THE ART OF LOUNGING by Bria (the dog)

Happy Birthday Bria!

2011-05-23T20:53:00.001-07:00

Yep, my little pup is turning 1 today. /yikes I can't believe it, feels like just yesterday I brought her home. Just for y'all, I have a few pictures to show of my babygirl.

The day I brought her home, Aug 4, 2010 (11 weeks)

Aug 26, 2010 Three months

Sep 20, 2010 Four months

Oct 30, 2010 Five months

Nov 20, 2010 Six months

Dec 23, 2010 Seven months

Jan 23, 2011 Eight months

Feb 15, 2011 Almost nine months

Mar 19, 2011 Ten months

Apr 26, 2011 Eleven months

May 23, 2011 1 year

And some of my fave shots just for fun. :D

8-4-11

8-26-10

9-13-10

12-26-10

5-9-11

8 months!

2011-01-23T21:28:00.000-08:00

We made it to 8 months! I took some pictures, but I don't think they'll turn out. I've been working on loose leash walking and sit-stay. The walking on a leash in general is pretty much a mess, but it just takes some practice.

Bria has already been doing a Sit-Stay at the door. I didn't like her rushing out, so I made her sit and wait. Took me till I started to teach a Stay that she already knew it basically. I also noticed I already use a release word after I make her sit. She also does a Sit-Stay before she gets to eat. I started doing a long-distance Sit-Stay for her food...that will need more practice.

Finally, I found out Bria can catch a tennis ball in midair! She does very well as long as I throw it well. She can even do it at about 10 ft! What's next? Frisbees? We'll see.

Age Tracker!

2011-01-09T18:39:00.001-08:00

6 Months!

2010-11-23T20:18:00.001-08:00

Happy 6 months, Bria!

That gun is too big, little lady...

2010-11-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while. Frankly, I've not done all that much with the Little Miss, but watch her grow. Tsk tsk on my part, I know. I have started making her sit until I get her kennel door all the way open and tell her "Okay" before she can come out. Also working on making her sit and wait until I put her food in her bowl and say "Okay" as a release. I figured these are simple things I've done with the horse (making them wait until I walk away when I let them loose in a big area to run), why not do it with the dog and make my life easier?

Now I'm armed with "Hip Ideas for Hyper Dogs" by Amy Ammen and Kitty Foth-Regner (http://www.amazon.com/Hip-Ideas-Hyper-Dogs-Ammen/dp/B003D3OFRU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290120107&sr=1-1), and we're back to training! Worked on heel for the second day in a row today. It's going pretty well, though I'm sure there's still a little bit of confusion and miscommunication on my part. On the other hand, Bree seems to me reacting to it well and forming more of a bond!

I noticed she has what I call "crazy eyes". When she's unfocused, her eyes get big and go all crazy. Can't describe it, but it's a definite crazy look to her. She also has "focused eyes" when she's concentrating on something, such as stalking a car (*rolls eyes*) or trying to help me bring the horses in. The best eyes are her "soft eyes" which I am so happy to see more of. Now that I've been working with her and spending time playing with her, I see her "soft eyes" far more often. I think she's actually bonding with me. I can go out, sit down, and give the invitation, and she happily climbs into my lap to snuggle. This is what I've always wanted in a dog!

Here's a picture of her from October. This is her 5 month picture.

October 30, 2010

10.10.10

2010-10-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a big week for the pup. She is officially wearing her raspberry-colored harness now. Still a bit big in the chest, but I couldn't see making her wear the little puppy one anymore. Just a little too small. But, she'll grow into her bigger one, I'm sure.

Last Tuesday, Bree got to go into town with me when I had the truck worked on. I walked her down to the library (only a couple blocks). She did quite well! Walked decently on her lead on the sidewalk and everything. She pulled a little and was interested in EVERYTHING, but what can I say, she's a pup. We walked past one building that had those dark, reflective windows. Bree looked, and there was a little dog staring back at her! She was SO excited to see another dog! All of her was wagging. Of course, when she went to sniff at it, it didn't smell like a dog. I got a kick out of it, though.

She got to go into the library and see her friend who works there...who was absolutely thrilled to see her again and kept commenting on how BIG she was and that she needed some cows to chase, lol. Bria got to wander the library a little. She did quite well when there were limited people around. We even sat down to read for a few minutes, and we worked on Down and Quiet when people went past. Some talked to me for a minute and petted her, some walked right on by. In all ways, it was a great experience, and she did very well. Of course, when I went up to check out my book, she was straining at the end of the leash and was just way too overexcited again!

I guess smooth-coat BCs aren't all that common, but a lot of people asked her breed. Some commented that they new dogs "like that" and one person asked if she was "BC/lab cross"! He seemed genuinely interested to know she was pure BC, but short coat. Even had a kid come over (HS, I would imagine) who asked...does it bite? I said no, the worst she'll do is jump on you. So he petted her for a minute and said he'd been attacked by two BCs when he was a kid. Showed the scars on his hand and said they'd been put to sleep afterwards. I have no idea if he had fear issues with dogs at all, but I was glad Bree got to be a good dog for him to pet. She may get socialized yet! Still need to work on jumping when she's overexcited, though. *sigh*

She also got to go in the local farm supply store. She was excited in there, too, but at least she walks in the door now and doesn't act like a scared little pup!

On another note, the dog wanders. Horribly. Road, neighbor's property, everywhere. So she's been on leash for a few days now. She's doing pretty well. I know she's kind of bored with not being able to roam, but it's good for her, not to mention peace of mind for me. I know she won't get hit by a car or shot for chasing chickens this way. It's also giving me an opportunity to teach her to behave around the horses (as in, not biting their ankles or jump at their faces). I must say I am very lucky to have two great horses who really couldn't care less about the little dog barking at them or biting their ankles or jumping at them. They are amazingly patient, and the least I can do is teach her to behave herself around them.

On a small side note here...I started asking her for "Down" and other tricks when playing fetch. As in, pay attention, do what I tell you, go fetch. I've made a whole big game out of it, and she really latched onto it. Not using food anymore, which works a ton better for her. She was pretty food motivated, but she is even moreso PLAY motivated! So I've also started bribing her to come right back to me with her tug rope after she fetches, so the ball gets dropped at my feet instead of over yander somewhere. It's working wonderfully! But with the Sit and Down before I throw it, she's learned to Down with just a little hand signal and voice, and I can even get her to Down from a ways away! I'm so excited!! It is slowly becoming a very nice way to control her when she gets goofy, especially around the horses. Still a work in progress, of course.

I am also using the Down as a means of teaching her to be patient. She doesn't have Stay at all, but she will Down and wait. I can get her attention with it, and she stops what she's doing and pays attention to me. So slowly, but surely, we're creating a bit of control.

I have also been trying to get out and ride in the hay field where I feel safe letting her off leash to run around. She quite enjoys letting us "chase" her up and down, and she sure gets her exercise in! She's doing better about nipping heels, too, and usually listens to "No" or "Stop" when she gets overexcited and goes for the heels. I even had her Sit and Down today while I was on the horse! I am quite impressed with her.

Poor pup has had a bit of a tummy problem recently, I think. She wasn't eating very well for a few days. I think she overate when I gave her the most recent smoked bone and maybe had a problem with that. She never seemed sick at all, just didn't eat. But she seems to be back to normal now with her eating.

I suppose that's it for now. I have a few new pictures to post eventually. She's not seeming to get too much bigger right now, but I can definitely see her starting to look like an awkward teen! Her head and face have changed a lot since she was a wee pup. It's really neat to see her growing up!

2 Months!

2010-10-04T21:30:00.001-07:00

Happy 2 month anniversary! Feels like yesterday and forever ago at the same time.

Bath Time

2010-10-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Happy October 1st! It was in the 80s here today, so despite being fall and October, everyone got baths! So Bria got her first bath. Not idea how she'd do sticking her in a tub since we did the washing outside because I had soapy water left over from the horses. She was none too fond of the sprayer, even though I had it on light mist. I almost thought she was going to bite me for a little bit there. Tried to bite at the sprayer anyway. Poor thing ended up huddling on my lap. The only way I got her to sit still and allow herself to be sprayed down was by holding her on my lap. Needless to say, I got soaked. Thanks dog.

But she got all sudsy. Didn't do a big job of it, just washed her back and sides mostly. The idea was to just ger her introduced to the idea. And I think I did. We'll see what we can do differently about the sprayer next time.

Also, Little Miss just likes to roam so much! Several times this afternoon, she just wandered off. *sigh* I'm not sure if wandering onto the neighbor's property is any better than wandering across the road. Dumb dog. She also found some dead little critter to chomp on today. I grazed the horses after their baths so they had a chance to dry off, and I saw Bree carrying around something. Couldn't tell what it was a first, but then I saw little hind feet and a tail. EW!! I had no way to catch her to get it back, though. I saw her dig a hole for it, then go back a couple minutes later to dig it up again. Then this evening, when I went to put her in her kennel for the night, she just went right in and went into her doghouse. I've never seen her do that before, so I watched her more closely. Sure enough, she was stashing what was left of that dead thing in her house! Ew Ew EW! Made her come out, and I think she dropped it before she went back in for supper. Oh well. What can you really do.

Soggy Doggy

Sudsy Doggie!

Clean Doggie!

She has such a goofy little look on her face!

Growing Like a Weed

2010-09-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Huh...for some reason my brain just said that like I was solving a Wheel of Fortune puzzle. Ha.

So the little 18 week old Little Miss is officially moved up into the next size collar. This one should last her a while, I think. Her little blue one is so tiny, now! I guess she could have worn it for a few more days, but depending on how her head is held, I think it was a little too tight. So now she's got her new one. Seems to me it's kind of clunky compared to her old one. It's got a nice buckle which clanks her ID tag. I'm also starting to think about getting her one of those really nice lazer-engraved ID tags. We'll see, I guess. Next, I'm hoping she'll grow a little bit and fit into her new harness a bit better. It's still too sloppy, but her old harness is getting to be much too small to last a whole lot longer.

Boy, does that animal like to wander. One minute, she's hanging out with me while I'm brushing the horses, the next, she's traipsing off over to the neighbor's property. And of course she doesn't come when called. At least today, she sort of did. Sort of. After a few minutes, I guess she finally decided to come back. It's so hard to deal with it. I know I shouldn't be mad at her because I don't want to discourage her when she comes back, but trying to teach her not to wander? *sigh* I don't want to keep her penned up or staked out or even on a leash attached to me 100% of the time. She usually just plays in the draw. But I guess I need to change some things. I can't have her wandering off over hill and dale chasing who knows what.

I also need to start working on SAR stuff with her. She's not really a fetch dog. I know she could work livestock, but I'm not sure I want to do that. I think she'd be great at SAR work. I just need to start working on it with her. Doing what I can anyway and seeing what classes or what not I can get into. Poor little thing is going to go absolutely crackerdog. Or just turn into a hole-digging coyote-wanna-be psychotic BC. Yes, that's right, I have heard her howl like a coyote. Thanks to our lovely coyote neighbors who come to visit her and howl all the time. I was out riding, on my way back home, and I heard what sounded like a coyote. We're pretty sure it was Bria. Odd dog.

One Point in Overawe

2010-09-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Forgive the obscure RPG reference (Deadlands, if anyone cares).

Bria has found her voice! I'm not sure if I'm thrilled or leary. Yes, she has barked at the horses before and at me if I go off riding without her, but the other day, she started barking at THINGS.

Now I have been trying to teach the wee doggie to "speak" for a while now without success. But she has been growing and becoming more sure of herself, so she talks a bit more. I managed to harness that with the clicker, and she will offer "speak" now when I ask for it.

I was clearing up after supper the other night, and I heard her barking. Not play bark, actual bark. (Funny how I have learned the difference in just two months.) So I went out to see what she saw. Couldn't see much of anything, but then I noticed a couple people walking on the road. So for actually barking at something she got a lot of praise. Of course, not too much later, I went out to play with her, let her off her line, and what does she do? Run out towards the road....which I figured out was where those walkers were, walking back. *sigh* So she had to go pester them and completely ignored recall. I have learned not to run after her when she runs towards the road (that just excites her more), so I was just walking quickly after her. Well, the walkers and the dog went behind the trees, and I heard the woman shriek. Oh great. At least the guy had enough sense to make himself look big and "scare" Bree back from them. Which I actually really appreciated because I don't want her running out at people like that much less going onto the road. I called her again, and she came to me, and I apologized to the walkers. Silly dog got a good earful as I was taking her back around the house.

Day before yesterday (Monday), I suppose it was, I was inside, and I heard Bria barking again. Not the play bark, but an attention-getting bark. I have made a habit of going out to see what she's barking at whenever I hear even a tiny non-play bark (this is to teach the dog that if she barks at something, someone will come out to see and then her job is done), so I went outside to see. Well, Grandma was down at the front of the property. *sigh* I guess at least the dog is showing me that she is aware. But then a little while later, she starts up with the barking again. Now Grandma was over in the orchard. *another sigh* Okay, well at least she's barking. Now I guess all I need to do is start asking her to "speak" when cars drive in. And continue to work on her not running out to the road.

Then last night, I was watching a movie, and I thought I heard a dog barking. Didn't think anything of it, of course, it's the country, dogs bark. Went back to my movie, but it continued, and I started to think...that sounds like Bria. Of course, it was 9:30 at this point, but I went and turned on the porch light and looked out. Didn't see anything, and I don't think it could have been a person or anything too big because what she was barking at seemed to be down by the horses, but the horses weren't doing anything in particular. I didn't go out to check for myself, of course. The thought this morning is it could have been a 'coon down there. Oh well. At least I got to see a really amazing shimmering gold moon. Something I'm not sure I've really seen before.

Happy 4 Months Old! (and happy fall!)

2010-09-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

Bria is 4 months old today!! 17 weeks? by date, I believe. And boy is she growing! She will only have a few days or a week left in her puppy collar before she's ready to graduate to the next size. Her harness is really looking small on her, but she's not quite big enough to fit into her new raspberry one! So she will make do with the green one for a little while longer.

Little Miss is doing very well with her tricks. Nothing new really, but everything is still working correctly. She's learning fetch again....and with the exception of me teaching her a new game that gets a click and a treat and makes her not want to bring the ball back....she's doing well. She started bringing the ball most of the way, dropping it, and looking at something else, so I started asking her "Where's the Ball?" She will go find it and was usually bringing it back. Now that I have offered click and treat for "Where's the Ball?", she is dropping it and going to find it in hopes of more treats. *sigh* Silly dog.

I have also been working on leash with her. Got to dig a post hole the other day, and the dog was attached to my belt. And today, she was attached again while I did a bit of fall cleaning. She was doing better today about not pulling and just being patient, but when we got back into the orchard and main yard, there was too much to smell to not pull around on me. Oh well. I will keep working.

She has also seemed to take an interest in coyotes. Sarcastic "woo". I think they were down in the yard talking to her the other night. They sounded SO close, and I heard her yipping with them. Kind of scares me, but I know she is safe in her pen. This evening, I was out trying to get her to do her tricks and fetch a little (fetch didn't work, so went to tricks), and the coyotes were starting to sing, but were far away. I think there was something up in the front yard because she perked up and went to investigate. It scared me half to death, not being able to see what was there or hear anything. I managed to catch her before she got too far and lured her back to her pen for supper. Ah, country life.

Little Miss' Big Adventure

2010-09-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right. Little Miss Bria got to go on an adventure today! After she watched us finish up the hay and tie the tarps down (and help hold those pesky pieces of twine in our hands). Oh, and bound up and down the tarp and try to carry it off.

We loaded up in the car and headed over to Lake Lenore Caves. Hiked up the side of the cliffs to see the ancient caves the Indians used many many years ago. Bria was a hot dog, but she made it just fine. She even got a milkbone off some passing people! She was just carrying it, so I took it from her and carried it for her. Then the lucky dog got carried down the stairs...this was because she has a habit of skidding down stairs, and there was gravel on them and a guy waiting for us at the bottom. I didn't want to hold everyone up. She got several compliments. The guy at the bottom of the stairs said "pretty dog" and patted her on the head. I was amazed that she got around on the basalt rocks as well as she did. Paws seemed in good shape afterwards, too. No problems. And while she is still learning to walk on a loose leash, she at least was not pulling too hard or trying to wander off the trail.

Standing out at the mouth of the cave.

Close up

Lake Lenore Caves Trail Head

Once we walked back to the car, we drove up the road a little ways to Deep Lake and walked down the trail. We went over our first bridge! No picture sadly. There was some neat lichen in the water there. We avoided the poison oak along the trail at doggy height. Once again, she handled herself very well. Pulled a little, but I used the experience to work on loose leash walking yet again. She was doing pretty well for a while. I was also quite excited to see her tracking when we got behind and out of sight. Put her nose down and worked her way up the trail without hesitation. The basalt rocks again were no problem for her. She even climbed up and down over some rocky areas where the trail split a little.

Bria on the rocks!

Tried to get her down to the water a few times. The first was at a very shallow spot with a nice rock footing. I put her in, but it only went up her feet a little ways. She stood there for a second or two, then said "that's enough!" and climbed back out. I went to take her down at another spot, but I saw a snake in the grass. I thought I saw a rattle on it's tail, but the rest of the snake (hard to see in the grass) looked black with white stripes. I doubt it was a rattler, but I didn't want to get close enough to find out.

At the edge of the water, looking for the rock my dad threw in!

Considering the little steep place at the edge of the lake.

On down we went to about the end of the trail. Saw some kayakers coming back down the lake. Bria was really interested in them. They were upwind, so I think she caught their scent. Or maybe she just heard them. We chatted with them briefly as they went by, and the guy mentioned "cute dog". (Once back at the car, the gal wanted to meet Bree and we chatted about dogs for a minute. I really think it's cool how having a dog can open up conversations!)

Shot of Bria overlooking the middle part of Deep Lake

On our way back along the trail, I decided I wanted to wade in and see if Bree would be interested in swimming. Off come the shoes and socks and rolled up the pant legs. Waded out and set the dog in the water. She doggy paddled out a little, turned around, and went back to shore! I brought her out again.

Bria in the water!

Bria wanting OUT of the water

Held up for a picture opportunity!

So that was our adventure. Little pup was exhausted after walking all that way, and she curled up in the truck on the way home and snoozed. Didn't get carsick and didn't have an accident in the car. I'm quite pleased.

On a side note, Little Miss' ear is starting to stand straight up again. I'm not sure if she's just growing it out or what. It's quite funny! Just the very tip of her ear flops sometimes. I've been noticing over the past week or so, the flop has been less. Just half of her ear a week ago, then just the tip. The tip still flops a little when she's playing or running, but it's standing straight up again.

TGIF Once Again

2010-09-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Bria is growing like a weed. She's getting new teeth, and she is really starting to get heavier. Much to my embarrassment, she has no idea what "off" means around strangers. Oh well. Still working on it. She's been a good pup, though. Hasn't really been biting, even if she jumps up and around.

Did a bunch of hay yesterday, and the poor pup had to stay home! She wasn't pleased with me. She wanted to ride in the truck, too! And once again, she managed to jump up onto a bale stacked two high. I am impressed! Bree was also jumping up and down following my dad trying to get the hay bales moved and placed on my stack. While she was sort of in the way, she at least didn't get stepped on or make any of us trip.

Little Miss got zapped by the electric fence yesterday morning. She yelped and went running over to smack dab in the middle of the horse pen and just stared at me. I couldn't help myself. I had to laugh at her little confused expression. Then I felt bad for laughing. I swear she looked like I hurt her feelings! Then last night, it was dark, and I was going over to shut the lights down in the barn, and I managed to let the self-closing gate fly back in her face. Poor dog. I didn't realize she was behind me or following me. She wouldn't come to me through the gate after that. I felt really bad. She wasn't hurt, though, so all is well. And she seemed to forgive me...at least she came to her pen for supper.

I suppose that's it for now. May add more later.

All I Want for Christmas are My Two Front Teeth!

2010-09-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Been a few days, I know. My little netbook has finally died, I think, so it's a little harder to get posts done.

As the title suggests, Bree lost her two front teeth the other day! The 10th, I think. I noticed yesterday that her big dog teeth are already coming in, so I guess she won't have to wait for Christmas, lol.

Poor pup has been a little nutty lately. Not enough exercise or mental exercise! I've been off and about working and spending time with a friend who came to visit. I'm trying to remedy that now, of course. Since I'm taking the day off from moving hay, she's going to get lots of play time and training time. Right now, I'm working again on Play Dead (she is starting to offer it on her own), high five and high ten. Cutest thing. She even was calm enough the other night to show her tricks for my friend (her Auntie, lol).

She's getting so big! I can't believe it. She looks all leg right now, but she's getting pretty heavy, despite not eating much right now.

The wee monster has taken a liking to running up and down the road. I have to watch her really carefully. And now I need to work on her recall again. It's broken. Oh well. Not that big of a deal.

Bria has also been helping me with hay. I have 7.5 ton of hay to move on my own with just my truck. I took her with me down the road the other day. She was just loose in the truck, and while I was working, she just curled up on the passenger's seat and snoozed. I took some pictures on my cell phone (which I can't get off right now) of her sleeping and of my hay stack. I was going to title them "What I did" and "What she did".

I also took her out with me when I went to load hay on a trailer the other day. She got to sit in the back of my truck since I took the canopy off. She was quite content. The gal I bought the hay from also had a border collie and mentioned he was good with pups. So I let Bree out. I have never heard that dog bark or growl so much. Timid and shy, my boot! Goofy dog was acting ferocious. Didn't do anything bad and still acted a bit timid, but wow. She followed me over to the hay stack, and she was hopping up and down over everything. The big dog scared her a little, so she climbed on up the big 30' trailer with me. She took up lookout at the front, watching that big, scary dog from her perch. A little later, the gal went back to the house with her dog, and Bria wanted to follow. She ran down the length of the trailer and hopped off. Started following a little, and I didn't see what happened, but soon enough, she comes running back from them and jumps up on a bale stacked two high like her life depended on it! I can see why these animals are good at agility!

On a slightly random note, I think this dog may be one to be somewhat protective of me. I've noticed that if I'm in the horse paddock and the horses act up, she gets really worked up and barks and growls and such. And the other day, my friend and I were hanging out on the horses in the paddock and the dog went after Dundee like I have never seen! Maybe she is just acting out or it's some sort of separation anxiety, but I'd like to think she is trying to be protective. In any case, she had to come up and ride so she would quit bothering him.

I think Bria may be dealing with a bit of separation anxiety. She is fine if I put her in her pen or leave her tied outside and I go in the house. However, if I put her in her pen or tie her and walk away and/or out of sight, she gets nuts. Barks hysterically. She was roaming a little too much for my taste the other day, so I tied her up and went back to the horses. Boy. She was not a happy camper. I didn't leave her there by herself for long, but I waited for her to calm down a little before I went to get her. Silly pup.

Here's a little video of my super traveler on horseback!

Soggy Doggy

2010-09-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been raining for a couple days. Means I don't play with the dog a whole lot, but she does get out to play in the draw...which has been overflowing with water lately! My favorite thing I've seen her do is to walk across the "bridge". So I still haven't gotten my actual bridge slash teeter-totter out over the draw, but I do still have the small board out there. The dog walks across it! Every time! It's hilarious. I haven't even gone across it for a while, but she still uses it. I guess she learned really quick that she doesn't get her paws very wet. I just get a kick out of it.

Silly dog has also started "helping" me pick the horse pen. Of course, the apples she picks up don't get into the wheelbarrow. Ew.

Bree got her first "free" ride in the truck this evening. Well, two actually. Once into town for errands and once to get hay. She did remarkably well. Tried to climb in my lap for a bit, but when I pushed her back onto the passenger's seat, she just laid down with her paws and little head on the center console (which is just about the same height as the seat and wide enough to reach from seat to seat) and stared at me out of the tops of her eyes. Cutest thing ever. I was very happy. She even got a doggy treat from the gas station attendant. Not that it will teach her to bark at strangers or strangers coming up to the truck, but oh well. She got into her kennel when I went into the store and was patient and quiet until I got back. Let her up into the passenger's seat again, and she just curled right up. She found she could put her front two feet on the center console and have a better view as well as be closer to me, so she rode that way for a ways to get home.

Also had her with me to pick up the first of many loads of hay this evening. I was messing around out there for 45 minutes, and she just curled up on the passenger's seat and went to sleep. Didn't bother my purse, didn't tear up the truck interior, didn't get anxious...didn't have an accident! All of which I am very grateful for. Now all we need to work on is recall and barking at strangers/submissive behavior. Oh well. I guess I can live with her. LOL She's a good little dog.

Taught the dog something else today. She's got High Five down pat now...which is just cute. Well, tonight I made her High Ten! Not reliable at all, but really funny. She really wants to learn and figure out what I'm asking her to do! It's really fun to work with her now.

Survival of the Fittest

2010-09-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

We survived the invasion! Of family, that is. Had 13 people out to the farm for the weekend which was great for the dog! Seemed like she had someone playing with her dawn till dusk. She was hyper of course and overstimulated, but she did quite well from what I saw. Didn't hear of her biting anyone. The only "bad" thing I heard about was the dog catching the youngest cousin's ponytail and not letting go!

Bria got to go down to the lake on Saturday. She didn't go in the water or go in the kayak (I didn't trust her to sit still), but she got to meet a lot of new people at the house we were at. Appeared to get passed around to a lot of people. She behaved very well. I think she was already a little tired, so she was less exuberant. I think she made a good impression. She even sat with me quietly while a few of us talked. And the spoiled little thing got bites of steak from the cousins!

In other news, I think Fetch may have backslid a little. She got a bit confused with several people calling her back. But I'll work on that. I didn't ask her to do much as I didn't want to be ignored by the dog in all the fuss. Actually, I kind of avoided being around the dog for the most part. At least through the "worst" of it. No idea if it helped anything or not, but maybe I didn't add to her confusion at least. She still knows all her tricks and even showed off a little. And today after everyone had left, I sat down with her and did her tricks. She taught me High Five in 5 seconds! I was floored. I had put my hand up mostly flat like I was expecting a high five for some reason or another, and she tapped my palm with her paw! I was ecstatic! Click and treat. Hold up hand, "High Five", and she did it again! She's doing it quite reliably! I'm quite happy. Same with Roll Over. 90% does it on her own without any help. Good dog!

In other other news she's decided to eat dry dog food again. Made my life easier to just throw some kibble her way in the insanity of meal times.

So I suppose that's about it for now. I have a few pictures of the wee monster.

My first attempt at anything scrapbook related! The dog was cut out with a machine, the rest was just creativity on my part!

Roll Over

2010-09-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the Little Miss learned Roll Over in about 30 seconds the other morning? Well, she's now definitely figured out what I want! This evening she was rolling over on her own albeit excited and silly! I'm so proud of her. I think I need to work on training when she's a little less hyper. Silly girl.

In other news, Bree is 90% dependable on the whistled recall. I'm very happy with it. She comes a-runnin'! I am also noticing just how much she enjoys working and playing with me. It makes me very happy to be her person.

Bria has also learned to Stay in a way. She will come up on the porch with me and Stay at the door until I come back from inside. She gets big praise for that and usually a treat. I'm quite pleased.

There was a little bit of an accident today. I have a little gate down by the horse paddock. It has a spring on it, so it closes on its own. I went through it today and wasn't paying attention. A second later, poor little Bria is screaming like she's been attacked. Well, she was. By the gate. Poor dog. I felt so bad. But she seems to have forgiven me.

On a different note, she is growing! Her second puppy collar is just a tiny bit too big. When she outgrows her first collar, she'll be big enough for the next. Then when she's a bit closer to adult size, I can get her a raspberry-colored collar to match her leash. I'm excited for that!

One Month!

2010-09-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have had Miss Bria for exactly one month today! And I think she's growing. She's about grown out of her puppy collar. I will have to see if she's anywhere near big enough for the slightly bigger collar I have waiting.

Worked on Roll Over some more. By this evening, she is starting to offer it without having to physically suggest the movement. That makes me excited! I'm not sure I will add anything else right now, but I'm sure I can add more soon. She'll be ready, I'm sure.

She's not wanting to eat still in the morning, so I think I will need to get more canned food so she doesn't get skinny. I noticed she has a few new teeth, so I guess I should spoil her for a bit.

Rainy Tuesday

2010-08-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Poor Bria didn't get to do a whole lot today. But she did learn Roll Over in about 30 seconds this morning. I'm starting to use clicker training with her, and she's picking up on it so fast! I also see the start of learning Bow this evening. I'm thrilled with the pup.

Why do I have a feeling I will never be able to own a "normal" dog? =D

A Day at the Library

2010-08-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Little Miss got to go to town with me today. I figured it was safe as it was overcast and not too warm. Took the truck to have the transmission checked. Guy came back from checking it and said, "that is the cutest pup I've seen". *grin* She had to wait patiently in the truck while I went into the DMV, then we headed for the library to pick up a few books.

I had some border collie books and a search and rescue book on hold, so when I picked those up, the obvious question was, "is someone getting a new dog?" I said yep, she's in the truck. Oooh! Bring her in!!

So the wee pup got to go into the library and meet the ladies there. It was a great experience for her. She got lots of positive attention, and I think I made the one woman's day. Bria was great. Sure, she was overexcited at first, but she calmed right down and even showed off sit, down, and shake, which very much so impressed the ladies. They were amazed that a 14-week-old puppy had learned it! So I'm happy.

Also played some fetch this evening. I've started incorporating Sit or Down to our game. I started just asking her to Sit, praise for correct movement, then throw the ball. Well, I have progressed to getting her excited, asking her to Sit, praise, then throw the ball. She's doing very well with it! I started asking for Down, too. She doesn't quite have that yet, but it'll come, I'm sure. I'm hoping it will translate to listening when she's excited over meeting a new person or greeting me.

I guess that's about it for now.

Happy Sunday

2010-08-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

So I guess I missed a day. My computer died temporarily. *grumble* It is fixed now and working fine. *knock on wood*

Miss Bree is 14 weeks old today.

Day before yesterday, I built a bridge. It doubles as a teeter-totter for the pup. I have some video of that. I will see how or if I can post that. It's really cute. I also have video of Little Miss walking across the makeshift bridge over troubled waters (read board over mud).

I've been working on recall with Bria. The other day, I whistled for her. I use a certain whistle for the horses. I used it without thinking for the dog, didn't expect her to follow, and walked away. Seconds later, there is a pup walking next to me, asking, "s'up?" So I've started using that as general recall. Whistle, make sure I get her attention, and start walking away. Works 75% of the time so far.

As far as her other "tricks", she's doing sit, down, shake 99% of the time. I'm very happy with it. I haven't really had the time to work on loose leash walking, but that's okay. I have started getting her excited to chase the ball, then asking her to sit or down. She does it quite accurately. I'm impressed. She is fetching pretty accurately, too, these days. And I'm certainly learning how to read her. She doesn't bring the ball back when she's done. Which right now, that's only after a few tosses. Oh well. Then we're on to playing tug. When she "wins" and doesn't give the other end back to me, I know she's done with that.

Thar she blows. I'm quite pleased with it for salvaging wood and nails and an afternoon of work.

TGIF (didn't I just say that?)

2010-08-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

No pictures up yet, sorry. Check back tomorrow.

Bria had a lot of time out and about on the farm today. Through paddock cleaning and rock picking and my DIY project. I can definitely tell physical exercise is not enough because she is still a crazy little pup when I feed her supper and put her in her pen. Need to play with her more tomorrow.

Speaking of supper, Little Miss doesn't seem interested in her food anymore. At breakfast, I let her out to do her business, feed the horses real quick, then go to put her food down. I generally sit with her, pet her, stick my hand in her bowl, and such so she doesn't get protective over her food, but for the past couple days, I've noticed it takes a lot of urging for her to eat. Now I suppose this could be good in some ways. She usually eats quick, but does not inhale her food. But for the most part, I'm a little worried she hasn't wanted to eat her dry food. I was looking at her today, and she looks like skin and bones. This evening, I got out the canned puppy food I bought for her when she came home in case she didn't like the dry food yet, and she gobbled that right up. I think she was hungry! Silly dog didn't eat all day. So I guess for now, I'll feed wet food and dry food and see how she does. Also need to look into actual dog houses now that it's getting cooler at night.

Picture Time!

2010-08-26T22:04:00.001-07:00

Bria got her first taste of hoof trimming this morning. She likes the hoof trimmings. She also enjoyed playing in the draw. Not much else to say, but I will have pictures later.

Dog Days of Summer

2010-08-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

The wee monster...I mean lassie has been in my care for exactly three weeks today and is 13 weeks and 3 days old.

After a frustrating training session last night (trying to teach loose leash walking LLW), I was just about fed up with the pup. But I must remember she is a baby! And she is trying to figure out what I want just like I am. In any case, it was blazing hot out today. After a couple days of cooler weather, it just wasn't fair! Even in the shade, I was melting. No breeze. So the pup did not get too much interaction aside from a trip to town.

Bria did pretty well, though. We went into the local feed store. She actually walked with me up to the door, but then decided she did not want to go in there. Had to pick her up and carry her. But once inside, she got attention and even a puppy treat! She was ready to leave after we checked out, but walked patiently with me to the door, waited for me to open it, and walked (with a little encouragement) over to the truck to go home. I am proud of her! She was a little shy of people in there then got a little overstimulated when another customer came to say hi to her, but overall, she did great. A few more visits, and I think we'll be well on our way to getting her socialized. Okay, probably a lot more visits.

So I was finally able to go out and spend time with her this evening when it cooled down some. I thought maybe she would still be mad at me over the training session from last night, but she didn't really seem to be. She was excited to see me, which reminds me that she is re-learning the command Relax. She has to be calm, usually sitting or laying down in order to get attention if she is in her pen or on the leash in the yard. In any case, she was quite happy to see me and quite happy to play. She fetched several times. Also ran through her basic obedience stuff real quick. She did fine. Knows Sit quite well. Down is next best. Shake is coming. Play Dead is still in the works. She even sat with me and cuddled for a bit. I guess I won't give her to the next person who stops by. Kidding, of course. She's not going anywhere!

Water Doggy!

2010-08-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

First things first...I attempted to weigh the wee monster today. Since I couldn't even read the scale while holding her, I did actually manage to get her to stand on it and stand STILL long enough to sort of see. She's about 13-14 lbs.

We had a lot of water coming down the draw this morning. Bree is becoming a water dog! Sort of. She splashed around in it, dug in the mud, and had a grand old time. Still doesn't like getting caught under the sprinkler or the hose. After slogging through water and mud, she decides to come over and jump all over me while I'm sitting on the big rock in the horse paddock. Well, thanks dog. Glad to let you wipe your paws on me. *chuckle*

I was going to try to take the dog for a ride again today. Went up to use the bumper of my truck as a mounting block for the horse...well, dog scampered off and refused to be caught. Wandered out across the road again. *mumble* Note to self: tie dog before she gets anywhere near the front of the property.

Bria has become a very sweet, cuddly dog. I'm not complaining! As long as she can keep from nipping my face, ears, or neck, I'm perfectly content with her to snuggle. So far, she really likes to plop in front of me when laying on my stomach in the grass and cuddle up under my chin. It's quite sweet.

More may be added later.

Go Fetch!

2010-08-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

Bria is officially, by date, 3 months old. In fact, I believe she is 13 weeks and 1 day old, but who is counting.

But as the title of this post suggests, Bria has learned to fetch! Yesterday, actually, she brought the ball back, and I was able to reward her for it. Since the, she gladly brings it back. I need to teach her to bring it a little closer, though. She was doing well with bringing it to my feet, then decided a few feet away would be okay. Oh well.

I've been able to spend time playing with her in the evenings, and she seems to really be enjoying that. It's cool enough for horse play.

I was sitting outside in back of the house playing with her, and she heard a noise on the southern border of the property. She got up, gruffed, and looked that direction. I got up and went to look. Little Miss took this as leave to go chase a scent she found, which took her to the road and across. Thankfully there are very few cars around. Just scares me that she does that. I am hoping I can figure out a way to discourage it. Or at least improve her recall. She is going to give me a heart attack one day.

I must add that Bree really likes her tail. She bites it and grabs it and chases it! Just now, she got it in her mouth and was spinning circles. I think the silly thing made herself dizzy. What a laugh I had!

Clear as Mud

2010-08-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Bria is sure enjoying the water and mud in the draw these days. She goes and plays while I clean the horse paddock. Then I call her over and she jumps up, happy to see me. Oh, look. A puppy paw print on my clean shirt.

Oh, it's not that bad. She enjoys her playtime, and she can dig and wallow to her heart's content. And it keeps her out of my hair, but still in sight! One thing I do love about having a short coat Border collie is that once the mud dries, it comes right off. Within 10 minutes of playing in the mud, she is usually mostly clean.

I saw Little Miss dig her first hole to bury something today. She got half of a dog biscuit. Gnawed on it for a bit, then went under the bush, dug a hole, and buried it. I wonder if she will find it again.

The dog also discovered that she can wander across the road to the neighbor's field when we walk around the property. *eye roll* Thanks dog. This evening, she did it again, but this time, stopped smack dab in the middle of the road and stared down it. Fortunately, there is not much traffic, but I guess I will have to put the leash on her again. She won't like that.

Also tried to start some SAR pregames with her. Basically playing with a toy, then hiding it behind your back and praising the dog for finding it. She did it once, then was less interested. I will see how it goes. Definitely need to clear our area of other toys before we start again. She saw it disappear, looked at me for a second, then went for another toy. Oh well. I should have known better, I guess.

Pup has pretty decent recall. It doesn't work every time, but it's getting there.

I guess that's about it unless I should write about the dog sinking a sharp little canine into the half-healed rubbed off blister on my thumb.

In any case, time for pictures!

I just love her little face! Pity it's a little blurry.

TGIF

2010-08-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

Bria is quite enjoying being back on the farm where she can run around a bit more. She was a wonderful supervisor as I washed the car. We went for a "run" around the hay field this afternoon. That was quite enjoyable.

Now after hearing not to stroke or pull puppy ears too much (cartilage is very soft), I came out this morning to find Bree's left ear kinda floppy. I am sad. I think it was from spending so much time sleeping in her crate. Her ear got mashed. It's not too bad. Her ears still stick up straight when she is very intent on something, but when she relaxes them, the top half of her left ear flops a bit. Oh well. Not a whole lot I can do about it other than try not to make it any worse.

Traveling with the Dog

2010-08-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

To a dog, motoring isn't just a way of getting from here to there, it's also a thrill and an adventure. The mere jingle of car keys is enough to send most any dog into a whimpering, tail-wagging frenzy. ~Jon Winokur

I guess my dog isn't most any dog. Sure enough, she's interested when you have jingling car keys and going towards a car, but once she's in there, she just conks out! I'm not complaining, of course. This little feature on the 2010 Border Collie is definitely worth the extra money.

I am simply amazed by this little dog. She settles down right away in her kennel and hardly makes a peep. She doesn't get sick or make a mess. And Little Miss got to ride in style in the passenger's seat of my '92 Chevy Silverado today. Lucky dog. =D

Little Miss logged about 8 hours in the car in the past three days. 3+ hours to the coast on Tuesday. Out and about with me helping a friend pick up hay for her horse. And another 3+ hours on the ride back to the farm. Bria did spectacularly. I'm so proud of her. She is exactly what I've always wanted in a dog of my own. Basically...constant companion.

Bree got to be an indoor dog for a few days, too. With cats! The big male cat wasn't fond of her, but the two females didn't seem to be bothered by the pup at all. Her first night as an indoor dog, I ended up watching some movies, and Bree asked to be on my lap. So I had a lap dog for several hours. She just lounged across my lap like it was old hat. And yes, I know letting her sit on my lap now is a very bad idea once she gets older. But it was one night, and I enjoyed it.

She got to meet my friend's dog. Tex is a big ol' Husky/German Shepherd mutt dog (adorable!). He was very nice and patient with Miss Bria. Only gave a warning growl a time or two when she got overly excited, but over all, it was a good experience for her.

Little Miss did run into her first fleas yesterday. Goodness sakes. The dog was nuts! She'd gone crackerdog! ...to quote Mrs. Pomfrey with Trick-Woo from the James Herriot books. I walked her up and down the driveway for ages, and she didn't settle down at all. Ended up going to Walmart at 1am to buy her a flea collar. I think that is helping some.

So we're finally back on the farm, and Grandma and I were unloading some things from the truck. Grandma remarked that Bria has seemed to learn to stick around pretty well. Pup was off-leash while we carried things inside. Bree just chilled in the shade of the pickup. Even when some dogs barked across the way and a horse across the road startled her and she wuff-wuffed, she didn't go anywhere. She sticks to me pretty well. I'm quite pleased with it, even though she doesn't really know Come yet. If you walk off and call her name, she'll come a-runnin'...or at least she does when I do it! Haha. Good pup.

In any case, that pretty much brings us up to date with the goings-on. Perhaps I will have some pictures or video of the Little Miss tomorrow.

Monday Monday

2010-08-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot happened today, but I thought I'd post about it anyway. Little Miss was a lot better about biting today. Still did it a little (including my ear twice today!), but I am getting better at reacting to it, and she is learning.

She is such a good dog. Quiet and patient and simply adorable.

Today was the day we actually did it. Bree got to go for a horse ride. It was only probably 10 minutes max, but she did spectacular! She just laid down over the horse's withers (I rode bareback) and was very quiet and patient. Then we ran into the kid down the road with his stupid motorized bicycle. Dundee was mostly fine, the dog was mostly fine, but I didn't want to risk it, so we turned around, and Bree went to her pen for a bit while I went back out for my ride. I'm so proud of both my horse and my dog. They were wonderful this evening!

The Art of Lounging #3 by Bria

2010-08-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

I have discovered a new way to lounge. A lap built of two! Simply coax your person to sit close to another person. Lounge first on your person's lap, then, when she is not paying attention, crawl one paw at a time across to span both laps! Spectacular lounging for those hot days when you need a little extra breeze.

Happy lounging!
♥ Bria

Spoiled Rotten

2010-08-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

My dog is going to be spoiled rotten soon. Since she is chewing like crazy, I went to get her some rawhide twists. Did you know some have artificial chicken flavor and coloring? EW!

In any case, I picked up some rawhide twists. And a 94¢ rope bone (it's purple! and perfect for playing tug...she loves it).

I went to find my grandmother, and I ran into her while she was looking at dish soaps. She didn't find the one she wanted, so I suggested Ajax, which I have used before. Well, there was a guy crouched down about to grab some soap. He looked up and said that he worked at a butcher shop and they use Ajax. Cuts grease really well. My ears perked up at that. I've been meaning to find a butcher shop to get some bones for the pup. I pipe up and ask. Yep, they give away dog bones. No payment, just "bring an ice cream bar some time". He also mentioned they had some coming out of the smoker tonight. So I ended up running over to their place this evening to pick up a sack of smoked dog bones! She's having a nice bone for supper.

Bria is a spoiled rotten puppy. She got a new toy, some things to chew, smoked beef bones, and Mom even brought her some dog biscuits. Lucky duck!

On a note about the biting. I came home from church and went to see her while I was still in nice clothes. She was all jumpy and bitey, so I just got up a left. Didn't want to have my dress bit or get dirt all over myself. Came out a while later, and she wasn't biting at all! She still does some and did with Mom when she played with the dog, but overall, it seems like it may be out the door already. Makes me happy.

Little Miss is such a good pup. She's so smart and sweet. I just love her. =)

The Joy of Puppies

2010-08-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Little Miss (as I have started randomly calling her) did the sweetest thing this morning. I was a bit late getting out to feed the animals this morning, and she was, of course, sooo excited to be out and see me. Well, I played with her for a few minutes.

She went bouncy bouncy plop...right into my lap. She did some wiggling and some nipping (man, I am tired of saying "ow"), and then settled down. Didn't squirm, just laid there on her back in my lap and let me cuddle her. I thought it was very sweet. She's never offered to do anything like that before and frankly just wiggles to get away when I tried to do it before. I hope she does it again. I liked it.

Bree went out to play in the mud of the horse paddock today. She got quite dirty! Didn't get very good pictures, but I'll post a few.

Sweet, Sweet Puppy Breath

2010-08-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

9:45am

So I've heard that puppy breath is the best thing on Earth. Well, I've tried sniffing Miss Bria's breath. It smells like puppy kibble. With a touch of horse manure. And just a hint of the lovely aroma of decomposing mouse corpse.

Yes, that's right. Dead mouse number 3...or maybe 2...she could have found the same one twice. Well, this time, she led me a merry chase around the side of the house. I would swear she was saying, "Neener neener, I gots da mousie!" Once I finally caught up to her, I ordered her to Give.

Well.

Not today! It's MY mousie! I'm gonna EAT IT! *crunch*

At which point I shuddered and walked away. Ew.

Needless to say, I am at the end of my daily allotted rope...and it's not even 10am.

11:45am

After my time out, I went back out to play with the pup. She's doing well with Sit and Down. I noticed her go after things in close proximity, she crawls on her belly, so I am taking advantage of that and teaching her "Army Crawl". It's pretty cute.

I also need to invest in a Tug rope or toy. Rags don't quite do it anymore, and I don't want to play Tug with her racoon! I don't want it to get all ripped up!

3:45pm

After the rocky start to the day, things have improved. I've broken through on two new tricks. Army Crawl and Shake! I'm so excited for her to figure out shake. I ended up having to hold a fist with a treat in front of her nose to make her put her paw on my hand. HUGE breakthrough. I have figured out that I just need to watch what she's doing and how I cause her to do it, and it's simple to teach her things.

What the Future Holds

2010-08-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

I've been giving some thought to possible "jobs" for Miss Pup. The standard sheep-dog or cow-dog obviously. I think she'd be great at that. She already tried to herd the horses! But I am also considering search and rescue (SAR). I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to commit the time to it, but I think it could be quite...dare I say fun. Dogs have important roles in SAR. Well trained dogs can take the place of 20-30 SAR-trained humans.

It would take I guess about a year and a half to two years to get all the training required, then continued training until the dog retires. Big time commitment there. On top of that, I suppose you could be called at any time of day or night to go search.

But still, it would be helping people. Which is something I think I may be called to do in one way or another. I don't think I'll make it to chiropractic college. I'm not very good at teaching. So maybe I can do this with my dog?

Just a few thoughts.

Bree is learning a new trick today. I will try to get video of it once she has it down a little better! I don't want to spoil the surpirse!

The Honeymoon is Over?

2010-08-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

At about 3:30pm today, I will have had Miss Bria for exactly a week. 7 days of dog ownership, and the honeymoon is mostly over. Don't get me wrong, I still love the pup to bits, but combine a bad night's sleep and a less than stellar mood/attitude and the little pup's antics dive from amusing to downright obnoxious. I cannot say that the dog is dumb. Quite the contrary, she's insanely smart. Smart enough to know she can push every issue. And smart enough to watch for when my back is turned to do something she's not supposed to...such as sneaking into the horse paddock.

Tsk tsk to me for not having the patience today to shoo her back out. Instead, she got to be attached to my belt while I finished cleaning the horse pen. If she wants to be in the pen, I guess she can be right next to me.

And what is it with Miss Pup and dead mice?! Twice now, I have caught her with dead mice in her mouth. She isn't hunting them, simply finding the smooshed dead things and deciding it's her new toy and proudly prancing around with it dangling out of her mouth. Thank goodness she will come to me and knows "Give", although I would prefer she could "Give" or "Drop it" without me putting my hand near her mouth. I suppose I cannot have everything. And at least she does it with a little insistance. I have to make sure I kick it or stick it somewhere she can't get to again, or 30 seconds later, she's found it, and we start the whole circus over again.

Speaking of "Give", she has also pretty well learned "Sit" and "Down". Now for being only 11 weeks and 3 days old, I'm quite pleased with her. I have to remind myself, however, that she IS only 11 weeks old and that she has her whole life to learn things. Don't push the training sessions. I have been trying to teach her to "Shake Paws", but that's not going so well. Oh well. I shall persist, and she will learn eventually.

My big problem is pushing the training too much. I've really backed off the training sessions and just ask her randomly to Come, Sit, or Down, as well as using Give when I'm playing tug or whatnot. She's learning. I don't think it'll be long before I can start teaching her tricks. She is, after all, a brilliant Border Collie.

So there are my thoughts for this morning. I may have more to add this afternoon, but I figured I better write it while I thought of it.

The Art of Lounging #2 by Bria

2010-08-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Not lounging related today, but I've noticed my person has started some bad habits. She has started using phrases like "What do you have now?" I am trying to train this out of her by taking whatever I have out of her sight. Out of sight, out of mind. But she has also learned my favorite phrase (or not) "Not for puppies". My technique for training her out of that is to reach for it again and again every time she says it. I will eventually convince her that she is mistaken. Though I do let her have whatever she asks for at least for a few seconds so she feels better about it.

Happy lounging!
♥ Bria

The Art of Lounging #1 by Bria

2010-08-09T22:03:00.001-07:00

When riding in the car (which I am very good at by the way), it is preferrable to ride in your person's lap. This is an optimal time to practice the art of lounging. Lounging parallel with your head on your person's knees is nice, though you might slip forward a little. I found this to be a little uncomfortable after a few minutes. The much preferrable position is to lounge across your person's lap. Now, you must train your person to put her arm around you to keep you from falling. Once you have done this, you can trust her to hold you while you lounge with your tail centered on her lap with your front half and head hanging down off the side.

Happy lounging!
♥ Bria

Introductions

2010-08-09T21:17:00.001-07:00

I have found myself the proud (and nuts!) owner of an 11-week-old Border Collie pup I have named Bria.

Because I put effort into her name, I feel like I should explain it. =) I was trying to think up names a while before I ever met my pup, and I decided a musical name might be interesting. Well, I came across Con Brio which means 'With Spirit' or 'Vigorously'. I thought that would make a decent, perhaps ironic, name for a border collie. Then I had the idea of making it more feminine, so it ended up as Bria.

When I met my pup (Aug 4, 2010), I didn't have a name in mind. I had to drive 3.5 hrs to get her, so by the time I saw her, I was kinda tired and not thinking about names. Driving away, I wasn't really thinking about anything in particular, and I saw a car go past with the license plate "Con Brio". I turned to Mom and said, "Her name is Bria." I am a believer in 'signs' such as that. Like my horse, Dundee. A week before I could even go to meet him, I was driving to a band concert, and I saw a sign for "Dundee Apartments". In any case, her name is Bria.

Bria is a black and white Border Collie pup out of cattle-working parents. She was born on May 23, 2010, on a ranch out in Grangeville, ID and now lives on a farm in Central WA with me.

I have had her for 5 days now, and I still love her to bits, even when she drives me nuts with her BC puppy ways. She is learning her name, Come, Sit, Down, Give/Drop, and Get Out (of the horse paddock).

I'm hoping this blog will be a place to record my life with her. Training documentation and such as well.