I'm getting a brother! (I hope I hope I hope!)

The 2-leggers have been looking to adopt an adult Labrador to adopt because my deal old pal Phantom the WonderLab passed away last December. They have been looking everywhere - local shelters, petfinder, newspaper ads - you name it. It is not all that easy because anyone can order a Lab by internet, but they insist *I* get to meet the candidates and approve them.

Anyway, the local dog officer mentioned there was a family that was moving to an apartment from a house, and could not take their dogs to the apartment. (Stupid job moves, anyway! Why do 2-leggers have to go to work?) It is a loving family with 3 beautiful, gentle Lab mixes right here in town. I hope their truechildren are not too upset - my 2-leggers truechildren are still upset from losing Phantom.

The 2-leggers met the animals. My dog-sister Avalanche met the animal. Now I have to meet him, and he and I have to get along. Oh, I do hope he is not *too* rambunctious with me - I like a little rough play as well as the next Border Collie, but a 40 kilo Lab landing on you is memorable. I can show him how to wind the 2-leggers around our paws!

I’m a joker - I’m a smoker - I’m a midnight toker - I get my kibble on the run - Wooo woooo

More water. Bones are life.

The Alphas got a pool for the siberian puppy Avalanche and from what I saw, she enjoyed it immensely. I don't care to be wet, so when they put me in I simply walked away. But they also brought raw marrow bones, so I guess I will keep these 2-leggers. Let the pups play in the pool.

The relatives came by - a 5 hour drive- and brought their dog with them. I guess that makes him my cousin. Cody is a yellow Lab, about 100 pounds and trained as a service dog by his owners. After the usuall sniffs and wags on leash outside the house (one never knows what to expect with a new dog) I allowed him in the house. He is a younger than me and older than Avalanche, and we all had fine romps through the house. I don't think too much got broken.

I took one of his plastic bones and growled at him when he tried to take it back. I really was going to let him have a serious nip, but the 2-legs told me "Leave it!". Honestly, this multiple-dog thing is a bit confusing at my age (9 yrs) and I am learning how to deal with it as best I can.

Cody is a gentle lad and he is welcome back any time.

Way to go, Sis! Dog of Day!

Avalanche, you're the best Sis and it is nice to see you were picked for Dog of the Day. How 'bout another play fight? I'll start ...grrrow...snap...(slobber)...grrr

Yeah, sorry you did not like that raw bone and good thing you threw it up. Watch me - you gotta crunch it up really small, and you get more flavor from it too.

Obedience class. Again.

It is good to be training the owners again. The first time they just did not get it. I will soon have the young owner straightened out.

The trainer called me a "ringer" for doing so well. Sit? Of course. Stay? one of my best. Heel? Keep the owner to the right and he will follow.

Us border collies know how to behave. I must say, that dried venison treat is divine. Give me another bite and you can call me anything.

Dried venison - Mmmm

My first real home

I was adopted from the shelter by a woman who is very understanding. She must be - as soon as I got in the car I threw up in the back seat. When we got home I was so submissive I peed on her shoes - several times.

The existing dog of the house wanted to attack me at first. After two days we became friends, but it was touchy for a while.

Over the next month I marked every room repeatedly. That's when the Young Master named me Joker - "smiling on the outside and full of tricks on the inside". They put me on a 6 foot lead and held onto the other end so I was never out of their hands - for SIX STRAIGHT MONTHS!

I had separation anxiety and when they went to the market and let me alone in the bathroom I chewed straight through the door to get out. They got a plastic-sided crate for me.

I am a Border Collie and very close to my wild origins, so I regard everything as a pack - the man and woman are the alphas so I am cautious around them. Their children are my littermates, so I am very gentle with them. The other dog Phantom was larger but I am dominant by nature so I tried to bully him into being the Omega dog (lowest class). I killed the pet rabbit by grabbing it and giving it a heart atack. I sometimes find and kill mice. I don't attack dogs or people.

It took about 2 years to really housetrain me. It took about 3 years to get over the submissiveness. I quickly learned to like the crate, and I used it for about 7 years whenever they went out. At 9 years old, I finally stopped marking my territory.

I would say that a true Border Collie is NOT a good pet for a family that likes to relax. You need to stay very involved, very active, always pay attention, and train him all his life.

Saved from euthanasia in the last hour

Ahem. Where to begin? It was a propitious day when I was adopted from the shelter just hours from the Big Finish, pushing up daisies, counting worms - you get the idea. I was a bit fearful of the huge 2-legged dogs who adopted me - "submissive urination" they called it. But really, this is a pack and that is how one behaves towards alphas. It took no longer than two years to halt that behavior and marking territory. Time flies!

My long time companion, Phantom, passed away some months ago. RIP old friend. Now the alphas have introduced a new puppy to the pack. I mean really, having to deal with this at my age. She shall benefit from my experience and learn to be a proper dog. None of this itty-bitty-baby namby-pamby, she is a dog and I shall gnaw on her if she steals my dinner again!

It is rather fun to indulge in proper biting play.