One upping

Generally speaking, collies with the lower case "c" tend to be the one-uppers of the dog world. They do everything better. Bestest at the agilities, the flyballs, the herding, the walking in circles. They retrieve better than the retrievers, they hunt better than the hunters, they dig better than the terriers.

In their own minds, anyway.

Not a lot of self esteem issues with the little c collies.

Bella happens to be the queen of the I-can-do-that-better crowd.

Very unimpressed with Kate learning to pick her foot up. She doesn't need anyone to do that. Certainly no one could pick her foot up better than her?

"I can get that all by myself, thankyouverymuch"

You know why they hum?

'Cause they don't know the words.

Juvenile Anna's Hummingbird

Backyard, San Jose, CA

It's like bingo night

Hi. 

Nothing much to write about because nothing much going on. I guess that’s how retirement goes? You get boring and squishy and start eating dinner at 3:30? 

She is starting to look like one of the Serta sheep. 

Other aging changes, too. Bella, the I-don’t-play-with-dogs-because-that-would-make-me-dog-like now has a couple of BFF’s. Since things have slowed for them and we are not going to the dog park and not going to agility trials I started taking them back to daycare on Fridays. Mix it up a little. Have a little social time. Neither have ever been much for playing with other dogs, but they do really love going there. They get people time and treat time and training time. Now, apparently, dog time. When I hear that Bella was paling around with a border collie it makes sense. Similar play styles, similar weirdness, similar personal space bubbles. However, I kept hearing about how she just *loved* one particular dog. The elusive Butler. “Bella had a great day….her boyfriend was here today!” I finally asked what he is. 

A Golden. 

Whaa? 

And a young one at that. 

 I can’t tell you how confusing that is to me. A golden? A young Golden? She has never been a retriever fan. They are normally put in the annoying box, frowned at and then ignored. “Large” and “floppy” are not dog characteristics that she normally finds appealing. Butler must be a quite sensible gent. 

And when the hell did Bella become a cougar?! 

I think I may need to request video of her tramping it up. 

Kate has turned into the people person at daycare. Every time I watch them on the cameras Kate is either stalking a person or a toy. That is about the only border collie trait she has; she can stare with the best of them. 

Or, just do this.

 

Vigorous chewing and 98°F

One makes do