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"?