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I’m a lucky dog. My upright and I went running this week in several beautiful parks. I love trails that wind through tall pine trees and meadows dotted with flowers. I enjoy all of the scents left by other dogs and various animals such as rabbits, foxes, and even deer. We visited small ponds where fish and turtles swam and I saw a hawk swoop down and catch a large rodent. My upright and I love Fox Run Regional Park. We like to arrive early in the morning and then we go for a run. My upright carries a collapsible water bowl and water bottle for me. She makes sure that if I need water, we stop. The trail is steep and challenging in places. Eventually, we wind through the woods until we arrive a two small ponds in the center of the park. The ponds contain fish and turtles, a large gazebo, and picnic tables. We love this park! We also traveled to a park called The Homestead Ranch Park. This park was originally settled in 1874 as a homestead. It contains wide open meadows, tree studded bluffs, and a pond. The trail is not very long, but it is very scenic up on the bluff! The views are spectacular. In addition to that park, we also met some friends at Spruce Mountain Open Space. The trail winds its way to the top of the mesa. The views are spectacular. A hawk was circling above us, then suddenly dove for the ground. I was a little bit scared! In its talons, the hawk had captured a rodent for breakfast! On Labor Day morning, we ran the Pikes Peak loop which is a beautiful trail in the trees with a nice combination of shade and open areas. The trail winds through the Cathedral Pines community, with many wild flowers, aspen and pine trees, and lots of peace and quiet. The trail also connects to the Black Forest Park. Black Forest Park is one of my favorite parks although it was damaged by a fire in 2013. The trails are unmarked and there is a lot of erosion, so if you want to hike or run in this park, be careful! Here are some tips to make your run enjoyable for your four-legged furry friend. 1. Carry water and a collapsible water bowl (esp. if it is warm out and if you are running a long distance). 2. If you’ve never run with your dog before, be sure to start out with an easy two mile run. After you see how your pet does on that, then increase the distance. My upright and I enjoy running for miles and miles. I love runs that range from 4-8 miles, but have run 10 miles. Border Collies were built to run and run and run, but not all dogs are like us. 3. If you have a young dog or a puppy, I do not recommend running with them until their hips are fully developed. Racing around in a back yard is different than running mile after mile with a human. We have to match your pace and that can be very challenging for a young dog. If you want to do some running with a younger dog, start with just a mile or two. Help them to build their running muscles!
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The highlight from last week was my visit to Remington Elementary. I enjoyed performing my Brave Dog show for the third graders! They cheered, clapped, and then petted me after I performed my story. I loved how much they enjoyed the story and fun facts about War dogs from WWI and WWII. They were all great listeners! We also visited seniors at a skilled nursing facility. I visit each senior citizen. One lady was 101, so we celebrated her birthday. I even got a bite of cake! I also visited a park called Homestead Ranch which is located out east on a mesa. My upright and I ran to the top of the mesa and then followed the trail around the outer edge. The views of Pikes Peak were spectacular and I enjoyed running. I love running and am able to run for miles and miles and miles! In addition to performing and working, I also worked on writing a story (about myself, of course). I hope to publish it one day. I plan on titling my stories: Sienna’s Tales: A dog with an over-active imagination. The first story is about how afraid I am of the full moon. In my defense, I truly believe that the full moon is a monster’s eye. The eye follows me everywhere and watches me doing everything (including going potty). How would you like to go potty in front of a monster? You wouldn’t and I don’t like to either, which is why I refuse to go potty at night if there’s a full moon. I try to hold it all night long until it’s safe to go potty in the daytime. J But holding it in makes me feel uncomfortable. The monster moon is very sinister. He creates shadows that dance across the ground and glows sometimes an orangish-yellow (which reminds me of my Kitty’s evil eyes). Every month I wait for it to grow big and then I hide my head under my covers and refuse to come out until the moon is once again just a crescent. Here’s my question for the kids at Remington Elementary: Name a dog’s super senses and explain how they might help our military. The first student who answers correctly will receive a beautiful autographed picture of my fluffy-self. This week I performed at assisted living and memory care facilities. I love greeting each senior. They pet me, sometimes feed me a treat, and then enjoy my tricks. We performed tales from Africa. I play a poor dog who begs for food, but the rich man refuses to even give me a treat. How rude! The stories are fun and are filled with strange and exotic animals. Lions, tigers, spiders, and galagos (bush babies). The galagos sound like a crying baby when it senses danger. They have large eyes and ears and feast on insects. There are many African myths and legends regarding these nocturnal bush-babies. I also got into trouble this week, but I don’t feel it was really my fault. Now that summer is almost over, we’re not as busy doing programs. I’m bored. I need to work, and if my upright doesn’t provide me with work, I’ll create my own! So this week, I stole all of the covers off my upright’s bed after she made it. I dragged the blanket and comforter down the hallway, then bunched them up to create a cushy spot for myself. I thought I was helping her put clean sheets and blankets on her bed. I also found some dog treats that had been left in a jacket pocket. I ate a hole in the jacket and devoured the treats. They still tasted good, even though they were pretty old. I chased the cat; the cat chased me. Clearly, this is not my fault. I’m an innocent participant. The cat stares at me until I feel compelled to chase her. Then, I dug a hole in the yard. In my defense, the yard has become overrun with vicious vile Voles. Voles consume the roots of your plants such as bushes, flowers, and grass. I wanted to teach the vile vole a lesson. They kept popping their heads out of their holes, driving me crazy until I caught one. I don’t particularly enjoy playing with a ball, but I love tossing a vole high into the air and then catching it! I call this game “Flying Vole” and look forward to playing it again. The voles, however, do not enjoy this game, which is why I had to dig a hole in the backyard. I just wanted to play “Flying Vole!” Vacations are an excellent way to rekindle your inner joy and peace. Fortunately for me my upright loves me so much, she took me on vacation with her. We hiked to new places, visited waterfalls and lakes, and went for runs. One of my new favorite places is called Horse Head. It’s a campsite in the Buffalo Peaks wilderness. We hiked through a meadow next to a gurgling stream. Nature’s music is better than anything a “musician” could make. We listened to chirping birds, rustling leaves that swayed overhead, gurgling streams, and the pounding hooves of a deer. I chased squirrels and almost caught one! I was hungry for a little squirrel snack, but he climbed a tree before I could taste him. The next day we went for a run on one of my favorite trails: the Sante Fe Trail. We like to run from Palmer Lake to Monument, then stop in for Breakfast at the Coffee Cup. YUMMY! I love that place. They offer lots of delicious things to eat and the aromas of bacon, French toast, fresh coffee, and scrambled eggs waft through the morning breeze. Today, we hiked from Catamount Falls to Catamount Lake. The trail was steep and rocky, but my paws handled the tough terrain. We visited the waterfall, walked through a meadow named the Garden of Eden, and then hiked to the lake. The lake was beautiful. We discovered that there is a road to the lake, so we could have driven there. But I’m glad we hiked to the top! It made the vistas more breathtaking! Here’s my question for the week: “What is your favorite hike and why?” I hope everyone takes their dog for a hike. We love the fresh mountain air! My busy summer is ending, but I’ll always cherish the fond memories I have of visiting beautiful libraries, performing fun shows, and of belly rubs by sweet children. I visited some fun places this last week: Standley Lake and Arvada Libraries in Denver and the Golden Library in Golden, CO. The libraries offered a cool respite to the warm weather. I enjoyed taking multiple walks by the river in Golden! Families were inner-tubing in the river and I wanted to join; it looked like a lot of fun! This week, I’d like to share my story of how I came to be a part of my upright’s (Denise Gard’s) life. I was born on March 2nd (Dr. Seuss’ birthday) to a backyard breeder. I was supposed to be a show dog. But one of my front teeth refused to develop. I guess I needed dental work, maybe even doggie braces, but the backyard breeder decided she didn’t want me anymore. She had so many of us young dogs trapped in her tiny house that I felt claustrophobic. This backyard breeder also decided not to feed me since she couldn’t sell me for $600. This backyard breeder kept us in cages all the time. But at least in my crate, the other dogs didn’t bite me or growl at me. I didn’t even have a mat or blanket in my crate. I spent hour after hour in this lonely dungeon without food, water, blankets, toys, or even a bathroom break. When my upright, Denise, decided she wanted a dog, she drove to this dog breeder’s house. My upright, Denise, was appalled at the conditions in which my brothers and sisters lived. She adopted me first and then turned the woman in to the Humane Society. The backyard breeder is no longer in business (as far as we know). I’ll always remember the first time I met my upright. She took me on a walk around the block. She wanted to see if we would connect. As we rounded the block and headed back to the backyard breeder’s house I hung back. I nosed Denise’s leg and tried to plead with her to not make me go back. She says, “That’s when I knew Sienna was the dog for me.” Only my name wasn’t Sienna. The backyard breeder had named me Eni. It was a horrible name. I much prefer Sienna! And even though I was over a year old, I quickly adapted to my new name. After my upright rescued me, I quickly gained weight and strength. I’m happy to say that I can now outrun her! And I never, ever have to be crated unless I want to be... Next week, I’ll tell you some funny stories from when I first moved into my upright’s home! Even though summer is ending, my blog will continue. Thank you so much for reading! This last week, I travelled to Pueblo to perform my Brave Dog show for their libraries. I even visited a library named Barkman! I entered the Barkman library and expected it to be staffed by Border Collies like me, Poodles, and some German Shepherds, but I was the only dog there. They did have some cute stuffed dogs located on a shelf. I really, really wanted to play with the Collie, but I wasn’t allowed. After our show, my upright (Denise) and I visited the Barkman park. We had a picnic under a canopy of trees. I rolled in the cool grass, watched bugs crawl, and listened to birds sing. While in Pueblo, we also visited their beautiful new library branches, the river walk in Pueblo, and several more parks. It was fun performing in Pueblo. I enjoyed sharing my stories with the enthusiastic audiences. But I also saw a dragon while in Pueblo. He was black with red. Flames shot from his nostrils! He hissed and snarled. I tried to run away from him, but my upright hung on to my leash. She wasn’t scared of the huge dragon, but she should have been. Doesn’t she realize that dragons enjoy eating uprights? Dragons often kidnap female uprights and add them to their horde of gold! The dragon hung in the air, floating on his hot breath. My eyes were round with fright. My upright told me, “Sienna, be brave. Remember you’re performing stories about heroic dogs! Find your inner hero.” I faced the dragon. I wanted to run, but I thought I should show the dragon my teeth and then growl at it. I can’t allow a dragon to steal my upright. After all, who will feed me my dinner if she becomes a dragon snack? My upright sighed, and said, “Sienna, that’s not a dragon. It’s just a hot air balloon.” Humans always think they know everything, but I’m telling you that it was not a hot air balloon; it was a dragon. A big round fire-breathing dragon that wanted me for a snack. My upright claims I have an overactive imagination... But when the dragon coats her with barbeque sauce and roasts her with his fire, she’ll know dragons are real! This week’s question should be easy for you! Here it is, “Do you have a favorite story about a dragon? Tell me the title and author of the story in the comment section.” Help me overcome my fear of Dragons with some good books to read! This week included shows at libraries in Nederland, Westminster, Conifer, Denver, and Ault Colorado. I performed both my Brave Dog and my Super Dog shows to the delight of many children. Before I tell you about my week and my problems with Kitty, I’d like to thank Harlan, Sheila, and Rebecca for answering my question last week. You all answered correctly! Exercise does make both the dog and their owner happier and healthier! Rebecca answered the question first, so you earned yourself an autographed picture of my adorable face! Send your address to my upright, Denise, at storycreations@yahoo.com. I also performed at a birthday party for Jaret! Jaret turned 8, the same age as me! I enjoyed sharing his special day with him! We bonded while I helped my upright tell stories about the constellations. I love looking at the stars, but I am terrified of the full moon! You see, I believe the full moon is really a monster’s eye staring at me. My upright has told me numerous times that it’s just the moon, but I think she’s wrong. I think it’s really a monster watching me! Not only is a monster watching my every move, but there’s a kitty, named KITTY, who waits for me to enter her territory. If I come within even a few feet of her, she charges at me, meows, and then extends her claws. I think Kitty believes she’s really the Wolverine from those movies. And she must think I’m the enemy. She does not like me! I’ve tried wagging my tail to show her my friendly intentions, but that just makes her swat at my tail. I’ve crept close to her and showed her my friendliest face, but she just hisses and glares. I’ve tried playing with her, but she just runs away. I’m not sure what else to do. So, the question for this week’s blog is, “Do you have any suggestions or ideas to make Kitty like me?” “Can dogs and cats really learn to love one another?” I’ll read through every response and try them out. The one that is the most creative and offers the best advice will receive an autographed picture of my adorable face! This week I traveled to Riffle, Colorado which is a beautiful town in the mountains. I felt rejuvenated by the cool mountain air. We performed shows in Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Silt, Parachute, and Riffle. The audiences were large, enthusiastic, and fun. I love it when an audience enjoys my tricks. Our hotel in Riffle was right next to a running path so every morning my upright, Denise, took me for an invigorating run or walk. Then I’d nap while she beautified herself for our shows (She takes a long time). Fortunately, she doesn’t have to do too much for me except brush my fur and teeth. Then we’d travel to the library and perform. In this show, I’m Super Dog and I rescue sheep from a wily wolf! I am also supposed to rescue a kitty from a fire, but I refuse to save her. I’d much rather chew on kitty, slobber on kitty, and sometimes even squash kitty! I enjoyed visiting Riffle Falls State Park. The waterfall really does create an oasis of greenery. Water sprayed my fur while the scent of raccoons, birds, and squirrels titillated my nose. I couldn’t stop sniffing the air and grass! We hiked in the park and found a shady spot perfect for relaxing in the beautiful Colorado outdoors. I was sad to leave Riffle and hope to travel back there one day. In last week’s, blog, I asked the question, “How many times a week does my upright brush my fur?” Virginia and Zoe answered the question correctly. They commented, “Every day!” Good job, Zoe. I’ll send you a picture soon! Here’s the next question, “Why is it important to exercise your dog even if you have a backyard for them?” The first person to respond correctly will receive an autographed picture of my beautiful furry face! This week was full of shows, travel, and tummy troubles! I started the week with Monday off. My upright performed an origami program at the Englewood library. I was very upset that I didn’t go, so I sat by the window and searched for her. When she did finally return home, I let her know I was upset by only allowing her to rub my tummy a few times. Then I sulked in the corner, watching her every move. Tuesday, we had a bunch of shows in Denver, including one of my favorite libraries—Bemis library in Littleton. The audience was wonderful! They cheered and laughed; they clapped and whistled. I felt loved! On Wednesday, my upright (Denise Gard), Craig Dayberry (her boyfriend), and I left for Oklahoma. The car ride was long, but the rest areas in Kansas were very nice. The humidity made me uncomfortable and miserable. I just wanted to stay inside by the air conditioner! I performed a show in Enid, Oklahoma on Thursday in their auditorium. The auditorium was beautiful and very cool (which I liked), but my tummy began doing flip-flops. By Thursday evening, I didn’t want to eat anything. My upright was concerned and tried to cool me down by rubbing ice cubes on my paws. She even gave me some medicine. But I was miserable. Unfortunately, we had to leave Friday morning to drive to Fayetteville, Arkansas. I didn’t want to eat or drink anything. I didn’t even want to go for a walk. My upright became so worried that she contacted my vet and gave me more medicine. My upright began to cry, which made me concerned. Now we were both miserable. I guess it was a good thing Craig Dayberry was there, because he calmed my upright and then went to PetSmart to buy me some canned dog food. (I might even let him rub my belly later!) At first, I put my nose up, and refused to eat the canned food. But he’s a funny upright. He added water to the canned dog food and heated it up. He turned it into a gravy! He even tried some (he might have been pretending to eat the dog food, but it definitely peeked my interest). I licked the water gravy and realized that I was hungry and thirsty. I was on the road to recovery. Traveling with animals is challenging in the summertime. We become hot easily and we might even refuse to drink water (which is very dangerous). One way my upright encouraged me to drink water was by wetting a washcloth and then draping it over my eyes and nose. The washcloth was cool and I began to lick the water droplets. They tasted good, plus I enjoyed the texture of the washcloth. If I hadn’t begun eating and drinking water, my upright would have taken me to an emergency vet, because I’m important to her. If your dog stops eating and drinking, call your vet within 24 hours. Animals cannot survive without water! No one has answered my question from last week, so I’ll ask again, “How often does my upright brush me?” :) Happy July 4th! I hope you celebrated with hotdogs, hamburgers, pie, and ice-cream. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. The smells that waft from the kitchen titillate my nose and make my stomach grumble, but I also enjoy the yummy food at July 4th celebrations. But my upright doesn’t let me have ice-cream, so I’m not very happy with her right now. I hope you kept your furry pets indoors when the rockets, firecrackers, and sparklers popped, whizzed, and banged! Those loud noises scare us. I curled up on my upright’s bed and stuck my nose and face between her pillows. I closed my eyes and dreamed I was hiking in Black Forest Park! So, on July 5th, my upright took me for a nice hike in one of my favorite parks—Black Forest Park! She must have read my mind. We had a great week of shows in places like Lakewood Library, Johnstown, Manitou Springs, and Clearview Library. I was impressed with all of the kids at the shows—for uprights they know how to behave and sit when they are told. They’re a lot like puppies, only less furry! There were a couple of kids who really sounded like kitties when they meowed! In fact, one upright named Ruth was not only a great kitty, but she also won my contest. Ruth answered my question, “Who is my favorite WWI dog hero?” Ruth answered, “Stubby.” So, Ruth will receive an autographed picture of my furry face! We performed in a castle at the Johnstown public library! I spoke with a wizard who told me to watch out for flying dragons. He said that a dragon might snatch me. If I’m caught by a dragon, he would carry me to his cave and then eat me! Since I don’t want that to happen, I search the sky on a daily basis. One day I saw a dragon, it breathed fire and seemed to glide in the sky. It hung above me and hissed. I laid flat in the grass and played dead, but my upright pulled my leash and urged me to walk. But I couldn’t. My legs refused to move. My eyes bulged from their sockets and I let out a faint whimper right before I fainted. When I regained consciousness, my upright told me that it hadn’t been a dragon at all. It was a hot-air balloon. She might think it was a balloon, but I think it was really a dragon in disguise! I will continue watching the sky for fire-breathing dragons! My next question is, “How often does my upright, Denise, brush me?” This is an easy question. The first child to respond will receive an autographed photo of my adorable fluffy self.” |
Sienna, The Smartest Border Collie!I'm a red and white Border Collie. I love performing with my upright, Denise Gard. I call all humans uprights, just so you know! This blog will detail all of my adventures and contain some useful dog tips for all dog lovers! Archives
August 2017
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