Across the Water (Guest Blog)

Greetings, Gentledogs!

Please look at this Sign:

I find it quite Attractive. The red color, the lettering. I am unsure of what it means, however. My people say it is Across the Water where a different Language is spoken. I have older dog Relations from Across the Water, but I do not believe they understand this Language either.

Please look at these Cakes:












Are they not Delicious in appearance? Perhaps even as Tasty as Pizza Crusts? My people say these lovely Cakes are in the same place Across the Water! I wonder if the Sign describes the Cakes as being for Dogs?

Sincerely,
Tansy

Gotta love 'em sometimes

So, even though Fox and I don't see eye-to-eye very often (and I can't believe that Rafe gave Fox his password--but perhaps that is for another day), the wee ones in our house are awfully cute sometimes.

I usually like to make sure that the young dogs know that I am the Queen of the Border Collies and they must bow before me unless I tell them otherwise. Given that we have a Kyzer in the house, now, though, I've changed my strategy just a touch. You know about Kyzers and acts of aggression and Reichs and all. In any case, I don't want to incite any wars over territory or anything like they can be prone to.

So, I've been playing with him and, you know, he's pretty fun. If my people weren't such lame-os, maybe they'd take some video of us and post in on my channel....so many of the other dog-blogging humans do, I don't understand why mine won't. Maybe my complaints will lead to some changes. Keep a watch and see.

ha! ha! ha! (Guest Blog)

Hi! Hi! Hi!

Guess who?? Me, Fox!! Yes, CAT on Dog Blog!! They dint think I could do it! They think I Sleep! Like this!



Just cause they Sleep all day dunt mean I do!

Im Smart! Thats how I got to write here! Last week I tippt over a box of Thin Mints for Rafe! He was so happy he told me his password when I askt. Ha ha ha!

O O. I dont want my dogs to get in trouble cause Im here. My dogs are fun. Better go now. I can sneak on again later!

Fox!

DNN Headline News

My fellow Dogizens

This is Pippin Noodle Moy reporting from Ann Arbor, MI. I've just been handed the opposable thumbs for the next few minutes. Not time for a real newscast, but just enough time for important headlines from Dog News Network:

DNN Headline News

1. Rafe and Fox Double Caper means Thin Mints for All
2. Pippin reaches new Heights sending Pee-mail
3. Kyzer makes it through Big Block Walk unscathed
4. In Landslide, Tansy wins Easter Bark-a-thon and Well-Deserved Bone
5. "Portrait of the Pouter as a Young Dog" author Hamish Braeburn Moy gives Exclusive DNN Interview
6. Person makes Homemade dog Cookies, Dogs eat
7. Fox dumps Junk Basket not once but Five Times before Moved
8. Renzo sleeps in People's Bed and lives to Tell
9. Set Clocks: Agility Class ends this Week
10. Spring Squirrels Require New Tactics and Vigilance. Report soon.

Spring? (Guest Blog)

Greetings Gentledogs!

I have been most perplexed by our weather patterns this season. Last week we were frolicking outside, playing, laughing, enjoying the Warmth and Sunshine. This week we find ourselves frolicking outside, playing, laughing, enjoying the Cold and Snow Flurries. I had been fairly certain we were now to see Flowers rather than Snow Flakes! There are so many Mysteries with Weather. My People have promised we will see Flowers soon, and I do Trust them. They did show me this Photograph of my favorite Flowers, and I would like to share it with you.


Ah, how lovely, do you not agree?

Sincerely,
Tansy

Saving the best for last

Yes, the month of puppy pictures is coming to a close with the grand finale from la belle mademoiselle--me! I graciously let all the other dog members of my pack go first (and I equally graciously spared you the long-drawn out procession of puppy pictures from the people and the kitties!). I knew you would keep coming to the blog to see if *my* puppy pics had shown up yet. Well, dogmates, today is the day.

I had a very hard time deciding on the right pictures because I did an excavation of the Pippin puppy archive about a year ago right here on my blog, and I'm sure that those pictures are still quite fresh in everyone's mind. I wouldn't want to bore you with repeats--but luckily, my puppy archive is vast and expansive. So, without any further ado, here I am in all my young splendor:

First day home, first Kong. Very tiny me after a long trip home from Canada. Though I didn't get sick like Hamish, I did squawk like a seagull the entire way home. Little did my people know what they had signed on for....
Despite being a bit of a diva, I've never been one for soft, cushy beds. Even as a puppy, I would always push them aside
As the first puppy my people had raised, they had a pretty steep learning curve. They let me up on the couch pretty early, but I was too little to get down safely and kind of landed on my head the first time. Boy, did I make noise. None of the subsequent puppies have been allowed on the couch until they could make it up there all on their own. Didn't I look cute up there, though?
Love of snow came early for me. Border Collies have a double coat, so we rarely get too hot or cold--it insulates us in the winter and helps keep us cool in the summer.
This is one of my person's favorite pictures of me.
When my people didn't keep me entertained, I didn't have much trouble finding my own fun
Even if it meant snuffling Fritz
My signature ear stood up when I was 3 mos. old.
And by the time I was 6 mos old, I had my basic "Pippin" structure and look
And Border Collie-esque intensity
The only real difference from now was that my coat hadn't grown in yet. It was in place by about 10 mos.
Finally, just before I turned 1, my people had a professional shot taken of me and Renzo. We sent it into Bark magazine for their smiling dog pictures, but for some unimaginable reason, we weren't chosen, so here it is--an exclusive for my fans. Have you ever seen two happier looking pup-a-dups?

Puppy pics from Rafe (Guest Blog)

Rafe here.

So, puppy pics. Moved here when I was 7 months. No photos of when I was on the farm. These'll do, Pippin says. From my first days here. Still look young, do you think?

Here I'm looking at a garden bed. Missed the poppies blooming, but they'll bloom again this year. Soon.



Hamish is a couple months older than me. He's a pal. We growl around a bit, wrestle, play bitey face. Good dog. Here's us saying hi.



This is a funny picture. I look twice as big as everydog else. (I'm not.) Don't know where Pippin is. She was standoffish at first. We're getting to be friends now that I'm older.



Well, there you have it. Sorry I was late posting. Had a Thin Mint episode this weekend. Best not give details.

Woof,
Rafe

Puppy pics from Miss Tansy (Guest Blog)

Greetings Gentledogs!

Miss Pippin requested that I present an entry about my puppy pictures. Now, she well knows I have no true puppy pictures, but suggested that my earliest pictures with the Flock would suffice. (We heard that handsome Dave of Army of Four had the same situation.) Therefore, I will here show you some of my earlier photographs.

Here is first photograph, with my initial Rescuer. I had not been inside a House before, so I perhaps look a bit uneasy.


Below is an image of me at my Foster Home. I was very camera-shy, so Foster Mother (Bless her) held up one of her Kitties for me to gaze at. You may be able to see a bare spot on my front leg. I was most distressed with boredom and loneliness and limited environment at my initial residence. Such frustration led me to chew my leg fur and, alas, the white end of my tail off.


When I first arrived Home, I considered it best to stay quiet and observe my new Flock. You will notice I was granted my Couch immediately. Perhaps the younger members of my Flock could learn to respect my position now and end their fruitless challenges.


Despite my shy appearance, I was beside myself with joy! Miss Pippin and Sir Renzo and I ran about and played with delight. Miss Pippin and I had a great deal of fun:


At one moment we stopped playing to sing:


I do feel most fortunate to be with my Flock now. To those kind rescuers who helped me on my journey I am forever grateful. My Flock members tell me they are indebted to me for having introduced them to Sheep. It does then seem appropriate for me to end with a close-up photograph of me Working. You may be able to see that my fur is thick and the tip of my tail is white.

Pictures from the true puppy (Guest Blog)

Hi, 'member me? I'm Kyzer, the only real puppy left in the house. I turned 5 mos. old on last Saturday, so I still have quite a bit of growing to do. Two weeks ago, I made the big boy move to only have two meals a day instead of three. So, these pictures are all of me when I was still a little puppy who needed to eat three (or four in the beginning) times a day.

Here I am at 5 weeks playing with two of my sisters. We are tugging the camera strap. I'm the big one on the left
Here's another one of me with my littlest sister, Emma. Right now, I weigh almost 30 lbs and she doesn't even weigh 20. She's pretty feisty, though.
Here's the whole puppy pile on the day we all went home. Can you guess which one I am (hint: I'm the biggest in the whole litter)
If you didn't find me, I'm the one laying the farthest to the right. Don't we all look a little bovine? Here's me awake that day (and pretty worried about what was going on)
Look at my ears (Hamish said I should say that.) I settled in pretty nicely at home. I got to sit in the person's lap all the way home even though I was supposed to ride in a crate. She just didn't want to put me down and the crate was SOO big for such a little fellow.
Look how cute and sweet I was out on the deck. Looks like I'm going to have floppy ears.
I may look sweet and all, but I'm no pushover and I know how to defend my stuff. Rafe and Hamish have always wrestled and played with me and taught me how to keep hold of my stuff. The older dogs (and definitely Queen Pippin) don't play with me at all. They're boring.
I got to see sheep for the first time when I was 8 weeks old, but only from outside the pen. I was pretty interested. Even though Hamish got be in the pen with the sheep when he was just 4 1/2 mos. old, I have to wait until I'm 6 mos. old. It's not really fair, but what's a boy to do?
I like to play with balls, toys and tugs a lot. I try to keep them away from Hamish and Rafe. I "bat" about 50%, but my averages are getting better as I get bigger.
Here was my official portrait at 4 mos. Look, my ears are coming up a little bit. That's when I got weighed at the vet and I weighed 25.4 lbs. The vets say that puppies will be about double their weight at 16 weeks, so I'm gonna be a pretty big guy. That's good--then I'll be as big as Rafe. He weighs almost 50 lbs. Hamish is a skinny guy. He only weighs 41 lbs, but he's taller and longer than Rafe. That's why he's the corner back on our football team. I don't have a position yet, but my people keep saying lineman or tight end. We'll see. (Rafe is the quarterback, Pippin is the wide receiver; Renzo is the kick returner and Tansy is the linebaker--aren't the people doofy?).

Even though I'm a big boy and all, sometimes I just have to rest a little bit. And where better to rest than a spot in the sun?
Finally, here's the "portrait" my person took on the first day I got no lunch. Don't I look like I am starving? I'm completely gaunt. It's amazing I didn't keel over from low blood suger. That's pretty much what I still look like, only bigger and more handsome. And look at my ears! They look like they're going to be tippy ears.

"Puppy" pics from First Dog, Renzo (Guest Blog)

Hi everydog. You might remember me. I'm Renzo, first dog. The people became a pack when they added me back in 2001. I was young and very skinny. They didn't have a digital camera then. The very first pictures of me aren't on the computer. That's o.k., except for gaining a few pounds, I don't look all that different. Most of these picture are from life B.B.C. (before Border Collies). I had fun then. I have fun now too.

When the people finally joined the rest of the world and got a digital camera, some of their first pictures were of me. Here's one
I'm glad the people like taking my picture. I don't like the flash, though. Never have, never will.
One of my main jobs for the pack is squirrel duty. I don't like them and they don't like me. Kind of like Miss Ivy, I am part of a secret Anti-Squirrel Army. Here I am patrolling the borders of my property while on squirrel duty. I found one lurking in a tree.
Here I am just keeping an eye on things from my preferred vantage point on the deck
In B.B.C. times, I used to play with my neighbor, Zuri. Her people got her only a few months before I claimed my people. But, she hated Pippin from the moment they met and after Pippin came to live with us, Zuri didn't want to play in the yard with me anymore. That's o.k., I like Pippin. Zuri went to live with new people last summer so we don't see her anymore.
I trained the kittes about dogs in B.B.C. time. It's a good thing too since B.C.'s sometimes like to "herd" kitties. The people *almost* had to give me back because while I was training the kitties, I was pretty relentless about one of them and did whatever I could to try and catch him. I just wanted to tell him that dogs are o.k., but he kept running away. The people made all kinds of barriers and that kitty moved to the basement for a while. But, look, now we are pretty good friends
The big white cat Macchio and I always got along. He taught me how to be gentle and I taught him how to hug a dog. I really still miss him.
Finally, the thing that caused life to go from B.B.C to A.B.C (after Border Collies) was flyball. Funny thing is, I'm the only dog the people actually trained to play. So, here are two pics of me playing flyball and one of my person asking me to stop barking (my nickname at home is Sir Barks-a-lot--I don't know why people think that's funny).