I'm 2!

I'm 2 years old!  Today, mom took me driving and stopped to get something a couple of times.  She said she voted and got a part for her tractor.  Then on the way back, she stopped at a different park north of Frederick.  We walked for a little ways then we went down to the river where mom took my leash off and I got to go swimming!  I like this river - The Monocacy, mom says.  After a little while we walked down the path a ways where there were lots of dog smells for me and spring flowers for mom - Virginia bluebells, speedwells, violets, and others.  Mom let me walk off leash because there weren't any others out.  I ran down to a creek and splashed a bit.  Then mom decided to take a little bridge across the creek to a path on the other side.  It made a loop around a little island that abutted the river again.  I got to go swimming a whole bunch in several different places.  I jumped into the water and swam but then I wanted mom to throw sticks for me.  At the end of the island, we met some other people with dogs and all we dogs had a great time swimming and playing.  The water was a lot deeper there and I had to swim to go out to get the sticks.

I was so tired on the way home, I just laid down and slept in the car.

Canine Good Citizen

I'm now officially Miss Dirona, CGC.  I passed my canine good citizenship test last month and my certificate came today.  I have to admit that I just barely passed.  We took the test at my mom's friend's mini farm and there were so many distractions!  Turkeys and chickens and guinea hens and dogs, oh my!  It's an easy test except for my getting distracted and ignoring mom.  All I have to do is sit, down, (I even threw in a roll over, just for fun), stay, come, walk politely as mom and her friend with another dog pass by and shake hands, someone else handles my ears and paws (no problem with that -  I love people!), I get taken away while mom leaves for 3 minutes and I not supposed to act up - that was easy too except for the male dog trying to mount me, and finally weave thru a crowd without pulling on my leash.  Fortunately they give me more than one try to pay attention and not pull on the leash.  I'm a lot better now in everything mom asks me to do.  I even heel at Lowes and Home Depot and don't pull on the leash - mostly.

My sprained hock is a lot better now.  Not getting to run around for 5 weeks was really hard.  Mom took me on some walks after 3 weeks when the vet said she could.  We went to the C&O Canal with my pack and I got trash for her and brought it back up to her.  She put some of it in my pack.  Getting the trash is fun!  Mom is so pleased with me.  We got to a camp where there was a lot more trash.  She tried to tie 2 bags to my pack but they slipped and I got spooked and ran.  Mom took them off of me and carried them herself.  She had 4 bags and I had another in my packs.  My pack isn't very big so it can't carry much.  I get excited and pick up sticks too because I want mom to throw them for me but she tells me to drop them and get the trash.

Trashy Dog!

but in a good way

We went again and got 6 bags of trash.  Mom carried 5 of the bags but said I should have a bigger pack.  The trash isn't heavy but it gets bulky -  mostly bottles people are too piggy to carry out despite the rules.  And the green pack slips off center.  She ordered me a new pack and it came today -  a large size but better designed than the one I had.  It's a Mountainsmith.  It was a bit big but mom got some clips to narrow the width of the back so it raised up a bit and the front strap goes across my chest instead of just above my legs.  It has a strap that goes between my front legs too that should keep it from slipping.

Mom is thinking about getting me a little cart to pull.  I would have to learn a lot of new things.

New pack is a little big

Pack with clips to shorten a bit

22 Months Old

My mom has been remiss in helping me with this blog.  I'm now 22 months old.  I'm now pretty obedient most of the time and I always come to my mom now when she calls.  She hopes I can pass my Canine Good Citizenship test next week.  My biggest problem is still pulling on the leash and getting distracted by other people because I so love to greet them!  She's been working a lot on heel and I know what I'm supposed to do on or off leash but I still want to go faster than she does and I have to check myself.  Half the time, when she asks for come to heel, I leap into position at her side - cause I loves me my mommy.  Hey, I'm a collie!  Enthusiasm is my middle name!

Racing up the driveway

What we've been doing over the last few months:  Our van trip was fun.  I got to go swimming in 2 giant lakes mom called Superior and Huron.  That was a lot of fun.  In the fall, my mom got to work on house projects and I hung around a lot, often dropping my toys in front of her to get her to throw them for me.  In January, she got our driveway done with bricks and quit yelling at me for messing with the sand.

Visitor

Striking a pose

Sticks are fun!

On New Years day a young border collie came to us and we had a great time wrestling and playing until he got taken away.  We haven't seen him since so he might just have escaped a visitor.  I get to go play with my favorite dog buddy, Zephyr a lot and we did some walks.  Mom throws a ball for me every day and I have fun racing after it.  I also decided that cars as well as school buses and trucks need chasing off our property boundaries.  I don't go into the road because of the fence but they always leave so my barking and chasing must be working.  I also chase and bark at raptors and flocks of birds.  They always leave too, so I must be doing a good job.

Mom doesn't like the way I push at her to let me go outside, so she hung a bell on the door and asked me to touch it.  I did and it made noise so that scared me.  She left the bell on the door and rang it every time we went out.  Took about 3 weeks but I got used to it and stopped being scared of it.  Now, I sometimes ring the bell when I want to go outside.  Mom tells me I'm a really good dog for that.

Last week, I sprained my hock - that reverse knee on my hind leg.  Mom took me to the vet on Monday and the vet wrapped my leg and told mom I can't play ball or run around for 3 weeks!!  Mom kept telling me to leave it when I tried to chew off the bandage so most of the time, I left it alone.  Today, she took the bandage off saying I was a good girl for letting it last the whole week.  My hock still swells a little but it is better.  She's been giving me extra treats too.  One of them is cream cheese that she forms into a ball, then lets me lick her fingers clean.  She says she is glad I'm easy to pill.  She's been hiding liver treat around the house for me to search and find.  That's a fun game.  I don't like this restricted activity very much.  I really want to go running and jumping.
Mom has me inside a lot and on a leash the rest of the time.

30 mph

We went to the land again last night and I made it to 30 mph!  It wasn't for a very long distance, but I did it!  We also played in the ditch with balls this time!  So much fun. They finally figured out what Pete has been rolling in so intently.  It's spearmint.  I thought he had something good like a dead mouse or something.  I didn't roll in it but he seems to love it.

We found some gopher holes out there and dug some but didn't find anything.  I could smell them but I didn't really know how to catch them.

Mom has been cleaning up the van a lot lately.  She says we are headed out again.  I'm going to miss Pete.  He's so much fun.

Swimming - A dog learning

I am swimming in the ditch!  Gosh it is so much fun.  It makes me so excited and gives me tons of energy!  This place is just fun, fun, fun!

Yesterday, I got up the nerve to jump all the way into the ditch and swim.  It was hard and then I suddenly rolled over.  I'm not sure what happened but mom said the current in the ditch must have done it.  I got back to the other side ok but that was a little scary.

Running is so much fun! And I'm being very good

We got a later start this morning but Pete and I got to to the land again.  I've been a really good dog these last couple days.  Last night, Pete jumped over the fence again but all I did was put my front paws on it to look at him.  I got yelled at until they realized Pete had gone over again then they were happy I was telling them he had gone.  This time, my mom scolded him and put him into the pen and I got to stay out and play.  They tested us again with bones but I decided the best thing for me to do was to ignore both bones and get a toy to play with instead.  They took the toys away but I was determined to be a good dog.  I didn't have to wear the muzzle.  Pete collected both bones and they walked me all around him, but I refused to be bad and didn't try to get a bone or worse, snarl.

New Trick

I learned a new trick this evening.  I jumped the fence in the back yard just like Pete did and got to play with some golfers.  I picked up their ball and brought it to them and dropped it at their feet.  I don't understand why they wouldn't throw it for me.  I heard mom call me but I really wanted those golfers to play ball.  They didn't seem to understand their part of the game but just laughed at me.

Mom's BIL called and opened the gate so I came over to him and back into the yard.  I had to spend the rest of the evening in the pen with Pete.  Mom doesn't seem very happy that I learned a new trick all by myself.  Well, I learned it from Pete.

Racing like the Wind!

Dirona running behind the truck

This morning was so much fun!  It started out with mom putting us into the truck so we can go to the land.  She didn't even put a leash on me and I sat at the gate and stayed right with her like I'm supposed to.  She had to keep calling Pete back so he didn't run off.  Pete figures if no one tells him to stay or heel first then he is free to run off and play.  He's good about coming back but it scares the humans because he darts into the road.

Really big stick is fun!

Dirona & Pete with stick

When we got to the land, I got a really big stick with roots on one end and raced around with it.  I love the big sticks because I'm big and strong.  I kept trying to get mom to throw it for me but she told me to keep away with it.  Then mom helped her BIL with the pumpkin watering and fertilizing and Pete and I wandered off.  I decided to to see the barn we were at yesterday but Pete went back to the humans.  I heard mom call several times so I raced back and she told me I was good for coming when called.  It took a little while to get back because it is a good 1/4 mile from the pumpkins.

Dirona & Pete

Pete racing off

Then we raced with the pickup around the land in about a half mile loop.  I learned that a honking horn means I should get out of the way of the truck.  Pete and I ran along side or out 20-30 feet from it.  On the second loop for about a 1/4 mile, I ran with the truck and mom said I was running at 25mph!  She didn't know I was such a good runner.  Pete can run that fast but only for short distances.  We were slower on the 3rd loop.  I've never had so much room to run before without being on a leash or rope.

Last night they put the muzzle on me again.  I hate that thing.  They brought out 2 bones again.  After a while, Pete chewed one and I chewed another.  Then Pete left his bone lying there so I got up and took it and brought it back to where I had my bone.  I know, I'm greedy.  But ya know, I'm a dog!

In a little while Pete came over and looked like he was interested in the other bone and the people were clear across the yard.  Pete didn't try to take the other bone but I could see he wanted to.  So I curled my lip at him.  Mom saw me do it and she scolded me and grabbed my muzzle and held it while telling me no no.  I didn't do it again and Pete was given the other bone.  The people think I am understanding the rules and just need more practice to exercise the self-control I'm supposed to.

Pete did the spin!  And he's doing the roll-over right with a lot of encouragement.  Soon, he will be as good as I am.  Pete is a more agile dog than I am, but I can run and run and I can catch things.

Tomorrow, I am 16 months old!

I Caught A Mouse!

My very own mouse!  Caught it myself.

 I caught a mouse! All by myself.  In the house.  Not too sure what to do with it.  I pawed at it a lot.

Playing with my Cat Buddy

I love playing with my kitty

My mom has been really busy lately so she hasn't been playing with me as much as usual.  It started getting hot here and mom doesn't like that much either.  I think I like cool weather too.  Hey, I'm a collie!  

Introduction

Hello world.  I am Miss Dirona, a young dog.  I think I am an old farm collie of the smooth coat variety.  I came from a breeder according to my original vet records but I don't know who so my origins are a bit of a mystery.  I do know my birthday was 3/25/2010.  I am not an AKC collie as it is obvious that I have none of that Borzoi they bred into the regular collies but I am so much a collie.