What is an "It"?

Just the other day(it was Thursday, mommy loaded me up into the back of the car in my crate. I was excited, because whenever she puts me in the crate in the back of the car, exciting things happen! Puppy class, Agility trials, a visit to the vet, a day at Grandma's house, or a visit to the pet supply store is sure to follow.

I was right! It was a visit to the vet. I felt sick during the ride, though, because I hadn't eaten breakfast - mommy "forgot" to give it to me! Well...she said that the vet told me to skip breakfast, but all I know is that I didn't get my breakfast, which disappointed me. So, I threw up in my crate and made a mess. It was yucky.

Mommy unloaded me and they washed me off in the vet's office. The receptionist said "Hi, Quynn!" and I did my wiggle-butt dance for her and rolled over in bliss. She is a wonderful tummy scratcher. She praised me for not jumping up - I know that people hate that and you never get pats and tummy rubs when you do that. If you roll over or do a wiggle-butt dance, then you get lots! So I never jump up. Mommy says I'm very smart - Sierra and Hallie have to be reminded. Teehee.

Mommy talked to her for a while, then hugged me and kissed my spot, then(though I didn't even realize it) gave the receptionist my leash, who led me down a hallway. Mommy watched me disappear, but I was so excited, I barely noticed. Then, when mom walked out the door, I turned around and saw her go and was worried. The receptionist stroked me and told me it was going to be okay, that Mom would come back before night time.

Not long after, my almost-favorite person(my family are my favorite people appeared! The vet! I danced for him and wagged my tail and he laughed, said hi and rubbed my head. He likes me a lot! He told me and mom that I have wonderful manners.
They put me on a table and had me sit down. I did, but my tail wagged so hard than I knocked all their toys(I think they were toys...they looked like little metal things and they smelled funny, anyway) off the table!
I fell asleep, somehow. I don't know how that happened. When I woke up, I felt yucky. I felt terrible. My mom's mom picked me up not long after I woke up and we drove home. I went into my crate and slept all day, except for my dinner and drinking some water. Mommy felt bad for me and said I was an "It" now, not really a "he".

What's an "it"?

I feel better now, but mommy won't let me run around a lot. She still makes me rest and we don't play fetch or anything! It's awful! But I do get lots of cookies and we still cuddle.
The worst part: I have to wear a weird plastic thing on my head. It's a strange collar-like thing that makes it so I can't lick or chew anything - not even my kong toy! I keep walking into doors and hitting the steps with my e-collar and it's itchy and no fun. Mom still kisses my spot, and she tells me it will be over soon, and that it's all for my own good, but I still hate it.

Oh well. I guess I'll just occupy myself wondering what an "It" is.

Bark soon,
The QuynnDawg

I had a Bath Today

Not the worst thing, but certainly no fun. It was no fun. Actually, I was amused by how much water I could lick off my coat and mom's arms, but there is a highly significant difference between fun and amusement. Trust me. I know fun. This was no fun.

Mom had to pick me up and put me in the tub. No fun. She then proceeded so SOAK me with warm water(hey, at least it was warm. Teehee.) and then rub smelly sticky bubbly stuff all through my beautiful shiny coat. I've had baths before, but this part always scares the heck out of me - it looks like she's destroying it! No fun at all. Thankfully, she managed to wash it all out my dumping gallons upon gallons(slight exaggeration, possibly) of more water on me. That was no fun.

Alas, I must admit - the following procedure was a teensy bit fun. I got to SHAKE SHAKE that water everywhere! All over mom, all over the bathroom, everywhere. Then mom rubbed my butt with the towel. It felt good. Note - these actions had nothing to do with the actual bath, so my statement is still valid. Baths are no fun. Teehee.

I may love swimming, but baths aren't lakes. They're boring.

Just a warning for everydog that is considering allowing their mommies and dads give them baths. Don't do it unless you're getting something pawsitively delicious to devour during or after. It's not worth it!

I still think I smelt better before my bath.
Teehee.

As ever, doing the ears thing,
Q

I'm Herding!

I haven't written in a while, and - I know, everydog says this - a lot has happened.

First of all, and most exciting, I have officially "clicked"! I am a herding dog! I've never shown any desire to run around livestock before and stare them into the ground, but the other day, I did it to my two goats. Today, mommy tried me on some of my sheep - I did wonderfully. Mom says she doesn't know what she's doing though, so we're going to sign up for a lesson or two with a real herding dog trainer. It should be lots of fun!

Also, mommy introduced "channel weaves" to me a short while ago. Sierra is telling me that they get narrower and narrower, and before you know it, it's not a channel of poles at all - you find yourself dodging in and out of them as fast as you can go! And it's FUN! I can't wait to get there, but mom says it's going to be a while...we have to take it slow and be patient. Of course we'll both continue to live today like there's no tomorrow and every day like it's our last, but we can still exercise patience! Teehee.

Lastly, Mom said something scary to me. She says to me, "It's time to get you neutered, Q." I didn't think anything of it, at first, but Sierra told be scary things about being neutered. She explained to me that when they say it's time to get neutered(or spayed - Si was spayed because she's a girl dog), Mom brings you to the vet's office(I like that place a lot! The vet is a nice man who gives me cookies. I also get cookies when I step on the scale), but Mom leaves you there! Oh no! I don't know what happens after that. We'll have to wait and see.

I'm going to have fun no matter what happens, though. You know what they say...Yeah, Yeah, party like a rock....party like a rock star. ;)

Teehee.

Still doin' the ears thing,
Q

I LOVE SWIMMING! And a good agility day.

I have to begin this entry with an excited bark, because I went to the lake for the second time on Sunday and was incredible!

The first time I went to the lake, I was a little afraid of the water because it was a HUGE bowl of water and I couldn't ever drink it all, even though I tried. Mommy threw my frisbee in the lake and I ran towards it, but then stopped when I was knee deep because I didn't know what to do. So mommy went into the water to get my frisbee!! When she got to it, I could only see half of her body and it looked soso weird. I was worried. Where were her legs?

Then mommy waved the frisbee in the air and talked to me, saying it was okay, and the water was lots of fun. I ran back and forth on the sand but didn't go farther than my chest. What would happen when the rocks disappeared from under my feet? After a long time, mommy convinced me to come in and it was AMAZING! Swim, swim, swim, I loved it! Then, every time she threw the frisbee or the ChuckIt! in, I was happy to retrieve it.

So on Sunday, we had tons of fun. I swam and swam and swam with mommy, and retrieved dummies and frisbees. Mommy smiled at me and laughed because I was always begging her to throw it in the water so I could go retrieve it.
After a while, mommy went onto this wooden platform she calls a "dock", and ran down it, then dived into the water and disappeared! After a while, her head came up and she swam and climbed back onto the "dock". Then she threw my frisbee off the dock! I didn't know what to do. I wanted to jump in, and the water was touching the dock so it was only inches, but I was too afraid. My Golden Retriever friend, Oscar, would LEAP off the dock to get his CoolKong, and I wanted to very badly, but I was too scared, so mommy said it was okay, we'd try again next time, and we went back to the beach and swam some more.
I was very tired that night!

Also, yesterday was a good agility day. Mommy and I trained for ten minutes or so and I did a fabulous sequencing job! It was one of my first times doing it!
I did a tunnel and a 90 degree turn in one sequence beautifully. Mommy didn't even have to move, which she was very happy about. She just stood in the middle of the agility yard, said "go dive!" and motioned to the tunnel. I dashed for the tunnel and ripped through it. When I came out, she pivoted her body and pointed to a jump(the bar was on the ground), which I performed, and then, when she kept her arm out and turned her body a little more, I knew she wanted me to turn again and take the jump that I found in front of me(this bar was on the ground, too. The highest I've ever jumped is 4" and only twice! I can't wait until I'm older and allowed to jump higher...), so I did. Then she said "GOOD BOY!" and threw the floppy disc for me, which I caught in the air and shook, and she grabbed the other end and we had a tug game. It was some of the most fun I've ever had!

Today, it's raining out, so mommy and I didn't go for our morning walk, but oh well. We'll wait until tomorrow. I believe in tomorrow.

Licks&woofs,
The QuynnDawg

Tag!!!

I've been tagged by Jack! Fun!

The rules of the game:

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged, need to post in their Diary the rules & their 7 pawsome facts. Then choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to bark them a p-mail that they have been tagged and to read your Diary, or, send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!

Pawesome facts about my Border Collie-ness:

1. I will stare at a ball until it evaporates into thin air or is kicked.
2. I eat so fast, I astound.
3. I lay down whenever I hear a big truck coming and don't move until it's gone.
4. I am a champion at the bum-wiggle(except my whole body copies my bum)
5. One of my ears has a white spot on it.
6. My crate is as orange as your Dogster scroll bars.
7. My IG sisters are official members of the Barely Off The Dock Club. Teehee.


Pals I'm tagging:


1. Dazzle
2. Mikhoa
3. Abby CGC CL1
4. Shakespeare
5. Coty
6. Skye
7. Romeo


Tag! You're it!

My Very First Entry

Though I came home when I was 8 weeks old, I am starting my diary now because mommy only just showed me how to use the keyboard with my paws. Teehee.

I will be 6 months old on August 10th! I am a future agility/herding/disc/dock diving dog. Mommy is teaching me the ins and outs of agility as a puppy, I have my own sheep and I LOVE to swim. Mom throws discs low over the ground for me to snatch out of the air, so she knows I have promise there.

A month after I cam home, mommy enrolled me in a Puppy Class. There, I met lots of other puppies - none looked like me, but there were other herding breeds there. I learned to work with mommy and pay attention with lots of distractions. It's still hard, but I am a puppy and I will get better.

In agility, I am learning obstacle discrimination(when mommy says the command for one of the obstacles between two in front of me without pointing, I have to figure out which one). I can do the tippy board, run through any jump uprights mommy sends me to, do the open tunnel, the closed tunnel and the pause table. Mommy says that in a couple months, I will start running through a wide channel of weave poles. Sierra, my IG sister, loves the poles. I hope that I will, too.
We don't train in agility nearly as much as my sisters do, but mom says that's because I am a puppy and it's important that we "lay foundations". I don't have a Border collie clue what those words mean, so I will "let it go". Teehee.

I will need to explain more about my wonderful puppy life, but it's time for my Breakfast. You should know that I'm obsessed with food, with balls, with frisbees, water, and with Agility. If any of these things call to me, I must leave the keyboard!
Doing The Ears Thing,
Quynn