My Time To Vent

If any of you follow the “Shucks Border Collie” Facebook page, you have seen a few hints that we went to Louisville on Saturday to pick up a dog. It was a pup that went to his “forever” home in 2010. He is a pup from Molly and Clancy and came from a litter of 10 beautiful puppies that were all equal when they left here.

When someone contacts me about a dog, the first thing I usually ask is, “Have you ever had a border collie?” Often, that determines how far the conversation will go. The problem, some people will tell you what you want to hear just to get a pup, not thinking about the life of the dog and what it takes to make it work. Every puppy is a challenge, and Lord knows I have raised a few dogs in my life, but border collies present unique needs and particular problems.

The popularity of the movie, Babe, and the agility shows on Animal Planet, have created a desire for many people to want a border collie as a pet. So very often, my experience has been that children are driving this desire or some other rationale for having “the smartest dog” or they saw one on TV doing tricks. While I do no encourage everyone to consider this breed, I also caution everyone on their traits if you have never owned one. Border collies are high intensity, brilliant dogs capable of outthinking some people I know, including myself at times. They create havoc and challenge you to no end. They are not couch potatoes and will not be content to wait until you come home. They offer an unparalleled human/dog experience or a nightmare. This is especially true of a young border collie.
Back to the story. We have taken a few dogs back since we started raising border collies, and that is made obvious upfront, “if this does not work out, the dogs come back to us.” In every case, it was because they wanted one and had no experience with this breed or very little. Sometimes it was because they had a too-small yard or had too much and did nothing with the dogs, but let them run free with no supervision, or they wanted it for their kids. Don’t get me wrong; it not’s the commitment of the dog; it’s the commitment of the owner. The dog will follow you into Hades if you just call its name.
I compare border collies to a 3-year-old in many ways. Having raised four kids, I am a little familiar with kids and dogs and see a lot of similarities in both. If you have raised a child, then you have raised a BC, you just didn’t know it. It takes doing the things that you don’t want to do, at a time you want to do something else. Dogs that came back was because the owner did not live up to the responsibility of being a dog parent. Sometimes the owner will make it too complicated by doing things that they want for the dog or for the owner and not the real needs of the dog.

Some of the things you should do;
Research the breed, I can’t say this enough. You need to know what you’re getting into. We got a Husky once and knew nothing about the breed, but they were soooo pretty, but boy was we surprised of the running ability they had. This dog was all over the county, and it was our fault we did not know what we were getting into, and this decision was regretted many times over.
Border Collies need to run freely and will not do well in small outdoor pens, tied out or roaming freely where they often chase cars, deer, and/or children on bikes, all of which have been reasons for dogs to be relinquished into rescue and sometimes death. The dog may just need a dog companion, somebody that they can play with, and share times together. I can’t imagine any of my dogs living by themselves because they depend on each other so much and interact with each other so well. They do best on at least one acre where they can actively race around and engage in activities such as Frisbee or ball chasing. If yards are smaller, then other free run locations need to be available and used almost daily. I have seen many homes that have a smaller yard that is a beautiful situation because the owner will do things with the dog and compensate for the small yard, but it means being in charge and doing what it takes to provide the dog with mental and physical stimulation. Just last night, I had Dutchess inside, and she needed some activity because of the weather. I took her in the family room, and we played ball for about 20 minutes, and she was exhausted and content. She was at peace, and so was I, after playing, she got in my lap and slept for about an hour.

As I said earlier, many people want border collies. Still, the fact of the matter is, there are many border collies in shelters and rescue situations because the previous owners wanted a smart dog or the kids saw “Babe.” But if it’s not the right situation, and it doesn’t work out for the dog, somebody has to take it from there, and it will either be the breeder, a rescue shelter or a man who flips the switch to put them to sleep because the owner screwed it up.
Just this morning, I took all the dogs, which are seven now, because of the dog that was returned for a walk before dawn. It was 6 am and 11 degrees outside. Did I want to do it? No, did I need to do it for the dogs? Yes. As a person who breeds on a limited basis. I have responsibilities to the dog until it dies, even if he/she lives somewhere else. If you have met me or talked to me in-depth, you have heard me say. “It will be your dog, but it will always be my pup,” and I mean it…

We will evaluate Bodhi and see what he needs to fit in and make sure he gets all the love and attention that he needs and wants. It is incredible to see him run free and have a life full of joy without any worries. If you are interested in him, he will make a wonderful pet, feel free to give me a call. When we re-home a dog, they are a gift, but there is a catch, you must love him as much as we do. Ken

Some info and suggestions were found at http://www.glenhighlandfarm.com/, which is a rescue farm in New York.  It is a wonderful place that does fantastic things for border collies. 

Our Holiday Guest

With the Christmas Season and New Year over, it’s time to get back to normal and get back to our routine here at the farm. In addition to having to travel and family visits, we had two dog guests for the holidays. Maggie and Bob both came to visit just a few days of each other and stayed for 10 days here on the farm. It was a wonderful experience for all of us and we had a blast. It always starts the same, they are so excited when they get here and I hear from their owners that when they pull off the main road, both dogs know where they are going and they bounce around inside the car.
After everybody settles down into the routine, which takes about a day or so, they fit right into the pack and start making their mark. In past visits, Maggie has tore some skin off her paw pads because she ran so much, and had to walk with booties or she had to stay in the house a lot and miss out running with the farm dogs.

This time I was determined to not let this happen and it didn't, but with a price.  We stayed on soft surfaces, which just happened to be mud and slop but, Maggie was injury free for the whole time.  She got to run and play every day she was here.

Every morning started out the same. We would rise from bed and get our breakfast together and then feed the other dogs. After a hearty breakfast of kibble, except for me, I had yogurt, we would go on our morning walk of a couple of miles. This gives all the dogs a chance to smell all the deer and raccoon poop and any other thing that they want to, and then do their business in the woods, which is new for the guest. I say this because my dogs will always go to a remote part of the farm or deep in the woods to do their business. There are a few of mine that I have only seen do their business once or twice in their life, no clean up, ever, sweet….

About half way through, we will meet up on the dam of the lake and I will get a ball and Frisbee that I have hidden where they can’t see it, and play a round or two of activities. Everybody enjoys it and it sets the tone for the day. During this stay, we had a gambit of weather. It rained for a couple of days and then had beautiful, bright, sunny days and it even snowed for two days, which every one enjoyed.

We had warm days and freezing weather, but never too cold that they couldn’t get in the water.

Maggie has visited us for a number of years. She usually comes for Christmas and during one of the summer months for a few weeks while her family goes on vacation down south. Her family will usually drive and they drop her off or pick her up as they travel I-65. She is a pro staying here and has all the moves that make her one of us. She always gets on the couch and gets behind the cushions and will stay there forever which we don’t mind.

She interacts with our whole family and is even part of our Christmas. She is a great bed buddy and has always let us know when she wants out. She is a sweetheart.

Bob is only about 9 months old. He is a big puppy with a big heart and is the one dog that seems to smile.

One thing he does that I enjoy is he will put both paws around your neck and give you a hug. He will even put his head next to yours and hold it there. He is also a good bed buddy and I will tell you, sometimes it got a little jam-packed.

His owners had a hard time leaving him and would have taken him with them if they could have.  I understand this so well. I have joked with Elaine that we should try to take ours on the Cruises we take, telling the agent that they are our service dogs.  We are very needy, that’s why we need six. I can only imagine taking them on a big ship, what a hoot.

As I said, we enjoyed their stay and Bob and Maggie became best friends and enjoyed each other. It’s always good to see the dogs again and to see the pups grown up.

I always hate to see them leave because they become part of our life for a short time.  We always make a CD of all the photos that we take during their visit and it's nice to look at them, remembering our times together, which I still need to make the CD (Sorry).  The last day is always tough and you try to emotionally prepare for it, but I know how much their owners will want to see them again, so there is comfort in it. While they are here, I always send daily emails and photos to the owners just to let them know everything is “OK” and their dog is in good hands. After they leave, Elaine and I always will look at each other and ask, “Wonder what they are doing?” As I have said many times before, “It might be your dog, but it will always be my pup.”
Miss you guys….Dad
Note:  Now you can follow our dogs daily on Facebook, they wanted to go high tech, we're at Shucks Border Collies.  Feel free to ask me, or the dogs, questions or advice either open or by private message on Facebook.

"It's Only A dog"....Really?

As many know, we have more than one dog, and that being said, I get to see more than one personality in them, and I will tell you they are all different, not good, not bad, just different. Elaine and I also have four children, and children like dogs are different too. Each one has different needs, personalities and wants, and desires. We seem to think they should be the same, but they are not. Dogs are the same in that respect too. Some are needy, some independent, some loving, outgoing, and some are even standoffish. I have often wondered why this happens. I have seen dogs come back to visit all over the spectrum. But I know they left with the same upbringing and personality, and I also think that all dogs start out the same, it’s the human aspect that makes them different. We have a lot of people that visit just to see the dogs and watch them and play with them.
We always come inside the house with the dogs of their choice and play and interact with them. Everybody wants Clancy. He will always put on the charm, jump on the couch with them, and put his head in their lap. Recently, we had a couple come to visit, and he was in between them on the couch, and both of them had their hand on him and was petting him, everyone was content. I saw Clancy’s eyes roll back in his head and he was gone, fast asleep in minutes. In my mind, I know this was his plan to get some attention. Clancy knows how to “butter his bread,” so to speak. But I tell them if you want Clancy, you have to make him, it’s there in your pup, but you have to work at it. I tell everyone that takes a pup home, “remember, whatever you put in, you will get out, nothing more, nothing less” It’s up to them, the fate of their dog is in their hands, it’s that simple.

This brings me to my point. Why are they different? I think when a dog gets comfortable with the owner, and I do think there is only one owner or master, anyone else is a caretaker for them. They take on the personality and traits of the master in a small way. Sometimes we make it too complicated with our “stuff.” They are simple animals, and want nothing more to be lead and loved throughout their life. They look for a leader, someone that is strong and that they know you will take care of them, no matter what. They look to us as the “alpha” in their life. I have seen it time and time again when something goes wrong, the human stops being the alpha, and the dog takes up the position, and this should never happen. Even in their own pack and in the wild, the females will only breed with the strongest male that’s available. We need to be stronger than the dog and be in charge.
As I said earlier, mine are different. Abbie came back to us as a pup, she went to a house with 3 young kids, came back and was re-homed again. Well, the number two home did not work out either. When she came back the second time, we wanted to evaluate her and just see what was going on. After just a few days, Elaine and I looked at her and then at each other. We wondered what had gone wrong. To be fair, the second attempt to re-home her, nothing was wrong, the family had circumstances come into their life that would not be fair to them or to Abbie. Finally, Abbie was now at her forever home, never to leave again, but I do think this whole process had a profound effect on her.

Abbie is, no doubt, my dog. She protects me and tries to keep every dog at bay that comes into my “range.” She will position herself between my legs while I am standing and just watch, protecting me, she thinks from any ill will. She has that Border Collie look and a face that will melt your heart.

Several days ago, I had most of the dogs up except Abbie. I had just got in the hot tub, and as usual, Abbie got up on a small corner of the tub and stood there looking at me for just a minute. Then she wanted to get comfortable, so she knelt down like a lamb folding both front legs down and resting on them before she curled into a small circle. At that point, she watched me on that very small space that had to be uncomfortable for her, where just a few feet away, she could have stretched out and lain on a comfortable throw. A few days earlier, I was in the family room and had shooed her away because I didn’t want her to be involved in what I was doing. Elaine, knowing I had done this, watched her go to my “fuzzy” house slippers and push them together with her nose. She gathered them between her paws and laid her head on them. Elaine told me later Abbie “just missed you” and wanted to be near you, but you sent her away, and she was crushed.

All the dogs want to be near us in one way or another, and the reason I think they do is that, because we have always loved them, touched them, played with them, and included them in the many things we do each and every day. They are a part of our life, and we are a part of theirs. Something that has always angered me is when I hear the comment, “it’s only a dog.” They are correct in that statement, but they are only a dog because that is all “they” made/trained them to be. I happen to want more than that. They are my friend, companion, cohort, and at times my playmate. They make me feel special, needed, and full of life. For the people that say that they have never been loved by a dog. I feel sorry that you have never had that relationship, and you have missed a great deal. I will tell you it is wonderful.  Ken

Christmas Morning

Well the time finally arrived and I knew it would and with a big bang. It wasn’t two seconds past midnight and as the clock struck 12 midnight, they all woke up and I heard them running for the office and it sounded like thoroughbreds on a racetrack. I was up and doing some business on the computer and I heard them coming.
They barked all the way in and sat in a circle around my chair. “What are you doing?” they said, “business” I said. “What do you want, I’m busy” I said, just toying with them because I really knew what they wanted.
“IT’S CHRISTMAS MORNING, SANTA'S BEEN HERE” They all said in turn. “It’s barely past midnight” I said…”Let’s go and see, Let’s go and see” they said. I know he’s been here, let’s go, let’s go let’s go. Nothing to do but get up and go in the family room and see if Santa’s been here. As we walked down the hall, all the dogs ran around me in circles and by the time we got to the room they were staggering like drunken sailors
“Oh My Goodness, He’s been here, YEA, YEA, YEA!" they all exclaimed, over and over again. "OK, let’s go in order."  I said.
“Clancy, what did you ask for?" I said, “A big bag of Rawhide” “Did you get it?” I ask, “You bet and more and now I have so many, I can share with everyone. I’m glad Santa didn’t remember I wanted to be selfish once.”  "He usually doesn't" I said.

"OK Molly, your turn, what did you get."  “I got so many, just look at all the tennis balls I got, there is a hundred I bet.” “What are you going to do with them?” I ask. “We're all going to play, and play bunches."  “You look disappointed, is there something wrong?”I ask. “No” she said,"it’s just, just…never mind, It’s OK."

“Meg, what did you get?” I ask. She had slipped on her bright green collar and looked like a princess with her red fur. “Do I look pretty?” she asked. “Just like my Princess," I said, " you look beautiful, but it’s not the collar.”

“Abbie, your turn.” I said. She looked and said, “I don’t understand” and she looked puzzled. "What is it?"  She showed me a photo of a large area of land. “I can’t do anything with this” she said. I told her that Santa had left me instructions of a place where she could run as fast and far as she wanted to. “I can’t get there” she said. “That’s part of the present” I said, “We can do this together, just you and me” “Can we take a tennis ball?” Molly spoke up and said “You can take one of my new ones!” “Thank you Mom, I love you.” said Abbie. Clancy said “you can take a rawhide to chew on during the ride.” “Thank you too Dad, I love you too.”

"Annie what did you get?” I ask. “Books and more books, now I can learn to do things that everyone else can do!” she said. All the dogs spoke up and each took their turn and told her that they would help her fit in and learn things. “Thanks, everyone, now I am one of you and not a misfit.” "No you’re not a misfit, you"re family…we love you, because you are family."

And that brings us to Dutchess. I had to ask, “Dutchess, what did you get?” “Holy Cra*, look at all these Frisbees!" "DUTCHESS, I’m surprised you got anything." I said, “Just look at all of these things, I can play for days and even carry two of them in my mouth. This is great! Just look, I love them!” She said, and then I saw something I usually don’t see. You see, Dutchess is a dog that’s wants everything, just for her. She bowed her head and picked up the green Frisbee and took it to Meg. “Here, this is for you, it will look good with your red fur."  “Thank you Dutchess.” said Meg.

Well it was over for another year, all the presents were open and paper was all over the house and as I was cleaning up, I thought about what had happened. You see Christmas is about love and family. It’s about helping each other become better and growing and reaching out and thinking of someone else but ourselves. But I think it’s mostly about love.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. This is Love…

This is our family, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but we love and help each other and are just a whisper away if needed.

“Molly, Come here”! I said. I went to the family room and sat in my recliner. I patted my lap and said come on, “I owe you some lap time” She looked surprised because she didn’t think she got everything she asked for. I told her that Santa sent me a special email just for her. As she sprang into my lap, she circled once and then twice and settled down into a deep sleep. I patted her head and thought to myself. “Yes” we've got everything we wanted, we usually do, and we just don’t know it.  Give your dog a hug....

Merry Christmas from the dogs. Life is good...God is Love...God is good

The "Stare"

This has been a very slow week for me and the dogs. If it wasn’t raining, it was at least cloudy and nobody wanted to get out in the weather…. I didn’t think you would believe that, but I tried, “I” didn’t want to get out in the weather. The dogs could care less, in fact the wetter and muddier they get, the better. It never ceases to amaze me of the energy the dogs have, and as I have said before, they always want to do SOMETHING and there is only so much Frisbee we can play in the house. I have even become pretty good at tossing a tennis ball or Frisbee while I watch the news and don’t even need to look at where I toss it because I have done it so many times.

They have all gotten the routine down pat. I will let them in just to spend some time with them and then they start “the stare”. I can ignore it, ignore it, ignore it, for only so long and "the stare” will always win. I can say “bathroom”, no change in "the stare” and then I will say “Ball” and they bounce and buck like little broncos. They dance all the way to the special drawer where they know the “toys” are kept. Then they will all turn circles and then “stare” at the drawer. Well duh dad, open the drawer, now! Dutchess (of course) will jump up with her front feet on the open drawer and get the toy she wants. There are about 10 tennis balls in various conditions and one ratty Frisbee. Dutchess always picks the Frisbee. 

If dog tails could speak, they would say with every wag, thank you, thank you, thank you and then stand in front of the recliner with the toy in their mouth until I get back in the chair and then it’s “game on”. We have a rule; if they don’t put the ball or Frisbee in my lap I won’t throw it (it’s less work for me). Dutchess will put the Frisbee in my lap and in one second, reposition it closer and if I don’t get it in the time she wants, she will reposition it again and again. Then they all stand back just a few feet and “stare” until I throw the toy. This can go on forever.

I do hate it when it is rainy and wet. I feel bad when they get in the rain and get all dirty, but they don’t seem to mind. The bad thing, it prevents them from coming in the house when we are done. A few times, I have actually “accidently” thrown the ball near the lake and they have “accidently” jumped in. Presto, they’re all clean and then I just dry them off.

One thing about border collies is they seem to clean themselves. They can be so dirty and when I put them up for the night, presto again, they’re clean the next day when I let them out of their kennel. Where does the dirt go, it just amazes me.

Another thing I don’t understand is if I do bathe them and the water temperature is a little on the cold side they complain and want to get out of their bath, yet, let a ball get near the lake or when they want to get a “real” drink (which is getting all the way in the water to drink) they don’t seem to have any problem getting in and out of the water, no matter how cold it is. I have seen all of them get in the water when there was just a small opening in the ice on the frozen lake. I have seen Abbie get in the water when the air temperature was so cold it froze the water on her coat and it was stiff, but let the bath water be just a little on the lukewarm side and they want out.

With the holidays upon us, we always get some of our adult dogs to visit while their owners go away for the holiday. We will see some new visitors and see some of our old friends that are coming to stay. We enjoy it so and look forward to it and I’m sure there will be some amazing things to write about.
Remember, Next Week Will be Christmas Morning and the Dogs Won't let me forget...What Will Santa Bring?

The Gift of Love and Life

Some people call them “Puppies” and some call them a gift of Love, but that night I found it to be a gift of Love, Life, and a Miracle. We have been raising puppies for a number of years and usually, like most expecting fathers, I might be in the vicinity or maybe in the room, but this night I was the "go-to guy, the all-knowing answer man and the wet nurse all in one”.

Let me explain, one of the dogs…. OK, it was Molly, was near her delivery date. I knew the time was close because her body temperature was falling from the 102 degrees which is normal to 98.6, and she had not eaten for a day, so the time was near, within 24 hours or less. We had her in the house and on the bed to take her temperature. Little did we know how close it was and the time was 10:30 pm. Elaine and I went to the family room to discuss the plans. Elaine is out of vacation time at work and taking off any more time was impossible, so this was going to be my “first” time as a helper. I was just a little apprehensive because I was a city boy and didn’t know the first thing about giving birth or what to do.

“Yelp, Yelp” We heard a noise and looked at each other in bewilderment. “Yelp”, there it was again, and it wasn’t Molly. We looked at the door and at each other. As fast as we could get both of our bodies through the door, we ran to the bedroom. As you probably guessed, right in the middle of our bed was Molly enthusiastically licking a little bundle of joy. We sprang into action, me taking the bundle of Joy and Molly, and Elaine getting the sheets and blankets headed for the washer. “Whew”, what a mess.

Off we went to the nesting box where all the dogs give birth. Thank goodness I had it ready and waiting for her. She went right in but wanted her baby. As soon as I cleaned it up, Molly licked it again to stimulate it and to clean it even more. After a few minutes, she picked it up with her mouth and turned a few circles and sat it down again and repeated this many times. I was worried, but Molly was in charge and seemed to know what she was doing, and after all, what did I know. I had been reading up on this stuff and it said that you can expect the pups to be born about every 30 minutes or so. The first one was born at 10:50pm and it was nearly 1:45am and no more pups.  I was getting a little worried so I came into the house and Googled “dog giving birth”. The bad part about doing this, you see every problem every dog has ever had giving birth and you relate to that. It did say there can be a lull, but to make sure there is no blockage. “Blockage”? It went on to say, sometimes, two pups will try to exit the birth canal at the same time, so you need to check. “Check”? All I will say is you can’t check from the outside. Everything was fine and she gave birth 15 minutes later and I said a little prayer of thanks because we were getting ready to head for the Vet’s office at 2am.

I had the radio on and Hotel California by the Eagles was playing so I thought a fitting name for the second puppy would be “Cali”.  She sure was a welcome sight. Through the rest of the night until about 5:30 am, Molly gave birth to 4 girls and 3 boys. As I said, I had never been in the driver’s seat until now and it was a spiritual experience. As the pups are born, they are still attached to Molly.  She and I would race to get the little pup free and start the circle of life. Each one took it's first breath, in the palm of my hand with its first gasp. Molly would rub and lick for what seemed like an eternity, just making sure that everything was OK. After she was finished, I would check their mouth just to make sure none of them had a cleft pallet, something that is fatal. I would insert my little finger in the pup’s mouth to check the roof of its mouth and as soon as I did, they would start sucking on my finger wanting their first nourishment of life and as soon as they checked out, the pup was delivered to Molly to start nursing, and yes, everyone was fine.

After a long night and after she had finished providing the miracles, I bid her goodnight with a clean bed and a big old hug. Thanks girl, you did all the work and I probably was in the way, but you made me feel special and needed. Thank you for letting this city boy feel like he made a difference in your world, I’ll never know if I did, but in my heart, I hope so.

You can say what you want, but there are just some things that can’t be explained in life such as this. All the right things came together and everything is just perfect. Many people will say that this is “just” Mother Nature or evolution, but when you see it and live it, you know that there is a higher power that has put all the right things together just to make life and to make our world a little better. Thanks, Molly.   Give your dog a hug, I did tonight and to 7 more….Ken

That time of year…Again…..

As you know, it’s that time of year…. again. The first of the month of December…No, not the monthly check in the mail, not the car insurance payment due, not a check to the government, something very special and something we all have done or will do very soon.

It’s the annual time to write your letter to Santa. Don’t tell me you don’t believe in this, just ask my dogs and they will tell you otherwise. They watch the calendar and on December 1st, one minute after midnight, they gallop into the bedroon and announce…LETTERS TO SANTA TIME….YEA!!!

I will tell you, it’s a huge deal here to do this annual event. Everyone has big saucer eyes and pages torn from their favorite pet catalog magazine. With pencils and paper in their mouth, here they come as fast as they can. I try to calm them and tell them that it can wait until tomorrow, but they will have none of that, no none of that for them. They sit at my feet and look at page after page of dog toys and Frisbee’s. You’ll never guess who was looking at the Frisbees, No, you’ll never guess, really! Oh, okay, you’re right….”Dutchess” but how did you know…?

Clancy wants a big bag of rawhide bones. He says he wants them just for himself. I told him that it’s not nice to be selfish and that Santa would want him to share. He bowed his head and said you’re right. He said “I remember when Molly shared a big soup bone with me. I’m sorry” he says. Besides, Clancy you might want to keep the girls happy with your rawhide bones, “Right?”
Molly wants more tennis balls. “Not the ones that squeak” she said, “ just the plain ones.” But most of all, she wants more lap time with “the man”. I said Santa can’t bring that, but I will see what I can do.
Meg wants a bright green collar to go with her pretty red hair. “I’ll look so stunning” she says and she does look like a Princess when she goes to agility or to a show. She said “..after all, green matches my eyes.”

Abbie wants more land; I said “What?” She explained that she loves to run and run fast and just runs out of room. She will dart in and out of the trees and bushes, around fences and she wants something like a big flat area with a lake at the end so she can run straight into it. I said “I don’t know if Santa can bring that on the sleigh.” She said she would ask anyway. I said “Don’t be disappointed, you better ask for something else.”
Annie wants a few books on tricks. She said, “all the other dogs can do “things” that I can’t do.” I said “you can ask, but I bet it will come in time if you just watch the other dogs.” She’s still gonna ask anyway.

Last, but not least “Dutchess” She has filled up her page with just a few things, but a lot of writing. It started like this…

“Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl.” I stopped her right there and said, “Santa knows when you have been good or bad.” “Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl.” “Dutchess” I said. “Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl.” “Well at least you’re right on that.” I said. Then it went like this…
“I want 2 Frisbees…
I want treats and snacks
No, I want 3 Frisbees, NO, 5 of them
Can you bring me a dozen, a baker’s dozen, that means 13 of them, right?
Can you bring me a dozen donuts? That’s also means 13 of them, right?
NO, NO, NO, I want a hundred Frisbees, different colors and a hundred donuts.
NO, NO, NO I want a thousand of them, different colors with “my” picture on them.
Tell you what Santa, just fill up you sleigh with Frisbees and donuts and bring them all to me, okay, Santa?
I also want……..” “Dutchess!!!” I said.
Well, as you can see, all in all it went smooth and we got the letters in the envelopes with stamps in just the right spots, give or take a few sloppy licks. The return address was their paw print in ink, also just in the right place, cause Santa knows.
Remember with the Holiday Season Christmas Season fast approaching; remember what it’s all about. Give your dog a hug... and get those letters in the mail. Ken