I would really like a home!

Hey folks!
I'm Chip, and I'm the dog of the week. I have had some rather bad luck this past year, but I'm hoping my perfect family is reading this and will help me out.

You see, I lived with my first family for 8 whole years, but they put me up on craigslist when my person went to college. (I hope she never speaks to them again!)

I ended up going to this place where the people had running horses and driving cars, and I thought those were rather fun to chase, especially since the people didn't bother to keep me in a fence. For some reason, the people didn't like that and they said I had to go! So, they put me up on craigslist, too.
After that I came to New England Border Collie Rescue. I fit in ok in my foster home, even if they said I was tooo obsessed with the other dogs, they just made sure I got my own private playtime, which I quite liked.

I spent a week in another foster home when my first one went on vacation, and in that home, I was around cows and horses and I never gave them a second look! I never tried to chase them, not even once! So, since I am such a good dog around people of all shapes and sizes, they thought it was a good idea to have me live on a vegetable farm where lots of people came to visit. I thought it was great too . . . but especially when I found out that some cows also lived at that farm. Since there weren't other dogs for me to chase, I took to harassing the cows. Huh. Little did I know that would land me back at my foster home!

I don't really mind too much because my foster home is ok, but it's not my real forever home, you know? And there are a lot of other dogs there that I am not allowed to chase, because they don't like they way I nip at them. Huh, they are no fun! But I really do enjoy my private playtimes!
What I'd really, really like, is a home where I can get all the attention and playtime my people are willing to give me, and where there aren't any other animals for me to obsess over. (I like to obsess over them, but it seems to end up with the people unhappy.)
I'm really a very easy guy to live with, as long as you will devote some time to walking me, and playing with me. I love toys!!! I will return your love and care 100 fold! I really enjoy riding in the car, too. I walk nicely on a Gentle Leader or East Walk Harness, too.
Please say you are the family for me, and contact my foster home as soon as you can. I really want to go home soon! I am waiting for you to please find me!

Most sincerely,
Chip!
ps - my first family called me Dipstick. What kind of thing is that to do to a dog? I really like my new name better!

Speaking of swimming....

Zoey here.....

I recently taught myself how to swim! First I'd just bounce around on the shore, then I waded in a bit. Then I tried some shallow semi-circles....and with the help of this GREAT lifejacket I'm wearing (and some warmer temperatures).......

I taught myself to do THIS:
(there are a bunch of other nutty BCs in this video too, but I'm the cute one on the far right wearing a yellow lifejacket)

It's much easier to herd my foster brother now!

-Zoey

PS: Tela Also Swims!

Look at this good girl retrieving the non-swimmers' toys!

Well, I've had a busy morning!


Went to the "dog building" to play with foster mom. She hasn't really done any training with me because I am already sooooo well behaved:)

Here I am on a "sit" "wait."


She then wanted me to "jump!"

I got to go through a "tire" too!


And I even got to walk on this thing - she says it's a "dogwalk" but just says "walk-it" to me:)



We have to stop at the bottom and wait for a release word!



This is fun!

But exhausting....




Love,
Tela

Casey Gets Out of Jail!

Hi, everyone. Casey here, and I have really great news!

Just a couple of days ago, I got out of prison! I still don’t understand why I was in-car-cerated. I wasn’t in a car at all, and I would know – I love taking rides in the car, and this most definitely had nothing to do with cars. Humph.

Foster mom said it was because I have something called hip dysplasia and I was under doctor’s orders to rest up. OK, so I rested up and I didn’t complain at all. Foster Mom said I was just about the best dog ever. :O) I don’t know what the big deal is about that, though . . . I’m always a Very Good Boy.

Anyway, I must have been really good in jail, because I was released and then I got to go on a really long ride in the car to the animal hospital that we went to a few weeks ago. I met this really nice person called Physical Therapist.

I got to trot up and down a hallway while Physical Therapist watched. Seemed odd, but hey, who cares? I was just glad to be able to trot. I wasn’t allowed to when I was in car cerated. Then we went into another room and PT watched me some more and touched me and gave me treats and measured me and gave me a tug toy (oh, boy!) and gave me some more treats and played with me a little. She was very nice and she liked me a lot. She said that she wished she could take me home with her and get me a doptid. I’ve heard about dogs getting a doptids and they must be pretty great; everyone seems to want one. It must be a really great toy and I wish I could have one of my own. Anyway, PT said she couldn’t give me a doptid, so she let me take my new tug toy home instead. What a nice person!

She also said that I have a trophy in my thigh muscles. That seems weird to me – how could I have a trophy in my leg? I dunno, but that must be why my hips hurt. So she gave Foster Mom some papers that told her how to do more of the things she did to me so we could get rid of the trophy. She called them exercises, but some of them looked like games to me. And I’ll get heat packs and massage and short walks now. And she told us that when I finally do get a doptid, my new people will be able to continue these things very easily. I hope so, ‘cause I don’t think I want a trophy any more.

Well, it’s been nice chatting with you, but I’ve gotta go do some of these exercises. I think we might be going swimming!

TTYL. . . . and if you think you’d like to get me a doptid, well, I’ll be your best friend forever!

Love, Casey

Hannah likes...

... her FRISBEE!

Water dog!

Turns out, I'm a water dog.

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

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

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

Here I am swimmin' out to meet him:



And here I am takin' the toy from him:


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

Breckin, Dog of Hidden Talents