Greeting a friend

~Kylie greets Faye~

Exuberant young dog:
wants in, wants out,
wants everything.

~Michael Garofalo~

Laundry day is every day!

Kylie is pacing around while I play on this computer and she is going to wear herself and the carpet out unless and until I get to the laundry. It is apparently singing its siren song that only Kylie hears. These pictures were taken when Kylie first arrived - she is even more serious and intense about her "job" now!

So, I must bid adieu to Evie (my computer - an Apple, of course!) and cater to this obsession of my Border Collie!

Making sure that the washer doesn't go walkabout.

Making sure that the wet clothes stay put.

Observing Sleeping Beauty

Here's Millie watching Kylie take a nap around dinner time yesterday. It was cute to see her just watching Kylie.

And here's a close up of Millie without her trying to kill the camera or me!

Click on images to enlarge them.

Canine epilepsy

Kylie, 1 week after arriving in NJ from Louisiana

I don't like this disease. I don't think any dog likes it, either. It is sneaky. The seizures arrive unannounced, much like an earthquake. And like earthquakes, there are severe tremors and shaking.

Kylie had one yesterday afternoon. And under the worst case scenario for me. I was working on the computer and she came over, nudging me. I thought she had to go pee, so I got up to take her outside. Now, I keep a baby gate upstairs and downstairs because I've had this fear of her having a seizure while on the stairs. And, I am usually quite vigilant in making sure that the gate is in use.

But, yesterday I forgot.

And unfortunately, Kylie had already headed downstairs. I heard a couple of thuds and then a crash. She had had a seizure and had fallen down the stairs. I saw her thrashing about at the foot of the stairs. I felt sick to my stomach.

I ran down the stairs and straightened her out - she tends to contract during a seizure. I was frantic - I didn't know if she broke any bones or ruptured any organs. The seizure was short, as usual. It took her a couple of minutes to stand up, stagger around and pace off the effects of the seizure. While watching her, I called the vet. I could hear my voice shaking. Then, I called one of my sisters and asked her to drive me to the vet if I needed to go. I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate on driving and Kylie at the same time.

The vet wasn't in the office, but the receptionist said he would call me and just to watch Kylie until he did. By the time he called, Kylie was back to normal. She wasn't limping and didn't flinch when I felt around her abdomen, ribs and spine. She was alert, interested in playing with her Squeaker and finally, I indulged her in her favorite pastime: I threw in a load of laundry. She seemed back to normal.

Kylie and I went on a long walk this morning. I haven't noticed anything physically amiss with her - let's hope it stays that way.

Dogs never cease to amaze me - they truly live in the moment, another trait they can teach us humans. I read this article this morning and thought you dog lovers might like it, too.

Kylie this afternoon, lounging on the bed while I update this post!

Breaking News

Dog Humiliated In Front Of Entire Park

CONCORD, NH—Banjo, a local border collie mix and loyal human companion, was utterly humiliated Tuesday, when his owner, 34-year-old Michael Ingram, loudly scolded the dog right in the middle of Cold Brook Park.

Read the entire horrifying story here.

The picture, of course, is of Kylie. The humiliated Banjo can be seen at The Onion.

Smart doggies

A friend just forwarded this article - Moscow's Stray Dogs. It's worth the read and the pictures are priceless!

Of course, I think that Borders are the smartest - but I am slightly biased!

Grooming day today!

Wu Ji

Only earth's warm skin
below
and crown of head
singing

Poem by Elise Dirlam-Ching

Dog days of Summer

There is NOTHING sadder than a bored Border Collie!

The humidity has been too oppressive for our long walks, the downpours prevent us from taking those walks and I have been sitting way too long at this computer trying to figure out how to blog.

Poor Kylie is being so neglected!

Meet Kylie

Alright, I can see that this blogging can be addictive! Kylie is still waiting for her short walk - good thing she is patient!

Kylie is a 3 year old Border Collie whom I adopted from a high kill shelter in Louisiana when she was 11 months old. She's a great dog having one of the best temperaments I've ever seen. She's good with other dogs, children of any age, older folks - she simply loves people and wants to be around them all of the time!

Kylie suffers from idiopathic epilepsy. She takes pheno for her condition and is mostly alright. She still has seizures - extreme excitement will trigger one, as will extreme heat or cold. Other reasons remain a mystery. She's a trooper, though - she usually snaps out of the seizure quickly.

Kylie's "hobby" is doing the laundry. Yes, you read that correctly. She is completely fascinated by and devoted to the washing machine and dryer. She will lay by those machines just waiting for them do "act up." She whines and nips at the clothing going into the washer and coming out of it - I think she thinks that the clothing is responsible for all of the noise the machine makes! I taught her how to spell L A U N D R Y and F L U F F (as in what the clothes do while in the dryer) - when I spell those words, she dashes over to the machines and waits.

Sigh. Well, Borders must have a job to do and this is hers!

Soon, you'll meet Kylie's "sister" Millie along with her "cousin" Grace.