Stories
So many wonderful, funny, endearing stories come to me from my new puppy owners, (even the "old" ones)!
Hope you enjoy them as much as I do,
Gerry
Prince
(aka Kent)
Dear Mother (Pearl) & Father (Winston),
Tomorrow I turn two years old. My Mom says that I will no longer be a puppy, but I still feel and act like a puppy.
At the top is a photo of me with the Christmas tree. The bottom branches were in my way so I rubbed against them and to my surprise they fell off. Mom didn’t seem as happy with this as I was. Now I fit under the tree just swell!
My favorite time of day is Frisbee time. I love playing Frisbee! We play every day! Doesn’t matter what the weather is like I have to play my Frisbee (snow, rain, heat).
Sundays are my favorite day of the week. My Mom stays home and we spend the morning taking a long walk (as long as it’s not snowing). We walk to town and visit some friends. My favorite spot to stop is the Chevron Gas Station. I get a lot of attention from the people around the gas station and the nice lady inside gives me a piece of beef jerky. When I first started visiting she tried to give me a Milk Bone, but I soon trained her. Beef jerky is much better than a Milk Bone. When we get home from our 3 mile walk I get to relax in the living room and chew my favorite bone. I am always happiest with something in my mouth!
Saturday are good too. My Mom volunteers at the local animal shelter and comes home with all these new scents on her. I don’t mind as long as she brings me a new treat home. She always does!
I am a very picky eater. I’m not thrilled with Dog Food and would much rather eat human food. I finally agreed with Mom that I would eat dog food if she would put one piece of sandwich meat in my food. Then I gobble my dinner up. Turkey is the best! Sometimes Mom runs out of meat and make sure she understands her mistake so I just don’t eat.
I never want my Mom to be lonely so I am always at her feet. Where ever she goes I am right next to her. It’s gets annoying sometimes when I’m all comfy and she has to get up for something. Sometimes I wish she would just stay in one place.
This spring Mom is adding a new fenced yard for me. She thought that she wouldn’t need the fenced yard and could teach me that when we went out to play to stay in the yard. The problem with this is that my girl friend lives next door. There is a nice wood fence that is so easy to get over that if my Mom isn’t watching I can be over at my girl friend’s house in a second. Mom doesn’t understand my need to go visit her. Anyway my Mom is putting in a large fenced in area so that when we play Frisbee I won’t have to be on a lead. The lead is okay until Mom gets in the way and I end up running around her and the lead wraps around her feet. She gets sort of mad when that happens!
My girl friend is an Irish Setter. Her name is Chole. Chole is a little younger than me. She always sneaks away from her house and comes and visit. We have so much fun playing together. One day Mom went inside the house for something and Chole took off my collar, which was attached to the lead. So then we ran around the property together. Mom came back out and made me come in the house. She didn’t seem to understand that we were having a lot of fun!
My best friend’s name is Cubby. He shares the property with me, but he is loose and I’m in my kenneled area. I love playing with Cubby, but he is older and doesn’t always appreciate it when I jump over him. Every night he comes over for Frisbee time. Sometimes I wonder if the only reason he comes over is for the milk bones. Obviously he has never had Beef Jerky! Mom says that I keep Cubby young.
Well, I just wanted to say hi and let you know I was thinking of the two of you. I love my home and I have a great life. I hope all is well.
Love,
Prince (AKA Kent)
This page was last updated: January 24, 2012
Lauren is thrilled beyond words. She just adores him. She say's he has the cutest baby eyes. She went shopping with her Aunt while we were on our way back and bought Stormy four toys, a collar and a new bed. She has even given him some of her own favorite stuffed animals. She wanted me to wake her up extra early
Monday morning so she could have plenty of time to play with Stormy before school. They played, had breakfast and watched Scooby Do together. After dropping her off at school Brian and I took him on his very first nature walk in the woods. He had a ball. He is getting used to his new collar and leash. We have taken him two more times and he is getting to know some new doggy friend's in town. Everybody love's him. What's not to love. He is such a sweet boy. He is also doing great on his potty training. He even woke Brian up at 3:00 a.m. this morning to go out. He's very smart, and learns quickly.
We can't tell you enough how grateful we are to you for giving us such a special little boy. We can already tell what a great friend and companion he is going to be. He has filled a great void and has made us a complete family once again. We love him so much, and will treasure him always.
We will send some pictures soon and also write a review for you regarding our experience. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts. Sharon, MA
Good morning, Gerry!
Just got back from Bella's appointment at the vet's for her Parvo shot and heartworm pill. She now weighs 37.6 pounds, so she's gained 7 1/2 pounds in the past month! Also got her nails trimmed. She is a very healthy puppy. She is now worn out and is taking a nap. Have I told you one of her favorite places to nap is in our shower? She likes it because the floor is kind of like marble so it's very cool. Smart puppy. One day I had to make her get out of the shower so I could take a shower, and she sat and barked at the shower door the whole time I was showering!! We have to take turns, I guess. Jean, IL
Here are a few pictures of Alfie. I love the one of him and Sid standing outside, they didn't know I took this...priceless. Alfie is doing well and he's losing his teeth now. All the neighborhood kids love him and they come by to see him. Alfie loves the attention of course. He even made a few friends and goes on doggie play dates. He is a big flirt when we go to Petsmart too, he gets treats from the girls there. Mary
As you can see in the pictures, Alfie's favorite place is by the sliding door, he can watch the birds and bark at the other dogs passing by... ha ha. We just love having him around, he's a great puppy. We've already considered getting a playmate for him but I think it's best that we wait until he's 1 year old. Mary, IL
I can't believe that Isaac is almost 7 months old. How he has grown! He is as tall as my family's 2-year-old dogs and still has some height to gain. He is also getting pretty strong. His coat is coming in nicely too. His tail has a lot of black hair on it and he has hints of black elsewhere on his body too. His ears seem to be coming along nicely too in terms of tipping. He still needs the clay though as they tend to stick up when it falls off.
I can tell he is a smart one. He was house trained in about 3 weeks and he has picked up on his obedience very well. He knows sit, down, stay, wait, leave it, come, "go get it" and "bring it here" (for fetch), crawl, and others. He listens well most of the time, but since he is a puppy he doesn't always listen. But pull out the treats and he is focused. The only behavior problem we still have is he tends to chew up some of my things when I leave.
I just have to say that he is crazy (but in the good way). His energy is never ending. He also is a very vocal dog. He barks and whines a lot to communicate. He also likes to stick his long, wet nose into your face and/or every crevice of your body he can find. His other favorite thing to do is to walk between and your legs.
He loves to play chase (me being to one to do the chasing). He also loves it outside (I can hardly get out the door because he always wants to come). Now that the weather is getting nicer I can take him out outside with a toy and run him around for fun more often. Though, he did love the snow over the winter. Isaac is also a fan of walks. He loves to go and smell all the scents. We are still working on some of his walk manner though as he tends to get over-excited when people, bikes, and dogs go by.
Isaac loves it at my family's home in Illinois. Getting him there is a bit stressful because he is afraid of the car. He adores my family’s dogs. Everywhere they go, he has to go too. In fact, one of our two dogs, Einstein (the golden one), has become his hero! He likes Aristotle (the spotted one, Ari for short) too, but Ari is the dominant dog, so he makes sure Isaac gives him his space. They all play together a lot, but sometimes Isaac is too much energy for Ari and Einstein. Isaac also gets along well with my and my sister's cats. He does chase them sometimes, but tell him to stop and he will listen.
Well, I know I just gave you the story of Isaac's life. But I also know you probably enjoy hearing about it. I've attached a few pictures of Isaac so you can see how he's grown. Some are a little older and some are newer. Enjoy!
Lauren, IL
Gerry,
Thanks for the pictures. They capture him so well.
It was great to meet you too! Isaac seems to be adjusting well. All of us are trying to figure out a new routine and learn each others habits. Isaac has been eating and drinking well. He's been playing with his toys and me. I can tell he is comfortable here too since he feels safe enough to nap. He follows me everywhere too! Also, I can tell he wants to play with my cat, but Brett is still apprehensive about it. We're making progress though.
Here are some pictures I took of him yesterday and this morning (I got a little snap happy with the camera...he's just too cute!). You can tell he took no time at all in making himself at home!
Thanks again Gerry! Lauren, IL
Dear Gerry,
We just wanted to let you know that Stormy did absolutely great on his eighteen-hour ride back to Massachusetts. He wanted to be held and slept most of the time. He cried very little. We stopped in Erie, Pennsylvania and found a Hotel that allows dogs. I came out of the shower in the morning to find that Brian had taken Stormy out of his box and put him in bed with him. He was now sleeping in my spot with his head on the pillow and very content. I think I have been replaced. Brian say's he has the market cornered on cute.
(Stormy on the left, continued below)
Hello Gerry,
I am sorry that I haven't emailed you sooner, but you know how life can catch up with you. I just thought I would give you an update on Isaac and send some pictures. There is so much to tell and so many pictures that it's hard to know what to say!
(Isaac on the left, continued below)
Hi Gerry,
Here are a few recent pics of Alfie. He's adjusted well and puppy classes are good. He learned sit/stay, down/stay and he's walking nicely on his leash.
We are still working on "drop-it" and "leave-it" He's a curious guy! Can you believe he's 30 lbs? We are so happy to have him around, he's a lot fun, don't you love his rain coat? Mary, IL
Hi Gerry!
I just want to tell you how happy we are with our decision to get the second dog. Our lives are so enriched, and together they provide hours of hilarity.
They do EVERYTHING in unison even though their personalities are so different.
Thanks for everything! Ora, FL
How fun to see the pics on your website! Cracks me up to see the palm trees above the snowy photo. Your dogs are all over!
Madge seems to love her new home. As a dog, she is just what we wanted. She loves to be close to us, and seldom leaves our side. She is so loving and sweet. We are thrilled, and thank you so much. Ora, FL
Hi Gerry!
We loved the new video, and found our pups. We love them so much. They are perfect collies. They move as one unit all day long, and have added so much joy to our home...Ora, FL
Our new collie puppy arrived late last night, from Seymour, Illinois! She is about 10 weeks old, and is a very happy puppy - even though she has
traveled such a long way!
Lola is doing good - we try to wear her out so that she can rest, which is what she is doing right now! A very sweet and gentle and quiet puppy she is!!
Lola and Lisa played a little before Lisa
had to go to school, they are getting along great!!
After such a long flight, we cleaned Lola up and she seems to be doing
great! She is eating good, drinking lots of water, and she even has the
potty training idea down pat!!
I think this might be Lola's first experience with snow - she is having a
ball in it!!
We will send more pictures and updates frequently - but I think I will try
to get some sleep now too!! Michael, AK
---------------------------
It seems as though Lola is adjusting very well here and still seems very
happy! Lola is now freely going up and down the steps - at first she was
pretty skittish.
She is also still doing great on potty training, and is earning our trust
day by day, She has enjoyed exploring her new home inside and out - with our
supervision of course!
We have made it a point to take her on a car ride to a fun place daily, as
well as to my Mom and Dad's place - seems to be getting less nervous about
car rides and time in her kennels in the car and at night.
I wanted to send you some more pictures, and I will keep sending more as we
get some good shots.
Thanks again for being so very cooperative during the whole process, and
also Lola is everything you represented her to be and more!!
If you ever need to use me as a reference, please feel free to give my first
name and cell # to people who you think are serious about one of your
puppies.
On a different note, have you ever been to Alaska? If you ever get up our
way in the future, please feel free to look us up!! We would be happy to
Share with you some places to see and things to do.
Michael, AK
Good morning, Gerry,
Just want you to know that Jade is doing wonderfully! She is so loving and beautiful. She slept in her cage with the blanket you sent with us plus a couple of stuffed animals. I put a clock right by the crate so she could hear the ticking. About 2 a.m. she was crying and barking a little so L
ynn went down and let her out in case she needed to go. She went right out in the backyard and squatted! So she kept her cage dry all night. Some of our kids and grandkids have already been over to see her and she did so well with everyone. You have done a good job of getting her used to people. Today our daughter and her family will get back into town and they are so excited to see her, too. I'm going to send you a couple of pictures our son took with his iphone.
By the way, we've expanded Jade's name to Bella Jade since she's so beautiful! We plan to call her Bella but will always keep Jade as part of her name. Thank you for this wonderful addition to our home. Jean, IL
Hi Gerry,
Lassen is doing great. He's socializing well, bonding to us with ease and getting along with Shasta like a little brother. It's amazing to see how well they play. I never knew Shasta had it in him.
You were right on in recommending that we not get too worried about Shasta laying out the boundaries. I just placed them in a large pen together and left the house for an hour with my fingers crossed. When I came home, Lassen was lying in Shasta's arms. I was amazed.
House training is improving with the danger zone getting a bit smaller (the time when the urge to pee is imminent). I think the problem during the day is his excitement in playing with Shasta. He just can't hold it past 30 minutes or so. I still take him out once a night but that should end in another month or so.
Training is easy with this guy. Shasta is certainly a good influence too. We started a puppy class however I quit the class when the trainer told us all dogs were required to wear a Gentle Leader all day long as a training aid. That's like hitting a thumbtack with a sledge hammer. Outside of class, I expressed my discomfort in using this device before a significant pulling problem develops. I was quite clear that I was not going to ruin Lassen's short puppy hood with a device that takes several weeks for a dog to accept. And some dogs never accept it. I don't have a problem with using these devices on strong pulling dogs but only after other methods have been tried. For God's sake, Lassen is just 15 pounds and hardly what I call a strong puller. Besides, he's already doing great on a leash just like Shasta. This trainer is a collie breeder with a litter that's Lassen's age. She claims to have trained over 6000 dogs and participates in over 120 conformation shows per year. Well guess who's driven to compete against her in some local shows? Let the competition begin!!! As for training, I'll do it myself. The main reason for the classes is the socializing, which I can get elsewhere.
The car riding influence seems to be working on Shasta. We're taking several short trips during the week and while Shasta is still drooling a bit, I think he'll begin to ease up his tense feelings during longer trips. I'll keep you posted.
Lassen got his first California vet exam and passed with flying colors. He received his second shot series and didn't even flinch. All in all we're doing great. I'll keep you updated.
Take care
Bill, CA
Gerry Burdette
AKC Collie Breeder
285 County Road 1675 North
Seymour, IL 61875
Cell- 217-649-3189
goldleafcollies@hotmail.com
