View from the Back Porch

This Morning's Foolishness...

2012-01-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, I started training for triathlons in addition to running. It was mainly a way for me to lose weight and get healthy, but somewhere along the way I really started to enjoy myself. Triathlon training isn't for the faint of heart, though, and I would often find myself sore and tired after a hard week of training. But it was a good kind of sore, one that let me know that I had worked my muscles.

In the "off-season" (every triathlete's dreaded time) we tend to go adrift without a race to focus our training. In order to prevent this, I work with a great trainer who keeps me on track. I meet with her every Wednesday and Friday morning for a strength training workout. My favorite part of the workout is the TRX. If you aren't familiar with the TRX, its is a deceptively simple nylon strap system that can kick your butt!

In my mind, I'm a much better athlete than I am in real life - I'm
faster, stronger and can accomplish acrobatic feats. That is the only
excuse I can come up with for the foolishness I found myself doing
this morning...my sleep-deprived brain couldn't separate fantasy from
reality.

My least favorite thing to do on the TRX is a plank. Your feet are suspended
in the air and your hands are on the ground while you try to hold a
plank. Its about 10 times harder than a normal plank and I find those
hard to begin with. But for some reason today, as my trainer was setting
up the TRX for me to do a plank, I said, "Hey, have you ever done a
plank with two TRXs? With your hands in one and your feet in
another?"

My trainer said, "you mean like an acrobat? No.....why, do you want to
try that??"

Me: "Yeah, I kind of do..."

So five minutes later found me straining every muscle in my body,
swinging like a trapeze artist trying to hold a plank. I managed for
about 5 seconds but my trainer managed to get a picture of it. She
ended the session with "I like this - we're going to do it more
often".

One of these days I'm going to learn to keep my mouth shut....

Busy Week!

2011-04-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Please check out the NEBCR blog and donate if possible! Thanks!

http://nebcrfosters.blogspot.com/

PLEASE HELP US WIN!

2010-08-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

New England Border Collie Rescue has entered a contest sponsored by Petfinder, World's Best Pet Parent. We need your help in winning $10,000. The contest runs through Oct. 6th and you can vote once a day.

Follow the link below to vote for Kimberly competing for NEBCR:

http://www.tinyurl.com/gonebcr

You will need to set up an account with Petfinder (it is a free account), a user name and password. We are now in the final stages of the contest and less than 50 rescues remain in the competition. This gives us great odds at winning one of the top prizes! Even to remain in the top 10 we would receive $1000.

Thank you so much for helping NEBCR in this venture to win much needed funds. The economy these past years have meant fewer donations and a lot more dogs coming into rescue. $10,000 will help a lot of dogs get the care they need.

VOTING HINT:
when verifying your vote you are asked to type two words. Usually just one word gets you the vote. Ignore any words with punctuation, upside down, huge print, numbers, all caps or symbols. It is a rather annoying captcha that they are using but it keeps people from cheating. If it doesn't accept the first thing you typed in, just click on the "get 2 more words" button and try again.

NEBCR is a not-for-profit, all volunteer organization. We've been around for over 10 years and have an excellent reputation. Please help us continue to help dogs in need.

Life is so hard.....

2009-12-14T13:08:00.001-08:00

It is a wonder I have the energy to get through the day...

Christmas Tree Hunting!

2009-12-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we went hunting Christmas trees...for those dogs that don't know what this is - it is a silly human tradition that involves bringing a tree into the house just to tell us that we can't pee on it. Seems silly but the humans enjoy it.

Dublin and I got to go with the humans to find the perfect trees. Limerick and Keely had to stay home because they aren't quite as well behaved as we are.

We got to the place and there were lots of people and even some other dogs! The Boss Lady said none of the dogs were as well-behaved as me, though. She was right - some of those dogs were lunging and growling at each other...and me! I just ignored them and spent the time soaking up the pets and snuggles from all of the humans that stopped to say how handsome I was. It is exhausting being the object of so much adoration, but I managed to get through it...

We took a hay ride way out to the back part of the tree farm and began our search. Some of the other peoples (not the Boss Lady's people, though, because they know better) were worried that Dublin and I wouldn't be able to handle the hay ride. Silly humans. We just hopped right up and settled down in a pile of hay. we were the best behaved of everyone on there!

Once we got dropped off, we started walking all over the back fields, looking for the perfect tree. I am not exactly sure what makes a tree "perfect" in the humans' eyes, because all the trees smelled pretty interesting to me. Finally, the humans choose some trees and cut them down. Then we had to haul them back to the pick up point where we loaded them and got another hay ride back to the main parking lot.

I had a lot of fun doing this, though I did start to limp a bit toward the end. The Boss Lady put me back in her van where I got to curl up on my cushy bed and pass out. She said I was snoring like a drunken sailor!

~Sir Casey GoodDog, Christmas Tree Hunter Extraordinaire

Keely is finally blogging!

2009-12-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I'm Keely! I've been with the Boss Lady for a few months now and I am ready to find my forever home. I've had a lot of things to learn...like how to play with other dogs and how not to eat the cats.

In my old home, I spent all day outside in a kennel run by myself, so it was a big adjustment living with 3 dogs. I've figured it out now and have even been known to try to play with Limerick! Limerick thought it was a trick at first (I was a bit...ummm, grumpy...when I first met him). But he eventually succumbed to my many charms and we had a good romp session.

I like to hang out with people in the house but outside I am all Go! Go! Go! I am super fast and can jump really high! The Boss Lady calls me her little pogo stick. Not sure what that is exactly, but she laughs when she says it so it must be a good thing. The Boss lady said I'd make a good agility dog if someone wanted to train me. 'Cause I'm super fast, like I said.

I'm also smart - I'm not bragging, the Boss Lady told me I was smart, honest. My old owners said I couldn't be trained but they just weren't doing it right. I pick up on new commands lickety-split. I'm very food motivated, so anything that gets me a treat is something I wanna learn!

I'm a tiny little thing, just 29lbs. I walk under Sir Casey GoodDog without ducking - luckily, he is usually so focused on trying to get the Boss Lady to play fetch, he doesn't even notice when I walk under him.

Hmm...I guess that's all I have to say for now!

Talk to you soon,
Keely the Brave

Finally...pictures!

2009-11-30T13:19:00.000-08:00

Here I am the day after my surgery. I am not sure what was worse - the stupid blue cone or my scar.

Here's a close up of my scar. Looks pretty painful, huh?

I'm made tougher stuff though and I was still trying to get the humans to play fetch with me!

But for some reason the humans just shook their heads and called me Petunia.....

Loooooong overdue update

2009-11-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

First - apologies for the delay in updates. The Boss Lady has been very busy and hasn't had as much time as I'd like to post updates for me.

So to recap the last few months.....I started going to this special vet office for swimming lessons. The Boss Lady calls it "Physical Therapy" but it usually involves at least some swimming. First I get my massage, complete with heat packs. I loooooove this part. Sometimes I even fall asleep and start snoring! Then they make me do my stretches - I am not as big a fan of that part. I have to stretch my legs way out and then pull them up against my stomach, repeat, repeat, repeat.... Sometimes we even dance with me up on my hind legs. (Truly, you humans are nuts!)

Then I get on the doggie treadmill and walk uphill with weights on my legs for a mile or so. Then I get in another treadmill with a big plastic box around it. Once I am shut in, they start to fill the box with water. I was not happy the first time they did this - I thought they had tricked me into getting a bath! And when the ground started moving I was even more surprised! But since I'm a smart guy, I figured it out pretty quickly. This is the "swimming" part...I even kind of like it now.

After all that is done, I get to have ice packs applied on my legs which feels really good at that point. All of this is supposed to help me get stronger in my back legs.

Evidently it worked, because just when I was finally running around really well on my right leg, the Boss Lady took me back to the surgeon and had them operate on my left leg. I was not happy about this - but the Boss Lady told me it would be for the best in the long run. So I had to start the whole silly process all over again. I had my second surgery in the beginning of October. I was stuck wearing a stupid floppy blue cone for waaaay too long. The humans kept calling me Petunia for some crazy reason. I didn't care what they called me as long as they would play fetch with me....which they did eventually, rolling the ball a few inches at a time. (I'd have liked to post a couple of pictures of me looking pathetic in my blue floppy cone so I could get your sympathy, but for some reason, Blogger isn't allowing me to upload any pictures....)

Anyway, back to the update...
I've been getting daily physical therapy from the Boss Lady and twice weekly physical therapy at the vets, so I've been doing really well. I might even be able to go to my new home in a month or two. I'm gonna miss the Boss Lady, but I am looking forward to having a "Forever Home". I know the Boss Lady will pick a good home for me. I sure hope they know how to play fetch though.....that's the only thing I am worried about.

What a way with words....

2009-10-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

This poem was written by the 16 year old daughter of one of NEBCR's volunteers. This young lady has an amazing talent and was able to perfectly capture the living hell that these puppy mill dogs go through. NEBCR's "Lucky Seven" are truly the lucky ones...they have a lot of rehab time ahead of them still but they managed to escape their hell. My heart cries for the millions of dogs that aren't so lucky...

His Tomb
Alexandria Malfitano

In the dark and dreary room,
he sat in his personal tomb.
Stack upon stacks of crates,
cutting tiny paws
that have never felt the cool grass beneath them.

The dark blanket covers his dwelling,
hiding his face from mine,
and I feel weak.
The foreboding air tells a story of horror.
Be loved,
or be nothing.

His small life has only begun,
and yet he has been slated for death.
I look under the cover, and he looks at me.
A face so full of fear and desire,
a body emaciated from lack of food,
fur that has never been brushed,
eyes that have never been met with love,
and it breaks my heart in two.

He is but a product to sell,
and nothing more to those who own him.
I snap the photo, and whisper,
“I’ll come back for you.”
His eyes light up with hope,
then turn dull again.
He hides back inside himself,
the only safe place left.

I will break open this puppy mill,
and save his life.
No longer will he and the others,
live in their own tomb,
but with real families,
who will love them and care for them.

I will help him.

I will help them.

We can save them.

If you would like to donate toward the care of the "alledged" puppy mill dogs that New England Border Collie Rescue recently took in, please visit http://www.nebcr.org/

Can you help?

2009-09-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have lots to update you on my progress and I'll get to that in the next post...

Things have been hopping in NEBCR-land these past few days. Some of you may have heard that an awful puppymill got raided in Tennessee this past week. 108 border collies were pulled from their very own version of hell...approximately 50 or so were allowed to be rehomed immediately. Hopefully the others will be released soon.

Border collie rescues from all over banded together to help these poor dogs. Seven of these dogs have already made it to New England Border Collie Rescue (NEBCR) and are on their way to a happier, healthier life. Volunteers are working hard to get them cleaned up - they were all matted, and had fleas and lice. They are going to need a lot of care (both physical and emotional) before they are ready for adoption.

Please view the website and if possible make a donation. If you can't make a donation right now, please read how you can help NEBCR win a grant by voting daily in a petfinder contest.

Thank you for all your help,

Sir Casey GoodDog, grateful he never had to live through what those poor dogs did....

Admitting it is the first step...

2009-08-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm Casey...and I'm a fetchaholic. I don't think this is a bad thing, necessarily. I get laughed at by the humans a lot and it did cause me to be stuck to that post (pictured above) for sometime at NEBCR's Dog Dayz of Summer event. I was determined to get that jolly ball off the stupid post, but as much as I tried, I was still foiled.

I eventually gave up and found a jolly ball that had already escaped the clutches of the post. I walked around shoving it into people's legs. I have found that this is quite an effective way to get their attention. Then I bat my handsome eyes at them and they cave every time. Humans are pretty easy to train. :)

Limerick saw the trouble I was having getting the jolly ball off the post. Once he found a free one, he was making sure no one took it from him! He didn't get to play fetch with it by doing that, but he always had one in his mouth and that seemed to make him happy.

I mentioned the Dog Dayz of Summer event that the good folks at NEBCR put on - they also did up a really cool poster letting people know what type of surgery I was going through and how they could help by donating.

If you are interested in helping NEBCR raise the money to pay for my second surgery and associated vet costs, please click here.

And guess who came to Dog Dayz? Breckin! Doesn't he look great? He told me he's a REAL sheep dog now as he gets to work the sheep on his new family's farm. I was happy for him but I could tell Dublin and Limerick were jealous.
[picture courtesy of Cold Nose Photo]

And finally, in case you thought I was the only one obsessed with the jolly ball, here's a picture of my friend Lizzie. She was even more determined than me to free the jolly ball from the evil post.

She stayed there all day....

...and into the night. She might still be there, I'm not sure. {shrugs}

~Sir Casey GoodDog, fetchaholic

I'm baaaack!

2009-07-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hello All! Sir Casey GoodDog here again. First, I would like to apologize on behalf of the Boss Lady for the long spell between posts. She's had a few things keeping her really busy - the most important one being NEBCR's Annual Dog Dayz of Summer. You should come - the money NEBCR raises goes to helping dogs like me get the care they need. I know I certainly appreciate it!

The Boss Lady also misplaced her camera...again. But she found it today (finally!) and took some pictures and a really bad video of me. But more about that later. She said she had a hard time getting a picture of me because I kept coming up to her to give her a ball. Silly Boss Lady - doesn't she know fetch is much more important than pictures?

Let's see, I have lots to catch you up on...I'm still recovering from my first surgery. I've been back to the surgeon two times now to see if I am ready for my second surgery but both times they decided against it. Evidently, I am not using my right leg (the one that had the surgery) as much as they would like yet. I have to be able to fully support my weight on it before they can do the second surgery on my left hip. The surgeon said it is tough to get dogs to start using their back leg after surgery because they can get along so well on just three legs. I agree - you should see me zoom around on just three legs! I am super fast!

The Boss Lady has tried all sorts of crazy things to get me to start using my right rear leg again. She's put a sock on my left foot to make me shift my weight to the right one - silly human. I just kept walking on my left foot anyway. Then she tried to get me to swim - I am not a fan of swimming, so that didn't work. (I do use my right leg for walking and standing, I just don't use it quite as much as they'd like me to yet.)

I can't wait to see what the crazy Boss Lady comes up with next! She mentioned I might need to go to Physical Therapy. I don't know what it is, but if it means going to a vet again, I'm all for it. I like going to the vet - lots of nice dogs there and I chat with them while we are waiting to see the people in the white coats. All the other humans are amazed at how calm I am and how I help to calm down their dogs.

I went to the vet recently and had a thyroid test done. The results weren't conclusive, but I might be hypothyriod. The Boss Lady said I would have to take a pill 2 times a day. The medication isn't expensive so that's a good thing. And I take pills really well - I sit and wait for the Boss Lady to pop them into my mouth and then I immediately swallow them. She said she wished Dublin was half as easy as me to pill - it is almost impossible to pill him!

In other news, we have a new addition on the foster dog front. The Boss Lady came home with the newest NEBCR foster dog on Friday.

Her name is Keely. She is a teeny little thing (that is me standing next to her) that doesn't have a lot of experience with other dogs but she is learning quickly. The saddest thing is that she doesn't know how to play fetch - I can't even imagine a life without fetch! It is my most favorite thing in the world!

Okay, running out of time...I'll post my video and maybe some more pictures later.

Sincerely,

Sir Casey GoodDog

Sir Casey GoodDog has arrived

2009-06-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! Sir Casey GoodDog here. I joined the Boss Lady's household as her newest foster dog. (I actually joined on the same day that Breckin was adopted, but the Boss Lady has been a little behind in getting me access to the internet.)

Allow me to introduce myself...I am a 5 year old, handsome, male border collie. I am a well-behaved gentleman and I have my Canine Good Citizen certificate. My favorite activities include fetch, fetch and did I mention fetch? I really do love that. When fetching is all done (though honestly, is fetching ever really done?) I can be found snuggling with my human. I also enjoy walks and I walk well on a leash. In my spare time, I enjoy discovering new objects to fetch...I've found quite a few toys that the Boss Lady thought had been lost forever in her backyard.

I get so excited when I know I am going to play fetch that sometimes I turn into a vampire dog:

I have actually been in rescue for a while now, but my previous foster home noticed that I was having a bit of trouble getting up after playing and I would limp after a few fetches of the ball. After some x-rays were taken, the true picture came out. My hips were just horrible. :( I was transferred to the Boss Lady's household because she has a good surgeon near her that could perform the operations needed to make me all better. I have to have a double Femoral Head Ostectomy. It sounds pretty scary but the Boss Lady said we are using the same surgeon that worked on Finnegan and that surgery turned out just great, so I am very hopeful that mine will as well.

For those of you interested, I pasted some info on the surgery below. I was particularly happy to see the words "pain-free" used in the description of the results! I can't wait until I can fetch again. As much as I love fetching, right now it is just too painful for me.

The folks at NEBCR have been kind enough to take on this surgery for me, but they really need your help in paying for it. Anyone interested in donating toward the cost of my surgeries should go here. I really appreciate all the help I can get!

******************************
Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO)

This surgery is also called femoral head arthroplasty, ostectomy or femoral head excision.

The modified x-ray shown above, represents before and after views of FHO. Every veterinarian performs this technique slightly differently. An incision is made over the hip and the tissues are carefully parted to expose the head (ball) of the femur. This portion of the leg bone is removed and the remaining shaft is smoothed. Then tissue that surrounded the joint is positioned so that a strong band of connective tissue forms to attach the leg bone (femur) to the pelvis. As this consolidates with additional new scar and cartilaginous tissue, a pseudo-joint forms that is pain free and allows almost natural motion. Some veterinarians also reinforce the area with a very strong flexible surgical sutures anchored to both the femur and pelvis that last the life of the pet.

It is amazing how well the pets body adapts to this surgery. Joint pain, due to the grinding together of the bones of the hip is completely eliminated. After surgery, the animal maintains its knee a bit straighter to compensate for the slight shortening of the femur.

For the first few weeks after surgery, many veterinarians suggest that the pet be confine to a small cage and have the owner frequently massage the muscles of the leg. By the 4th to 6th week after surgery, they may encourage as much light activity as possible to prevent atrophy (withering) of the muscles of the leg.

Many veterinarians have the owners passively flex and extend the leg and continue massages several times a day. Dogs and cats do quite well on three legs so it is difficult to start them using the repaired leg. Within six months of surgery almost all dogs lope about as if nothing had happened.

******************************

Sincerely,

Sir Casey GoodDog

I adopted a new family!

2009-06-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Breckin the Brave here, postin' my last update on the Boss Lady's blog...I have wonderful news - I adopted a new family!!! My new family has a farm and - get this - SHEEP!!! I'm so excited that I get to be a real sheep dawg.

And, it gets even better...my new people play frisbee with me, too! I no longer have to herd Limerick while he fetches the frisbee. I get to fetch a frisbee of my very own.

I want to thank all my fans for cheerin' me on in my progress from punk to well-behaved canine citizen. I especially want to thank Dublin for explainin' the rules of correct doggie etiquette and for puttin' up with my silly puppy behavior. And Limerick for allowin' me to herd him for the last four months.

Hopefully my new family will bring me back to visit all my NEBCR pals at the next Adopter's Reunion.

But for now, I'm lookin' forward to the future...

~Breckin, Sheepdog-in-training

Water, water, everywhere....

2009-05-06T10:53:00.001-07:00

Turns out, I'm a water dog.

We went to the Farm this weekend and got to play in the big pond. I did my usual bit of followin' Limerick around to try to get his toy and he went into the water and I followed right in after him! Boy, was he surprised! He didn't know I could swim, so he was a bit shocked to see me there.

Come to think of it, I didn't know I could swim. I was just a little speck of a pup last summer and I don't remember swimmin' as a wee tyke of only a few weeks. And all my other memories include the water being hard enough to walk on. So I must just be a natural at this whole swimmin' thing.

The Boss Lady said that Limerick might have actually been trying to get away from me when he went into the water, but I don't believe that. We're Best Buds! Limerick just doesn't know that yet.

Here I am swimmin' out to meet him:

And here I am takin' the toy from him:

And here's a picture of just my foster brothers, Dublin and Limerick. They spent most of their time in the water, too:

The Boss Lady said it was nice to have a car full of tired, wet dogs for the ride home!

Breckin, Dog of Hidden Talents

Spring cleaning

2009-04-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend I helped the Boss Lady do some Spring Cleanin' as it was the big city-wide "let's throw everythin' out" weekend. We spent a lot of time in the garage (ie the place where the magic white food dispensin' box lives). I've never been in the garage before - it has lots and lots of stuff that I've never seen or sniffed. And while it all looked different, surprisingly, most of it seemed to be named "heythatisnotadogtoy".

Dublin and Limerick spent a good part of the day chillin' under the shade tree - not me though, I am a good helper and I hung out with the Boss Lady the whole time. I was determined to help her empty the garage. She kept sayin' that we were supposed to be cleaning out the garage, not emptying out the garage.

Eh. You say tomato, I say..

I didn't see much of a distinction between the two, so I happily helped the Boss Lady by draggin' stuff out into the yard for her to go through. I must have made a really good helper 'cause the Boss Lady said she was going to change my name to "Clepto".

Um, that's a compliment, right?

Breckin, Emptier-Outer Extraordinaire

Psssst...

2009-04-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have a few secrets to tell....turns out, I actually *do* like to play fetch. I've been playin' fetch for weeks now with the Boss Lady's dad whenever he and I hang out...but don't tell the Boss Lady - I don't want to hurt her feelings. See, I only like to play fetch when there are no other dogs around. When other dogs join in the game, I would much rather herd them.... Poor Boss Lady, she's been tryin' for months now to get me interested in fetch...silly human.

And the other big thing I have to tell you is the sky 'sploded tonight! The Boss Lady said they were "fye-er-werks" or something like that. I thought they were just plain annoyin' at first...but then I realized they were a GOOD thing. See, the Boss Lady had just given us our meals a little bit before the sky 'sploded and we hadn't gotten a chance to finish them yet. Once the sky started 'splodin' Dublin and Limerick got scared and ran up onto the porch to beg the Boss Lady to let them in.

*snort*

Silly dogs! The Boss Lady quickly let them in and then she called for me. Ha! I wasn't scared at ALL. I was using my head and took the opportunity to run over and finish off Dublin and Limerick's food. So the sky was 'sploding...no big deal. I had much more important things on my mind.

~Breckin the Brilliant

Lessons Learned

2009-04-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

The Boss Lady recently had a birf-day and her family came over to help her celebrate. Part of her family includes little kids.

(First lesson learned: Unlike what I originally thought, these kids are NOT baby goats. I was a little bummed by that.)

I decided to give these kids a chance. After everyone was in, settled and Dublin had already greeted everyone, the Boss Lady let me out of my crate. I went runnin' right up to the first little kid...and sat. This seemed to startle her a bit and she just stared at me. Evidently she didn't know that when I sit, she's supposed to give me a treat. So I stood up and very dramatically sat again.

Still nothin'.

I was not deterred, however, and moved on the the next kid. I ran up and sat in front of her and got a "oh, how handsome" and a pat on the head. That was nice and all, but I would have preferred the treat.

(Second lesson learned: Kids have not been fully trained in the art of treat-givin' and need more trainin'. Maybe a clicker would help.)

So I took my show on the road and went through all of the other people there, one by one. I got lots more compliments and a few chest rubs (I like those much better than pats on the head). I circled around in front of the first little kid again and thought I would give her another shot. To my delight, she produced a treat for me this time. We spent a bunch more time together and the little kid seemed to be gettin' the whole treat concept now. I hope the Boss Lady appreciates the time I took to train the little kid!

(Third lesson learned: Little kids aren't all that coordinated at handlin' treats and often drop extras on the floor. Bonus!)

~Breckin, Kid-trainer Extraordinaire

Anyone looking for a sheep dog?

2009-03-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Boss Lady took me and my foster brothers to a sheep farm for herdin' lessons! Well, Dublin and Limerick were there for lessons, the Boss Lady just brought me along to see if I had any interest in sheep - and boy, did I ever! I loved it and I even heard the Boss Lady mumble somethin' about me bein' better on sheep my first time out than Dub and Lim were after tons of lessons! Here I am goin' out to the sheep with the Trainer Man: The Boss Lady said I was really good for my first time out - especially since I am still a puppy - because I didn't run at the sheep and scatter them like most young dogs will. I slowed down as a I approached them and swung out and around to find the perfect spot to balance and then..... ...I would lie down and wait to help take some of the pressure off of the sheep. Sometimes I would get "sticky" and wanted to keep the sheep in one spot...I figured if the sheep didn't move, then I wouldn't have to go run them down. Made sense to me, but the Trainer Man seemed to want me to move them around some so I started runnin' around the sheep in whatever direction he seemed to want me to go. It was really easy!

Here's a video of me being sticky:

Here's a video of me runnin' around the sheep - you can't tell all that well from the video, but I was workin' off of the Trainer Man's body language:

The Trainer Man said I had "good instincts" and I did really well for a young'un! I don't know what all the fuss was about, I just did what came naturally to me... Here I am waiting for another turn on sheep.

Sorry it took me so long to update the blog - I needed the Boss Lady's help uploadin' the videos...those opposable thumbs come in handy sometimes!

In other news, I am doin' really well with the kittens. I have been allowed to hang out for a few hours every night and I don't even care that they've been runnin' around. The Boss Lady says I am finally 'gettin' my head on straight'.

Breckin, Sheepdog Extraordinaire

kittenz

2009-02-27T13:36:00.001-08:00

So the Boss Lady says I've made a lot of "progress". Not sure exactly what "progress" is, but she seemed happy with me when she said it, so I am gonna assume that it is a good thing.

We've been playin' the clicker game every mornin' and evenin' and I think I have it down pat. So far I've learned how to sit at the Boss Lady's side, down, and we are still workin' on walkin' and the newest one "Leave It". The Boss Lady was especially proud of me when I did a "Leave It" when the kittenz came running through our training session. I got extra treats for that!

Speaking of kitties, I've been getting much better about not obsessin' over them anymore. I can even be loose in the house with them runnin' around. Still, I would probably do best with older cats that don't want to run all the time as I will try and chase the kitties when they run - but I am gettin' much better at that, too!

In other news, the kitties went to the vet this week to get "fixed". I didn't even know they were broken! (And I swear to you, dear readers, that I didn't break them!) They came back and Darwin seemed just fine, so I don't know what he had fixed. He was running around just like usual so it couldn't have been too bad.

Whatever Fossil had to get fixed must have been more involved though, because she came home wearin' one of these:

She was N.O.T. P.L.E.A.S.E.D.

She kept bangin' into things and was generally not in a good mood for the 4 days she had to wear it. I stayed far out of her way!

~Breckin the not-so-brave

Piece of Cake!

2009-02-27T04:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my first class on Monday night and it was easy-peasy. I was the best in the class! I even got used as a demo dog a few times! And I got praised bunches of times for my tuggin' skills - I like playing tug with the Boss Lady.

There are 5 other dogs in the class. One was a tiny little dog with a big bark. He kept barking the whole time. The Boss Lady said she was very proud of me because I didn't bark at all - even when she had to leave me in the training room while she helped one of the other students out. I just chilled and watched the other students and dogs acting silly. I'm pretty good at people watchin'.

We worked on "sit" - I already have that down. Same with "wait" before we come out of our crates. Then we worked on "By Me" which I am pretty good at. We did some walking in heel position - I can do that, but it isn't my favorite thing - I'd much rather run and play. And then we worked on tuggin' - that was my favorite part of the class!

I can't wait to go back next week!

Guess what happens tomorrow?

2009-02-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

Hiya! Guess what? School starts tomorrow! I'm so excited, I finally get to go to my own dog class, just like my foster brothers do. I hope I do well....the Boss lady has been practicin' with me. She clicks this clicker thing and then I get a treat. I can't always make her click the clicker thing though...I am not sure, but I think it has somethin' to do with what I am doin' at the time I get the click.

The Boss Lady says I concentrate so hard on trainin' that she can almost see smoke coming outta my ears!...uh, that's a good thing, right?

Breckin the Brave

Big News!!!

2009-02-18T07:04:00.001-08:00

Hiya! I have some excitin' news to share....I met a bunch of men with beards this weekend and I wasn't scared at all! Turns out, men with beards are just as good at givin' treats and scritches as everyone else! Who knew?

We had a very excitin' day this weekend. We went to Sugar Bush Farm and met a bunch of other dogs and kind people. They had lots of treats and they all wanted to give me pets and chest rubs. I was in heaven. I even got to play with other dogs and the Boss Lady said I did "great"!

I got to practice all my dog herdin' moves - though mostly I just lie down and watch them while pretendin' I am a great sheep dog of old...(it keeps me outta trouble that way).
I've got style, if I do say so myself!

Catch ya later,
Breckin

Zoomies!

2009-02-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

So, after a few weeks hangin' with the Boss Lady and her crew, Limerick and I finally reached some sort of understandin': I must never, ever, EVER touch his coveted, torn-in-half-and-hanging-together-by-a-thread, barely-able-to-fly, green frisbee and he will deign to acknowledge my existence every once in a while. We even went so far as to play a game of wresting/bitey-face/zoomies yesterday! It was fun! And Dublin was okay with it, too, even though he didn't play with us. I know he was okay with it because he carried on doing his own thing while we were wrestlin'. Normally, if he thinks we are fightin', Dublin breaks it up 'cause he doesn't like such shenanigans. He's a good big brother to Limerick (and honestly, sometimes I think Dublin is the only reason Limerick is still alive - sometimes Lim has less dog sense than me!)

After running around and playing outside for a few hours, the Boss Lady brought us inside and decided to drown me. I dunno why. She called it "taking a bath" and said I had to have one because I rolled on something really "vile" smellin' but I'm pretty sure she was tryin' to kill me. I stayed very still and she attacked me with water and soap but eventually she got tired of it and let me get back out of the tub. The only casualty of the attempted drownin' was my beautiful smell; now I smell just awful and "minty fresh". Humans sure do like disgustin' smells! I much prefer my previous odor of dead squirrel. Limerick and Dublin agreed with me, but they were laying low and just happy that they didn't have to get a bath.

Freckles!

2009-01-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hiya! I'm Breckin and I am the Boss Lady's new foster dog. I'm what ya call a rough-coated, tri-colored border collie with lots of FRECKLES! Matter of fact, my name even means freckled!

Anyway, I've been doin' a lot of learnin' these last few weeks. First, I had to learn to play nice with other dogs - I was used to being a bit of a punk because that's what worked in my old pack, but my new foster brothers (Dublin and Limerick) said that kind of stuff wasn't gonna fly here. Limerick informed me that HE was the only punk allowed at the Boss Lady's place.

Then I had to learn that everythin' doesn't belong to me, includin' the Boss Lady. That kinda went along with not being a punk. So I've got that figured out now and I only grumble if another dog (aka Limerick) tries to take my food right out of my mouth. Other than that I don't mind if they are near me when I am eatin'.

I also got "new-turred" though I don't remember it so I am not sure what exactly it was. The Boss Lady said it sure helped me to learn how not to be a punk though, so I guess it is a good thing....

I'm still workin' on learnin' some new skills, like how to walk well on a leash and how to not eat the the Boss Lady's cats.

Okay, gotta go

Breckin

Here we go a-visitin'

2009-01-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

Hi All! This past weekend I went a-visitn' to some friends' house. I got to see my buddy Sam:

And Pippin (is it me or does he look kinda scary in this picture?):

We also got to hang out with Dune and his ever present Frisbee:

We met some other dogs too! This is Tucker and he is the newest NEBCR rescue dog. He's just a little tyke and he doesn't know much yet. You might have noticed him in the picture I posted of me earlier. That's because I am good with puppies so I was allowed to play with him. Dublin was allowed to play with him too, but Limerick had to pass because he isn't very patient with lil' puppers. Dublin said that is kind of "I-RON-ICK" considering how much patience Limerick required as a puppy...

Finally we got to meet this guy:

His name is Breckin (Gaelic for freckled) and despite his size, he is only 7 months old. He is the Boss Lady's new foster dog. Why does the Boss Lady have two foster dogs you ask? Well, she doesn't. I also got to meet my forever family on this trip! They drove a really long way (in a snowstorm to boot!) to come get me. They were very excited to be taking me to live with them. The Boss Lady said I would get my very own calf to herd and lots of room to run and play once I'm all healed up!

So, once again, I want to thank everyone who donated to NEBCR so I could have my surgeries. Thanks to you, I can look forward to many more years of pain-free running and playing like every other border collie my age.

Take care,
Finnegan, Finally Beginning Again....

All Cleared for Take-off!

2009-01-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

So the Boss Lady and I went to see the surgeon on Wednesday for a check-up. The Boss Lady said I was all done with surgery (I hope so! I had run out of shoulders by this point!) and this was just to see how I've been healing. She said not to get my hopes up as I had a few weeks before I was due to be cleared for "light activities like leash-walking". I've been trying to tell her that I feel great and I am "good to go!" but she wasn't buying it.

So imagine my surprise when the surgeon said I was walking great and could have some light leash walking now - a whole 3 weeks ahead of schedule! I don't know who was more surprised - the surgeon or me. The Boss Lady said it really helped that I was eating a high quality raw diet and I got regular acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments. It must be so, because I am finally cleared for activity! Woo-hoo!!!

Crate rest for a border collie is a fate worse than death, so I can't wait to start running, jumping and playi-oops, the Boss Lady just reminded me that the surgeon said light activities like leash walking only.

Okay, I'll take what I can get for now. At least I know that I will be able to run and play soon!

Finnegan, the very HAPPY dog!

Christmas!!!

2008-12-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we celebrated Christmas...The Boss Lady had everyone over for Christmas Eve dinner at our house. I wasn't too thrilled with this as there were little kids running around and a lot of people I didn't know. The Boss Lady didn't make me interact with them though and let me stay in my crate with a yummy kong stuffed with peanut butter. Limerick got to stay in the crate next to me 'cause he gets a little too revved up when kids are running around. Dublin got to stay out though because he can handle it. He was working the crowd like a pro and getting lots of treats from the table when people thought the Boss Lady wasn't looking.

After things had calmed down a little bit, the Boss Lady had one of her young nieces sit quietly next to my crate and drop treats in for me. I really liked that. I felt safe in my crate so I didn't have to give my "I'm a big scary dog - stay away!!" bark. Since the little girl was so calm and wasn't looking at me, I was happily eating all the treats she gave me. Limerick did get a little jealous though, so the Boss Lady gave him another kong and he was happy.

The next day was Christmas and the Boss Lady's parents came over for Christmas breakfast. Lim and I stayed in the crate for the first part so we could be calm and relaxed. Dublin was working the crowd again and managed to get more tidbits handed to him from the parent's breakfast plates.

Here's a picture of Dublin. He's looking so happy because he spent the morning getting bacon fed to him by the Boss Lady's mom!

Once breakfast was over, we got to open presents! I didn't say anything to the Boss Lady, but I was kinda worried that Santa Paws wasn't going to be able to find me as this isn't my forever home...but I am happy to report that I was worried for nothing! All us dogs got some yummy treats and the catz got a fancy-smancy new kitty condo!

Hmmm...this looks like fun!

Darwin's playing sneak attack!

Ummm...can I come in and play with you?

I tried to get in it to play with them....

...but I couldn't fit.

What do I do now, Boss Lady?

I was starting to get in a funk because I couldn't play with the kittens when they were in their snazzy new house, but the Boss Lady had a big surprise for me...I had one more present! Isn't is the bestest toy ever?!? My special friend Noah sent it to me.

I tried to get the Boss Lady to play with me, but she was busy taking pictures.

So then I hit up the Boss Lady's dad. He's always up for a good play session
(is it just me,or does the Boss Lady's dad look an awful lot like Santa Paws...?)

After all the present opening hoopla was over, it was time to chill and nap. I was sad because the Boss Lady said I had to rest for a bit before I could play with my new toy some more.

Dublin was very worried because Fossil decided to curl up next to Dublin's toy gorilla...and Dublin was too scared to take it from her!

I said I would try to get it from her....

But then she spotted me...

and I was foiled...

Darwin decided to steal the Boss Lady's chair for a nap when she got up to put Limerick in the crate for his nap.

Newton said she got quite enough beauty sleep last night

So she decided to use this time for a grooming session...

Darwin thought this was a wonderful idea.

Pokey evidently had too much catnip, so he was just chillin' for a while.

...and I was patiently waiting unil it was time to play with my toy again...

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!

2008-12-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been crazy around here as the Boss Lady gets ready for the "Howl-a-dazes". Not sure what they are, but it has meant I've had a tough time getting a chance to log onto the computer. The Boss Lady has been on it a lot "tracking packages" to make sure they get here on time. Humans are so silly.

Anyway, I was really excited this past weekend because it snowed for 3 straight days! I love snow! I really wanted to go out and play in it, but the Boss Lady reminded me that I had a leg that still needed to heal.

I had to make due with snuggling with my snowman.
The Boss Lady kept telling me that Mr. Snowman wasn't a dog toy, but that he was a "de-kor-a-shun".

I love Mr. Snowman though, and the Boss Lady finally caved.

The Boss Lady must have been in the "Howl-a-day" spirit because she finally agreed to let me go outside for a bit. I was sooooo excited, but the Boss Lady told me that I couldn't run around at all. (There was so much snow that I couldn't have run if I tried!) Here I am getting my instructions:

Then the Boss Lady brought out our dinner. She feeds us a raw diet so that day we were getting some yummy chicken frames and turkey hearts.

Limerick takes his out to the back corner so no one tries to steal it.

Here I am being all stealthy and hiding under the cherry branch that last week's ice storm took down - they'll never see me here.

Dublin doesn't need to hide with his food though. The cats are the only ones brave enough to try to take the food from him and they aren't allowed outside. Well, the Boss Lady can easily take the food from any of us, but since she is the one who gave it to us in the first place, she usually doesn't need to take it back from us!

Here I am begging for more food:
"I finished all my food Boss Lady, can I have some more? I promise I won't tell Limerick...."

The Boss Lady wasn't falling for my puppy dog eyes though. In fact, she said it was time to come inside.
"Awww, can't I stay out a little bit longer? Pulllleeeease?"

Dublin and Limerick love the snow - so much so that the Boss Lady has a hard time getting them to come back into the house when it is snowing out. Dublin especially seems to develop "Sudden Hearing Loss" at these times.

"I hear nothing...."

Limerick was beside himself because he found his Frisbee even though there was a foot of snow on top of it! He had been worried because he thought it was a goner until spring!

"Whaddya mean it's time to come in? Look what I just found!!!"

She finally corralled us and got us to come inside. Limerick and I were pretty tired and decided to take a nap.

Dublin informed us that he was "made of tougher stuff and didn't need a nap like you young'uns" so he spent the rest of day helping the Boss Lady (though I did see him sneak in a nap when he thought we didn't notice!)

~Finnegan

I'm Baaaaack!

2008-12-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been able to post. First, I had my surgery, then we had an ice storm. The Boss Lady was able to come and get me after all, but we had no power for DAYS - I didn't think that was all that bad, but the Boss Lady explained that the 'puter needed electricity to run so I couldn't post. Then the Boss Lady had to go on another business trip and Dublin, Limerick and I stayed at a cool boarding facility run by a friend of the Boss Lady. Limerick and Dublin got to run around and play, but I am still on crate rest so I couldn't join in. Ugh. But finally we are home and have power at the same time, so I can post and update you on all the cool things that have been happening.

First, I want to thank the wonderful people at D.I.N.E for donating this really cool bed for me to use. I'm not sure exactly what makes it so much more comfortable than the other dog bed I used, I just know that it feels reeeeally good to sleep on it and I'm not as stiff when I get up from my nap when I use it. And it is big enough that if Limerick or the kittens want to sleep on it too, I don't feel like I have to get up and move.

I'm healing well so far from my second surgery. It has been 10 long days of no running though and I still have to wear a t-shirt so I don't scratch my stitches - but at least this time it isn't an embarrassing pink one!

As I mentioned earlier, we were without power for DAYS! Humans are pretty funny when the power goes out - they act kinda lost, sorta like when someone steals my ball when I am not looking. They wander around the house trying to find things to keep them occupied that don't need electricity. They're pretty silly, humans - us dogs had everything under control - we just napped the time away! Though it did get pretty chilly in the house after a few days with no heat. I was forced to cuddle with Limerick and the kittens (Dublin does not cuddle with non-humans and I wasn't cold enough to brave cuddling with the other cats).

The Boss Lady has been frantically running around trying to get ready for Christmas yet she still made time in her day to embarrass me.

Limerick tried to help; he told me to keep my chin up and she would get bored soon. So I did and it worked.

Gotta go now and save one of the kittens, they keep getting trapped in the decoration boxes...

~Finnegan, kitten-sitter

Anyone interested in donating to Finnegan's surgery fund, can do so by clicking here.

Guest Blog - update on Finnegan

2008-12-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

Hi All -

Limerick here again. The Boss wanted me to update you on Finnegan. Finn is doing great and he is all set to come home today...if the Boss can make it out to pick him up! We had a doozy of an ice storm last night and the roads are pretty bad and trees are down everywhere. Dublin and I have been listening to all the chainsaws going all day so maybe they'll have the roads cleared soon.

Anyway, the Boss plans on picking Finnegan up tonight if she can. If not, the good people at the vet hospital will watch him overnight.

I hope he comes home soon...even though I can't rough-house with him, I still miss him...

~Limerick, the Bold.

Update!!

2008-12-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have two pieces of important news:

First, I discovered that the pine tree in the house is definitely not to be used for pee breaks. The Boss Lady couldn't have been more clear on this point. I'm still not really sure why we have a tree in the house, though, especially as it doesn't come with any squirrels. I asked Dublin and Limerick what the deal was, but they just said "humans are weird sometimes, just go with the flow" then Dublin added, "By the way, don't go under the tree." I thought that was odd advice as I quite like lounging under the trees that are outside...but then I found out what Dublin meant. The older cats like to hang out under the tree and get quite cranky if you invade their space - and like the Boss Lady, they too, frown upon any dog peeing on the tree. Okay then, point taken.

Second, I had my one month check-up with the surgeon yesterday and he said my shoulder was healing very well - and ahead of schedule. I only had a second to enjoy this praise before I realized that the surgeon and the Boss Lady were scheduling my second surgery for this morning! Yikes - Talk about quick! So I head into surgery this morning for my second operation; this time it is my left shoulder that is being operated on. I won't be back home until Friday evening...I hope the kittens don't steal my bed while I am gone...

Oh, I almost forgot! The Boss Lady wanted me to thank the kind souls who donated to NEBCR in my name to help pay for my surgeries. We really appreciate the help and I am ever so grateful for this chance to run and play like other dogs my age.

We still have a loooooong way to go, though, to raise enough to cover the costs of both surgeries, so anyone who is interested can donate here

Wish me luck!

~Finnegan

Checking in

2008-12-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys! I'm still here - sorry I haven't posted in a while. The Boss Lady has been really busy these last few weeks and hasn't had time to log me onto the computer.

I'm still on restricted activity though I can go for some slow walks. I am not, however, supposed to chase the squirrels we see on our walks. The Boss Lady has to keep reminding me of that part.

We've had some mild excitement here. We have two new additions to the pack. The Boss Lady brought home two kittens that had lost their mother.

This one is Fossil:

And this guy is Darwin:

They were being hand-raised by the vet staff at the place where I get my chiropractic adjustments for my shoulder and back. I thought they were pretty neat (especially after I was sure they weren't going to swat me!) Dublin isn't as excited about them as I am. Limerick is the most excited of all, though. He follows them around everywhere they go and unlike the older two cats that live here, the kittens don't seem to mind.

Kittens are weird. They don't like to play fetch but they like to chase things. Sometimes those things include my tail. That isn't as much fun for me as it seems to be for the kittens. To prevent that from happening too often, I like to distract the kittens with other potential toys. Here's a picture of me with Darwin - we're playing with a piece of paper from the paper shredder:

I'll have more to report later. The Boss Lady just brought a big pine tree into the house. I'm not sure what it is for, but I think it must be for me to use for my pee-breaks. I don't like to go outside when it is really cold or rainy now that my shoulder fur has been shaved, so the Boss Lady must have brought that in for me - she's nice like that. I'm not sure why she is decorating it though....

~Finnegan, Kitten Entertainer Extraordinaire

I'm bored....

2008-11-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

Really, really bored.... The Boss Lady still won't let me run and play...Surely 60 days have passed by now, right? The Boss Lady says it has only been 10 days since my surgery and I have 50 more days to go yet. I can't count, so I don't know how long that is, but I hope it is only for a few more days...

Have I mentioned I'm bored? A dog can only sleep or watch TV for so long...The Boss Lady has been very nice and has tried to keep me occupied...but I want to RUN!

I did almost give the Boss Lady a heart attack earlier this week and I feel kinda bad about that...she was taking me down the front steps for my potty break when I had the urge to jump off the top step! The Boss Lady scrambled to catch me in mid-air so I wouldn't land on my shoulder. She said I "may feel a lot better, but I am not healed up yet". Not sure what she means by that, but I bet it means games of fetch are off limits still...

Sigh...have I mentioned I'm bored?

~Finnegan, the very, very bored dog...

All Things Considered, I'd like the Blue Cone Back, Please...

2008-11-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I couldn't be forced to endure any more indignities, this happens. How humiliating! I thought the blue cone was bad, but this takes the cake.

It is so humiliating I can't look at you...

The Boss Lady finally realized that I couldn't lick my stitches even if I wanted to 'cause I can't reach them. So she took off the blue cone. For a brief moment I was thrilled...then she put this shirt on me. Even though I can't lick my incision, it was awfully itchy, so I kept trying to scratch it (and the blue cone did nothing to stop that) so the Boss Lady came up with this contraption.

Ugh.

Couldn't she have at least found a blue shirt? The golden across the street keeps laughing at me whenever I go outside.

Won't you please help me?

What's that you say? It's for my own good?

You haven't been talking with the Boss Lady by any chance, have you?

~Finnegan

The Boss Lady lied...

2008-11-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

She said I'd feel much better after the surgery...I don't. I feel like I got hit by a truck! The Boss Lady said she meant I'd feel better after I was all healed up...I think she should have been more specific before I agreed to these surgeries...

Here's a picture of my incision that the Boss Lady took for me. (I can't see it myself because I have to wear this stupid blue cone thing).

The Boss Lady says it is healing well so far. To help it, I get 3 times a day spa treatments, per the vet's orders (honest!). I get to curl up next to the Boss Lady and put my head in her lap while she applies a nice warm pack to my shoulder. It is the best part about this whole thing. The Boss Lady said I have to have it for at least 10 minutes at a time, but I am happy to have it done for much longer...it feels reeeeeally goooood....

I also can't run or play for the next 60 days! (I was standing next to the Boss Lady when the vet told her that and she went so pale I thought she was gonna pass out!) Right now I don't feel like playing anyway, but if the Boss Lady can be believed, I'll start to feel better soon and then the Boss Lady said "she's going to have her hands full keeping me entertained!" She's busy thinking up crate games to keep me occupied.

Okay, I'm off to take a nap now....

~Finnegan, the sore dog...

Guest Blog - update on Finnegan

2008-11-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hi All -

Limerick here. The Boss told me to give you an update...Finnegan should be coming home from the vet hospital today (and she also said I wasn't to make fun of the plastic cone he's gonna have around his neck!).

Finnegan came through his first surgery really well and now he's gonna have to take it easy for a while...I'm 'posed to be gentle with him and no wrestlin'. Hmmph. Surgery doesn't sound like it is a lot of fun...

More later -

Limerick, the Bold.

Heading in...

2008-11-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

...to surgery this morning. I am getting the operation done on my right shoulder today as that is my most painful one. I'm kinda scared, but really hopeful. The Boss Lady says I should feel a lot better once it is done - and I am really looking forward to beating Limerick to the frisbee for once!

Keep your fingers crossed for me! I'll update you as soon as I get out of surgery....

Finnegan (who is trying really hard to be a brave dog...!)

Serious News...

2008-11-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today the Boss Lady sat me down for a talk. She said I was probably wondering why I had been taking so many trips to various vets and specialists. Actually up until that point I hadn't been wondering - I was just thrilled to be going on so many car rides and getting treats from all the friendly people in the vet offices - but now that I thought about it, Dublin and Limerick didn't go to the vet nearly as often as me. The Boss Lady said the trips to get x-rays, the acupuncture and the chiropractor adjustments were all efforts to try figure out why I had been limping on my front legs.

The Boss Lady has been very nice trying to figure out what happened to make me limp, but I kept trying to tell her that I've limped for almost as long as I remembered. Then the Boss Lady said the last round of x-rays I had done finally showed what was wrong with me. She said I had OCD. I was a bit confused - I'm a border collie, we are known to be obsessive-compulsive, that's part of our charm. And I really didn't understand what x-rays had to do with it. The Boss Lady shook her head and said it wasn't that type of OCD. I have been diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in both of my shoulders.

I didn't know what that meant, so the Boss Lady explained it is a condition where the growth of normally smooth cartilage in my shoulder joints was disrupted somehow and the cartilage became pitted and "flaps" of cartilage got caught in the joint. She said this is why it hurts me so much when I run. She also said to cheer up because the wonderful folks at NEBCR were going to pay for the surgery I need to be fixed. That once I have surgery on both of my shoulders, I would be able to run and play without being in pain!

I was stunned. I've been in pain for so long, I just thought it was normal...A long forgotten memory filtered to the surface - one of me running as a pup with my litter mates...I remember running and playing without pain then...I was amazed to think that could happen again!

Folks that want to help NEBCR pay for my surgeries can donate by clicking here.

My first surgery is scheduled for next week. I am a bit scared but really excited by the possibility of getting my shoulders fixed. I can't wait to see if I can outrun Limerick once I'm all fixed up!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

~Finnegan

All Hallow's Eve...

2008-11-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last night was SCARY! Monsters kept coming to the door and demanding the Boss Lady give them stuff before they would go away. I kept barking to let the monsters know I was a big, tough dog but the Boss Lady wasn't very happy with that approach. I was trying to help her fend off the scary monsters, but she didn't see it that way. Then I suggested that maybe if she stopped feeding the monsters, they would stop coming to our door - but she didn't seem to hear me.

I asked Dublin what to do but he just said "go lie down in the living room and play with your toy". It seems he wasn't scared of the monsters like I was - and Limerick was especially brave (or stupid, sometimes it's hard to tell with him) because he would run right up to the door and sit down in front of the monsters. He's my buddy and all, but sometimes he's just plain weird.

The Boss Lady finally had me hang out in my crate where I knew the monsters couldn't get to me. I was happy to be safe, but worried about the Boss Lady (it was obvious Dublin and Limerick were going to be no help fending off the monsters!). Finally, the monsters stopped coming and the Boss Lady let me out so I could see that she was all right.

Phew! I hope the monsters don't come back tonight...

~Finnegan, the not-so-brave dog

Weekend fun

2008-10-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, the Boss Lady packed us up again and took us to Sugar Bush Farm. This time it was a bit different because I barely got to see the Boss Lady after we got there. Dublin, Limerick and I got to spend the weekend hanging out and playing with all our canine pals while the Boss Lady and a few of her friends manned a NEBCR booth at the NYS Sheep and Wool festival. Us dogs got to stay behind with some of the other NEBCR volunteers and play.

We normally stay in a soft-sided people crate (which the humans call a tent) when we visit the farm. This time we got to stay in a hard-sided people crate - I think the humans called it a "pop-up camper". At first I thought it was pretty neat - it had two big people beds and plenty of room for us dogs. We even had a friend and her dog "Didge" staying with us. I love Didge - he lets me follow him around all day. I want to be like him when I grow up.

The first night, the Boss Lady even let me sleep up on the bed with her. I snuggled under the covers (it was cold!) and went right to sleep. That's when I discovered that the people crate had a terrible secret! It ate dogs! I was sleeping peacefully and slid over to the side of the bed and was leaning up against the canvas siding when I started to slip through. I was scared and immediately bopped the Boss Lady in the face to let her know I was being eaten. The Boss Lady wasn't very happy to be woken up in that way, but desperate times called for desperate measures! Once the Boss Lady figured out why I was freaking out, she pulled me back into the camper and said I could have the inside part of the bed for the rest of the night. I didn't want to take any chances though, and I slept on the floor for the rest of the night.

The next night, I decided to chance the bed on the other side of the camper, though I stayed on the inside of the bed, just in case. Things were going well and I was sleeping soundly next to Didge and his human when suddenly Didge was eaten! It was horrible - one second Didge was right next to me and the next second he was gone! I ran over to the Boss Lady and woke her up again to tell her what had happened but Didge's human was already on the case. She ran outside and evidently fought off the evil camper and came back inside with a sleepy and slightly confused Didge. I took no more chances and spent the rest of the night on the floor. The Boss Lady might prefer the camper, but I think I like the soft-sided people crate much better -it never swallows dogs.

~Finnegan

Turns out, I'm a Sheep Dog!

2008-10-11T20:34:00.001-07:00

So, last weekend the Boss Lady packed up all three of us dogs and headed out to that wonderful canine paradise known as Sugar Bush Farm.

We got to run and play all weekend and even got to sleep in the people crate (though humans call it a tent). It was a bit chilly and the Boss Lady was worried about me because I am what they call a "smooth-coated" border collie, so I don't have a lot of long fur like my foster brothers. The Boss Lady was nice enough to give up one of her blankets so I would have something to snuggle into. At first I wasn't going to use it and pushed it away, but by the middle of the night, I was happy the Boss Lady had given it to me.

But the most exciting part of the weekend was when I got to see sheep! I didn't want to go into the sheep pen at first - the other dogs were running around playing tag and I wanted to join them. I had no idea why the Boss Lady wanted me to go with her to see the silly sheep. But I finally gave in and walked up to see the sheep with her. I was prepared to humor her for a little bit in the hopes that she would let me go out and play again.

But then...the sheep moved and I was hooked! It was like all of my ancestors were yelling at me at once to go and do something!! The sheep were scattering and for some reason, I suddenly knew that was not supposed to happen...I took off after them and started circling them to bring them back to order. I got a little bit too energetic though and I accidentally scattered them again. (Those sheep sure are FAST!! and FLIGHTY!)

I worked in the sheep pen for about 10 minutes before the Boss Lady called a halt and brought me back out. I didn't want to leave...who wants to play tag with other dogs when there are sheep around...?

Finnegan, the Sheep Dog

Finnegan, Begin Again

2008-09-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

So the Boss Lady told me that I went up on the NEBCR website as officially available for adoption. I was very excited about the possibility of finally getting my Forever Family. I asked the Boss Lady what I was supposed to do and she said the I only had to sit back and wait for the applications to come pouring in...then she paused for a moment and said "well, working on your manners wouldn't hurt either".

So, since I've already mastered the biggies like house-training, crate-training, leash walking and sit, we are working on "stay". That's a hard one for a border collie - there is so much to do and see! Dublin has it mastered, but Limerick seems to have as much trouble as I do, so I don't feel too bad that I haven't gotten the hang of it yet either.

In other news, Dublin finally played tug with me!! I like playing tug with both dogs and people, but I can't ever play tug with Limerick. (Limerick likes to play tug, but seems to forget that we are playing and it isn't pretty. He doesn't seem to have a problem playing tug with Dublin, but then Dublin can keep him in line.)

This time, Limerick had been given a "time out" by the Boss Lady and Dublin must have been bored, because he came over to me and shoved a tug toy at me. I was so surprised, I almost forgot to respond. We tugged, and tugged, and tugged, and tugged some more...finally the Boss Lady said we had to stop because it was obvious we weren't going to end it on our own.

I don't know if Dublin was taking it easy on me or not, but I was very proud that I was able to keep up with him. Tugging is quite the workout!

~Finnegan

Finnegan's Debut

2008-09-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

Hi all! I'm Finnegan - and I am the Boss Lady's newest foster dog. I have been with the Boss Lady a few weeks now and I am finally getting the hang of things.

I get along great with the cats - I like cats. Unfortunately these cats don't seem to like to play, so I leave them alone and they don't make the evil hissing noises anymore. Limerick (one of my foster brother's) hasn't seemed to figure out how to live peacefully with the cats yet - he still follows them around even though they are pretty clear they don't like such shenanigans. So I'm pretty proud of the fact that I figured out how to live with the cats within a day of arriving (Limerick's lived with them for almost a year and a half and he still hasn't gotten the hang of it!)

I also get along pretty well with my foster brothers. I have one foster brother named Dublin and he is the head honcho after the Boss Lady (well, and the cats - Dublin never crosses the cats). Dublin is pretty cool and has stopped grumbling at me for my "stupid puppy behavior" as he calls it. Evidently, dogs didn't like it when I ran after them and nipped them in the butt when they were playing fetch. Dublin had to explain this to me a few times, but I finally got the hang of it. Now I just run along side of them and everyone seems much happier with that.

I like making people happy.

Limerick was a harder shell to crack. He acted all big and tough when I first arrived and was very grumpy and stand-offish for the first few weeks. Dublin said not to take it personally; that Limerick always takes a few weeks to warm up to a new foster. I was about to get my feelings hurt when Dublin was proved right and Limerick started asking me to play! We're the best of buds now, running and wrestling all the time. It's nice to have a buddy the same age as me. Dublin will play a little bit, but he is too dignified to play a lot of the silly games we play. He stands by to referee though, if he thinks we're getting out of hand or too rough.

~Finnegan

It's Official!

2008-08-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well, last Thursday, the Boss Lady took me back to Doggie Paradise, aka Sugar Bush Farm. I got to run and play with all my dog pals - I even got to see my old crush, Didge. I have a new crush now - his name is Connor and he was a former foster dog of the Boss Lady's. He was visiting this week while his new people were traveling. He is pretty cool and lets me herd him while he plays fetch. We all had a blast and were pretty tuckered out by the end of the night. Then all four dogs (Connor, Dublin, Limerick and me) piled into the people crate with the Boss Lady. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but the Boss Lady didn't mind sharing her bed. She's a good egg.

Anyway, on Friday I got to meet my new person!! She's pretty cool and is even going to keep feeding me raw. But the best part? No Limerick to steal my food! I will have tons of new dog pals to play with and go on hikes with - but at the end of the day, I get my new human all to myself. How great is that? The Boss Lady sure knows how to pick 'em!

I've had a lot of fun so far, running and playing with my new person. Pssst...don't tell the Boss Lady, but I even play fetch with my new person and bring the toy right back to her! With no Limerick around, there was no one else to bring the ball back - so I had to compromise my principles. I don't mind though - as soon as I bring it back, she throws it again so it's a pretty good system. I guess the Boss Lady knew what she was talking about, after all, when she said fetch was fun.

So, thanks to all my fans who were rooting for me to find a great forever home. I certainly struck gold with my new human.

Take care,
Anya

I love a good party....

2008-07-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to tell you...a few weeks ago, the Boss Lady threw a huge party, just for me! Wasn't that nice of her? She called it "the Town's Independence Day Celebration". I don't know what that means, but it was still a nice party. There seemed to be a lot of people in our neighborhood that day, so I knew something was up. And then the Boss Lady put my fancy Easy Walk Harness on me and took me to that big open field a few blocks from our house. She calls it a "park".

When we got to the park there were hundreds, maybe even a thousand people, all there to see me! I was so surprised! There were people of all sizes there, even some little humans in their own little chairs on wheel (strollers I think the Boss Lady called them). I didn't know humans came so tiny. They were fun to look at for a while, but they didn't throw any toys or do anything too exciting, so I soon lost interest. I had my best "hostess hat" on though, so I smiled politely at the little humans and made all the appropriate comments to the little humans' parents (I was a mother myself, you know, so I know how important that is).

I walked among the crowd, meeting and greeting everyone I could. I particularly liked the mid-sized humans as they loved to give pets and toss toys for me. And the adult humans were pretty nice too! They were thrilled to see me (as would be expected, I guess, as I was the guest of honor.)

We stayed for about an hour or so and then the Boss Lady took me back to the house so I could have a nap. Being a hostess is really hard work, I discovered.

I hope my guests didn't mind that I retired early, but a girl needs her beauty sleep...

~Anya

You make one tiny mistake...

2008-07-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

For all you dogs out there who have the misfortune of living with cats that are...um..shall we say, "less than tolerant" of dogs, have you ever wondered how those cats get so deadly accurate with their claws?

Well, my friends, the mystery has been solved! Evidently cats start their training at a young age by attending fighting camps!

What were you doing as a young pup? Bet you weren't doing anything more challenging than chasing your tail, were you? Now, don't be embarrassed - I wasn't doing anything more challenging either.

No wonder we are at such a disadvantage when it comes to avoiding those left hooks! They may look cute and fluffy but they are trained feline weapon machines!

Hmmm...if they are running boxing camps, maybe we should start our own "bob and weave" camps so we'd have a fighting chance....

~Anya
The good dog...with a slightly sore nose because she didn't see the cat when she poked her nose under the couch...

When Good Dogs Go Bad...

2008-07-20T07:59:00.001-07:00

So the other morning, the Boss Lady lets us out for our last pee-break before she leaves for that thing she calls her job. We had already been out earlier to do the "sniff everything, chase the squirrels routine" and this was just a last chance "to do what you need to do" outing.

The Boss Lady was busy doing the weird ritual she goes through every morning where she walks around frantically looking for her purse, briefcase, etc. I don't know why she doesn't use her nose to sniff these things out like us dogs do - it would save her a lot of time.

Anyway, she called us in and I immediately came bounding up the porch steps (because I'm the good dog). Then came Limerick, a little slower than I think the Boss Lady would have liked, but he did at least come on the first call. We'll take what progress we can get.

But Dublin? Well, he completely blew off the Boss Lady's call and ran out to the cherry tree to look for squirrels. I was appalled! That was the type of behavior I had come to expect from Limerick, but Dublin should have known better. What kind of example was this to set for Limerick? It is hard enough keeping the little guy on the straight and narrow as it is, without Dublin setting such a bad example.

The Boss Lady called again, but Dublin appeared to have developed a case of Sudden Hearing Loss.

The Boss Lady let us two good dogs (who would have thought the little guy would have ever been put in that category, huh?) in the house and headed out to get Dublin. She didn't want to go too far out in the yard because it was really muddy from all the rain we had been getting and the Boss Lady was in her nice "going to her job" shoes. But Dublin was still ignoring her calls.

I knew I had to do something - back in my wild and crazy youth when I had whelped a few litters of my own, I knew I would have never tolerated such nonsense from one of my boys! And Dublin, well his attitude this morning just went to show that boys are never too old for a motherly scolding.

The Boss Lady was about halfway out into the muddy yard when I burst through the back door. She turned at the sound of the door slamming and, expecting it to be Limerick, was surprised to see me standing there (I'm the good dog, remember?)

The Boss Lady told me to go back to the house, so I turned like I was going to run back up to the house and she turned back to Dublin. I hated to trick the Boss Lady like that. She never questioned that I wasn't going to go running back up to the house, trusting soul that she is. But desperate times call for desperate measures (and it was really muddy out by the cherry tree). My disobedience was for the greater good. I took a wide path around the Boss Lady and ran up to Dublin. I gave him a quick scolding ("Didn't you hear her? She said come back to the house! What kind of example are you setting for Limerick? You should know better!") Then I gave him a quick lick to the cheek to let him know there were no hard feelings and told him to come with me "right now!" to go back to the house. Dublin dutifully followed me back up.

The Boss Lady was just standing there in shock but finally she walked back up to the house, too. I got a quick belly rub and a cookie for a "job well done!".

~Anya (the good dog)

I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

2008-07-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

So the Boss Lady said I am a very popular girl. She's been inundated with applications from wonderful people (with excellent taste, obviously) who want me to live with them. She's been very busy going through the applications, trying to find the absolute best home for me to go to.

She said it is a very difficult decision - I should think so! It must be one of the most important decisions of her life. It is a wonder she doesn't crack under the weight of this awesome responsibility.

She is going to narrow down all my suitors to a select few and then I get the final say, of course. It is nice to have humans to do this for us as we dogs have much more pressings things to do, like making sure that pesky squirrel doesn't steal all the apples from our tree. Why, if it weren't for the Boss Lady, I'd be stuck wading through the millions (hey, she said I was popular, remember?) of applications myself .

Off on squirrel patrol now...

~Anya

Holy Mackerel!

2008-07-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a big treat...the Boss Lady came home from where ever she goes during the day - that place she calls her "job" whatever that means - and went into the garage and started banging around in the magic white box. The most delicious things come out of the magic box and today was no exception. It took her longer than normal to bring out our supper. The Boss Lady was banging and mumbling the whole time - something about 25 pounds of mackerel being frozen together in a block of ice. I wasn't sure what a "mackerel" was, but it sure sounded like it put up a big fight.

Dublin and Limerick obviously knew what was in store though, because they sat at the garage door, drooling the whole time. It was undignified.

When the Boss Lady appeared again - she evidently won the fight, but honestly, I wasn't sure she would from the sounds of things - she tossed us each the most magnificent treat. We each got one of the mackerel! They are delicious! Just the thing to hit the spot on a hot day.

I sat licking mine for a while, just enjoying the coolness. This was a miscalculation on my part, however, because the Bottomless Pit, aka Limerick, finished his and came looking to steal mine! Can you believe it? The nerve of him.

I was having nothing of it - I gave him my fiercest stare and lifted my lip - but he came closer. Then I let loose my fiercest growl, but the little juvenile delinquent walked right up to me and stole my mackerel!

That was it. I decided to teach him who was boss! I stood up and walked over to him while he was eating MY mackerel...and started barking for the Boss Lady. That'd fix 'im.

The Boss Lady came out of the garage where she had been continuing the struggle in the magic white box, and immediately saw what the problem was. She walked toward Limerick and the little scoundrel knew the game was up. He left my fish and walked away. I swooped in and rescued my dinner and promptly started to eat it. I wasn't going to give Limerick a chance to steal it again!

Dog Heaven

2008-07-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well my friends, sorry I haven't posted earlier, but I was still recovering from my weekend at dog heaven, aka Sugar Bush Farm. We got to sleep in a people crate - the Boss Lady called it a "tent". Whatever it was called, I thought it was pretty neat. I didn't know humans slept in crates, too.

There was a DOCNA agility trial going on at Sugar Bush this weekend and our good buddies at NEBCR were manning the food booth.

While the humans were busy, the dogs were having the time of our lives. We got to run around and go swimming. And there was always a human around willing to toss a toy. What could be better?

Well, I'll tell you. I got to meet the love of my life. He's the strong, silent type.

I was smitten, I followed him everywhere. The Boss Lady mumbled something about playing hard to get, but I didn't have time for that.

Eventually, I wore him down.

Alas, my hero didn't seem quite as enamored of me. Such is life. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.

I also got to find out what the Boss Lady meant when she said I might get a chance on sheep. It turns out that it was a lot of work. I watched Dublin and Limerick go first.

It sure seemed like a lot of effort just to get some lamb chops. Then the Boss Lady mentioned that I wouldn't get to eat the sheep! Why bother? I thought - and promptly took myself off to the pond for a cooling swim.

I also got to meet a bunch of other NEBCR foster dogs. There was this guy:

He was pretty cool - he liked to hang out and chill. I think the Boss Lady was trying to figure out how she could smuggle him out of there without anyone noticing. I suggested she leave Limerick behind so she would have room to fit him in the car but she wasn't going for it.

I also got to meet this gal:

She was a bit of a show-off and kept returning the frisbee right to the feet of the person who threw it. I think she did it just to make me look bad.

She's got some cool frisbee catching moves though, I have to admit.

Well, that's it for now. Off to get my beauty sleep.

~Anya

Sheep

2008-07-02T21:02:00.001-07:00

So the Boss Lady said we are going to be hanging out at Sugar Bush Farm this weekend. I love that place; it is truly doggie heaven. I will even get to hang out with another NEBCR foster named Henry. He is pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

The Boss Lady said if I am lucky, I will also get a chance to "experience sheep". I think she's getting forgetful...I've already experienced sheep. It was tasty. She called it lamb.

Mmm-mmm, I can't wait to have sheep again.....

The Joys of Fetch

2008-07-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

So today, the Boss Lady tried once again to get me to understand the "joys of fetch". She said it was a lot of fun and I should try it.

I'm still not buying it.

I mean, what's the point? I love to chase the frisbee or ball. I can even catch it out of the air. But once it stops moving, who cares?

The Boss Lady said I am supposed to bring it back to her. Isn't that why we keep Limerick around? He just loves to do grunt work like that. I did the important work - I stopped the frisbee from escaping the yard. Shouldn't she be happy with that?

Besides, if I did everything, there'd be nothing left for the little guy to do and he is good at returning things to the Boss Lady. There's not much he can do well, so let's leave him this one thing.

During our "fetch lesson" as the Boss Lady likes to call it, Limerick actually tried to get to the frisbee before me. Silly pup, I don't know what he was thinking. He was running, looking at the frisbee and wasn't watching where he was going....and ran right into the practice agility tunnel. He got all tangled up in it and rolled for a good 15 feet before he figured out how to get back out. It was like watching a train wreck - I was so stunned I forgot to let go of the frisbee.

Limerick is...well...he's......how shall I put this delicately? ...he's just not the brightest bulb....

Dublin says it's because he's young and he'll eventually smarten up, but I just don't know....

Anya's Intro

2008-06-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm Anya and I'm a border collie. I'm what you'd call a "foster dog" which means I'm just hanging out with the 'boss lady' until my forever family comes along. I had a family before, and they were pretty cool but unfortunately they fell on some hard times and had to give some of us up. They loved us though, and took the effort to give us to rescue instead of just dumping us. We were lucky enough to land at New England Border Collie Rescue.

So far things have been pretty cool. I live with two other border collies - my "foster brothers". The older one (Dublin) is fun to chill with; the younger one (Limerick) is a punk, but I've finally figured him out. He acts all big and tough, but if I give him the good ol' border collie stare, he gets all wigged out. Now I enjoy messing with him.

Yeah, it may be childish, but I need to get my laughs somehow.

Here's a picture of me with the little guy:

I also live with two mean cats. There will be no pictures of me with the cats, however, because I try to avoid being within claw striking distance of them. I learned very quickly that they don't tolerate any nonsense, so I give them all the respect they could possibly want. No problems with me, Mr Cat Sir, no problems at all, Madam Cat - I am more than happy to get out of your way.

One cool thing about this place is that we get fed really cool food. The Boss Lady calls it "raw" but that just means we get to eat whole fish and chicken and cool stuff like that. I was a bit hesitant at first, but now I dive right in. My favorite thing to do is steal my foster brothers' food when they aren't looking and gather it all up into a pile and sit on it. Hey, if they can't be bothered to watch their own stuff, then tough, I say. The Boss Lady doesn't like it when I do that though. She makes me give it back.

Well, I guess that's it for now. The Boss Lady said that I am going up as "available for adoption" now and my forever family will find me soon. I am looking forward to being in my own home. I just hope they have nice cats there....