Still Adjusting

I haven't posted in the past few weeks mainly because I have been spending them trying to adjust to simply having a dog. I love my border collie endlessly and wouldn't trade her for anything. In fact, I am wondering how I ever got along without her. That being said, adjusting my schedule, routine, even my house to having a dog is a long slog.

This summer has been particularly humid; humidity affects me much more than heat does. After walking Olive it takes a bit of time to recover before I can do things like practice my fiddle playing. That has been cutting into my practice time. Housecleaning seems to be a bit more problematic than it used to be also. Not only is Olive tracking dead grass, leaves, and twigs into the house (to say nothing of her shedding), I am less inclined to lug the vacuum cleaner around after a walk in the hot humid weather. I am looking forward to drier fall weather.

Border collies are a very active breed and require a lot of exercise. I normally take her for eight short (about one third mile) walks per day, followed most of the time by playing for some ten to fifteen minutes with her foam rubber "saucer". I really don't mind the walks, as they are much needed exercise for me. Adjusting my schedule around them so that I can get my housecleaning and other things done is a challenge.

I will probably be adjusting at least until we have been together a full year. Winter will pose a challenge, particularly if this coming winter is as severe as last year's. How will Olive react to a decorated tree in my living room? How will I get my Holiday shopping done? No doubt I will find a way, but the first time for any event with a dog will be dicey.

Of course, I am not the only one adjusting. Olive seems to be adapting well to my routine. She has been eating well twice a day, has learned to not bother me when I am napping or sleeping, mostly keeps quiet while I am practicing my fiddle or watching TV in my downstairs room (which she cannot get to due to the spiral staircase). She is starting to learn not to pester me to throw her ball when I am eating. Little by little we are adjusting to each other.

Happy Birthday Olive!

Olive was born, so I have been told, on August 1, 2011. I wished her a happy birthday when she jumped onto my bed to say "good morning", but was unsure how else to celebrate. I took her to the dog park, which she loves, where we found quite a few dogs with their people frolicking before the day got too hot. Olive chased some tennis balls, made friends with a dog named "Lady", and was as pooped as I have ever seen her by the time I called her to go home. I was glad I had brought a bottle of water and her canvas dish, as she seemed especially thirsty. Since we got back I have been indulging her desire to play catch with the foam rubber saucer, play catch in the house with a light rubber ball, and go for walks every two hours. I keep telling myself I should do it because it's her birthday; isn't that, though, what I do every day?

Under other circumstances I would have taken today to drive out to the Falcon Ridge folk festival near the point where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York come together. There was a time I would go with my tent and stay for the entire festival. Now, however, I am still recovering from my week at Ashokan fiddle camp, it seems like a long drive, and beside that, how could I run out on Olive on her birthday? I am still contemplating going out there for Sunday, but will have to see  how I feel in the morning.

Since getting home a week ago Olive has settled back into what passes for a normal routine. I took her back to Candlewick on Tuesday for the day while I went north for a fiddle lesson. She seems to have taken to the place as a child might take to school: happy to go there, happier to go home at the end of the day.

I have been asked why I chose a border collie as a pet. The truth is that after Nanne left Olive with me to "foster" for a month, she decided that she liked it at my house and wanted to stay. I did not choose her; she chose me. Today on her birthday I can honestly say I am so glad she did.

Olive goes to camp

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that I was having separation anxiety over leaving Olive at a kennel while I went off to fiddle camp for a week. Olive compounded the situation by being an absolute sweetheart the week before I left her off. I think that she knew something was up as I assembled my tent, sleeping bag, and other gear I would need. On Saturday morning I got up as usual, took her for three walks, gave her breakfast, and finally took a deep breath and drove her to the kennel. It sure looked to me as if she was giving me a devastated look of abandonment when I handed her leash over to the kennel staff member who checked her in.

I had a good time at camp, as I have had every year for the past twenty five years. For formal classes I took a class on English-style fiddling, a class in playing harmony, a waltz orchestra class, and a class on "how to jam" during the sixth and last time slot. The last one was a bit basic, though I still learned a few useful things. In past years I joined a Quebecoise jam session during that sixth time slot; I hated to miss it this year.

I have long been friendly with a couple from Massachusetts that goes to the camp every year. I discovered that they have a border collie of their own. It was nice to commiserate with someone who missed "Angus" as much as I missed Olive.

Normally I sleep late on Saturday of the camp, have a leisurely breakfast, break down my tent, pack up my gear, and take my time getting back home, stopping at a large shopping mall in Danbury Connecticut for lunch and to look for a birthday present for my dad, as well as to pick up anything that I was kicking myself for not having during the week. This year I broke down my tent and packed on Friday afternoon, partook of our Friday night "review" program (each class gets up and performs), and sacked out in my sleeping bag on an empty bunk in the dormitory. I got up at 5, showered, loaded what little I had left into my car, and was on the road by six, stopping for coffee at a diner along the way. My excuse was that my sister was throwing a family gathering Saturday afternoon that I wanted to get to on time. I have to admit that wanting to get my dog back was also a factor.

I got home around 9:30, emptied my gear onto my living room floor, and arrived at the kennel around 10:30. I was told that Olive ate well, had a grand time with the other dogs, played catch with a staff member during her daily individual play time (for which I paid extra), and seemed happy the whole week. They brought her out fresh from a bath, she looked at me as if to say "oh, is it time to go home now?" and gave me a kiss. She hopped right into my car for the ride  home, and pulled me straight to the front door when I got her out. After a short time for her to savor being back home and sniff at that pile of stuff in the living room wondering what it was, we went for a walk, then another. At 2:00 we went to my sister's, where Olive had more fun training all the people there, including a little girl who couldn't have been much over four years old. Olive delighted all by showing how she could catch her doggy toy in midair, over and over and over......

After the party was over we went home where Olive collapsed on her bed and slept soundly through the night. Today she seems quite back to normal, pestering me for walks and to play catch. Nice to know that she was fine at the kennel and all my worrying was overblown.

I am contemplating going to a similar fiddle camp in Maine later in August, which I hear still has some room for additional campers. I feel much better about leaving Olive at the kennel. Hmmmm.....stay tuned.

Olive goes to daycare

A bit apprehensive about leaving Olive in a kennel for a week, even though Candlewick is spotless and seems very well run, I decided to give her some experience with their doggy daycare program. I had a meeting to attend last Wednesday, so I left her at Candlewick for some four hours.

Candlewick conducts an evaluation for each candidate for the daycare program. Dogs that don't quite fit in are not allowed into the daycare program, though they may come back for grooming services or overnight. I am happy to report that Olive passed with flying colors. They even provided a "report card" and posted a photo of her on their facebook page!

 

 

"My dog is an honor student at Candlewick Kennels"

 

 

Olive's first day at daycare

 

 

To give her a bit more experience and attempt to establish with her that Candlewick is a good place, I left her there again yesterday while I went north to Amherst for a fiddle lesson. Since I would be at my Tuesday supper group until around 9:00 p.m. I arranged to have my sister pick her up around 5:00. Olive was dropped off at my home and left inside with food and water. She seemed perfectly fine when I got home, while my sister reported that, according to the staff, Olive was exemplary. Perhaps they should provide bumper stickers proclaiming "My dog is an honor student at Candlewick Kennels". I might also keep an eye out for one that says "My border collie is smarter than your honor student".

 

I am still apprehensive about leaving her for a week, but I do feel better knowing that her experiences at Candlewick so far have been positive.

 

 

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At the dog park last Monday I ran into another dog person with a border collie. Her dog "Tess" got along well with Olive. This person told me about an operation in a nearby town that trains dogs as herders, including a program to train goose dogs. The operation is run by someone who travels around the world training herding dogs. As soon as I got home I found "Nutmeg Farms of Portland CT" on the internet and called them, leaving a message. I got a call back within a few hours. An introductory class will be offered in September. I asked to be signed up. Yes, Olive already has a good idea about how to herd sheep, but I don't have any sheep for her to herd. Nutmeg Farms does. That is something to look forward to.

 

I mentioned that I am interested in training Olive as a goose dog. That may be doable, but I was told that to use Olive in that manner I would have to be licensed as a wildlife officer in Connecticut. The penalties for not being licensed are stiff. That is something I will have to look into further.

Olive the Sea Dog

I am always looking for activities that Olive and I can share together. Few museums allow dogs; the Mystic Seaport in southeastern Connecticut does allow dogs on the grounds (though not in buildings or on the ships).

Mystic Seaport is a recreated 1840s era whaling port. That portion of Connecticut (New London County) was a major whaling center, especially the city of New London, for a time America's second largest whaling port (after New Bedford). Today New London County hosts the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and America's largest submarine base. The Mystic Seaport complex includes historic buildings relocated there from around New England, some new buildings constructed to house various exhibits, and a few old ships in the water particularly the Charles W. Morgan, thought to be the oldest intact wooden whaling ship in the world. Perhaps most appropriate is a full fledged boatyard construction facility where the Amistad slave ship was recreated, the Morgan was recently overhauled, and the recreated Mayflower (of Pilgrim fame) was repaired. I say appropriate because Mystic Seaport occupies land that was once the celebrated Greenman shipyard, where a number of wooden ships were constructed during the 1800s.

I decided to give Olive a chance to show what kind of sea dog she would have been. I packed her canvas water dish and arranged to meet my friend Laurie (who lives nearby) for lunch at the "Spouter Tavern", an old seaport tavern now a working restaurant within the Seaport that has outdoor seating. When we got there Olive seemed a bit bewildered at all the activity and noise. It was a great day weather-wise for a visit to the Seaport, so there was a significant crowd. Olive got especially excited when a horse-drawn wagon (a standard ride that families seem to enjoy) came by. To calm her down I filled a bottle of water and took her to the shaded pavilion on the "village green" near the center of the complex. It was quieter and cooler there, though many people stopped to pet Olive. She loved the attention.

At the arranged time we met Laurie for lunch. Olive kept looking for something--anything--to get me to toss to her. I let Laurie take her while I ran into a souvenir shop that I remembered had some toys. The best I could find was a foam-rubber lobster. To my surprise they also had dog biscuits, at $2 each. I had forgotten to bring any dog treats, so I bit the bullet and paid for one.

Well, Olive is a Maine Native. Of course she would love the "lobstah".

Service at the tavern was a bit slow, though the sandwiches were large and satisfying. As it would happen, the horse-drawn wagon ride came right by the tavern's outdoor seating area, causing Olive to bark each time it came around.

After lunch we walked around the complex. I took a few photos of Laurie and Olive at an old anchor at the edge of the "village green". The light was a bit harsh so that the photo came out looking as if Olive and Laurie were sitting on sand rather than lush green grass.

Olive and Laurie at an old ship's anchor.

Olive was clearly getting tired, so we bid Mystic farewell and headed home. Food, water, and air conditioning! Doggy heaven!

Fourth of July

What to do with Olive when I am going to be away for a week? That is the dilemma I have been facing with my annual week at Ashokan fiddle camp coming up in late July. A few friends have offered to take her for a week, but with work schedules and other drawbacks none of them really sounded ideal. Talking with other dog people in my town, everyone seems to have praise for one Candlewick Kennels right here in Glastonbury. My mom used to occasionally bring her basset hound there back in the 90s, so I thought to check it out. They gave me a tour of the entire facility and I was impressed; the place is spotless. I made a reservation for Olive July 18-25 when I will be away. The largest cages were all taken, but remembering that Nanne keeps her dogs in crates made me feel better about the standard cages, which are actually roomier than crates I have seen. I will be paying extra for some daily individual play time with a human so that she can chase the foam rubber saucer that she loves to do so much. Yes, she is allowed to have personal toys that I will leave with her.

On the down side when I saw the dogs all playing very well together in a large play room I wondered whether it might be a bit overwhelming for Olive; at the dog park she is polite to other dogs but is usually uninterested when another dog wants to play with her. She seems to prefer chasing tennis balls that I throw. Another drawback is that this kennel is expensive; then again I suppose one gets what one pays for, and I want Olive to have the best. Yes, I am experiencing separation anxiety, but I decided this would be good for Olive. Not only will she be well cared for, it will give her some time to socialize with other dogs.

On July 3 I took Olive to the dog park again. Often at that time in the morning we have the park to ourselves, but this time there were quite a number of dogs with their humans. I tried to encourage Olive to play with the other dogs, with only modest success. I am looking at bringing Olive to Candlewick for a half day this week (they take dogs for day-care as well as overnight) to get a taste of what she is in for, and to allow the Candlewick staff to "evaluate" her for playing with other dogs, something they tell me is standard when they get a new client.

On July 4 I took Olive with me to my sister's house for a family barbecue. My niece and her husband were visiting from Bogota Columbia where they are living. Olive amused everyone with her eagerness to play with various toys my sister keeps for her, and of course demanded attention from everyone.

Above, Olive with me, my sister, and a July 4 table centerpiece.

Old Songs Weekend

Every June I head out to the annual Old Songs weekend folk music festival at an old county fair ground near the rural town of Altamont, New York. Unfortunately dogs (except for service dogs) are not allowed on the festival grounds so that I could not bring Olive with me. Fortunately I had several offers from dog-loving friends to look after her for the weekend. I decided on my sister and brother-in-law, since Olive seems very comfortable with them and their home.

The festival includes a tenting area which is what I have been doing since I started going there in 1991. I have a small tent just large enough to sleep in comfortably (with the help of an air mattress) but small enough so that putting it up and taking it down can be easily and quickly done by one person. I had a good time Friday night and Saturday; a session of Quebecoise music alone was well worth the trip. Unfortunately the weather turned quite wet Saturday night just before the evening's main concert program. My tent seems to have developed a small leak (which I believe I can easily fix with a spray sealant) making sleeping on rainy Saturday night much less pleasant than dry Friday night. In the morning I evaluated the schedule and found that most of what I had been planning to do would be outdoors. The weather outlook was not good, so I reluctantly took down my tent in the rain and stashed it in my car, changed into some dry clothes, and left the festival for hot coffee and a vegetable omelet breakfast at a nearby diner. My tent and sleeping bag were wet enough that I wanted to put them in a place to dry before any mildew developed. I also was anxious to get back to my border collie.

When I got home I figured that I could get a number of things done more easily and quickly without Olive pestering me to toss her ball or otherwise pay attention to her. I set up my tent in my living room to dry, hung the sleeping bag in my dry basement on a clothesline, did a load of laundry, and took a shower. Then I called my sister and let her know I was on my way.

As I expected, Olive was quite happy to see me after a two day separation. I was informed over tea that she was reasonably well-behaved, ate well, and kept the family busy. Hmmm.....doesn't sound as if she missed me THAT much. :-(

My friends Kathryn and Mark, who I visited in the Berkshires a few weeks ago, have sent me some photos taken during the visit (see my previous blog entry). The photos were impressive.

Note the viaduct in the background, the remnants of an old mill.

"Look at me in the water!"

At the Buhrmaster Barn contra dance: her eyes are aglow with happiness (and camera flash)!