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A Newsletter from Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, Inc.
The Collie Nose
Summer 2016
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In this issue:
Flea and Tick Prevention — Gail Diedrichsen
When it comes to protecting our pets from summer parasites, we remind everybody how important it is to
protect your pets year-round!
My veterinarian tells me she noticed fleas and ticks on dogs midwinter, so these will be particularly bad this
summer. Besides fleas and ticks wintering over, we need to worry about hardy mosquitoes as well. Our
warmer than average winter, followed by a wet spring, is giving us a bumper crop of those pesky mosquitoes
this summer.
Like many homeowners, I have a sump pump in my basement and this may be why I’ve seen the occasional
winter mosquito. Again, all the more reason to protect our pets year-round.
I’m trying something new and I’d like to share. First, let me give you some background:
I had ordered the MDR1 testing kit from Washington State University years ago. Not surprising, every one of
my collies tested positive, including my surviving dog, Brody. Knowing he has the MDR1 mutation, (which
affects about 75% of collies and 25 to 50% of other herding breeds) I am vigilant and keep a list of drugs to
avoid, including ivermectin, a common heartworm preventative ingredient, to which he might have a reaction.
When Novartis had quality issues and closed their US plant that manufactured
(Continued on page 2)
Flea and Tick Prevention — 1
Grunts and Groans — 2
Tails on the Trails — 3
Grooming Tips — 4
Wisdom & Humor of Dogs— 4
Fletcher’s Fortune — 5
Volunteer Spotlight — 6
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Interceptor a few years ago, I switched to Sentinel, another Novartis product, that became available sooner
than Interceptor. Both contain milbemycin oxime, a different heartworm preventative that has been found
safe for MRD1+ dogs. Sentinel is basically Interceptor with an added flea birth control, but it does not kill
ticks or adult fleas. Therefore, I used Sentinel with Front Line Plus in order to kill adult fleas and ticks and
prevent heartworm.
Recently, I adopted a dog from CRGI and she came with a dose of Interceptor, which is again back on the
market. Also, I received a dose of a flea and tick preventative to be applied topically, similar to what I had
been using.
I noticed my spunky new addition, Gracie, was engaging my older dog, Brody, in some rambunctious play.
All good! They were having a great time. BUT, what I did not like about their play was the way they
mouthed one another exactly where I had applied the flea and tick prevention. Insecticides are toxic and
topical flea and tick control medicines contain many warnings. This was not my only worry, however.
Brody, a therapy dog, sees special needs children and their little hands are in their mouths often. At
therapy visits, the kids want to pet Brody, so I attempt to work around our scheduled classroom visits when
I choose a day to apply the flea and tick prevention. When I heard of a new product, Bravecto, that came in
pill form, which works for both fleas and ticks, I was very interested, but reluctant because of MRD1.
My first call was to my veterinarian. She asked the drug company’s rep if this new product was safe for
MDR1+ dogs. The answer was yes. I decided I should investigate. After all, the salesman had a vested
interest and I wanted to be sure. I called the drug company and they shared the detailed results of their
research. I could see, after trials, the drug company had deemed it safe for MDR1 + dogs. (See findings
here)
I was very hopeful. But I wondered if I would need to switch from Sentinel, containing a flea control, back
to Interceptor because I did not want to overdose my dog on flea prevention. Interceptor does not include
flea control like Sentinel.
I turned to Washington State University who conduct the MDR1+ tests. I was given a thumbs up to pair
Sentinel with Bravecto. I am saying goodbye to the greasy spot and hope my collies do well with this
decision to switch.
(Continued from page 1)
Hey, summer has finally arrived, and YES there have been days it didn’t seem like it would ever get here,
but it always does. So will the 21
st
annual CRGI collie picnic. I, for one, cannot wait. Since it’s on my mind, I
thought I should bark out some thoughts and details about what the talent contest will “entail.” GROAN!
1
st
will be the talent portion: dancing collies, singing collies, jumping collies, any special activity above the
norm qualifies your collie. (“Norm” as in Annie’s norm? … Lying there looking like royalty!) GRUNT!
2
nd
will be the “Lassie Look-a-Like” competition. This will be fierce, as all collies are beautiful. But, we want
to see the collies that look most like the number one collie celebrity of all time: none other than, “Lassie”. No
Roxy, you are not a shoe in. GRUNT! YOU are NOT even in the contest, put mom’s shoe back….NOW!
GRRRR!
3rd and final will be the “Four Legged Booty Call” or as I like to call it: “Dig the Chassis on That Lassie!” In
good fun, I invite all collies to show off their stuff…both ends. GROAN! No Hootches, Rin Tin Tins, or Cujos
allowed. Yes, Roxy we know: no cats allowed either. GRRR! Yes, Roxy we know collies rule. WOOFFFF!
“Pretty, Pretty” Grunts and Groans — George Hayes
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The Morton Arboretum's “Tails on the Trails” was such fun. We
braved the unseasonably cold and blustery weather. At the end
of the day, we came away feeling as if our participation was well
worth our effort because we met lots of great people and dogs.
We even found a great home for one of our collies! This, alone,
made our day a grand success!
It was exciting to see some of our old familiar friends, like Reno
and Ranger, who came by to visit. Ranger’s a very happy boy
and his family adores him. Reno, another visitor, was one of our
dogs rescued from the hoarding situation in Texas. He’s been
given a new life and he is thriving. Reno has come so far! We
enjoyed watching him as he walked around the arboretum as if
he owned the place.
Thanks to all of our volunteers who helped organize and man
our booth. We had fun playing our “spin and win” game with the
kids and did bring in some direly needed donations. Thanks to
George, Kathy, Robin, Ruth, Megan, Gail, Mary, Caroline, Bob and Dayna.
When our members volunteer to work a fundraising event, such as this, we are given a wonderful oppor-
tunity to witness first-hand how we help dogs like Reno and Ranger. We may have all been a bit chilled to
the bone and windblown, but knowing we helped these collies find loving homes warmed our hearts.
Tails on the Trails —
Gail Diedrichsen
Left to right - Karen Bureski , Megan Gessler, Mary Warsey
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I first fell in love with the Collie while reading Albert P. Terhune’s book, “Lad A Dog,” when I was a young
kid on our farm in Western Michigan. Our family had a dog but he was a mixed Fox Terrier breed, not a
Collie. If memory serves me right, I also read a few other Terhune books such as The Heart of a
Dog and My Friend the Dog, and anything about collies became a big interest. But it wasn’t until I was an
adult that I learned to appreciate the great stories of dog humor and wisdom that A.P. Terhune shared in
his many books about collies.
In the 1950's I became even more impressed with collies when watching the Lassie television series. After
watching the exploits of Lassie, I finally persisted enough that my parents agreed to get a collie that I
found advertised in the paper. For many years we had collies in our family, and at this later stage of my
life I wish I still could.
Born in 1872, Albert Payson Terhune was very much a man of his time. His father was a preacher, so A.P.
had many views that would seem biased and more politically incorrect than we accept today. Despite his
faults, he cared for dogs and understood them. He spent his lifetime infusing the love of dogs in other
people. Terhune was a popular American writer of dog stories, especially about his collies. He was also a
breeder of collies. The Rough Collie of today continues to contain the bloodlines developed by Terhune
over 100 years ago.
(Continued on page 5)
If you've ever watched Westminster on television or attended a dog show in person, you have probably
noticed the dogs' extensive grooming regimen. So what's behind all of that grooming to make them look
their best in the show ring? We would like to share a few tips to all the collie lovers who want to bring out
the champion in your beloved family companion from the professionals on how to keep your collie looking
his or her best.
1. Remember to remove any mats or tangles before bathing your collie. If you bathe your collie without
brushing him or her first, the mats will become tighter and they will probably end up having to be cut
which can be painful. Use a dematting rake or a comb for mats and a straight pin brush for the body. You
can use a slicker brush for the feet, head, ears, and lower legs. Work in sections to remove loose under-
coat.
2. Use a high quality shampoo and condition such as Isle of Dogs when bathing your collie. Rinse your collie
completely until the water runs clear. Lightly towel dry your collie after bathing him and move him to a
grooming or picnic table.
3. Blow dry every inch of the dog's skin until dry. If you don't it can leave itchy skin and a hot spot can
occur as a result. Use a powerful PET ONLY dryer to blow the water right out of the coat.
4. You can trim your collie's nails or have your veterinarian or groomer do it at least once a month. Use the
large Millers Forge Nail Trimmers or a Rotary Dremel. You want to make sure to keep the nails and the hair
under the feet trimmed.
5. Brush the hair upwards on the feet and trim with thinning shears to keep the feet nice and tight looking.
6. Keep a spray bottle with water and Isle of Dog conditioner at hand. When the coat is damp, mist the
collie's coat and brush in an upwards direction while working in sections. This will create a coat that is full.
Please share your recently groomed collie's picture on our Facebook page. We'd love to see them!
George Rohde has been a dog lover his entire life, became active in the sport of purebred dogs at nearly 12
years old, and is a longtime supporter and volunteer of Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois.
Grooming Tips — George Rohde
ALBERT P. TERHUNE’S HUMOR and WISDOM OF DOGS
— Dale Mohr
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In April of this year, Fletcher made his way from Missouri to Illinois, where CRGI would take care of him and
get him ready to find his forever home. He was an owner surrender, and he needed to stay with a foster
home that could provide him with the extra care that he needed as Fletcher has hearing and sight impair-
ment due to neurological problems that he’s had since he was a puppy. He does have some sight, it just
seems to be very unfocused, and he’s mostly deaf but can still hear loud noises.
Our foster, Kathy Stodgell, offered to take him in for a week until other arrangements could be made for him,
and Fletcher came to stay with her on April 9
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. She typically leaves leashes on her fosters for the first week
that they are with her, in case she needs to intervene on anything, so Fletcher wore his leash around upon
arrival. Kathy soon found her own collie, 11-month-old Sawyer, leading Fletcher around by the leash! Sawyer
would run around the yard, Fletcher hopping alongside – his neurological condition leaves him unable to run,
so he hops around instead. Whenever Fletcher decided that he’d had enough of the leash game, he would
sit down to get his point across to his young friend. The two enjoyed their game throughout Fletcher’s stay.
Before Fletcher went to stay at his final foster home, he went to see an eye doctor and a vet. He needed
some hefty dental work where all but three of his teeth were removed. Upon his release from the vet on April
(Continued on page 6)
I'd like to share some of Terhune's humor and the
wisdom made evident in his writing about his
collies. The quotes I have chosen made the author
famous in the early and mid 1900's. In one of
Terhunes’s comments on his own writing, he said:
And now for some favorite quotes . . .
Any man with money to make the purchase may
become a dog's owner. But no man --spend he ever
so much coin and food and tact in the effort-- may
become a dog's Master without consent of the dog.
Do you get the difference? And he whom a dog once
unreservedly accepts as Master is forever that dog's
God.
When a puppy takes fifty catnaps in the course of
the day, he cannot always be expected to sleep the
night through.
His was the collie heritage—the stark need for comradeship coupled with the unconscious craving to be
owned by man and to give his devotion to man, his god.
Dogs, the foremost snobs in creation, are quick to notice the difference between a well-clad and a
disreputable stranger.
(Continued from page 4)
I have learned, as has many another better
writer, to summon inspiration to my call as
soon as I begin my day's stint, and not to
hang around waiting for it. Inspiration is
merely a pretty phrase for the zest to work.
And it can be cultivated by anyone who has
the patience to try. Inspiration that will not
come at its possessor's summons is like a dog
that cannot be trained to obey. The sooner
both are gotten rid of, the better.
“
”
Fletcher’s Fortune — Amy Zurita
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27
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, he went to stay with Ruth Meek, who would foster him un-
til he found his forever home, but upon his arrival, Ruth realized
that he had already found it. She knew that she wanted to keep
him right away. When Fletcher’s bio was ready to get put up on
the CRGI website, she was asked if he should be marked as
available, or adoption pending, and Ruth asked it to say adop-
tion pending. Fletcher fit right in with her two other collies, 13-
year-old Bonnie, and 7-year-old Ladd, and Ruth feels that he’s
fitting in more and more each day.
He thrives amongst other dogs, and in the weeks that he’s
been with Ruth, he’s become more outgoing. He plays
more often now, and during a recent last-call potty break, he picked up a tennis ball and started playing
with it while the other dogs did their thing. He doesn’t let his lack of teeth stop him from having fun! He’s
always enjoyed being petted, but now that he feels at home, he seeks affection, rather than just accepting
it. Ruth says that her family is lucky to have Fletcher, and it seems that Fletcher is also lucky to have found
such a loving family so quickly!
(Continued from page 5)
Sawyer and Fletcher play the leash game
Left to right: Bonnie, Fletcher, Ladd
Fletcher relaxing at his new
home
Fletcher romping around
Volunteer Spotlight — Kym McNabney
Maureen Joyce has lived in Tinley Park since 1973. She couldn't wait to buy a house with a big back yard
for her dog, that would allow her to have another. She is the owner of a pet sitting business, Love 'em
and Leave 'em Pet Sitting in Tinley Park, for the past twelve years. Her business consists of dog walking
while clients are at work and daily visits while on vacation. She also takes care of cats, fish, birds and
other pets. Love 'em and Leave 'em is based on the belief that Maureen’s customers' needs are of the ut-
most importance, and is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of her busi-
ness is from repeat customers and referrals. Website www.loveemandleaveempetsit.com
Maureen got her first collie in 1993, a tri named Kaeli who quickly became her best friend. It didn’t take
long for her to become hooked on the breed. She was lucky to have Kaeli in her life for thirteen wonder-
ful years. A few weeks after Kaeli passed away, Maureen received a call from a friend. She wanted to
know if Maureen was interested in adopting a collie. Bailey needed to be rehomed as soon as possible.
(Continued on page 7)
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Maureen hesitated, not sure if she was ready for another dog so soon after losing her beloved pet. After
some thought, realizing Bailey needed help as much as she needed to heal from her loss, she said yes.
About a year later, she saw Olivia, and couldn’t resist adding another dog to their home.
Maureen started fostering in July of 2010 after volunteering for her first ever Collie Rescue event, the Pet
Expo at the Tinley Park Convention Center. As of today, she has fostered eight dogs in total. She never
thought she could have a dog come into her home, knowing they would not be with her for long. She told
herself to get over it, and worry about getting a collie a good home. Once that happened, it would open
the door for her to foster another dog in need, helping others to find their forever home.
Last year, Collie Rescue was looking for a
foster home for a heartworm positive tri
boy named Foster, of all names. She made
the decision to foster “Foster”. She never
imagined he would become her first foster
fail, and has a funny feeling he won’t be
her last. Maureen says that's one of the
perks of fostering. While fostering a dog you
are given first choice to adopt them. Jame-
son, aka Foster, is such a clown. He makes
her laugh every day. Maureen’s home now
includes three collies, Bailey twelve, Olivia
nine, and Jameson two, along with a thirty-
two year old double yellow-headed Amazon
named, Bennigan.
Early this year, Maureen was asked if she
was interested in the position of Adoption
Coordinator, and accepted the position.
Maureen says, “It is an awesome feeling to
find collies the perfect home they deserve,
and the adoptive families are happy to have
found a pet for their family.”
Mary Warsey says, “Maureen has been doing
a wonderful job as our new adoption coordi-
nator. She's great to work with and is a true
asset to CRGI.”
(Continued from page 6)
Maureen and her pack
CRGI, Inc. Board Members:
Tina Kiselka – President
Caroline Lewis – Secretary
Mary Warsey – Treasurer
Melanie Clawson – Intake Coordinator
John Juris – IT Developer
Newsletter Volunteers:
Gail Diedrichsen, George Hayes, Ellen
Keirnan, Kym McNabney, Dale Mohr,
George Rohde & Amy Zurita