New Name, Same Blog

If you've also been following Lauren's puppy blog, I recently changed the name to HillcroftCollies.blogspot.com (there's also a link to the right of these blog entries. I'd like to merge this blog with the other one, but don't think it's possible. I'm going to try again (if you have suggestion, please let me know) but if I can't merge the two, this blog will become inactive. I'll have all the updates and activities on one spot and won't be limited to just the antics of the puppies of Phoebe and Lauren--Ben, Sophie and Mosby have been feeling left out!

Big Girl

Dixie got her second set of shots yesterday. She now weighs 19 pounds--an eight pound gain in 3 weeks! She was very good for the exam, walks pretty well on a leash and of course, loves getting attention from anyone! We stopped by the Farmers Market before going home and she was a well behaved girl. Dixie has become a very sweet puppy, if sometimes over confident, but it looks like her father's "the good dog" genes are over riding her "da bad baby" ways!

Great Pics!

Last week, I went to Kent Island to meet Ellen, Andrea and Conlon for puppy pictures, to pick up Sadie and for Ellen to meet Dixie. I had a wonderful lunch with the ladies at Fisherman's Inn, Dixie traveled very well and I got some great pictures by Andrea and Conlon. The pictures below are by Andrea. I'll post some of Conlon's later.

New BFF's??

At our sisters' afternoon at Casanel Winery, Dixie had a play date with Jo's 3 month old German Shepherd, Gustof. Relations were a little rocky at first. Gustof drank Dixie's water, looked at her toys, and had attention from other customers on the patio. Dixie was horrified!! She couldn't take it any longer and just exploded--unfortunately, Jo's leg was between Dixie's snapping teeth and the unsuspecting Gustof. When Jo picked her up, Dixie had a full temper tantrum and now has a new nickname--Tasmanian Devil. Picture the cartoon with the whirling dust and you'll know just how Dixie looked!
Dixie settled down and played nicely, if roughly, with Gustof, even letting him take her toy. They did nap together and let us enjoy our lunch peaceably. Dixie is developing nice social skills with people but I need to find more puppy play dates for her to learn dog manners. She's been in the play yard with her mom and aunt, but all the adult dogs indulge her in her spoiled ways. Even old girl Sophie, who has short patience for puppy games, lets her bark and growl at her. There is a new dog park in Leesburg, but I learned last night that many adult dogs are there and wouldn't be a good place for a puppy yet.

Flower or Weed?

You decide!

Busy Shopper

We're starting to take Dixie with us on as many errands as we can so she becomes a well socialized puppy. Saturday, we took her to Meadows Farm Nursery and Home Depot. She gets attention anywhere we go and got to meet children for the first time--I wish I had had my camera with me! She's put on weight in the last week and my arm quickly got tired from lugging her around. She had to start walking on the leash she detests! Dixie did well, sometimes forgetting she was on a leash and behaved quite nicely for most of the shopping. By the time we got to Home Depot, she was pretty bushed. She gets as cranky as a toddler with just about the same level of vocal protests about walking. It was hot and she didn't want to be carried, either. Finally, I just put her in our shopping cart but then had a hard time getting through the store! Lots of people wanted to see her and kept stopping me to see if they could meet Dixie.
Today's agenda includes a trip up the road to our local winery, Casanel, for a wine afternoon with my sisters and Dixie gets to meet her first non-collie, my sister's German Shepherd, Gustof.

For Better, For Worse

Today is David's and my 29th wedding anniversary. What a better way to celebrate than to make an announcement--Dixie is now officially a Hillcroft collie!! She will be registered as Hillcroft Heartsong and will make her show debut in September.
Originally, this litter was to be split three ways: one puppy to Joan Kirkland of Kirkhaven Collies from where Phoebe came, one puppy to Cathy Keefer of Cadenza Collies for the stud fee and one puppy for us. With only one puppy in the litter, even my feeble math skills knew this was a problem! Cathy generously said she was satisfied knowing Danny had another offspring on the ground and only wants Dixie to do her daddy proud. Joan and I have worked out (with a brilliant suggestion from Ellen!) that Dixie will live here, be shown by us (well, really, Ellen) and Joan will lease Dixie for her first litter. Joan already has the stud picked out!
I picked up Dixie to tell her the news and she promptly bit me! Is it too late to back out or are we really stuck with "da Bad Baby"?

Dinner Out

After today's show at Mattaponi Kennel Club, we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at Doener Bistro. Instead of taking Sadie, who had been in the show and deserved to go, we decided to let her relax at home and instead, took Dixie. She was in full "Da Bad Baby" mode, fighting with the bushes, chewing the deck, scratching up my legs and eating an earring! Against my better judgment, I gave her several spicy french fries to try to get her to settle down--no luck! She took a power nap on the way home--limp for a nanosecond, eyes half shut then raring to go again!




Earrings--The snack of champions!!

But, it's hard to resist a puppy!

A Dynamic Duo

The pretty baby and one of our handsome sons, Daniel.

The Outdoor Girl

Dixie loves to be outside! We've been increasing her outdoor time and spending time in the puppy play yard with Phoebe for warm afternoons. She's now been exposed to the noise of the tractor--didn't bother her a bit--and had closer encounters with Aunt Claire, Sadie and Jewel.

Who's That??

Dixie had quite a surprise last night--more dogs live on the other side of the property! We were relaxing outside with the two girls then decided to put Phoebe in one of the kennel yards for a bit before her dinner. Dixie followed her all the way to the kennel and discovered the other dogs for the first time. What a shocked look on her little face! She stood outside the fence for a long time, trying to figure it all out, while they ran about, barking and wanting her to get closer. She decided they weren't worth her time and scampered back to the gardens to play.

Da Bad Baby

Dixie has a new name--not that she's intentionally a terror--but as a singleton, she hasn't learned to share and Phoebe does not discipline her. In Dixie's world, everything revolves around her and woe to those who get in her way! She growls at her mother if Phoebe approaches her food bowl. Phoebe immediately backs off while Dixie guards the bowl, even though she's already eaten so much her tummy is practically dragging the floor. The other night, Dixie played tug of war with the fur on Phoebe's front leg, moving to the back where she could grab a bigger chunk. She ended up with a mouthful of fur! We rarely find her sleeping, she's always too busy dragging the crate mats into the whelping box or carrying toys into the crates. This morning I got to replace all the newspapers on the floor as Dixie had dumped the water bucket--even though it's hooked to the exercise pen. She's had two expeditions outside and she'll spend 15 or so minutes, criss crossing the yard, exploring. Even that does nothing to expend all her energy!


Attacking shoes





Taking on David



Back off, Mom, it's mine!


Hassling Harley


Oops, went too far--cats have claws!




Getting into things that don't belong to her

Moving Day

On Wednesday, I moved Phoebe and Dixie to the larger dog room. Not only does it have more floor space, it has two crates, a larger whelping box and a window. Before the move, anytime the door was open between the two rooms, Dixie would go in without hesitation and explore. Once moving day came and she saw her toys and "brother" leave the original whelping box, she wasn't so sure about leaving the familiar! She would come to the door, then run back to the box, come back out and go a little further into the new room, then run back to the old box. I let Dixie do this a few times then picked her up and put her into her new spot. She immediately went into a crate but since her mom wasn't with her, she worked up the courage to come out and start touring her new apartment. Once she found some new toys in the whelping box, she decided it was o.k.!

Exploring the new home before moving day:



Not so sure she wants to make the big move:


Phoebe checking out the view:


Dixie tries out the new digs:

C'mon, Mom, Let's Play!!

Dixie has become a playful puppy! Unfortunately, she doesn't have a companion her size to tussle with. She pestered her mom for quite a bit, and Phoebe finally relented. But, she's way too big! She ended up flipping Dixie across the whelping box, quickly ending the play session.