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Leave a bone for Zipper
Nicknames: Goober, Idg-it, Ball Fetch'in Hound, Tennis Ball Junkie
Quick Bio:
-purebred
Likes: Rubber Balls, Tennis Balls, Squeaky Balls, Anything resembling a ball.... Also likes squeakies, ropes, and toys.. LOVES to play Fetch!!
Pet-Peeves: Being ignored as she first piles balls and toys about the offending person's feet.. then waits impaitently for the balls & toys to be thrown for her.
Favorite Toy: Tennis Ball - Any color!
Favorite Food: pig ears, peanut butter smeared milkbones, pro plan dogfood & the occasional tiny taste of people food
Favorite Walk: walk?! This girl runs! Usually in pursit of tennis balls. - Also does squirrel patrol in the backyard with "Darwin"
Best Tricks: Zip knows the difference between a ball, squeaky, rope, stick, and toy. She knows her basic obedience. And of course.... FETCH!
Arrival Story: I researched border collies as a prospective new dog. I wanted a dog that could anticipate what I wanted. A dog that would be my constant companion. I wanted a dog that would actually bark when the need arised, and guard the house. My malamute 'Roni' (now gone to the rainbow bridge) did not. My malamute would just as soon help a burglar carry the bag, point out all the good stuff and then beg for petting.
I also wanted a dog that would play fetch, and help me at work when I had a need.
I saw an add in the newspaper for border collie pups, and called for an appointment. Zip's lineage was from a working dog background, herding cattle. Most of the puppies sold were to ranchers that wanted a dog to help with cattle and other livestock.
I spent most of an afternoon looking over the two litters of puppies that Mrs. Hillary had for sale. I finally decided on my pup and took her home. I paid $100. for my pup. She didn't have papers.. but then I wasn't intrested in papers as I wanted a dog that had drive to work. Zipper, I call her Zip for short, was 6 weeks old.
Bio: I had Zip housebroken within a week! It was almost as if Zip was born with a tennis ball in her mouth... she was an instant ball hound the second she sniffed one. I swear.. she was hooked with one sniff!
Within having her for a year, I taught her a vocabulary that surpassed any dog I've ever had. She needs only be shown once or twice to learn.
I work as an animal control officer for my city; Zip had made work on the weekends so much easier for kennel work. I could send her through the building to the outside, knowing that all the dogs inside their kennels (we have indoor/outdoor kennels) would run out to bark at her so that I could lock potentially vicious dogs out while I cleaned on the inside. Then I call Zip back through so that all the dogs come back inside to be locked in... so I could finish cleaning in peace on the outside.
She's a great stress reliever too.. There's nothing like being stressed out and relieving that stress through a long game of fetch.
Zip did have an incident during the summer of 2003 where she literally ran the pads off her feet while playing fetch. She loves chasing the stream from a water hose.. so I was spraying it back & forth for about 10 minutes, I didn't want her to get too exhausted in the heat of summer. I finished up a few calls and came back to a whipped pup. Zip was acting funny, not wanting to walk, so naturally I started from the top of her head and worked my way down to see what was the matter. That's when I saw her pads - they were raw! I bandaged them up with bandaids, neosporin and vetwrap. Of course after doing this, her paws feeling better... she wanted to play fetch again!! Ahh!!!
I did get her to the vet however, and I've got a tenderfoot border collie... after her pads healed, she did it one more time. This was after I thought her pads were now tough enough to withstand a bit of pavement.. not!
Zipper wears shoes now if she wants to play fetch. I buy probably two pairs a year as she wears them out pretty good. I've tried on different brands and decided that the one called "Muttlocks" was the best, as they didn't fly off her paws with running.
She really missed my malamute 'Roni' when she died. She moped around the house for weeks, and decided she couldn't get enough attention or reassurance.
Ever since Darwin came home, she's changed back to her old self. Zip and Darwin do squirrel patrol in the backyard throughout the day. And now that she knows Darwin just isn't intrested in her toys... like Roni was, Zip now takes pleasure in showing Darwin all her toys before racing off. She loves playing chase almost as much as fetch. She does big circles around Darwin as they run through the yard.
I will say this for anyone reading - If your not prepared for a high energy, highly motivated, live-wire of a dog... you don't want a border collie. Border Collies MUST HAVE something to do, or you'll have a border that makes her own amusement with destructive tendancies.
I've Been On Dogster Since:
I mean really... those insane humans have done it again! First they have the boa constrictor.. ick.. it's not even carrying a tennis ball!! Then they feed it those delectable squirrels from outside.... I know they are dead from the metal monsters that roar down the road but still! I NEED A SQUIRREL!! I'm a squirrel patrol dog for pete's sake!
The latest addition to my house has been (salivates slightly as a rope of drool forms....) a rabbit.....
I can't understand it! Do those humans know what this does to me?!?!
And of course that lazy lumax of a dane has made friends with it! He sniffs the rabbit through the wire... Mmmmm... if only I could convince that rabbit to come out of the cage.... we could really have a race then!
Then there was the day when the rabbit was missing. That lazy dane actually ran from room to room to look for it! Now that was fun, since at first I thought he was running with me.. but then kept stopping to demand attention from the humans... Bah.. and then the rabbit magically reappeared later..
My tennis balls have been looking a bit scruffy lately, but finally I think maybe it's a cruel joke on my humans part but they finally did bring home squirrels just for me. I know what your prolly thinking... dead? Nope you dope.. toy squirrels.. the kind with the squeakies... (grinz.. as she licks her lips...) Squeakies.... I do love the squeakies! They bought quite a few of these squeaky squirrels as the humans babbled something about not liking to step on tennis balls. Hell, what do humans know anyhow?
It's not like the dane is going to take away my squirrels... he's lazy remember. Besides now I can go "squeaky" all through the house! I tried a few times to bring my squirrels out to the yard for a re-enactment, but the humans took the squeaky squirrel away before I could... (snorts) I just wanted to show those goofy yard intruders what I'd do to them!
Oh... I see a squirrel through the window.... we've been invaded!!! Type later!!
I swear.. all I try to do is be the perfect dog that I look like, and nobody appriciates me!
I spend most of my days doing squirrel patrol. For those who don't know what that is, let me enlighten you... I spend most of my time chasing those furry, evil, varmits out of the yard, thus - protecting the house. It's not as easy as it seems either.
I watch from the windows.. most times racing from window to window to make sure of the progress of any squirrel coming a bit too close to the property. Then when they actually look at the yard, I bark to be let out!! Maybe I'm a bit too extreame but I'm not giving those wicked squirrels a chance. What if they take one of my beloved tennis balls?!?!
Of course if any of my humans inside the house are taking a nap at that time, it's my duty as a dog on squirrel patrol to not only inform all door-opening personel (in that human's ear with a shrill bark..) but to also make sure they are completely awake by stomping across their napping bodies. How else would they know that we were being invaded by squirrels?! Humans must be the laziest creatures on earth!
Now... if only I could get Darwin to help! He's just as lazy as those humans!!
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