The Collie Knows

An occasional publication of Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois.

April, 2007

Short Notes

Donations
Rainbow Bridge
Features

News from Adopters

Solly
Reba
Missy
Kira

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Recent Donations

We want to thank EVERYONE who has donated to CRI. The above mentioned were special requests. ALL donations, large or small are appreciated more than you will ever know. Without everyone's generous support, special medications, extensive medical procedures and Vet specialists would not be possible.

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Rainbow Bridge

Shasta, Calvin, Nellie, Ariel/Gracie, Buddy, Charlie, Kramer, Blue, Colin, Beau, Walker, Sherlock, Alex, Simba, Trevor/Dodger, Misty, Luke, Reggie, Lexus, Pretty, Tucker, Sampson, Lady, Irish, Quincy, Pepper/Chelsea, Lacey, Jed, Tipper, Megan, Bogart, Lucky, Jake, Nala, Tigger

You are gone but not forgotten. We will all meet once again on the Rainbow Bridge! The longer we do rescue the more pass every year over the Rainbow Bridge but they went with part of the hearts from their families, families they may have never known if people did not take a chance on abandoned and homeless collies. Thank you all for giving them the second chance that they so much deserved.

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News from adopters

Hello! I just wanted to drop a quick line to say that Solly is doing wonderful. He acts like this has been his home since he was a puppy lol. The cats get along great with with him and the older one really has taken to him. They will sleep together on the couch, beg for food at the same time, and even push each other out of the way for attention.

Solly has had no seizures since that one shortly after he came to live here. He gets a regular grooming visit every month since he thinks me brushing him is play time hehe. Solly has even found his special spot to sleep in the family room, on the floor in the corner right by "my" couch.

Solly also has almost mastered the command "down" for lay down and quiets pretty quickly when I say "no bark". He listens to me more then anyone else in the house. I guess he just knows who's dog he is hehe. Solly is also very good around very small children. Our nephews have come over a few times and he is very gentle with them.

I am really very happy that Solly has come to live with us and I think he's happy too. He definetly is spoiled rotten lol. He has toys, treats, and lots of love. When I leave the room, he follows and always wants to know what's going on. Basically, he's a wonderfully sweet dog and I don't know what I would do without him.

I hope you guys had a great Christmas and have a very happy new year =)

Thanks,

Liz Dulzo

Hello to you all: I am Reba's Mom. I just wanted to update you on her. She is doing just great. Her eyes did heal real well. They are not fully open, but open enough that you can see them now. I am so pleased and she seems to be moving around a lot faster and with more confidence. She is just a joy - she is at home and fits right in with us. She has friends in the neighborhood, as I walk her as often as possible. She enjoys our rides in the car, too. I also wanted you to know that on my car, I've added a personalized license plate protector. On the bottom rear protector it says: "collie rescue" On the top rear protector it has collie rescues phone number. I hope alot of people at least stop and ask me about it. It's a way to hopefully get donations. I see per the website that most of the collie's are adopted, and they are getting adopted pretty quickly. This is great. What I really want to know is: Did Carol adopt that cute little guy (I forget his name) - the one that was 3 months old? Ohhh - I wanted him !!!!!!!!!!!!! Please tell Carol that Reba is doing fantastic. Again - I want to thank her for caring and loving my Reba. She and her family did a great job with her. We'll be at the picnic - - and - - as soon as I get my pictures put on disc - I will e-mail them to you. Thanks to everyone with Collie Rescue. You are an awesome group of people and you care deeply about an awesome breed. See you at the picnic.

Sincerely, Kathy Cerrito

I hope a little good news about Missy will bring a smile. We earned our AKC novice title in Rally Obedience yesterday. Our girl has been a good learner, even at her age!! (10 now.) We completed the third leg she needed at a competition in Lowell, Indiana (Paw Power Blues Agility Club.) I decided to go there because I knew I couldn't get to the other upcoming rally trials in the next few months, and I really wanted to try to get her title. I knew she'd do fine, and was hoping she might get another placement ribbon (she got a second place in our second ``leg''). Well, she was a little more distracted this time, even though she still earned a 94 out of 100. A poodle, lab, shepherd and golden edged her out! But that's okay--she got her pretty ``title'' ribbon along with the qualifying ribbon.

One other thing...another woman there with a beautiful merle blue male asked me as we were coming off the course how old Missy was. When I said 10, she couldn't believe it.

We both are wishing you the best.

Sincerely, Toni Ginnetti and Missy

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all at Collie Rescue.

Just thought you might like to see a recent picture of little Kira who celebrated her third birthday on December 31. She has been a part of our family for almost 10 months now and we so enjoy her. As shy as she was with people when she first came to us, she now loves everyone she sees and can make quite a little pest of herself when she "demands" their attention. She is probably not the most well-trained dog in the world, but she knows how to come when called (some of the time), she sits, stays (for a short bit), gives paw, no longer counter surfs, and does not jump on people. She is a happy dog and that is quite enough for us. She loves camping and long walks and rides nicely in the back seat of the truck. So far she has been to Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Branson, Missouri with us. She also now loves to eat (something that worried us a little as she didn't seem to have much appetite for the first few months.) Her figure has now nicely filled out but still maintains the collie waistline (can't make those 90 degree turns without it.) She came to us at about 42 pounds and now weighs in at about 56. A nice weight for a smooth collie.

Kira not only won our hearts, she won a bed pillow of her own in three rooms of the house plus her own nighttime pillow next to our bed at night (something our other collies never conned us into :-) But she was a smart little character and won out in her own special untiring way. I suppose our own elderly age had a little to do with it .. and that she somehow sensed our limits.

Just though you might be interested in a short resume of one Collie Rescue dog named Kira who came into our family .. and into our hearts.

Carol Nelson

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Feature Articles

Learning New Tricks with your Old Dog

Perhaps people can learn some new tricks from their older dogs in warding off the mental decline that comes with aging. Those tricks include good diet, exercise and plenty of mental stimulation. A study in which old beagles learn to win a shell game suggests aging humans might benefit from improved diets and habits too because dogs and people experience remarkably similar cognitive declines as they get older. Dogs even develop plaque deposits in their brains similar as humans do that eventually lead to Alzheimer's disease in people. 

In this experiment, researchers taught old beagles to find treats under different colored boxes. The dogs that ate an enriched diet got more exercise and had the benefit of toys and playmates, leading to better success in finding the hidden treats. Some studies have suggested people can also ward off or at least delay the mental effects of aging by eating a diet rich in antioxidants and other compounds found in fruits and vegetables. Other studies on people have found exercise and mental stimulation may also have a protective effect that promotes health. But the beagle study is unique in considering diet and behavior together. What I think is especially interesting about this study is the combination, said Molly Wagster, a program director of the National Institute on Aging. "The combination of effects is better than studying either thing alone." 

This study divided 48 beagles between the ages of 8 and 11 years into four groups. One group got a twice-weekly workout, a regular rotation of toys, housed in a kennel with a roommate and "attended school" to learn about finding hidden treats. The 2nd group ate a diet rich in antioxidants, but enjoyed none of the lifestyle benefits of the 1st group. A 3rd group got both the antioxidant diet and the lifestyle benefits. And the last group got no special treatment. The experiment is described in the January (2005) issue of Neurobiology of Aging. After two years spent in these different groups, all of the dogs were taught a trick that required them to find a treat under either a black or white box. For each it was always the same color, and all 48 dogs eventually learned that black or white meant a treat. But that was just the old trick.

The researchers then switched boxes. If a dog had found its treat under the white box before, it was now hidden under the black one, and vice versa. Now the dogs had to learn that they were playing the same game with the colors reversed. All 12 of the dogs in the group with an enriched diet and stimulated environment learned the new trick, but the other three groups did not perform as well. Eight out of the 12 dogs that ate an enriched diet alone figured it out, and eight out of the 10 in the stimulated group solved the puzzle.

In the group that got neither a special diet nor a stimulating environment, only two out of eight dogs detected the color reversal. So let us "old guys and dogs" be quick to learn that both lifestyle and diet affect our brain power.

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How Could You?

 By Jim Willis, 2001 

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" -- but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.

We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother th em, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate.

Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now so infrequent -- and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life.

You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.

When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded alo n g the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.

As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry."

She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went t o a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself -- a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her.

It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

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