.tv/file/2622336/

Anyway, so far things are going better then last night. He is crate trained, but has lifted his twice this morning in the house on our way outside so I'm not sure how "house" trained he is. He is a quiet dog, I've only heard a bark once and that was after Cache barked at people walking on the street. I think in a few days he'll feel better about being here and will start to open up more and be himself.

Here is the video clip from this morning.

9/28/09 Ok where to start, Ben met my neighbor last week, he growled and snapped at her but she totally didn't listen to me when I said to just ignore him and she did the typical baby talk and approached him...needless to say it wasn't great. A different friend came over a few minutes later and did what I said and there wasn't a single growl or anything out of Ben but I had left him in the kennel just in case. My friend Karyn came over the next day and totally ignored him, I took him outside then let him in and let him hang out for a bit. She continued to completely ignore his existance which seemed to worry him and after a minute or two he started to kiss her hands and forced her to touch him, more like a "Hey Lady! don't you see me???". So she pet him for a moment then just stopped, he was an absolute angel with her.

Thursday I took Ben to Melissa and Pauls, he did good, everyone took turns just grabbing the leash and making him walk with them. Melissa and Paul took pics of him and after the "photo shoot" for the other fosters Cynthia brought, we got to play on the agility course (YEAH MY FAVORITE!!!). Ben did really good, I was pretty proud of the big moose LOL we did a jump, then the A-Frame, then another jump, then the tunnel. It didn't take him too long to figure out what he's suppose to do even though I don't think he had really ever been started in Agility before, but he definitely likes doing it!!!

Mike and I went out of town for the weekend and left the dogs with Joke. I guess Ben decided that the Pantry door was his spot of choice to pee on over the weekend. He hadn't pee'd on the door until this weekend but has been corrected for peeing on everything else LOL. Joke had a friend come over which I guess Ben wanted to eat him (Cache did too the first time he met him so maybe he just has that "ora" about him). For the most part though Ben didn't give Joke too much trouble which was nice.

We got home late last night and I wasn't sure how Ben would react since we've been gone a few days, but holy cow! what a welcome wiggle butt, whining/whimpering, bouncing, kissing...now times that by two 60lb dogs! It was quite the reunion LOL

This morning when I let the dogs out again after breakfast they were playing and having fun flipping each other over and running and jumping, typical play at my house, but when I brought them in I couldn't help but notice this very foul poopy smell, I looked at them closer and sure enough, Cache's legs where pretty much covered, and Ben (always the one on the ground) was well, just pretty much covered - YUCK! so, BATH time it was. I started with Cache since he was just his legs, and then moved to the full bath set up for Ben. I asked him to get in the tub only twice and he climbed in!!! Then the water, still good, shampoo, no problems, rinse-condition-rinse, holy cow! I made it through the entire bath without a single issue YEAH!!!!! He was actually better then Cache has ever been! turned around when I suggested it, stayed standing and never even tried to get out of the tub until I said OK lots of treats for this guy now :-)

10/12/09 Last Tuesday I took Ben to his first Obedience class. BCRMN has received a "punch card" for our foster dogs at Water Edge Dog Training Center in Buffalo where it's $5 to take our foster dogs to a class. The class that I took Ben to had started 3 weeks prior so the dogs in there where already a little a head of us on their training, but I have been working with Ben on Down, Stay, Come, Lets Go (Heal)...already at home. Ben did a GREAT job! He gave me 100% of his attention and even though he didn't know some of the things that we did he tried really hard to please me and do the right thing :) I couldn't have asked for anything more of him. He was a really good boy!

Thursday morning I took Ben to the vet to be Neutered, Microchipped, and get his Rabies shot, he was a little growly and snappy at the vet tech but I stayed with him and held him while Dr. Jerry gave him the sedative, then 15 minutes later I helped get him on the table and help his face while they gave him the shot to put him under for the surgery. They text me as soon as they were done and I went to pick up a very drugged and sleepy Benjamin. He was able to walk/wobble out to the car, but I needed to help him get in the kennel, he wasn't quite stable enough to do it on his own yet LOL at least I didn't have to carry him out, we had weighed him earlier in the morning and his an amazing 67 POUNDS! which for him is perfect! he's not a fat dog, he's very thick and muscular and is at his right weight :)

This morning we woke up to 3 inches of snow so I just had to take a few pics of Ben and Cache playing in the back yard, Ben seems to really LOVE running around in the fresh white stuff, and stopped to eat some of it quite often LOL they didn't want to come in for about 45 minutes.

All in all Ben is doing really good with us here. He is Fear Aggressive, meaning that he isn't a very dominant dog, but has learned that if he growls and snaps at people they will leave him alone. Meeting new people is really our only obsticle right now, obviously he will have a hard time being adopted if he appears to want to eat who ever is coming to see him. Even though Ben is fully vetted now and technically is available for adoption, I am going to keep him for a while longer and work on his socialization skills. He really is a big lover and very sweet, but he is terrified of new people so we are working on changing/correcting that. I have faith that he will come around soon :)

11/3/09 Ben was moved to a new foster home with BCRMN, the board had made the decision that while he is doing good with me, they feel he would benefit from new surroundings and people.

Jag - ADOPTED!!!

***CONGRATULATIONS TO MAGGIE ON THE ADOPTION OF THIS VERY SWEET LITTLE MAN! HAVE FUN WITH HIM!!!***

I picked up Jag the Mini Aussie from Melissa's on 8/15/09. He is a Blue Merle with crystal Blue eyes, he's about 25 pounds, and 2 years old.

8/31/09 Today I took Jag with me to the Minnesota State Fair with Aussie Rescue of Minnesota to help Nancy with her booth. He met literally HUNDREDS of people and for as shy as he is he did really well. He let everyone from children to the elderly pet him, even sat in the lap of a boy in a wheel chair! I'm really hoping that this little guy finds a great home soon, he's such a sweet heart.

9/1/09 Jag was adopted tonight, I never found time to really update him here, but for the last 2 weeks he was a very sweet and lovable "Little Man" that has now found his forever home! I'm so happy for him and Maggie!!!

Here are a few pics that I took of him over the last few weeks.

And here is a pic of Jag and his new family! (Yasmine (roommate) Maggie (new Mom) and Jag)

Willie - ADOPTED!!!

***Willie is heading back to IL with his new Forever Family Mark and Family . He will be competing in Disc Dog with Mark and I couldn't be happier for him and them! Congrats on your new home Willie, I'll miss you!!!***

Willie will only be adopted out to a Performance/Working home as he is way too high drive for the average family. He is a dog that NEEDS a job and the occasional walk, bike ride, and game of fetch is not going to keep this dog happy.

7/7/09 I picked up Willie from BCRMN last night at Agility Class. He is a roughly 1 year old Black and White Border Collie that is very high drive. He loves to do Agility and has even turned on to the Disc. This guy is very toy and treat motivated and really loves to work.

7/10/09 Willie is quite the character. He is definitely a "normal" Border Collie, always busy and coming up with new games to play if I don't keep him busy doing something I find constructive. Since he's been here he has been in the garbage, counter surfing, and table surfing. But he is very reliably house trained and has learned to ring the bell very quickly. If you ignore the bell he barks and whines and scratches at the door letting you know he has to go outside.

He is doing great with my dog, they love to play and wrestle, but when it gets out of hand or I feel Cache needs a break Willie is content going in his kennel and taking a nap. He only occasionally protests and only for a moment.

He loves to be brushed, but needs work on staying still and calm for a nail trimming. He is great on walks and barely pulls on the leash, with or without a prong collar. Willie is also a big snuggle bug, he likes to hang out on the couch and give you kisses, but with him being a busy little dog, he is quickly off and looking for a toy or playing with Cache.

7/13/09 I have been working with Willie on the Weave Poles at home and I have to say he is getting QUICK! we've just started going through without the leash and tonight I'm going to try and do them with out the guides. He enters great and doesn't seem to care if he's on my right or left.

Tonight is Agility Class night and I'm eager to see if we can get some good sequences completed. He's seen all the equipment, now we're just working on control and direction. Last week he was great on the dog walk, then we did the teater, he belly crawls as soon as you say "tip", then when we went back to the dog walk he started to belly crawl up the ramp, I had to remind him that this one doesn't move LOL. He's quick but careful, and eager to please. I've also started working on Touch and Bottom with him at home so I hope our exit contacts are better tonight =)

His Disc Dog work is progressing nicely too. He's starting to really track the disc and make a lot of catches. My hard part is the throwing, Cache needs a higher and slower throw and Willie needs a lower and fast throw! Not easy to switch it up like that LOL. His hard part is dropping the disc, he flys out to get it, brings it back nice, but he's more interested in tug-o-war then dropping and going back out. I need to work on his "around" too, but that's not a huge problem, it'll get there.

7/16/09 Just a quick update, Willie is continuing to do GREAT in agility, he loves to jump and run the obsticles, and his weaves are AWESOME for only doing agility for 3 weeks! He loves to play frisbee too and he's getting really good at catching the disc when I throw it good. Tonight I managed to wear him out a little with frisbee in the back yard so he's actually flat out sleeping on my kitchen floor as I'm typing this =) Gotta love a tired dog!

Willie is good in the car when he's lose, but aparently he barks when he's crated in the vehicle (I don't have a vehicle that works with crates so I let the dogs ride lose on leashes). He like's to ride shot gun and doesn't get crazy at all about any passing vehicles. Motorcycles, bikes and people walking dogs catches his attention, but he just watches them as we pass.

Last night I brought the dogs for a walk and stopped to visit with my neighbor. Her youngest came out and started to ride his bike in front of us. Willie watched him intently but didn't make a move or anything. Then the skateboard came out, Willie still used incredible self control, but was more interested in the skateboard. It was the scooter though that triggered the herding drive in him. He popped up and whined and did the border collie stare at James and the scooter and wanted soooooooooooooooo bad to "round him up". I told him to calm down and leave it and he listened, but was still trained on the scooter pretty good.

Willie is good with the kids, he likes to jump up and give hugs and kisses, and even their running around doesn't seem to bother him too much (so long as they aren't on a scooter LOL). He's also the second foster dog that I've been able to trust off leash while we are training/working in the back yard. He's very focused on the either the jumps, obsticles or disc and has a great recall if he gets too far out and I want him to come closer in.

Here is a link to the video page for BCRMN. You can see several Frisbee video's and Agility video's there.

Agility: http://blip.tv/file/2309302
Agility 2: http://blip.tv/file/2309632
Frisbee: http://blip.tv/file/2337291
Frisbee 2: http://blip.tv/file/2337286
Agility (week 3): http://blip.tv/file/2355072

8/17/09 Quick update on Willie, we competed in the Novice Distance and Accuracy (Disc Dog) at the Rockford River Days comp with TCDDC. Willie received 1st Place in the Novice Division with 17.5 points! which was actually enough points to have placed 2nd in the Sport (Advanced) Division!! Way to go Willie!!!

Although Willie is still available for adoption he is now at Melissa and Pauls to receive more Freestyle training for Disc Dog. Paul will be running him in FreeStyle and Distance and Accuracy at the Naperville, IL Competition on Labor Day weekend. If you are interested in getting more info on Willie please contact Melissa at Melissa@BCRofMN.org

Updated pic of Willie (taken by my neighbor Mike in his photo studio)

Dayze - ADOPTED!!!

***CONGRAT'S PAUL AND KAMI ON ADOPTING DAYZE!!!***

6/6/09 Ok, I'm finally getting a chance to officially post info about Crazy Dayze (meaning her color not her personality LOL) it helps us to verbally distinguish between our previous foster too =)

I picked up Dayze from Nancy at Aussie Rescue on 5/30/09. Nancy had asked us at BCRMN if we could help her out due to the amount of dogs that she has. Dayze is approximately 1 1/2 to 2 yrs old, Blue Merle, Catahoula Leopard Dog Mix. She was assumed to be an Aussie Mix due to her color only. There is nothing about this dog that says Aussie. She is fully house trained and crate trained, but we haven't had to use a crate with her at all.

Please visit ARM's website for the dogs that Nancy has available at this time. She has more coming in and they will be posted as soon as she can get them up. http://www.aussierescuemn.org/.

Before I get too involved in updating you on the week I've had with Crazy Dayze, please take a moment to find out more about the Catahoula Leopard Dog by clicking these links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catahoula_Cur
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/catahoula.htm
http://www.terrificpets.com/dog_breeds/catahoula_leopard_dog.asp

After bringing Dayze home I took her and Cache for a walk together (with my cousin Jackie). I highly recommend walking your new pack member with the rest of the pack immediately, Cesar Millan does it, and it really works! We went for a just a quick walk around the block and when we got back home the dogs were walking together great and just wanted to play. We came in the house and they started to play almost instantly and other then to sleep they haven't really stopped =) they seem to really like each other.

That first evening was fun, the dogs played and hung out together. I gave them a little dinner, they ate next to each other the first night! I totally trust Cache to be good and I had Dayze on the leash incase I needed to pull them apart. (picture is from a few days later) She ate her dinner and tried to push Cache out of his bowl, I pulled her away and made her sit and wait for him to finish eating...they have been eating next to each other twice a day every day for the last week and she now goes to the edge of the kitchen, sits and waits for him to finish =) Cache seems to perposely leave a few pieces of kibble in his bowl for her, it's super cute.

Later that night we were sitting around and relaxing and I decided to look for the dogs, it had been "too quiet for too long"...I found Cache sleeping in the kitchen but couldn't find Dayze at first...we checked everywhere (but the bedroom - the main door was closed, but apparently the door through the bathroom was not). When I finally went in the bedroom for look for her I found her crashed out on the bed! She gave me a dirty look that said "Hey I was sleeping, turn the light back off - geez". I took a few pics with my cell phone, sorry for the quality, I didn't have my camera and didn't want her to move.

That night I slept with her taking up most of my spot on the bed and she didn't want to leave it all night! This girl certainly knows where the comfy spots in the house are and takes full advantage in the fact that I allow dogs on the furniture =)

Last Monday (6/1/09) we had some friends over for dinner. Dayze greeted them like she's known them all her life. While we were grilling our dinner some neighbors walked by with their 3 dogs, Dayze and Cache were in the house at the front window and she got REALLY excited! Barking and jumping around. When I came in I had to clean up the ENTIRE BUCKET OF WATER that she dumped all over the kitchen floor. I really don't think it was an agressive response, just a really excited one. While we ate dinner Dayze slept on our bed and didn't beg for table scraps AT ALL. After dinner it was "party time" for the dogs again.

She and Cache play VERY HARD AND ROUGH, they are like 2 bulls in a china shop. There is a yelp every now and then, but it's just play. I wouldn't recommend she goes to a home with a small dog, as she is so big and strong that she may accidentally hurt a smaller dog. I even describe her tail as "a 2x4 being swung around by a midget gladiator" and anything under 3 feet high is fair game to be broken LOL

Tuesday night (6/2/09) I took Dayze and Cache to the park to meet up with some of my Disc Dog friends. She rode great in the back seat of my truck, looked around for alittle while, then laid down and relaxed. When we pulled up to the park there were a TON of family's and kids at the park. She got REALLY excited again and barked a few times, but quieted down when I told her to. I parked and grabbed my things, then let Cache out and told Dayze to "Wait", she actually listened! and waited for me to get her leash and tell her it was "OK" to come out. We walked over to my group, she pulled a little, but is respectful of the prong collar and didn't drag me around. We hung out for a little while, then we went to Chuck and Don's Petfood Outlet to get a few things and weigh the dogs. Dayze weighed in at 72.2 pounds! I was pretty sure I saw "MOOSE" appear on the read out too LOL

While at Chuck and Don's Dayze helped herself to a few biscuits that were within reach of her...I tried to stop her, but it was too late. I'm happy to say that the cashier didn't charge her with shop lifting =) We picked up a few pigs ears, cows hooves, tennis balls, and a "big dog" harness for our upcoming bike rides.


Thursday night (6/4/09) I set up my agility equipment in the back yard to work with Cache, she watched from the back window and only occassionally barked her protest to being inside. I worked with Cache, and then my neighbor (who Dayze hadn't met yet) came over and saw her in the window. Ashley got closer and when she looked in at her Dayze started to growl, quietly, but loud enough to hear from outside the door. I went in, gave her a quick correction, made her sit and then brought her outside to meet Ashley. She jumped up on her and gave her the full body wiggles while she said hi, so at least she's quick to figure out who is a friend. I figured while I had the equipment out I would try to see if Dayze would be interest in going over a jump. I had to put the jump down to about 6 inches before she realized that I was asking her to go over it. I don't think she is going to be an agility dog, frisbee dog, obedience dog...just a really good house dog that goes for walks and hangs with the boys during a football game (and guard the house and her family).

I know I've said she barks, it probably sounds like she barks a lot. I'd actually say she only barks when she gets REALLY excited at first, and when she hears a knock on the door or see's someone coming up the driveway/sidewalk. Otherwise she's actually VERY quiet.



This morning (6/6/09) I took advantage of not having a puppy that needed to go out at 5am and slept in =) it was GREAT! When I got up Dayze and Cache welcomed me with a big "Good Morning, now please let us out - PLEASE", so I let them out (in the rain) and after doing their morning business they got breakfast. After breakfast I gave them both a cow hoof and they laid next to each other chewing away. Now they are both laying down taking a nap. Dayze next to me and Cache on the couch =)

I will be working with Dayze on the following things:

Walking/heeling on a leash: She was returned to Nancy the first time for "dragging" the gal around and not being able to be controlled.

Sit, Down, Come: She really seems to know what these mean, but has a STUBBORN side to her and doesn't listen as well as I'd like her to.

Wait and Stay: She doesn't seem to "know" completely what these mean, to her it's don't move your feet for 1/2 a second. I want her to understand these commands really well as I use them all the time.

Leave it: She has no idea what this is yet, she doesn't really get into things, but again, I use this command a lot and feel ALL DOGS should know and listen to it.

Shake Hands: She'll do it occassionally, sometimes she thinks you mean jump up on you, and that needs to stop, she's way to big to be jumping up on people.

Roll over: I would love to teach her to roll over on command, she does it a lot during play with Cache and I think she should have at least 2 tricks =)

Dayze is a really sweet dog that just needs a fairly active family or person to fall in love with her. She is a really good looking dog, the pictures DO NOT DO HER JUSTICE!!! I wouldn't recommend her going to a family with small kids as she is so strong and lacks a few basic manners and could EASILY knock over a small child.


I'll keep you updated on the progress of the training and any activity or cute things that she does. I'll try and get some descent video of her and some more pics too. You can also post a comment or question about her below and I'll answer as soon as I can (usually in about 24 hours).

Later!
Jessica

6/11/09 I just got the pictures cropped and uploaded. They do not do her justice at all, she is a really good looking dog. Very sturdy and thick boned. She's a great dog looking for that great person or family to call her own. She hasn't done anything bad while at my house (ex: chewing non-dog things, going to the bathroom in the house, barking all night...nothing). She really likes the cow hoof and pig ears and drives Cache crazy as she only wants to play with the toy that he has.

Come on out and see her and I promise you will fall in love with her. She is always smiling and wagging her tail.

6/12/09 We are having an adoption day at Petco in Minnetonka again this Sunday (6/14/09) from 11:00-2:00. All of our available dogs will be there, and Nancy from Aussie Rescue will be joining us with a few of her available dogs. Come on out to visit and to meet the dogs in person.

6/12/09 I had the chance to test Dayze on cats, she was initially fine with my neighbors cat until he moved! Once he moved she instantly (and all at the same time) growled, snarled, and lunged for him. I had her on a very short leash so I could react in time if she reacted, so Franky wasn't hurt, but due to the instant switch into "Kill the Kitty" mode, I will not approve a home that has cats or other small animals.

This does not mean that she is a dangerous dog in any way. Due to her breed (which I hope a potential adopter had clicked on the links at the top of this page to read about the Catahoula Leopard Dog first), she was bred to HUNT prey.

Cat's, small animal's (ferrets, guine pigs...), and maybe even small dogs, could trigger this deeply natural instinct in her. So please, if you have small animals, check out one of the other dogs that we have available at BCRMN or at ARM.

Thank you,

Jess

Daisy - ADOPTED!!!

****CONGRADULATIONS TO THE FAHEY FAMILY ON THE ADOPTION OF THIS SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL!!! YOU ARE THE PERFECT HOME FOR HER!!!****

4/25/09 This afternoon I picked up Miss Daisy from Melissa at Border Collie Rescue of Minnesota. She is a 4 month old Border Collie mix. Mostly white with Black patches and a mostly Black face. She is shy and quiet right now, but I have confidence that I will get her to come out of her shell shortly.

4/26/09 Daisy has been super quiet, not making a peep since she got here. Slept in her kennel all night with no problems (not that I expected them), no accidents (yet) but she hasn't pooped. I've taken her out MANY times and she's gone potty, but that's it.

Our neighbor girl Mary came over twice yesterday to see our new foster. The second time she came over she brought her Mom and little brother. James has NEVER pet any of the dogs, not even Cache, and last night he was petting Daisy and said he wanted to take her home. He's 4 and super shy so that was pretty cool to see.
Daisy did great with the kids and even went on a walk with Joke. He said he had to drag her about 50% of the time which I personally thought was pretty good for her on the first time out.

Last night I took Daisy out of the kennel and snuggled with her on the couch. She curled up half under the blanket and WATCHED TV for 2 hours!!! before I put her to bed and crashed myself. This morning she wagged her tail at me when I opened the kennel door, I had to reach in and pull her out still, but after going outside I fed her outside the kennel and she ate with me in the room next to her. She has even started to come to me when I call her!

We snuggled for a little while on the couch again this morning. I would have to say that is when she is at her happiest right now. She gets totally relaxed, lays her head on my leg, LOVES it under the blanket, and even gave me a few kisses this morning already.



All in all I'd say she's doing pretty good for being here less then 24 hours.

5/3/09 Daisy's been here for a week now and I'm glad to say that she is making progress on being a REAL Puppy! Don't get too excited yet, she's got a long way to go, but she's at least starting to come out of her shell =) In the last few days she has been walking out the back door and into the yard to go potty on her own, I have been using the flexi-leash so she doesn't kill me on the steps while I'm shutting the door behind us. She still takes at least 10 to 15 minutes to go #2, it's worse during the day when the kids, dogs, "normal activity" is going on around us. She hears something and gets spooked, wants to go in the house ASAP! I've been working on getting her to realize that being next to me is also a "safe zone" instead of running full tilt to the door.

At night she is much more relaxed in the yard, she'll walk around, sniff, come to me with tail wagging, follow Cache around, do her business, come back to me...and when I start walking toward the house, she doesn't bolt to the door anymore. Last night when we came in the house, she didn't even bolt to her kennel, she stayed next to me by the couch, even after taking off the leash =)

Her favorite place to be is in her kennel (safety zone 1), with most puppies you have to fight to keep them in, or to put them in a kennel, but with Daisy it's just the opposite. If I want her to stay out of the kennel I have to keep the door closed, to get her out, I have to reach in and drag her out. This is getting better of course, yesterday she showed interest in coming out when I got up in the morning, I still eventually had to drag her out, but this morning she came out, jumped back in, came out again and I managed to get her, and Shower her with PRAISE!!!!! Then "lets go outside". Yesterday she did so good going out that this morning I put her on the chain instead of walking out with her. Not knowing if I was going to have to go out anyway of course, but she went potty and come right back to the door =)

Since I'm on this subject, I'd like to add that we have only had 2 accidents in the house. Both were under the supervision of Mike D. (aka Joke). He had brought her outside later at night and decided to take her down stairs, well, he didn't let her stay out long enough and she didn't go #2. He took her to the basement and after a few minutes she went...an hour later (after drinking a bunch of water) she started to whine, which he admits he ignored thinking she was just being whiny, and she pee'd. Oh well, I guess he'll learn to be more patient and to listen when she tells him she has to go =) LOL

I plan on giving her a few more days before taking a short walk in the neighborhood. I'm going to take her after dark so there are less destractions and we can work on walking with me instead of fighting the leash and having to be dragged. Normally I would do everything during the day with distractions, and try to build more play drive, but since she is so timid and unsure of everything I'm pretty much just working on building confidence with her. So far this seems to be working.

I'm going to have one of the guys take a short video of her in the back yard with me during the day. As soon as I have it I will post it here to share. She's a pretty girl, moves just like a Border Collie! She's built kind of like a deer, compact body with LONG legs!!

I have confidence that she's going to come around and eventually make someone a really great dog, it's just going to take longer and take someone that is willing to work her through her insecurities.

5/12/09 Over the last week and half Daisy has been slowly coming out of her shell for ME (not the guys) more and more. We had an Adoption Day at Petco in Minnetonka again this last Saturday. She was shy, and quiet, and laid between two chairs next to my purse pretty much the entire time. When people came to pet her she just laid there, perfectly still showing no reaction to them or anyone. On the plus side however, she did NOT try to leave the area, or try to escape anyone, so YES this is progress.



Daisy rides great in the car. She jumps right in and lays down on the dog bed in the back seat, occasionally she would sit up and rest her head on the arm rest and sneak me a kiss while we were driving home. Again showing that she is getting more relaxed then she was previously.

Over the last 5 days she has greeted me in the morning by coming right out of the kennel to me, gives me kisses, wags her tail, and walks right out to the back yard to do her morning business. No more dragging her out of the kennel, or carrying her outside, she also doesn't bolt to the door anymore, instead she comes and sits on my feet =)

The last 2 mornings she has eaten her breakfast next to Cache in the kitchen and not in her kennel. I actually got pictures of them eating next to each other this morning, I was smart and set the camera on the counter last night just in case it happened again =) and it did!

Last night when I went to bed I brought her with me and let her snuggle for a little while. Just Daisy, Cache and myself. At first she was just snuggling, then she started kissing, then playing with the tennis ball Cache had, then climbing all over me...she LOVED it when I would make whimpering puppy sounds LOL, we hung out for over an hour just letting her be a "normal" squirmy kissy silly puppy. It was great! I took her outside and she did her business right away (in record time!) and then I put her in her kennel (which is in our bedroom now since she was obviously lonely in the kitchen at night) and we all went to sleep...until 4am this morning.

She apparently couldn't wait another hour and half for my alarm to go off to go potty. So out we went, (again, record time) back in the kennel, nope, she wasn't havin' any of that kennel business. She was pretty much demanding to be let out and to be let up on the bed with us =) I figured this out when I went to give her some water and she leaped onto the bed and snuggled down into my pillow half under the blanket and tried to look super ultra cute! which of course you all know worked...silly girl.

We've been taking walks at night before bed, she is doing better and better every night. She walks/jogs like a drunkin' sailor, but hey, she's got forward motion and isn't shutting down. Not even when a car goes by, or another dog walks by, this girl is on a mission. She's still really nervous about "strangers" coming up to her, but we're working on that. She's good one day, bad the next, then good again...I don't expect her to have an immediate turn around, so for now it's 2 steps forward and one step back, progress none the less.

Here is a short video of Miss Daisy in the back yard. I didn't have the guys around so I apologize on the quality. There were kids playing at the park and a few houses down they were having a bar-b-que so she was very nervous about being outside. I still wanted to show you what she is like outside at times.




For those of you in Minnesota, we will be having another Adoption Day at Petco in Minnetonka on Sunday, June 14th, tenitively from 11am to 2pm. Please mark it on your calendar if you would like to see Daisy (and our other available dogs) in person, or you can always contact Melissa at http://www.bcrofmn.org/ to come out and meet her anytime.

Kirby - ADOPTED!!!

***CONGRATULATIONS TO PAULINE ON THE ADOPTION OF KIRBY!!! HE IS A VERY LUCKY DOG TO HAVE YOU FOR A NEW MOM!!! KEEP ME UPDATED ON EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH HIM***

***UPDATE FROM PAULINE AT BOTTOM OF POST***

3/22/09 I just got Kirby tonight from Border Collie Rescue of MN. He is a 6 year old, Black and White, Border Collie with one Brown eye and one Blue eye.

**Kirby is great with people, kids,other dogs, and dog savvy cats only. He is a Border Collie and they are quick to react to fast movement. A scared kitty running away will trigger him to chase down the prey**

3/24/09 Kirby is a really nice playful boy. He is fully house trained and crate trained although he doesn't need the crate. I had him sleep in the crate the first night, he was really good. Goes right in when you say "Kennel" and laid down to go to sleep. Never said a word all night.

Yesterday I was out of the house all day so the guys had him. They let him have the run of the house all day, when they couldn't find him and looked for him, he was sitting at the back door waiting to go out. He was so good all day that we decided to let him sleep outside of the kennel last night. He came in the bedroom with us and laid down on the floor at the end of the bed. He stayed there all night.

Kirby LOVES to play ball and FRISBEE!!! He will fetch the ball, run back to you, spit the ball out and tap dance on his front paws until you throw it again. Tail waggin' the entire time and having a blast. I haven't played frisbee with him yet, it's raining cats and dogs over here, but the other BCRMN volunteer that picked him up played with him and took this picture.

As you can see he is really over weight, probably close to 3 Border Collies in 1 right now. But he is so full of energy and excitement when the toys come out. He can even jump up and catch the disc!!! Way to go Kirby!!!

He's on a diet and excersize program here at my house. I'm feeding him 1/2 a can of Green Beens and a small handful of dry kibble, 2 times a day. He eats it right up then askes to go outside.

I don't know what he weighs right now, I'll let you know as soon as I do. But keep in mind he is going to lose the excess weight and be a healthy dog in no time =)

Once Kirby is groomed and the weather clears up I will have new pictures and video of him. We have a play date this Saturday with our Disc Dog club so I'll make sure to take plenty of pics and video of him catchin the disc for you all to see.

3/25/09 Kirby is going great here at my house. He has fit right in and abides by all the house rules beautifully. He even waits to get his paws wiped off when he comes in from going potty (if the grass is wet, which it has been). He likes his diet of green beans and pea's, he's turned into quite the vegetarian =) I am giving him 2 milk bones a day to help with the tarter on his teeth too which he LOVES!!!

I managed to take a few pictures today of him playing with the tennis balls. I just love the 2 tennis balls at once, what a goof ball.

Keep in mind I am only holding his head up for the picture. He wants to tuck his nose down and spit the balls out right away so you will throw them again immediately =)

He is such a ham!

Even with the 2 balls in his mouth you can still see he is smiling from ear to ear =) How can you not fall in love with guy!

3/29/09 Ok, where do I start...Friday I took Kirby to the vet for his rabies and an overall check up. He weighs in at 67 pounds!!! the vet said he should ideally be at or around 45 pounds. I have him on a green bean/mixed veggie diet which he LOVES!!! and we are playing in the house and yard every day. Other then being over weight, Kirby is in great health =) and has many more years of frisbee catchin' left in him!

Saturday we met up with our disc dog club at the park and played frisbee. My dog was a total butt head and had to spend most of the time in the car, but Kirby did great. He loves to play frisbee and will "fetch" 3 discs at once...he gets one, goes to the next disc, stacks those two, and goes to the last disc, stacks all three and then brings them back to me. He's so cute! One toy at time isn't enough for this guy LOL.

Here is a video of him playin' Disc with me http://blip.tv/file/1937621

Today we took both dogs to another park and went for a hick alone the trails. Kirby would run about 25 feet ahead of us, stop and wait for us to catch up, then take off again. He was awesome. After the walk we played some frisbee and fetch with tennis balls and relaxed in the shade for a little while. I also took some time to work with him on some basic obedience. Kirby is starting to understand that I want him to walk WITH me not AHEAD of me. He has a great "stay", both sit and down as long as he see's me. His "come" is really good too, you call him and he trots over and sits down in front of you like he's suppose to.

Here is a pic of Kirby catchin' some air after a disc =)

After the park we went home for about an hour and relaxed before our Disc Dog Class. Kirby was able to participate in the Distance and Accuracy (D/A) game we played. He did really good, even caught a few discs! Sometimes I think this guy was a frisbee dog in his previous life =)

3/30/09 Today was cleaning day here at home. I was doing dishes and when I started the garbage disposal Kirby jumped up a little scared of the noise. He's not a big fan of loud noises and prefers you to use the broom instead of the vacuum. For this reason I have sent him and Cache down stairs while I vacuum upstairs. He's also afraid of thunder and the air compressor. All pretty common for dogs so please don't let this discourage you from meeting this great guy.

Today I noticed that Kirby's breath and teeth are getting better. I think between the frisbee's and the tarter control milk bones it's been helping. I would also have to guess that he is losing some weight, he doesn't look quite as round as he did when he first came to us.

Kirby is now listed on BCRMN.org under available dogs.

Please don't let his age and diet concern you with this guy, he is such a sweet heart and really loves his people. I can promise that he will give you 110% of everything he has everyday!

4/2/09 Kirby and I will be at the Petco in Minnetonka (next to Best Buy on 394 & Plymouth Rd) with our friends from BCRMN for an adoption day on the 11th. He would love to meet you and show you how sweet he is!

4/4/09 I've been working on making Bandana's for the dogs to wear at Petco's Adoption Day and I thought I would take a picture of Kirby the Super Model in his new gear and a close up of the Bandana =) I'm pretty proud of my work.

4/9/09 Just a quick update. I took Kirby to my vet this morning (Cache had an appointment) and weighed him. I'm very happy to say that we have been making progress on his weight loss. He is now 64 pounds. He is eating Green Beans, Peas, and a small handful of Dry Kibble in the morning, and his evening meal is the same plus 1/8 of a cup of Non Fat Cottage Cheese, and 4 Baby Carrots cut into small pieces (prescribed by the vet). He also gets his afternoon Milk Bone for a treat everyday.

We take daily walks and play frisbee in the back yard at least once a day, plus fetch the tennis balls up and down the stairs throughout the night. He's really getting his exercise in my house. Just looking at Kirby and petting him I feel like he has lost more weight then what the scale says, but at the same time with all the activity he's got to be gaining muscle.

Hope to see you at Petco on Saturday!

4/15/09 I'm sad to say that the adoption of Kirby has fallen through. Unfortunately the gentleman that was considering adopting him has decided that his life is to hectic to bring a dog into at this time.

On the bright side, Kirby is still with me and still losing weight. We will be competing in D/A at the Oak Grove Comp this Saturday if any one wants to come see him =) He's a great guy who is just waiting patiently for his forever family to come along and fall completely head over heals for him!

4/22/09 Just a quick note. We had a great time at the comp this last weekend. Kirby tried his heart out to catch the discs but it was windy and I had a hard time throwing the discs just right so he could get to them. Cache and Kirby both tied for 10th place with ZERO points (LOL), but they had fun and that's really what it's all about =)

4/25/09 Today I met a potential adoptor at PetsMart in Plymouth. She was pre-approved so all she had to do was decide if she wanted to adopt Kirby or not. I came with everything ready for him to go just incase she liked him and I'm glad I did! Kirby was adopted today =) I'll post an update on him as soon as I hear from her.

4/28/09 Update from Kirby's new Mom!!!

Hi Jessica and Melissa,

Kirby is just the greatest! He is so sweet, easy going and well behaved. The first couple of days we had a lot going on and he met a lot of extended family members including the dogs and even a couple of cats. He took it all so well. I think he may have wondered where he was going to be staying for sure and who was staying with him. He really liked my grandaughter and was maybe a little disapointed she didn't come home with him. Now that we have been alone for a couple of days he's settled in really well. He seems to be comfortable here. He sleeps next to the bed and isn't shy about hanging around wherever I happen to be. He's had a lot of play time - as you know he doesn't want to quit - I've learned it's really hard to hide a ball or disc from him. He's been out walking several times - of course he always grabs a ball to take with! I think it's so funny how his laid back personality changes the minute he sees a ball or disc. I left him alone for the first time yesterday. He looked disapointed when I left but he was good while I was gone. He was very excited when I got home - play time!

He has exceeded my expectations and I don't think I could ask for a better companion. Thanks to you both for helping me find my new best friend!

Pauline

Bruno - ADOPTED!!!

***CONGRATULATIONS TO JUSTIN AND HEATHER ON THE ADOPTION OF BRUNO!!!*** (update at bottom of page from Bruno's new Mom)

Bruno is a foster through Border Collie Rescue of MN. He is a very sweet and loving 4 year old mostly white Border Collie with a Black and very light Tan mask & ears.

3/18/09 I got Bruno yesterday evening from BCRMN. As soon as he arrived Mike and I took him and Cache for a walk. He did ok, but likes to pull and needs some basic obedience training. He and Cache had been playing on and off for hours before we put him in the kennel for the night. He layed right down and went to sleep never making a peep.

He's funny when he eats. He'll take a mouthful of food, drop it on the ground as he's walking, then it looks like he's counting the pieces, and proceeds to eat them one by one...to say he's a slow eater is an understatement.

Bruno loves to snuggle, but can't sit still, he's constantly turning around, flipping over, and climbing on the both of us. He's always moving, and can't chill for more then 8 seconds in one place or position, unless in the kennel. So far he hasn't shown any interest in playing with the dog toys. I'm wondering if he learned not to play with toys since he was at a day care with his previous owner. We're also thinking that he has gotten A LOT of people food before, he was extremely persistant with the begging while we were eating last night.

So far he's tried counter surfing, found out that doesn't pay off, table surfing, the chairs moved and he scared himself, jumping on the back door, the blinds moved and he scared himself. He's mostly self correcting which is funny. The commands I have discovered that he knows are "Outside, Come, and Sit" he'll lay down, but only for a second and then he's up again.

He's a little leary of men right now, but I'm going to work on introducing him to as many people as possible to get him over his fears. He's not aggressive, just shy and nervous. This morning when Mike's cousin (our room mate) came upstairs Bruno got a little scared, but calmed down quickly.

Bruno was originally surrendered by his owner to a shelter in NW Minnesota. We know he lived in a home that provided Day Care and he did great with the kids! the problem was when the parents came to pick up their children Bruno would protect his "flock of human babies" and not let the parents take them. We would like for Bruno to go to a home with a family as he loves children and loves to play.

I am thinking of taking him with me and Cache when we try out herding this next month. If he is herding and protecting the human flock, he might just excel at the sheep flock! I will let you all know how this goes if I get the chance before he gets adopted =) Border Collies NEED a JOB and herding is what they do best/naturally, so why not give it a try.

3/20/09 Bruno has been settling in nicely here with us. He's finally showing that he is capable of laying down and relaxing for awhile outside of the kennel =) He is such a sweet boy that just loves to be with you. He follows me everywhere I go, kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom...he doesn't care what you are doing or where you are going, he just wants to be with you.

Over the last few days we have been working on some basic training and trying to work his genius brain as much as possible. He came here with a GREAT sit and come, but now he can shake hands, twist (counter clockwise turn) and spin (clockwise turn), laydown is getting there, today he showed more progress with stay, back up, and stand and his walking on the leash is getting WAY BETTER!!!

Bruno is such a good boy. He is not destructive at all and I am even thinking about leaving him out of the kennel tonight when we go to bed. Of course I'll have to consult my hubby first, but I'll be sure to let everyone know how he did if we do let him stay loose tonight.

Here is some video of Bruno playing with Cache in the living room. It's a little dark, but you can still see just how cute he is and how good he plays with another dog =)





Bruno will be joining us tomorrow at our TCDDC Play Date in the park. He'll get to play with more dogs and meet more people which is only going to be good for him. I'm also bringing him to our Disc Dog class on Sundays for more socialization until he gets adopted.

3/21/09 Just a quick note: We left Bruno out last night to have the run of the house while we slept. He was AWESOME! He layed in bed with us for about an hour and then moved to the floor in the kitchen/dining room area with Cache. Nothing was disturbed or anything (including couch pillows, garbage can, recycling bag...nothing!). He definately doesn't need to be kenneled at night and probably even when we're gone during the day. But, once adopted, I would recommend that he be kenneled for the first few nights (or week) just so he can learn the rules and routines and have a safe haven for himself, but once he is comfortable, the kennel is no longer needed.

We're about to head out for the park today so I will update everyone on how he did at the play date when I get back...maybe I'll even have new and BETTER video of him for all to see =)

Bruno did great at the park today, he met a potential adoptor who just fell in love with him. So much so that she brought her fiance out tonight to meet him and they decided to adopted him. I'm so happy that he got a great home with a great couple who are going to love him and spoil him with everything they have!!!

Update from Bruno's new Mom:
He has been amazing! He is such a good dog! When we took him home he just laid in the car and went to sleep. He seemed a little sad the first few days (I think he missed you guys) he is starting to cheer up and even play with the toys we bought him! Tomorrow we are taking him to my home town for the weekend! I'm sure he will love the car ride! My mom has been saying she can't wait to meet her grand doggie! Ha ha! I will be sure to send you a cute family photo from this weekend! Thank you for everything, and don't be afraid to keep in touch! xoxoxo, Heather

Sway - ADOPTED!!!

**CONGRATUALTIONS TO THE KNUTSON FAMILY ON THE ADOPTION OF THIS BEAUTIFUL GIRL** (update from the Knutson's posted at the bottom)

3/2/09 Today I welcomed a new foster dog into our home. She is a Red and White female Aussie/Lab (?) mix with beautiful crystal blue eyes and long thick lucious tail. She is approx. 8 months old and around 50 pounds. And so far seems to be house trained!!! YEAH!!! She came to me with no name and after some thought and play, we have decided to call her Sway after Angelina Jolies character in "Gone in 60 Seconds".

The only thing I really know about her past is that she was brought here from an impound lot in Iowa today.

Even though I have only had her for 2 hours she has already learned to come and sit. The stairs were a new thing for her and it took some coaxing, but she finally came down them and explored the basement. It's nice to have a dog that is so treat motivated. You can teach her anything very quickly. She also figured out what the kennel was and doesn't seem to have a problem with it, so we'll see what it's like when we all try to go bed tonight.

Mike and I decided to take Sway and Cache into the back yard and throw a few discs around. Cache was too pre-occupied to really play disc, but Sway seemed to catch on to the game pretty quick. She even brought it back to me 3 times! She's a quick little girl, running circles around Cache with ease! I hate to say it, but I might be falling for this one =)

3/3/09 Today I gave Sway a much needed bath. She was a perfect angel for the whole thing! Drank some water as it came out of the faucet, kept trying to give me kisses as I was scrubbing her down, and kept wagging her soaking wet tail and getting water all over me and the rest of the bathroom =) But I am very happy to say that she no longer stinks!!! Even though the bathroom looks like a huricane came through it.

She has apparently associated the garage with the outside and has gone to the bathroom a few times in there. I think it's going to take a few reminders/corrections to break her of this habit but I have faith that she will learn this as well.

Last night she was good in the kennel, whined off and on for a few minutes, but finally layed down to go to sleep. As soon as the alarm went off this morning, she was whining and barking to go out. No messes in the kennel last night and ran to the door to go outside. What a good girl.

Sway will be joining us at our Disc Dog Class on Sundays until she is adopted. I think she is going to have a lot of fun learning this great sport, and chasing some rollers!

3/4/09 Today started with a quick potty break and then snuggling with us on the bed until it was time for her foster Dad to get ready for work. Sway is big time snuggler and as long as you are touching her she will gladly stay with you watching TV and relaxing on the bed.

After Mike was off to work I took Sway for a quick walk down the street and back. She did pretty good for a puppy who doesn't have any basic training. We got back home just in time for Nancy to pick her up and take her to the vet to be spayed.

Sway got back from the vet around 5pm today. She walked in extremely tired, laid her head in my hands and closed her eyes. She has been laying in the kennel quietly ever since she got back but managed to wage her tail and give me a little kiss when I crawled in to check on her just a few minutes ago. She will be on kennel rest for the next day or so and on pain meds for the next 4 days. It's going to be tough keeping her calm once the drugs are out of her system, but I expect that she will recover quickly and be back to her normal happy puppy self in no time.

Here's a quick pic of her right after she got back from the vet. She didn't even open her eye's when I opened the door to the kennel. Poor thing, she's had a rough day today.

3/5/09 Well Sway is feeling much more like herself today. The morning started out with a bathroom break, a little breakfast, and then before I could stop her, up on the bed to snuggle again! Only problem with this is that she isn't suppose to be jumping up on furniture for at least a week!! Like I said, earlier, she's going to be a tough one to keep calm =)

Just a few quick side notes:
1) while watching TV this morning a Cat appeared onscreen and she got really excited, for this reason I don't feel she would be a good fit for a home with cats or small animals. We haven't met children yet, but since she is young and still growing I would recommend that she is watched closely when around small children.
2) Sway loves to play with toys, but you have to watch her closely, she can chew through a rope toy at lightening speed and before you know it she is swallowing them! I have had to take large bunches of string/rope out of her mouth and have been taking away the loose pieces before she gets a chance to eat them. She is not aggressive at all and gives me the items that she has without a fuss.

Sway is learning basic commands very quickly. She still pulls while walking on a leash, but that will get better with time. She's doing really good with "sit, out (drop it), leave it and knows what outside and lets go (follow me) means" We are working on the leash walking, and laying down on command also. She likes to play fetch and get her tummy rubbed and she gives the sweetest kisses.

When I go to take her out of the kennel I ask her to sit and wait for her to stop wiggling around before she can come out, the same goes for going out side. I don't have a fenced yard so she has to sit before I put the chain on her and again when she comes in to have the chain taken off. I have a bell on the back door that Cache rings when he wants to go outside and earlier today I think she rang the bell! I'm not saying that she did it intentionally or knew what it meant, but for me if the bell rings the door gets opened. I'm sure she'll put 2 and 2 together before you know it.

I wouldn't say that she is totally house trained yet, we have had 1 accident in the house (I blame my hubby for it), but as long as she is let out consistantly and on a normal schedule, she is doing really good. She likes to steal our shoes, but drops them immediately when you say "No, Leave it".

Here is a cute picture of Sway and Mike snuggling on the couch. This is her favorite place to be. Right on top of us or touching us. Hope you like a big snuggle bug =)

3/8/09 Yesterday we took Sway and Cache for a walk around the nieghborhood. She did great, it wasn't too long before we were walking on a loose leash and sitting when we stopped. After coming home we had several hours of relaxation time with a very happy and tired puppy.

Tonight was our 1st Disc Dog Class, she did really good with everyone and their dogs. Sway is easily excited and gets distracted at everything that goes on, but behaved nicely. I worked on leash walking, sit, and lay down while Mike worked Cache in the class. She also did great with the kids that were there. Sway definately needs more socializing and a formal obedience class would be great for her (like all dogs), but I think she's going to make a great family companion for the right family.

One thing I have noticed is that she is a very strong and excited dog when playing. Cache and her do great, but a smaller dog might be easily intimidated. I haven't had any aggression problems with her and my dog, but Cache is just as crazy when he plays. An older or mellower dog would get very annoyed by her, and I think the best match would be a bouncy happy Lab/Golden type personality. She is just a puppy, but I don't see her losing this crazy play drive until she's about 10 or so =)

Update from Sway's new Mom...

You'll be happy to know that we're excited about keeping Sway (we renamed her Murphy). Katie K9 suggested we use a spray bottle with water and give the dog a blast to the face to stop the play biting and other undesirable behaviors. Within five minutes, the pup went from Satandog to submissive. And, I haven't been bitten since last Thursday! Katie said that scruffing a dog's neck or smacking them on the nose could actually fuel the fire, which it did with Murphy, and the spray bottle won't hurt them but will stun them. I guess Cesar the Dog Whisperer uses the same technique. Murphy has been awesome in the house and sweet as can be--loves hugs and tummy rubs. It's like she's a totally different dog. I did a private session with Katie on Monday, and Murphy did pretty well on the leash. We even used Katie's cats as a diversion, and the pup did pretty well with that, too. We start Katie K9 obedience classes next Tuesday for five weeks.

Fudge - ADOPTED!!!

On 1/28/09 we received our first foster dog from Aussie Rescue of MN.

He is approx. 1 year old, Aussie/Collie mix, and is Black and Tan with a full bushy tail. His name is currently Fudge but I think he should be called Sam =).

Here is a quick pic of the Fudgemister the day he was dropped off to us.

Fudge is not the typical "Aussie" when it comes to energy level. He is perfectly content laying on the floor doing his best immitation of a fuzzy rug. He doesn't show much play drive, but is super sweet and loving. I have been able to take anything and everything away from him. Pet him while he's eating with no signs of any aggression. And even though he doesn't like the kennel, he only whines and cries for a little while before settling down for the night.

He and Cache are getting along great now that he has been here almost 2 weeks but it didn't start out that way. Initially we had some minor aggression problems with food and toys, but after a few days and some basic corrections he has been much better. He came to us not knowing any of the basic commands that you (at least I) would expect from a dog that is about a year old, but since he's been here he has learned to sit, come, and we are working on laying down and now shake hands. Granted he's not perfect, but he's trying and that's all I could ask for.


Over the last few days he and Cache have been playing more and more. They will both be tugging on the same rope and rough housing around the house. I only have to stop them when I hear a yelp, but it's not mean, just a little rough.

I discovered that Fudge LOVES to be brushed, just not his butt, but Cache doesn't really like that either...he sat there and smiled the entire time I was brushing him and gave me kisses when I was doing his neck and chest.

This is one dog that is going to make a great family pet for the right family. I think he will be the happiest to be in a single dog family with an older couple that wants a nice, calm, younger companion.

Last Friday (2/6/09) a nice couple came to see him for potential adoption. They stayed for several hours playing and visiting with Fudge and left with no decision made. I received a call from Nancy yesterday evening saying that they want to adopt him =) YEAH!!!

Fudge will be with us until Thursday evening when Nancy picks him up to take him to his new forever home in St. Paul.

A very tired Fudge "smudge" after a HARD day of PLAYING!!!