The following are letters we have received from the wonderful people who have adopted our rescue dogs.  It is so rewarding when we bring together great dogs with great people!

                            February 1, 2008

I thought you might enjoy this picture of Sunny and Star cuddling on the
couch.

Today I saw the sweetest thing I have seen to date between two dogs. We
got home from playing in the snow and were all soaking wet. Star 
(formally Argos) and I were cuddled on the couch, next to the 
woodstove, trying to get warm.
Sunny came over and ever so gently licked Star 's coat until he was dry!
He started on top of his head, even licked Star's eyes and then worked
his way down his back. Star seemed to really enjoy this kindness and
held perfectly still. Now Star has the softest, cleanest fur on his head
and back!

  January 28, 2008

Just a quick note to let you know how well Codie (formerly Gullie from the foster home in Auburn) is doing with us. We adopted Codie in March of 2006. We are so pleased with his development. He is a perfect gentleman. He gets along great with our indoor cat. He would be very happy laying on our feet as we work at the desk all day long. He loves to go for walks and play at the lake. He loves the dog park and to herd all of the other dogs. A few months ago a friend of ours told us that she had a neighbor who purchased a border collie puppy and was at their wits end with it. They were going to take it to the animal shelter. They asked if we wanted it (her)?  We met Oreo (now Zoey) and fell in love with her. We brought her home to meet Codie and 4 months later they are best friends. Without Codie to help teach her proper manners Zoey would be a hand full. Zoey is a typical high energy border collie puppy but a total love bug. Unlike Codie, Zoey is into everything and always looking for something to do. Also unlike Codie, who is a little aloof to strangers, Zoey loves everyone and wants the attention of anyone who is nearby. She spends her time with her chew toys one of which is Codie much to his dismay. The two get along great and love to run and play in a nearby fenced orchard. Attached is a couple pictures of the two of them together. We are thrilled to have these wonderful dogs to keep us company.

January 19, 2008

September 8, 2007

Well...we just had our 1st anniversary with little Kimba about 2 weeks ago... Time flys!!!  To celebrate, we took all dogs for a mini vacation in Boonville at  one of the "Sheepdung" properties called "The Other Place" (best vacation spot for dogs that want to bring their owners along). Great little cottage on a 600 acre property.
What could be better than galloping through the fields or going for a  dive in the pond?

And to top of the party, how to better celebrate than playing agility?
We just got back from our first day of a two day seminar with Susan 
Salo on Foundation Jump work.
That little pup is a natural - does she have great form over the 
jumps or what?!

We just love this little girl, and not a day goes by where she 
doesn't make us laugh!
Thank you Barbara for being the best Foster Mom, and a big THANK YOU 
Terry for taking this little BC into your rescue for another chance 
in life!!
All our thanks and love
Micky
& Kimba, too

September 4th:
I'm so proud of our little Jersey!  Who'd have thought just a year ago? 
Jersey got her AD Agility Title ("Agility Dog") last weekend at the USDAA
Super Regional event in Sunnyvale; and she is not even 3 years old!  This is
the first major title in USDAA, and in my opinion the toughest of the
various agility venues in the U.S.  We were soooo close for many events, but
screwed up either on the contacts or the weave poles, or Jersey just wanted
to do something other than what the course was set up for...But we finally got
our 3rd "Standard" leg and finished our title on Saturday.  She already
competes in Masters level for Snooker and Jumpers.
Congratulations Jersey!  You, who was almost given back when you were a
puppy because you were such a little devil dog (...I'm just kidding....).

Barbara, her proud mom.

Remember your cattle dog puppies from last summer?  Here is an update on Ranger now that he is a big one year old.  In a word, he is awesome! As far as Ranger is concerned, work is play and play is serious business.  Whether we are doing agility, obedience or herding a soccer ball, he throws himself at it with an utterly joyful intensity. So much fun!

Ranger does it all.  SPCA fundraising events, agility demos (he will start competing in agility in the spring), hiking, obedience, community events and of course just hanging out with the family.  He is a local celebrity at my daughter's elementary school.

I hope you enjoy the attached photos.  One is Ranger at his first obedience trial at 9 1/2 months old.  His position is a little off, but he is giving me his undivided attention.  Such a good boy. The other is from an agility demo we recently did.  He is 14 months old now and handled performing for 200+ kids with great aplomb.

Thank you for giving Ranger his start in life, and a big, big thank you to BC Rescue for opening your hearts to a deserving family of cattle dogs!!

I thought you might like to know how belle is doing. Wonderful, Great,
Terrific! She now takes her walks off-lease and is under full voice control!
She still wants to be aggressive with other dogs, but calms with a single
command. I think her favorite things are our long walks in East Bay Regional
Parks and running along my mountain bike on my Saturday rides. She still
does not chase balls, tug rope, or fetch, but she is quiet, my mother loves
her and Belle sleeps in her room when I'm not home. I can't imagine my walks
and bike rides without her. I attached a few photos of her exploring.

                            August 19, 2007

                          July 16, 2007

Just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying Honey (formerly known as Ginny). She has
really settled into the family and the routine (which is always variable
in summer). She has been sleeping through the night (about 4 nights now)
and seems to be house trained. We haven't had an accident for several
days! She is a smart and very loveable girl. Tuck has even decided that
he will share his home and family with her.  Here is a picture of the two of them relaxing together.

June 29, 2007

We wanted to share with you a full size portrait of Steffi by Nancy Meze.  Next to that is Steffi's baby photo when she was in rescue and her photo at about 2 years of age.  Steffi has proved to be a wonderful companion and running partner since her adoption in 2001.

The good life continues.  Draco won the 22 inch starters cup at The Bay Team trial in Petaluma the first weekend in May.  Hard work, love of your sport, your dog, life in general, teamwork with your dog, and belief in spirit guarantees the good life for all of us.

Quick update. We finished our SPCA training class. All good but some times he can't contain himself when meeting someone and he jumps up to say hello.  Chico is much more lively now, plays/romps w/ other dogs, plays w/ squeaky toys and chews on bones...just discovered how yummy my shoes...and even my clothes are, so he is not an angel dog exactly. Not sure how to break him of
the chewing on my stuff when I am not in the house. Not sure if it is out of boredom or what as there are multiple toys and bones around the house.

Chico comes to work with me some days, which is fun. He has tons of energy and loves to run w/ me in the park. After an hour he doesn't even have his mouth open!

Just wanted to send you a note to say hi and let you know that Hondo
continues to be fantastic.  We love him so much - he's a wonderful addition
to our family.  He's been a great companion for all of us.  His best quirk
is that his tongue hangs out of his mouth when he is sleepy.  How cute! 
Thanks again for all your hard work.

PS  Hondo has been a great ambassador for your rescue - my sister and
brother-in-law loved him so much they adopted a dog named Daisy from one of
BCRNC's foster homes in Chico!

                      Drooling for table scraps!!!!!                                            Staring at the squirrels!!!!!!

1/26/07

Indy will be 7 years old at the end of this month. He is a very important part of our family. We can't imagine life without him. One day I will get him a buddy.... through BC rescue of course.  Thanks again Nor BC Rescue for allowing me to adopt this wonderful dog.
 

1/5/07

  Here are the photos I promised of my boy Chaos (formerly Tyler).
1)My new home:  was taken not long after we got in.
2) The Loook: was after a visit to the dog park (hence
the dirt on his chest) and he wanted to stay on the
bed  with me.
3) Sleeping Beauty: no explanation needed

October 16, 2006

  Where to begin - Tyler has a new name. It's Chaos!!! I don't know what it is about the sound of Chaos but he
loves that word. As do all of the teenage boys that ask his name. They ALL say "COOL". One day I asked the
heavens why this dog loves to cause such chaos. I had just finished filling in a few holes he created after
he saw a cat. He then somehow found the time to throw his toys everywhere (he's such a boy). I don't even
know how he heard me from way down the hill  but he came flying around a corner like you called. Now I
never have to call him more than once and he's right at my feet.
He also graduated basic obedience top of his class.  Tomorrow we start advanced novice obedience. Where
hopefully he'll become an AKC canine good citizen.
  He's the best boy in the world. I'm so lucky to have him. If I ever get a bigger place I'll be calling you
again...

  October 8, 2006

I just wanted to give you an update on the border collie I adopted from you in June. We call her Mac, her name with you was Dell.

Mac has been a joy to have in our family. She gets along with her sister dogs, Brandi and Tegan, very well. She graduated puppy school with flying colors. Potty training is completed. (Whew!) Mac acclimated to living with cats very fast, taking a shine to my 15 yr. old male cat especially. Unfortunately Floyd was diagnosed with an inoperable multiple loop intestinal tumors and had to be put to sleep at the specialty vet hospital. Mac seemed lonely without him. Her attempts to engage my elderly female cats were not successful as those girls won't give her the time of day.

We decided to turn our negative into a positive and get a kitten to ease our sadness. I knew finding a cat to jump into our household wouldn't be easy. One of our clients from the vet hospital I work for rescued a kitten born to a feral mom in Fort Ord and was amazed at how "dog friendly" she was. After bringing her home, we realized we had finally found our "Mac approved" kitty. At 5 weeks old, she isn't fazed by 135 pounds of dog staring her down, nor does she give the old felines a moment's trouble.

I thought you might get a kick out of seeing Mac and "her" kitten, Etta.

October 4, 2006

Puppy photo                                                        All grown up!!

We love our Daisy (formerly Regan) so much.  She is very spoiled.  We only like to go out to eat at places we can eat outside since she came along. 

I thought I better send you an updated photo.  She is the perfect size.  You guessed 35-45 pounds and she is 37 pounds now-1year and 5 months.

She loves camping and boating-the water is alright if there is a frizbee in it!  She loves dogs.  We walk to a local park most nights and meet up with about 8-10 other dogs and their owners.  She's always ready to go.  The car pix was on the way home from a weekend at the lake.  Thanks so much!

September 1, 2006

I just wanted to let you know that Nikki, who is now known as Jersey, is very happy in her new home.  She loves her big brother Teddy, a 9 year old lab (who is very tolerant and is teaching her how to dig and fetch) and has lots of new friends to play with at the dog park.  
 
 It's amazing how much she has grown in the three months we have had her.  We graduated from Puppy 1 obedience training, and are moving on to Puppy 2 class in another week.  I knew Border Collies were smart, but I was amazed at how quickly she learned her commands.  
 
 I am so happy we adopted her, she is a wonderful addition to our family and I know she will bring us joy for years to come.  

August 24, 2006

We wanted to update you on Gina (AKA Laverne) and Dax. Gina we have had for 2 years and she is awesome. She watches TV, Rides our ATV, Ball, frisbee and as you can see from the picture a great swimmer. Dax we have only had 5 months and is also a great dog. So sweet and kind. He is also a great agility dog. Check out the photo from his first trial. We love them both. We were worried they would not get along ,but they got along from the start and keep each other busy. They use every inch of our two acres. We really appreciate your hard work with the organization. These are such great dogs that could not have found us without you.

August 24, 2006

Brodie is doing great.  He is coming up on his 1st birthday on Friday.  He is healthy and having a good life.  I've attached some recent pictures of him.  He weighs just under 60lbs.  The vets at his clinic all believe he is a border collie/pit bull mix.  He is definitely the dog I was looking for.  His best friend lives right next door and she is a 3 year old border collie /aussie mix. 

Hope all is well with your pups!

Hello!  My name is Jersey, and I was one of 8 puppies born in October of ’04 shortly after our pregnant mother was found as a stray and brought to the Rescue.  After 8 weeks of great foster care, I moved to my new home in San Jose where I joined another Border Collie and a big-old Malamute.  I might not look like a Border Collie, but I sure am as smart as they say we are!

And wow has my life turned out well!  I was a very wild child when I was little:  chewed up every piece of plastic in the backyard, including the expensive Jacuzzi cover.  But they still loved me.  Well….occasionally, they threatened to take me back if I didn’t behave better, but I knew they were just kidding.

I took some basic obedience classes and soon started with agility training when I was about 9 months old.  And guess what:  I went to my first agility trial just last weekend and won a bunch of ribbons!!  Besides 3 qualifying runs, I won 2 first places!!  Mom and Dad are so proud of me.

After initial problems with other dogs when I was around 6 months old, I have become a very responsible dog-sitter and carefully watch over the foster dogs that join our family once in a while.  I teach the puppies how to play well and help the older dogs enjoying a family life and routine.  Sigh…!  Live is good.

Jersey, the Super-Girl

I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate our pup we adopted from you last October. Maggie is an absolute dream, we love her to pieces. She is a wonderful addition to the family and our older lab Jackson is totally wrapped around her paws! I cannot imagine ever having any other breed of dog than a border collie after experiencing life with Maggie. She is such a sweetie, always trying to please and a bundle of exuberance and joy....a true miracle! Now that she's 10 months old, we're going to explore the world of herding and maybe agility. Thanks again for the opportunity you gave us to experience life with Maggie may!

Just an update. I had rescued Whirly back in September and have nothing but success stories to tell. Though he's my first male, he's my third Border Collie and by far the most effort applied in obedience training. With the utmost highest accomplishments, I come to tears with pride every day with him. He rides with me all day long from job to job and has friends at every stop especially at the lumber yard where he knows where his treats long await him. My initial concerns were few, but important including, temper around the kids, barking too much, aggressive with strangers, house broken, etc.. Well.. as it turned out, he had some issues I had never endured but, with proper training, we were able to get through them all. "Mostly Separation anxiety" which was expected. With the amount of time spent
getting him out and socializing him, he made a very fast recovery. I entered him into obedience training a bit soon but, we gave another crack at it a few weeks later and he did very well. After his graduation, most of my worries were over. He loves the kids, hardly ever barks, is timid but not aggressive to strangers, and is finally house broken. It's amazing how much more I appreciate having him around than the rewarding feeling of rescuing a companion who was in need for so long.
       I must say that I observed something very interesting when I first saw him that was a big concern. Initially, it took him over an hour or two to feel comfortable with letting me near him. Our ride home was a very emotional and memorable moment for me and I think he'll always love country music.
      I had no idea Whirly had so much herding instinct so currently, I am working on finding an agility trainer and getting him some field time. We will be keeping you updated. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to adopt such a great friend and companion.
 

Hi, my name is MO,

About a year ago, I was adopted and went to live with a family in Oakland. Life has been good for me. I immediately took to all the members of the family except for Uncle Robert, every time he came in the house I thought it was my job to heel him in the ankles, but after a week of him coming around for supper I found out that he was ok and he shared his supper with me. I get lots of exercise, every morning the boss (he’s really just my chauffer) and I drop off the kids at school and then we go for a two mile walk out on Coast Guard Island. Then the boss and I do our Honey Does. I’ve been on major trips, one up to meet Grandma and fluff-ball dog and out to Utah were I met another Border Collie, she sure was a pretty little thing. Well here are some pictures of me with my family. Bow-wow from Mo!!!

January 8, 2006

  December 15, 2005

I just thought I would send you some updated pics of Tanker.  He is getting so big and is such a good boy. He is learning tricks as fast as I can teach him.  He went to his first Harley charity event and was the perfect gentleman.  We go to group homes for kids and deliver presents.  We even have a biker Santa! lol  All the kids loved seeing him and he just did so good I was the proud mama.

  December 7, 2005

Here is an updated photo of  Brodie (formerly Frank).  He is growing so fast it's hard to believe how small he was when we brought him home.  He is the best dog...and very ornery as the picture shows.

  Ain't she purdy...     The two silly white ones following a good round of fetch and organize the fetcher

Nap time:                                                                                             It's still nap time:

        We call this one the "EchoGator":                               

December 1, 2005

I don't know if you remember, but today is Echo's birthday; she's two and I thought you'd like to see some updated pictures of her (and the other two).  She's doing great, still learning about things and how to get along in the world, but she's so sweet and willing.  She and Zooey have gotten into a good rhythm with each other, each is able to give space to the other and they're playing really well together now.  I wish there were some action shots of Echo, but she's so fast it's hard to get her in focus.

Cali and Rain                                                                                                   Marlee

I adopted Marlee (aka kallie) earlier this year.  I am sending you some pics of both Marlee and Cali (aka - from the presidents wives litter- a previous rescue from you all).

Cali- is a very typical border collie she is enthralled with embers from fire, the one cat that really annoys her, and her frisbee/ball.  She is very
competitive-never loses.  She is our "special" dog.

Marlee- deaf, and not always happy to be around other dogs, is doing well.  She hangs out in our back pasture with our other dogs, Rain and of course Cali.  She also does okay as long as she is on leash in the house with the other dogs.  She has learned a couple of new hand signals and will do anything, I mean anything for food. 

They all went to the beach together this summer (with my brother's Border Collie too).  Marlee is trying hard to like other dogs, and as long as she has her space, all is well.  Marlee loves to see Cali and Rain when we come get her in the morning to go out to the
field and then come inside. 

Even though Marlee is the "man" of the house now, she lets all four of the cats love on her...

I am looking forward to watching how Marlee grows into our family over the years. 

A long put off note to you to let you know how Atie (aka Ducky) is
doing.  I won't bore you with superlatives or too much gushy stuff and I
will let the photos do the speaking.  We are totally and completely taken
with her and she is a joy.  Still does puppy things on occasion but she is
growing up into a fine young lady and we figure she is about a year old
now.  She goes to the dog park most every day as well as each day to work
with me.  She LOVES to ride in car and is so quiet that we forget she is
even in the car. She is everything that we could have wished for.  We want
to thank you again for getting her off to such a good start in life...

Hi from Ann and my BCRNC babies, Tessa (Fiona adopted in 2001) and Tylor (Winken of Winken, Blinken and Nod). First I wanted to give a big thank you to Tylors foster parents, they did a great job with him! And Tessa just loves him! everyone asks if she is his mother by the way she acts with him. He has taken on the job here at the shop by helping lock up the motorcycles, (see picture) and every other job he feels I need help with, he loves being mommys little helper, and Tessa loves her job of entertaining customers. They both bring so much joy in my life every day! Thank you all for the work you do to help such wonderful dogs! Ann, Tessa and Tylor

October 6, 2005

       September 22, 2005

Here are some photos of Tessa, formerly Kay, from July.   She's doing great.   Latest development, burying things in yard, under couch cushions, etc. then couch-diving to look for them later!

                                    September 12, 2005

Thought you would get a kick of seeing Roscoe do the thing
he lives for- FETCH! The picture was taken by my son with
his phone camera at the park across the street from our
house. Roscoe pays such good attention when we tell him
something. When I cross the street, I make him 'stay' until
It's ok for him to cross and he doesn't take his eyes off
me until I give him the command to come. He really is
a wonderful animal, I have to say that I've never had
such chemistry with a dog as I have with him. He is
my shadow the moment I walk through the door. He
also is very gentle with children. This is a big bonus
since the kids at the park come running to see him fetch
and often want to throw the ball for him too. I feel
like I'm still on a honeymoon with my dog- he never ceases
to amaze me.

Hope all is well and that you are having lots of success
stories with BC placements.

September 7, 2005

Hi Mama Jeanne,

Linda let me use her computer so I could send you a note.  My big feet make it easy to type!

It's really nice here but so different.  I have met a bunch of horses, 2 goats, 4 dogs and 3 cats!  The goats look like they would be fun to chase, but they have spiky things on their heads, so maybe I need to stay away.

I haven't been allowed to spend time with all the dogs yet, just one at a time until we all get to know each other as a group.  I spend a lot of time with Milo, the jack russell.  He thinks he's a little prince and acts all puffed up all the time, but he is a whiney baby.  All one of the cats has to do is look at him funny and he runs and hides.  I think the cats are a little odd, though.  One only weighs 5 pounds but is 16 years old.  She is the cat from hell!  I'd better not even look at her or she'll slap me.  Kachina is a big ol' cat and he's cool.  We spend time together on the porch in the evenings.  Lobo, the other cat is afraid of everything so I think I have only seen him one time.

Let me tell you about the horses.  They are REALLY big!  So big Mama Linda can go for rides on them!  One is called Doba.  She is a lot older than the others and I have attached a picture of her with me.  Don't tell her I said this but she looks as if she's stood under a tree full of birds!  She's been really sick for the past couple of months so looks pretty skinny, but she is getting better and is gaining back her weight.  All the other horses are fat!  Linda says it's because she can't work them on the roads much because she doesn't like going out alone, but I'm supposed to be her trail companion and am really looking forward to going for long rides.  Did you know that a small herd of mustangs lives here in the valley?  They stop by every now and then to say hi to the horses.

Did you know that horses need their feet trimmed just like dogs need their toes trimmed?  Linda says she wouldn't let a farrier touch her horses so she takes care of their feet herself, and when she nips off some of the hoof, I get to chew it!  I had no idea that hooves were actually attached to an animal.  Makes me kind of sad that people can buy hooves for dogs to chew -

Well, I have been having some problems remembering *come*.  I get so excited with everything that's out on the ranch that I forget and don't always focus on what I'm supposed to be doing.  But I'll be OK.  I am really tired at night.  I can roam the ranch inside the fence and have chased I don't know how many rabbits.  I am even taking naps in the afternoon!

I need to send this off.  Hope you like the picture and if Linda or Jim takes any more of me, I'll ask them to send them!

~Joy

September 1, 2005

We wanted to share another success story of the Border Collie Rescue of Northern California organization. We were able to adopt a very bright sweet little puppy at the end of February. Her name is Finn (formerly named Lena Horne) and we adopted her from the Jazz Litter puppies. My boyfriend Steve and I were looking for a border collie mix and came across the BCRNC in our web searches. After seeing the pictures of the Jazz puppies, every one of them was special in their own way, but there was something about Lena Horne. Maybe it was because she looked so much like her mother Jazmine, a tri-color border collie. After exchanging emails and going through the screening process we finally were able to pick up our new puppy, Finn at the end February. Currently, Finn is seven months old.

We are very fortunate to be able to have Finn go to work with me everyday in downtown San Francisco. Some of our male staff have gotten into the habit of taking Finn out for walks to meet the young ladies in the area (having a puppy helps break the ice!) Finn has windows to gaze out on a view of the waterfront and the Bay Bridge. At lunchtime, we usually go for a walk along the Embarcadero down to the Ferry Building to meet Steve for lunch.

Now that Finn has all her vaccinations she goes for runs with us along Ocean Beach in San Francisco. We also take her to Fort Funston and Stern Grove where there seems to be a dog parade everyday. These places have been great for Finn’s socialization development with other dogs. Finn can’t get out the car fast enough once we arrive in the parking lot of these places. She knows exactly where she is! We were fortunate to hook up with Finn’s sister from the litter, Carmen (Carmen McRae) after being contacted via email. It turns out Finn and Carmen live only about 10 blocks away from each other in the Sunset area of San Francisco. We plan to continue to meet up with Carmen again in our daily romps.

The border collie traits surface especially when we walk along the beach. Ocean Beach seems to serve as Finn’s designated digging hole. We are currently in puppy classes and Finn is already becoming very concentrated on the game of fetch with balls and Frisbees. We think down the road we will try an agility class for her.

In May, we took Finn up to our cabin in Lake Tahoe, to have her first experience in snow. We hiked up to Mt. Donner. It became apparent that traversing the snow fields and rock scrambling came very natural to her. It was a great trip for the three of us. Going up to mountains will be a regular excursion for us.

How can we describe Finn? Well, she is extremely bright which keeps us both on our toes. She is learning her commands well and she is completely crate trained. She is very respectful of our cat, Jack. Finn just wants to lay down by him watch him all the time. Most of all, I can describe Finn as very sweet and confident puppy. We feel so lucky. Having Finn in our lives has been extremely rewarding. She has given us so much joy. It is true about having an animal companion, they have an effect on you and they really open up your heart. Now it’s hard to imagine a day without Finn. We tell everyone about the Border Collie Rescue of Northern California organization and encourage them to adopt rescued animals. Thank you for helping us find Finn!

                            August 22, 2005

Thought you might like an update on Riley.  He is now in his third week
of "service dog" training and getting A+s.  He has been to the doctor's
office, hair dresser's, Albertson's, Carrows and a few other places
wearing his brand new "Service Dog" jacket.  He was perfectly behaved.
This week we started on retrieving dropped items...which he finds totally
boring and stupid.  My trainer says this is going to take the longest
time.  Thursday, he is headed for the airport with the hope that the
folks in charge will let us see how he does in a plane.  Unlikely that
they will let us since he might be carrying a bomb, but we'll see.

August 14, 2005

I promised months ago that I would write a success story about my “Special needs” rescue dog. Winnie was approximately 2 years when we adopted her October 22, 2005. I had lost my mini dachshund (16 ½ yrs) “Sparkie” and my border collie (13 ½ yrs) “Cody” both within a year and was going to give myself time to get over their death’s before I even thought about another dog. One night I went on line and started searching for rescued border collies. Well needless to say I found “Border Collie Rescue of Northern California”. As I scrolled thru the dogs for adoptions there were so many awesome candidates but then I saw “Winnie” and knew she was for me. So I filled out an application and was approved quite quickly. Well then I told my husband I had to have her that she needed me as bad as I needed her so we connected with John and Janet who were her foster parents and Jan her foster dog sitter and the arraignments were made to go meet her. It was quite a drive and once we arrived as predicted Winnie was terrified. Jan finally was able to leash her and brought her to me and my daughter kept saying “Mom are you sure, there are so many that would love you back, are you really sure about Winnie?” I told her look at her eyes there is a dog in there that wants to love, but just is not capable of it right now. Well she came home with us that day. I can honestly say this was a decision that I have not regretted, it has been a very slow process but such a rewarding one. I can only imagine what the people who originally had Winnie did to her, she would not eat in front of anyone, would not come out of her penthouse (the space under my desk that she claimed as her security), would not make eye contact, any noise just sent her into tremors and once in the backyard would run and hide in the farthest spot in the yard. Well that was 10 months ago. It has been a slow road and often heart wrenching but I have finally earned Winnie’s trust and in doing so she has taught me patience, you see there was no rushing this process; we had a lot of fears to overcome. I know we still have a lot to accomplish but had to share her accomplishments to date. Winnie now will not only eat with me sitting and talking to her, she evens allows me to stroke her during her meal, she will even eat if my daughter and her husband are visiting at meal time. She now take treats from my hand, very gingerly and then runs to the penthouse to enjoy it. When she looks at me it is with the most adoring eyes, anyone who watches her do this says “Oh my God, look at her she loves you so much”. She still will not come out of her penthouse if we have visitors, but when it’s just us she is actually starting to check out each and every room and if I am in the living room she is right there with me. Now every time I go in the yard she is right there, like a shadow, close but not too close and if I start to weed she lays down to watch the process. When we walk now her back is straight, her tail is wagging and her head is held high as to say “Look at me”. One of her greatest joys appears to be after our walk in the evening when we are in our cul-de-sac, I will take her off leash and say “Run Winnie Run” and she runs and bounces with no fears at all and then waits for me at our porch. Everyone in our neighborhood has watched with joy at each of Winnie’s accomplishments. Last Monday we made another huge step in our road to healing, she smelled my fingers, I know it sounds silly but you have to understand what it took to get to this point, I was so excited I almost scared her back to the penthouse, this was such a big step, BUT then tonight we had another huge step forward not only did she smell my hand she then licked my hand. I figured I’d try to take it a step further and offered her a little piece of the fish I was eating, after much hesitation she finally stretched her body to smell it and then accept the fish and then let me pet her afterwards. OH my God she actually stayed beside me the whole time I ate dinner WHOA. I actually can not take all the credit for Winnie’s healing we adopted another dog, a spunky dapple wirehaired dachshund puppy named Skeeter Butt, well this was one of the best things I did for Winnie, she was able to see the puppy being loved and touched and nothing bad happened and I really think this helped with her healing process. We are so very fortunate to have found our Winnie and are so grateful for everyone involved in saving her, she has brought so much to our lives and I know in my heart that she knows she can love us back without fear. Thank you all so very much. Wanda and Edward.

                           July 9, 2005

 I just thought you might like to
know that Buddy finished his first obedience class last Wednesday night.
The final was an obedience competition. Buddy placed first with 155 out of
160 points. I have attached a photo.

He is doing great.

"Lucy has found  her home with our
family. She and Boogie truly love each other. And she
loves our kitty too. She has been a delight to take
places, because she gets along well with every person
and every dog. She is the star of the dog park and
jumps and splashes in the waves at the beach. She
especially enjoys that in our house she has an all
access pass to every comfortable spot. She prefers the
 bed or the couch:)"

June 16, 2005

June 9, 2005

Ann Clayton Photography

                        May 22, 2005

Just a note to let you know that things are progressing along quite nicely.
 Atie is going to obedience school once a week and is beginning to get the
idea a little bit at a time.  The biggest problem is with us, as we need as
much training as she does (maybe more).  We are firmly convinced that we
got a most wonderful friend.  At the dog park she is the object of much
attention.  Gets along fine with other dogs and children; is still a bit
intimidated by some of the larger dogs, but is learning to hold her own. 
She now weighs 38 plus pounds.  She is a great car rider; in fact sometimes
she just wants to stay in the car after we get home.  Hope everything is
going well with you....

                                   MOLLY AND LIZ AT CJA RETREAT  NOVEMBER 2004                                            RILEY FINDS A FOREVER HOME

The following article was published in the California Judges Association Newsletter.  Reprinted here by permission of the author and new adopter of Riley.

May 8, 2005

     April 20, 2005

    Here are some Rosalita winter pictures.  She's jumping to catch a snowball in the jumping picture.  She's still a hefty girl despite a relatively active lifestyle and low calorie food.  She's a scavenger and acts as though we don't feed her!
    We've recently took in an Aussie Sheperd of my sister's named Bailey.  She's sort of timid and has loved in a fenced yard at the farm with 3 dominate dogs for all 3 years of her life.  We thought living with a family and having a laid back, happy Rosa as a role model would be good for her.  Rosa loves having a canine playmate, since Westney is really too old to play.  Bailey looks like Rosalita only shorter, they're adorable together.
    Hope all is well! 

April 18, 2005

I just wanted to send a quick note to let you know how happy we are to have Ella (now Maggie)!  She has been an absolute delight since we brought her home.  She has really enjoyed exploring her new backyard, and being spoiled rotten by her new kids!  She has taken to her crate and is sleeping through the night mostly peacefully (she wakes and whimpers, I stick my fingers in and she goes back to sleep), and
she has only had 2 accidents in the house (and one was our fault and not hers).  We have seen her run happily around the yard and then
shift into another gear and jet almost out of control, and she has discovered the goats.  At first she wasn't too sure, so we just let her look and move away.  This morning, we had her on a lead while I moved them to the back field and she wanted to chase.  She spend good blocks of time sitting up on a hill watching them graze (they watched her too) ears up and alert.  Around 2:30, the goats were ready to go home and Maggie surprised us by squirming through the fence.  Maggie was just wearing her collar.  I moved the goats and turned back to see Maggie crouched and helping me move them along.  10 weeks old and already taking charge of her "flock"! (Not that I'll have her herding without a
lead until we are trained or at least bigger, but it was rather impressive!)  She seems really happy with our family, and again, we are thrilled with her.
Thank you so much for raising her!

April 11, 2005

I still think I've got the best BC there ever was. Roscoe is a very mature boy now with a heart of gold. He is a great listener- he pays attention very well. I'm so happy daylight savings time is here because we enjoy the evenings so much more. When I take him to the park kids always run over and want to throw the ball or frisbee for him. He is always glad to oblige. When very small children come over to pet him, he drops on all fours and loves the attention from them. I didn't teach him this- it's his own instinct! I've enclosed 2 recent pictures of him on a hike with my son near a creek. He loves the creek but stays away from the pool. When I get home from work he "talks" to me. We have this whole conversation for about 5 minutes. It's the funniest thing. I enjoy his company so much. I hope the weather gets better and maybe we can hook up with Willow & her people sometime soon at the beach.

I thought you would enjoy an update on Opie.

First, we are delighted with him – he’s a fantastic dog, smart and fun, and he’s in his element here at our new place!  He has settled in reasonably well with our German shepherd, who is quite tolerant.  I knew they’d be fine when I crammed them both into the back seat of our car for vet checkups and there were only stoic, pained faces at being made to endure each other’s company.

The smiling thing he does is hilarious, and Opie just hates it if he thinks you are cross with him.  What a people pleaser!  He entertains everyone with whom he comes into contact, and I take him with me most everywhere because it’s so little trouble and he enjoys it so much.

Some things we’ve learned about Opie:  Did you know he loves to watch television?  He will stare raptly at the screen for hours with such intensity that it’s unsettling – except that he stares with the same intensity regardless of whether it’s turned on or off.  It amuses us no end!  We also can’t turn on a hose anywhere near him as he will jump 5 or 6 feet in the air to bite at the water spray, over and over again.  The spray just intrigues him.  He loves pickup trucks and he jumps into Steve’s every chance he gets with no prompting at all.  He runs, runs, runs all over the place, and I reckon he knows this property better than anyone else at this point.  He seems fascinated with our cats but only watches them, has seemed reluctant to initiate nose-to-nose contact.  The cats just watch him back with bored expressions on their faces.

We had a little snow a few weeks ago and watching the California dogs deal with that was great fun!!  At first, Opie didn’t quite know what to make of it.  But soon he was running everywhere, snout to the ground and trying to eat it all up.  I think he decided snow was just fine with him.

Some challenges lie ahead for him.  We are ready to put some livestock on our place, starting with llamas (to eat down some blackberry brambles), sheep and chickens.  I think he’ll do just great with all of it.  He has us well trained with his antics (We are particularly charmed by The Lean, where he leans against your legs so hard while getting petted that he loses his balance and falls cutely at your feet, always with the belly presented for a good scratch.  Funny, that!) and we are so glad to have adopted him.  He’s become a big part of our family.  Thanks so much for letting us bring him into our lives!!

                                February 28, 2005

We thought we would update you on Talus (formerly Bubba).  He is doing extremely well,
 and he is the perfect dog for us.  After 5 weeks of private obedience
 lessons, we took 2 months of group lessons and he and Dawn will start
 an agility class in a couple of weeks.  Talus has learned to completely
 trust us, and he comes when called (almost always) when off leash in
 the hills, he will drop anything he picks up when asked to, and he will
 do a few tricks.  He is also very friendly with other people and has
 learned to sit when he says hello rather than jump up.  We took him to
the dog park for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and he played
very nicely with the other dogs.  He didn't even start barking at them
 until he was getting very tired.  It is amazing how rapidly a dog can
 change when he knows that he has a home he can trust.

 Thanks for steering us to Talus!

The following puppy updates are puppies that were born to Jezebel on October 6, 2004.

This is Jezebel

.

Cocoa/Fozzie at 6 weeks

Arf greetings to my siblings and family.  Thank you all for your
insightful updates and pictures.  I have grown leaps and bounds in the
pass month.  I am now around 45 pounds.  My facial features change
from week to week where at times, I still have terrier features.  Mom
thinks I look like a piglet especially when she takes a picture of me
when I'm looking up (It's not my favorite side)  ;-(.  Fetching and
chewing is what I love to do all day.  I'm getting better with
catching balls.  While crouched, I watch the ball thrower like a
soccer goalie.  I try to catch the balls on a fly or on the first
bounce.  Frisbee chasing is what I like to do in the backyard with
Dad.  Mom takes me to one of our favorite doggie places, Crissy Fields
so I can chase and romp with my newfound friends.  At first I was
scare of the big dogs and want Mom to carry me.  But I soon got over
the size of the other four-legged furry friends and enjoy their
company.  When Mom throws my ball or stick into the bay, I love to
retrieve it from the water.  I've gotten as far as wetting my body up
to my neck.  I have not swum in the bay yet but I may get there very
soon.  When a new friend greets me I forget my Mom is with me and will
chase my new buddies along the shoreline.  Mom has to chase after me
on the beach.

Mom thinks I'm a clown.  When she requests a hug or kiss right before
my mealtime, we go through this command routine of 'sit, stay, and
give me a hug/kiss'.  I on the other hand cannot wait to get to the
food bowl and will sit, stay, and run to Mom with a real fast football
tackle like hug, slobber her with a kiss, and then run to the food
bowl.  This is where I learned to excel the 'stay' command or Mom will
take away the food bowl until I give her the proper response.

I've learned a lot in the pass two months.  I've graduated from my 6
weeks puppy obedience class.  My instructor says I'm full of energy
and am very rambunctious.  He likes to use me as an example as he
thinks I'm not paying attention.  I can multi-task with listening and
playing with my furry friends next to me.  Mom says I'm very good with
stay and need to practice my come command (especially when I'm
pre-occupied with my furry friends).  I still get nauseous at times
when we go for a ride.  Mom gives me Benadryl, which sometimes helps.

Last month, I got snipped and chipped.  I was happy as a lark when I
entered the facilities and came out like nothing happened.  My Mom was
hoping it would take away some of the extra bounds of energy.

Spring is in the air.  I can hear the birdies sing from my backyard.
I look up to see a number of different size winged friends perched on
the wire singing.  Speaking of sounds, I love Elmo.  Mom was flipping
stations one day and the sound of Sesame Street's Elmo caught my
attention.  When my attention is sparked, my right ear stands at
attention.  Mom says I have character.  ;-)  I love Elmo's voice and
will sit and watch him on the television.  Mom loves to teach me new
things.  At the moment she's trying to teach me to identify each of my
balls by colors.  She has purchased a variety of colorful toys and
puzzles for my playtime.  I love the challenge of getting my treats
from the different puzzle toys.

Until my next newsletter...

Peace and love,
Fozzie and Mom

Eve/Jersey at 6 weeks

It's been more than three months now that I have moved to my new home in San Jose.  And I'm loving it!  especially playing soccer in the front yard with my big sister Sheila, also a Border Collie, and mom, of course.  I could do this FOREVER, if they only let me.  I also like to go to the beach in Santa Cruz and the local dog park, of course.

Last week wasn't a lot of fun though: they took me to the vet one morning and the next thing I remember was waking up with a plastic cone on my head, stitches in my belly and bandages on my back feet!  And they said that I am microchipped now also... what ever that means....  Man, I was groggy that evening.....

But I was a good girl and didn't lick it, so mom took the collar off and I didn't have to wear it no more.  Not even when I was home alone.  She wouldn't let me play that much though.  Anyways, the stitches will come off next Friday, finally!

Oh, and I have also already finished my first obedience course; last Saturday was "graduation" and I got a cookie bone.  But mom says that this is not yet the end, and we will continue to go to class for a while.  I guess that's because I am such a wild child that rather wants to play than listen to what she says.  I am pretty good at "come" though when she calls and I can sit, lay down, shake and I am just learning to stay (that's a tough one though...).  Walking on leash is also pretty good, unless there's another person or dog approaching us.  Hey, who can resist that!?!  I know that I am still way away from my sister Sheila, who is doing great in Agility and went to her first match a couple of weeks ago.

Well, gotta go. 

Stay happy!
Jersey

Buffy/Roxie at 6 weeks

I'm attaching three photos of Roxy (formerly known as Buffy). Two pictures are about 2 weeks old and the picture of her on the hill is from Christmas time.

Her favorite playtoy is the mastiff,Titan, who lives next door. He is 170 lbs and it is great fun to watch the two of them play. The
potty training is coming along slowly. We have good days and bad - we're waiting for the good to outnumber the bad. Roxy loves to sleep with us in our bed but we are trying to break that habit. She is great fun and we enjoy having her.

Gunner/Stella at 6 weeks

Hope the new year is finding all of the puppies healthy and happy. Time sure is going by fast. I can't believe how big Stella is getting. 20.5 lbs as of 1/13. She has been the best addition to the family! She has one ear that is now standing, while the other is in floppy mode. Haven't been able to capture it on film yet, since she tries out her "I'm so cute" pose." Puppy classes start on 1/29, and we are looking forward to it. She seems to pick up every new trick very quickly.

Mocha/Sepia at 6 weeks

Mocha (formerly Sepia) lives to chase a tennis ball.  He’ll continue to retrieve and drop it at my feet for as long as I am willing to throw it.  We’ve graduated to a Chuck-It ball tosser.

Mocha is 2 weeks into Sirius Puppy Training.  He’s doing very well and the bigger Lab and Golden Retriever pups keep him in line.  My daughters (ages 6 & 10) are participating in all of the activities and all of us including Mocha enjoy the sessions.

Mocha has learned a lot of basic commands.  He actually obeys them most of the time.  We have two problem areas: two outside door mats and a garden hose.  Although he has no shortage of toys in the backyard, he always ends up going for the door mats and hose.

Yeller/Sprite at 6 weeks

Sprite is now 26 lbs, and is developing into quite the little ball dog. She has some basic commands under control and does particularly well when bribes are offered.  She's also learning to stick up for herself at home and at the dogpark--it's hilarious when she curls her lip to reveal--no teeth!  I'm sure the other dogs find it intimidating.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There are 3 more puppies from this litter and we hope to get pictures of them soon.

February 20, 2005

February 17, 2005

I was on the Border Collie rescue site an thought I would shoot you an email about Patch.  He is 1 year old now and is doing wonderfully. He went through puppy class and basic obedience and now we have started pre-agility at WAG formerly Starfleet Academy. I don't know who enjoys it more, me or Patch. I think it's mutual. We also have Patch's older Border brother Dash in class too.  I just wanted you to know he has been an absolute joy to have in our family. The kids call him their little furry brother. He is my shadow and goes every where I go....I mean every where.  He is very possessive and protective of his family and we're working on that and also the concept of sharing with his big brother Dash. But life around our home just would be same without our Patch puppy.  Thank you a million times for allowing us to adopt such a wonderful little guy.

February 17, 2005

Mollie and Willie

January 29, 2005

Its been 2 years since Indy and I have been together. He is the love my life...and my shadow! He goes every where with me...surfing, mountain biking, hiking, running, snowshoeing. He loves riding shotgun in my truck. If my truck door is ever open, even if its parked in the garage he will jump into the passenger seat and stare at me with his goofy smile. People driving on the road next to me always roll down their window and tell me how cute Indy is. Every time I take him downtown, at least 3 people will talk to me about him or tell me how cute he is. He is a very popular dog : )

We recently moved to a beach community here so its really mellow with lots of dog. Indy loves it here. He loves running on the beach and herding seagulls. Birds, squirrels and cats are truly his weakness. His paws are really soft now from running on the beach. My girlfriend says that the sand is  "exfoliating " his paws. He is even playing Frisbee and jumps higher now.

January 27, 2005

                    January 14, 2005

Just a almost one month update. Every day we appreciate Fly (formerly Dixie) more-
she is really a great pup!!! Mouse has decided to "adopt" her - they have
really become pals. Fly is growing fast and the doggie tooth fairy has been
busy. Thanks again soooooo much for the wonderful addition to our family.

January 14, 2005

January 10, 2005

December 7, 2004

Here is a holiday picture of Lexi (violet).  She has been a great companion and we wouldn't trade her for the world.   Lexi has been trained in English, Hindi, and hand signals.  She loves to play fetch and to play with other dogs.  I don't go anywhere without her, she loves to take drives and is always aware of what's going on.   I almost would say she is a human!  Thanx again we couldn't be happier.

November 27, 2004

Everything has been going great with me and Ty.  I don't know if you remember but he used to be kinda shy around people, and he could be a little aggressive in the house. Now I don't worry about taking him anywhere i go, which is good because i bring him with me everywhere i go except school and work) and he only gets mean in the house if somebody walks in without knocking first and if I tell him "It's ok puppy" he calms right down.  This is a good thing i suppose because if someone I don't want to come in does he will be sure to let me know! He weighs about 30 lbs. right now and is taller than when I adopted him. I suspect he wont grow taller but he still has some filling out to do he will probably weigh about 35 or so lbs. when he is done I think.  I don't remember what tricks he already knew but now he can: Ask (or beg), rollover, speak, bow, shake hands (both of them), Stand up, and we are working on crawling.  I am also thinking about getting him into agility next month, but  before they will let him in the class he has to be able to sit and stay while i walk at least 10 feet away from him, which he can do but not with other dogs around, he still has a lot of puppy in him and gets distracted.  We go to the park every night and he loves doing that.  I just took him to the snow for the first time this weekend and he loved it!  He didn't know what it was at first and it kinda freaked him out when he stuck his nose in the snow the first time, which was really cute.  I took him to the lake once and after a little encouragement he got in and seemed to like the water too.  Other than that he is just a great dog and I couldn't be happier with him, he is sitting at my feet right now helping me study. LOL! 

November 7, 2004

October 25, 2004

I thought I would drop you a line on how Bandit is doing. He so fun-loving and playful that he puts a smile on my face just thinking about his antics. My co-workers can’t wait to hear my Bandit stories at work each day, either.

I think you summed it very well when we were corresponding before we adopted him; Bandit loves anything that looks like fun. Whether it is a garden hose, broom, vacuum cleaner, housefly, or blue jay, he finds some way to make it a game. This rain has brought even more fun for Bandit. I don’t think I have ever seen a dog get so muddy!! He is so good about waiting to get dried off before coming inside.

I took him for a visit to our local vet. She absolutely fell in love with his sweet personality. She said that he was a happy, healthy puppy with wonderful social skills. She was very impressed with all the information you provided about Bandit. I was impressed that she took the time to read not only his vet records but also the pages you wrote on Bandit’s disposition and other miscellaneous information.

We are so happy that Bandit is part of our family!

Many moons ago I promised pictures of Draco.  Well, now I’m sending you a lot. Why?  because he’s so cute, because I wanted you to see his growth progression and get a sense of his life.  Draco is perfect for us and we are perfect for him.  He’s doing great. He’s learning agility. He’s working on this behavior around other dogs and people. That part is not easy because he goes to a lot of high energy places with me. He and Freckles love each other. He loves water and camping. He’s BUSY all the time.  He’s a border collie through and through and that’s just perfectly fine with me.

October 4, 2004

September 19, 2004

I have been meaning to give you an update on Matthew.   When I have to be out of the house for more than a few hours, I take Matthew and my other dog, Wylie, to a doggie day care.  It is a wonderful facility.  Outdoors' with about 2 acres of room to run.  Matthew has been going there for many months.  It is run by a woman and her husband.  She has told me, secretly, that Matthew is one of her favorites!!

She just sent me some pictures of Matthew taken at the day care and I thought I would send them on to you.  Matthew loves water…..he is usually wet most of the day…playing in the sprinkler, jumping at the hose, or laying down in one of the kiddy pools.   He really is so cute and just loves to play.  One of his favorite games is to be chased by the other dogs.  He also like to find special buddies to wrestle with.  He like to play tether ball.  If you hit the ball, he jumps up and tries to wrap his paws around the ball.  One of the picture I have enclosed shows him in action.

Anyway, he is doing very well.  He and my other rescue dog, Wylie, are just best of friends and play together so well.  I'll give you another update when he hits the big ONE year mark.

Derby was adopted from a rescue group in Nevada, but his "mom" wanted to share his story with us.  It's a great story!!!

September 11, 2004

Derby has had his challenges learning to live on the a horse ranch after being raised in the city, Alameda CA....but he loves it here.....He gets to go swimming in the pond almost everyday, he helps me do chores (he makes me crazy barking at the manure cart) He 'keeps the horses in line,' loves cooling off in a mud puddle or getting hosed off when he gets hot.  He loves to play ball, his squeaky toys, and his three (new) sisters Bailey, especially Bailey since she is the alpha dog, Nonie, and Neh Neh....He is a congenial dog both with humans and animals. and never bothers the cats. I am sure misses the 15 year old boy that used to be his constant companion....Anytime a young man or teenaged boy comes to visit, this dog goes bonkers for them.

Since Derby was 4 years old when I adopted him, I have had my challenges dealing with him also.....I have raise border collies now for over 25 years, so I am no dummy to the ways of the BC, but he does have a stubborn streak...If I had had him as a puppy, he would not be like this. Derby would have more "horse sense" and would "listen" to me when I told him something. He is like a child and always has to test things, like I don't know better ... his energy has (and still needs to be to a lesser degree than when I first got him) be redirected.

Sometimes Derby doesn't pay attention, and on a ranch that can be very dangerous for him and me, as it isn't always possible to keep a dog on a leash for training....a dog must obey if you are in the saddle on the trail, breaking out a colt, or working around the barn .... as a result of Derby not paying attention he has been kicked by the horses more than once, and on one occasion it cost him his two canines and one molar on the left side. He would not "call off" to an alpha horse, a horse that was for a long time a stallion.....that horse has boundaries more so than most.... It wasn't really his fault or mine...he has been bred for hundreds of years to work no matter what...sure I could kennel him up everytime I worked with the horses but what would be the point....some time or another he is going to have to "help" me, so he needed to learn what is proper protocol around horses....

I recall seeing BC's that work cattle, who are much tuffer than sheep due to their size and horns...Sometimes those dogs get the very raw end of the deal, but they keep going anyway, that is what they are bred to do, and to their owners, they are worth their weight in gold .... Life on the ranch isn't always as romantic as the movies would lead you to believe, but it is a great place for any BC.... Yes, Derby has had his "hard knocks" but he is also at home here, he is loved, he gets the attention and exercise he needs and he works off his "addiction" which is commonly known as herding instinct....I have always said if you are codependent, then a BC is a great companion :) 

I'm sure some of your reading this will say, geez the dog got his teeth knocked out, but you have to understand that the instinct to work was stronger than his fear of the horse or the reprimand he might suffer from me ... he wasn't taught from a puppy that it is wrong to bite the horse, or to not obey me. A horse has his instincts too, and that is to kick when he is being "attacked."  It has taken several kicks by different horses for Derby to understand that, to put common sense before instinct ... and now when I call him off he understands it is for his own good.  If you have trouble understanding this, think of a young child that plays with a light socket....you cannot supervise them 24/7, and no matter how many times you tell them not to do it and the results of what can happen, and if they are stubborn like Derby, they are going to do it until they finally get shocked....BC's are no different from teenaged children. Sometimes it takes them more than one incident for them to realize, you're trying to protect them, rather than "ruin their fun."

It hasn't been easy for me either.....I have had to deal with the results of the abuse that Derby endured by his previous owners ... he has been programmed in a lot of undesirable ways since he was a puppy...for example you cannot take him by the collar, he WILL bite you, and very viciously I might add....I found out the hard way when I took him by the collar and tried to make him go outside.... I had to go to work, and he wasn't cooperating when I told him "outside"..... I took him by the collar and he bit me so badly I couldn't go to work that day. I was deeply cut, bruised, and sore for nearly a week.  Apparently he thought he was in trouble and scared and I approached him the wrong way.  By grabbing him by the collar, he thought he was going to be beat again (something instilled by his former owner) I would like to add, I would never lay a hand on a dog, I prefer to banish them from the "pack" as a form of punishment or send them to a time out place "go lay down"...... Derby has bitten me twice now in that manor, once the first night I had him, and the incident that I just described....so I do have to be VERY careful when handling him by his collar if he is scared or frightened.

I try to give him lots of behind the ear scratches to desensitize him from his prior traumas of being grabbed by the collar (beaten then thrown in the garage) I also play with his tags and spin his collar around then pet him and tell him he's a good dog .....for the first 3 months Derby was here, he would go into panic attacks if I put him and the other dogs in the laundry room. Something I commonly do when the weather is bad outside.  The other dogs just lay down and take a nap, but Derby, he would shake, pant and drool.  Derby would panic so bad, he wouldn't even come into the  house to be fed through the laundry room...I had to open the sliding glass door to let him in or out....Now he doesn't even think about it, but it wasn't easy to convince him, the laundry room wasn't a punishment, but actually a place of warmth, peace and contentment.

Well, enough of Derby's and mine trial and tribulations... I do want to add that the rescue told me I was his last chance, since he was a "loose cannon for biting people"....actually had he not been transferred from CA to NV he probably would have been in the bone yard by now. 

Derby is working out to be a great dog for me even though he is difficult to deal with at times....I feel good I saved him from a fate that would have been certain death and I have a good companion and coworker. He is happy and enjoying life the way he was bred too.

It's been a few months since I updated you on Sophie, but I finally got her to settle down for some pictures
and thought you would like to see them.  As you know, Sophie is scared of digital cameras, camera phones and regular cameras, pretty much anything that you point at her. I finally got my medium format camera out which she didn't seem to mind as much. These photos are so cute and I really think show her personality.  Sophie has really settled into a great routine with us and her personality is really starting to express itself. She likes to try to talk to us. She is especially expressive when she wants to play with one of her many toys or if she thinks we aren't paying
enough attention to her. She doesn't bark or growl, but definitely tells us what's up.  Sophie loves new people and other dogs. When we first got her she was a bit shy and would pee when she met someone new (person or dog) and didn't play with other dogs when her ball was around. Now she is super social and loves a good run around the park, she is friends with everyone. I've been very impressed with her socialization. She's so sweet and kind to her new
friends.  She's a great camper!! We took Sophie camping for the first time a few weeks ago and she loved it. The campfire didn't even scare her (she was a shadow and light chaser when we first got her). She has overcome that
bit of obsessiveness.  We just wanted to say hi and let you know that we love our dog. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for letting us adopt her. She's has been a great addition to our family and can't remember life before she was here:)

Roxy came into rescue from a shelter in Glenn County; she'd been picked up stray.  She was under a year old, & from the moment she met her new mom, Lynn, she never took her eyes off of her.  When Lynn first put a leash on Roxy, Roxy acted as if she had been in obedience training since she was born!  Lynn is now having lots of fun & success training & trialing Roxy in agility--in a number of venues--& Roxy collects ribbons like some kids collect stamps!  When she's not amazing everyone with her performance successes, she's busy keeping Lynn's two Jack Russells, Pongo & Zuzu, busy!  All of us who train with Lynn & Roxy (& Pongo & Zuzu) are so happy Roxy found this wonderful home!

August 4, 2004

We cannot thank you enough for helping us find Sasha (now Sadie)!  She is a
beautiful, wonderful, smart, silly and loving girl!!

In just a few weeks Sadie has gotten over a lot of her shyness and often
happily trots up to people to say hello -- especially when she's off leash
in the dog park.  She is still pretty "excitable" while on leash and a little
nervous when new people come into her "space" (the house or backyard) and
barks -- but she gets more social every day even inviting a recent dinner
guest to play tug with her.  She is fantastic with other dogs and wants to
play with every one she meets  -- at the park, she'll often drag around a
rope to all the other dogs until she finds one who wants to play tug with
her.   She's getting more ball oriented every day -- learning to retrieve
and even catch the balls mid-air!

We have started basic obedience classes which she seems to like, although
she is much more interested in meeting the other dogs than she is in working
on her recall and focus -- even when there are treats involved.

She has been great about letting us know about what she likes (games of
chase in the dog park, cheese doodles, tug-of-war, walks anywhere, belly
rubs, looking out the car window, baseballs, loooooongggg naps,
wrestle-mania in the dog park, peanut butter, anything "chewy" (from kongs
to ropes to shoes) and most especially chewy things covered in peanut
butter), what she doesn't like (vacuum cleaners, skateboards, puddles,
noises from the other side of the backyard fence,) and things she doesn't
quite understand (why all the dogs in the park don't want to play chase, why
round objects and kongs always seem to roll under the tv cabinet, why
flip-flops aren't chew toys!)

In the pictures you can see her on her first boat ride on Lake Tahoe, her
first hike up the Hawley Grade, her first 10k walk and chewing her first
(and definitely not last) rope.

We can't thank you all enough for taking such good care of Sadie on her
journey to us!

                 July 28, 2004

Here are two pictures of Jack we took last week post-bath.  We have a crab-apple tree in our backyard that constantly drops leaves, which match Jacks coat exactly.  Jake  is great!  He loves the beach, not the water per say, but the dogs and people definitely.  We've let him off the leash a couple of times on the beach and he does remarkably well.  He doesn't rush people or dogs, but has a great friendly tail wag that lets everyone know he'd like you to call him over for a pet.  My Mom has stolen him a couple of times for her morning walk on the coastal trail and says other than the weaving walk, he's got a great pace and doesn't pull.  When I get home from work
and hit the garage door opener, Jack emerges from his crate (now in the garage) and patters over to my car, waiting for me to get out.  We do a greet and meet thing, then walk over to get the mail at the end of the block and then he supervises me unloading the car. 
We moved his crate from the bathroom into the garage because he seems to really dig the garage.  In the bathroom he would start talking and barking so after a couple of nights we moved the mammoth crate into the garage and he seems very content to sleep there in the evening.  At some point I'd like him to sleep inside, but we're not yet confident about the leg lifting.  The only time he's outside is when we're gone for work, otherwise he's inside with us (and I mean right next to us...) and this seems to work for everyone (including the cats). 

July 22, 2004

We are so delighted with 'Scotty' (who we now call 'Rocky' since he has such cute "boxing gloves" on his two front paws :)
He and Neva have adjusted to each other wonderfully-- Neva is learning to share her space as well as her toys, and Rocky is learning how to be well-mannered from a real pro ;)  All this good behavior, as he's learned, ultimately leads to more tummy rubs (which he LOVES)!!
We couldn't have asked for a better dog- he's housetrained, loving, SMART, energetic, and doesn't try to herd the kitties too often... :)  Mucho thanks to foster mom Erica, and the BCrescue for connecting us
with our little Rocky!

July 14, 2004,

Comet is doing very well, I can't believe it's been over a month since we snatched him up.  He's not the little 27 pound dog that we brought home, he's now about 35, if not more.  We just had him neutered on the 7th and he made an amazingly quick recovery.  He loves to eat, we've never had a dog have a love for food as much as he does.  Comet and our other dog, Annie the polar bear, are still warming up to one another, he's got a lot spunk for an older dog like her but they have their moments.  I'd say his favorite part of the human body are the feet...he loves to nibble on our feet, I think it's his way of showing affection or maybe he just likes the tase.  He's very good about going to the bathroom, although he's still a squatter and hasn't learned the art of lifting the leg.  When we play catch he could care less about the ball he just likes to run back and forth and run in circles.  We also play "tag" with him, he usually wins cuz he's a little bit quicker than the rest of us.  He's an absolute sweetheart and we feel very lucky that he's now part of our family. 

June 15, 2004

This is a first birthday photo of Josey. She is Libby, daughter of Truffles (litter of June 14^th, 2003). She is now a happy, beautiful, unbelievably energetic 40 pound girl who runs our lives. She is doing great and we would like to thank you for letting us adopt her.  We hope all her brothers and sisters are doing as well as Josey.

Here is Jammer when he was in rescue.

Now look at him.  His new name is Bobby.

May 30, 2004

Bobby, is doing great.  He is going to be on the smallish side and is, of course, extremely smart and loving.  He's completed basic puppy class and is now enrolled in puppy agility and loving it.  He's a happy boy and convinced that every person on the face of the planet loves him. 

Here is a letter about two of our puppies Alvin and Theodore (now known as Patch and Ranger).  They were adopted by sisters who let them visit with each other everyday.  We think they are such lucky pups!!!

May 28, 2004

 Thought I'd shoot you an e-mail to give you an update on Theodore.  I think it's safe to say that he's completely come out of his shell.  He's become quite the little rascal, but he's still a really good puppy.  It took only two days for him to claim our house as his.  He's now completely housebroken and sleeps in his crate through the night.  He walks very well on a leash (he LOVES when we go for a walk every day), and is turning out to be our little guard dog.  He's very territorial about his home or surroundings he's used to -- he'll bark at anyone that he doesn't know if they come into his space, but back off when we tell him it's okay. 

His first well-puppy checkup with our vet is tonight, and his first obedience class starts in three weeks.  In the meantime, he's having a ball with his brother for a couple of hours every day (which helps a LOT with all of his extra energy--and Patch's too).  We also do lots of socializing with other friends and their dogs when we meet up at the park on the weekends.

Thank you for taking such good care of me on my journey from Stockton to Aptos.  Little did I know, when I started chewing on that rope, that I would be as lucky as I was to find you!  You picked a good herd for me to tend.  They are quite disorderly at times and require my expert attention in order to keep them from spinning off in all different directions.  Even though they have poor herd sensibilities, they are good humored and generous with their affections.

School is going very well.  I sometimes have a hard time paying attention because there is a little King Charles Spaniel I find it hard to take my eyes off.

Your friend, OZZIE

May 12, 2004

 Tiger Lily (now named Haley) is doing great!  I changed her name because one of my cats is named Lily.  My cat Lacy took to her right away as you will see from one of the pictures.  You can also see that Haley likes to sleep on her back with all paws straight out.  Haley has already learned how to walk on a leash and fetch a ball.  Thanks again!

WILLOW AND HER PUPPIES

      Willow came to Border Collie Rescue very pregnant.  On October 29, 2002, Willow gave birth to 9 healthy pups.  On their first birthday, we asked the new owners to send updates and pictures and here they are.  We were hoping to get pictures and stories from all 9 of the owners, but unfortunately, they did not all respond.  We really appreciate the families that did take the time to send pictures and stories for our website.

WILLOW

Here's Willow playing with the flying rooster!  Willow isn't so willowy anymore.  Her coat is thick, her tail is a huge bush, she's looking a little auburn on her flanks and feathers, she's 48 lbs. and all of it spoiled!   She loves the beach, herds the seagulls and waves, runs back and forth chasing the waves and having a blast. 
She is a blessing, well behaved, VERY sweet, and everyone loves her!  She goes in the motorhome with us and on the houseboat at Lake Shasta.  She's a great swimmer.  Wouldn't make a great agility dog though, her timing is just a fraction of a second off! She's pretty funny! 

PUPPY KATE IS NOW FEATHER

Feather is on the left in each photo - Cloud a 2 year old male, also from Border Collie Rescue, is on the right.

Feather is a sweet, smart, affectionate young dog who loves to cuddle. She's learned how to go through an agility tunnel and how to jump over a pole.  Her favorite thing in the world is obedience training, as long as it involves food treats!  She is best friends with Cloud, our other rescue border collie, and they play, wrestle, run, and sleep together.

PUPPY DOLL IS NOW OREO

From the beginning Bandit was a bit of a scaredy cat, and was scared of most things around him (except for his owners). Although he is still nervous around men, no dogs push him around anymore and he comes to the aide of his best friend Patch whenever necessary.    

He can be left alone for fairly long periods of time without ruining anything (except from his own toys).  The only time he protests when left alone is when he hasn't been exercised.  For this reason he has a daily schedule: We throw the ball 20-30 minutes in the morning and in the evening (we just bought a glow-in-the-dark ball). We give him a late night walk around 10 PM (approx. 45 min.). Recently Bandit met his new friend Enzo (when we were on one of our late night walks) and so whenever possible he plays with him.  Bandit also sees his friend Patch at least once a week.  Now and then we take him to the dog park and/or the beach. 

Bandit went on his first camping trip this summer (to Fort Brag).  He loved running free on the beach, chasing anything in sight.  Bandit wasn't so sure about sleeping in a tent, but since his bed and owners were inside he decided it was safe :-)

Bandit's favorite thing in the world is to throw the ball, and he brings it back to our feet every time.  Recently we have started to throw the frisbee, and he is a great jumper!  Bandit would be a great agility dog.  He also loves his toys at home and he has his own little basket with his "stuff" in it.  We are constantly picking up his toys, which he happily spreads all over the house.

Bandit is the most affectionate dog that we have ever met (maybe we are biased!) and we are forever grateful that we were able to adopt him.

        CLOUD     FEATHER                      PATCH           BANDIT       

Here  are two of the puppies together on a play date with two other Border Collie's from Border Collie Rescue of Northern California. 

May 5, 2004,

Travis (now Oscar) has lost all of his shyness, as you can see. He is blending in beautifully and growing like crazy. Compare the two photos of him leaning over the baby gate. The first one was taken the week we got him - the other about a week ago.

Thanks for this great puppy!

Photo courtesy of Donn Dobkin http://justamomentphoto.com

May 4, 2004

Here is a photo of Zack doing some agility work. We were at Power Paws camp last week and Donn got
this photo of Zack jumping through the tire. Thought it might be suitable and Donn was good enough to provide the digital file that should allow posting to your web site.  Zack and I are doing great and racking up more
titles in both AKC and USDAA. Hope all is well.

April 27, 2004

April 26, 2004

April 23, 2004

Annie (formerly Dee Dee) said I should drop you all a note to tell you how well she is doing. She is a very frisky puppy and is integrating herself into our pack. She gets along very well with Gracie our ½ Australian Shepard ½ Border Collie who was adopted from BC rescue 5 years ago. Annie is pretty well house broken, has learned to sit and is just really a joy to be around. It looks like a WWF wrestling match some evenings in the living room but it helps tire out both dogs before bed time. Annie also holds her own when wrestling Gracie and I really wish that I had ½ the energy she does. We start puppy class next week (I think Annie will be training me) and Annie says that she is very excited to start her training. Well that’s about all for now we will keep you updated with her progress and Thank You again for all of the great work that your organization does.

THANK-YOU!  THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU!
THANK-YOU!

Buttons is sitting in his new crate napping here at my work.  He's SUCH A
LOVE!  Friday night - he slept on the bed with hubby and I - right in
the middle of us!  He snuggled ALL NIGHT LONG!

Saturday  - we went next door and played with the two Australian
Shepherds next door ... He totally loves them.  He also played Sat night
and Sunday with Enya - my friends pit bull.  I don't think I've ever
seen a pit run SO fast!

The cats are starting to get used to him already. Of the three - only
Tabitha - the "alpha" cat is hissing - but at least she will stay in the
same room with him now.  They're all getting better.

The neighbors that we call "Mom and Dad" are now calling him their
"grandson"  :) and he went over there for Easter and he was so well
behaved.

We taught him to sit already ... He's so smart!  We've also found a
"favorite toy" for him ... It's a little stuffed elephant and he has a
blast with it (it's with him in his crate right now)  :)

So - that was the weekend with Button ... What a sweetie!

Thanks again and I'll keep you up to date on the "Adventures of Button":)

Update:  Great News - just got back from his FIRST puppy training class and he BLEW THE INSTRUCTOR AWAY!  He already knew "sit" and "Button Come"!  It's being taught by the ladies that do the therapy dog work on the peninsula - and they say he's got tremendous potential to be a therapy dog.  Now - it's all up to me .. hopefully I have as much potential and consistency as he does so we can make the cut.

ANGEL (AKA SHANNON)

APRIL 13, 2004,

WHERE DO I START....MOM & ANGEL ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME TOGETHER....THEY ARE REALLY CUTE....TODAY I WENT TO VISIT MOM AND SHE WAS SITTING ON THE FLOOR & ANGEL WAS TRYING TO SIT IN HER LAP.....SO AS YOU CAN TELL ANGEL IS ALREADY A MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY.....& SHE SEEMS VERY HAPPY AND CONTENT.....WE LOVE HER....HAPPY ENDING!!!!

Remember how I joked about going to the Nationals with Cricket?  You won't believe this but this weekend we had our very first show.  It was a CPE show and I showed her in Level 1 Standard and Jumpers.  She showed in three classes,
won two and got Q's in all three.  And guess what...she is now qualified for the CPE National's!  Pretty funny!  So what the heck, it is in Elk Grove so we are going!
Just had to brag on her, once again.  Hope all is well with you and all BC's are finding good homes.  I tell everyone that she was a rescue dog, hoping that people will be more open to taking in dogs from rescue oganizations.

March 29, 2004

Well, Teddy is certainly an active little guy and although we're dealing with the "puppy" stuff, we just adore him.  He and Kali are getting along wonderfully and run around constantly together.  We're getting him used to the kennel, and trying to get him to realize it's a safe place.  I think it helps that he sees Kali go into it willingly.

I can't even tell you how much fun these two have while playing!  Finally a puppy whose energy level matches Kali's. hehehehe......He's a quick learner this boy.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.  =) I'm trying to get him into a puppy class that starts the end of April.  If not there is another the beginning of May.

March 13, 2004

I thought you might like to see a few pictures of Sydney's very busy life. Sidney is such a part of everything that we do and is doing so well. I truly think that she is no older than a year. She is such a puppy in her behavior. I had someone at the Humane Society where I got her license look at her and they thought after watching her and looking at her teeth that she was much closer to a year. We have officially made her birthday, Valentines Day, when we got her.
 
As you can see by the pictures, Sydney, is very busy with her girls, our granddaughters 2 and 1/2 and nine months. These girls are indeed hers. When the girls' Mom and Dad come home from work she lays besides the girls and utter a low soft growl until I tell her that all is ok. The nine month old can do anything to Sydney. Wish you could see them all together. I play with the older one with play dough and we have to keep the baby and Sydney from eating it. It's like having a pre-school.
Guess you can tell that Miss Sydney has totally taken over our hearts.
The crate and collar and working well. We will do some classes this month or next. She is so easy to train. she fetches and brings toys as well as wanting to eat everything in the yard. A great gardener if only I can teach her which are weeds.

Thanks again for putting us together with Sydney. We shall always be so grateful.

February 26, 2004

Finally....I got a couple of pics of Sophie, doing her favorite thing, chasing the ball at Fort Funston. She
has passed basic adult obedience....I wouldn't say with flying colors, but the instructor was quite
impressed with her improvement and confidence building. She has really settled in well and is
climbing in my lap as we speak to get some attention:)  We haven't had problems with her water bowl, except
when she has the ball (her favorite thing) and we realized that she likes to clean it off! She splashes
around and has a grand old time at the Fort Funston in the public doggy water bowls, but it's not an indoor
toy so at home it's fine. Her newest trick is showing her belly, which she will now do on command, we are
working on getting that to roll over. Soon, very soon.  She loves running with her dad on the beach in the
morning and lives with sand on her nose daily. The bath isn't her favorite thing in the world but will
suffer through it quietly, which is often b/c she loves to flop in mud puddles after a hard run and
fetch.  All is well with Sophie....this is one BC who is not short on personality.
Thanks for everything.

February 26, 2004