The Misadventures of Jackson and Poe

A Year in Review

2011-01-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

With 2010 over and 2011 all shiny and new I reflect back on the wonderful year I had with my collie crew. Because I'm a horrible blogger you missed out on the misadventures of 2010. So here is the duo's year in review! You might want to get a cup of coffee and settle in for the long haul.

January

- Big trip to North Carolina to see best friend and run in a flyball tournament!
- Poe earned her FDCh-G (2,500 points)

February

- Snow, Snow Snow! We had 2 blizzards in a week, both storms dumped over 2 feet .

- Jackson's Gotcha Day

- A little flyball :)

- Not enough disc :(

Hello?? Anyone out there?

My big brother is so MEAN! I'm just a little girl!

She totally deserved it. she's a brat

Alabama Dog is SICK of Snow

March

All about Poe

- Lots of flyball!

- No Snow! Yay!

- No disc! Boo!

Photos by my ever so talented best friend :)

April

All about Jackson

- Disc season started! Jackson finally gets to play! Woohoo!

- Did a few demos, including the March for the Animals in Baltimore.

- Poe ended up in the Baltimore Sun's Weekend in Photos slideshow!

Hey look, no snow on the ground!

May

- Lots of competing between disc and flyball

- Back down to North Carolina for disc dog qualifier

- Jackson wins Novice Open Division
- Poe comes in 3rd for Novice Sport Division?!

- More disc competitions and demos

- Flyball! Poe's happy

- Poe earned her FM!!!! (5,000 points)

All this for me?*

* Jackson suffers for poor self-esteem

My first disc award!

Iz earned another title?! Go me :) I rock*

*Poe does not suffer from poor self-esteem

June

- Setsail is super brave and takes both dogs to a 2 day tournament with camping.

- Jackson rocked the house and brought home a whole car full of hardware. Even Poe won a ribbon :)

- Jackson, along with his buddy Steele, win Baltimore's Best Singing Dog contest :)

- Poe once again ends up in the Baltimore Sun's slideshow lol.

- Jackson starts a canine musical freestyle class so he can sing and dance!
- Jackson and Poe compete at the NE Regional Qualifier.
- Jackson was awesome, winning both Novice Open and Sport divisions
- Poe, not so much.

This is my first camping trip. Do I like camping?

Yeah, I like camping! But less disc, more flyball!

Haha! This is me embarrassing you!

July

- Poe beats the heat at the neighborhood beach.

- Poe's gotcha day!!!!

- And we end the month with flyball :)

Beginning to think she is part otter

August

- Pack up the collie kids and head to New York for a competition

- More camping, this time with Poe's best border collie friend, Sky :)

*sigh* No pictures because mom is a lazy tool *sigh*

September

- Flyball = happy Poe

- Disc = happy Jack

- Travel = Tired Setsail

- Another camping trip with lots of disc dog friends :)

- Went to Chattanooga, TN to watch the World Disc Dog Finals

- Jackson won Novice Open at the Last chance qualifier in TN

Why are there no pictures of me playing....hum?

The kids hanging out in their swanky hotel room in TN

October

- Heading with our team to Indianapolis, IN for Can-Am

- Largest flyball tournament ever with 3 days of racing

- Setsail realizes she is too old to drive overnight and race in the morning

Holy Hell that was a long drive!

I got my ball. I is proud of myself

November

- Poe earned her FMX (10,000 points)

- No disc for Jackson but here he his with his October ribbons

So what you're saying is that stay doesn't mean creeping up behind you?

Mother, really, a pile of leaves as a prop? So old school.

The old man takes a much deserved break until 2011

December

- Happy Holidays!

- No disc, no flyball, no traveling

- *deep breath*

It was an awesome year. Time to rest up for 2011

The collie crew gave me an amazing year:

3 Flyball titles for Poe

3 Novice Open wins for Jackson

8 States with competitions in MD, VA, PA, DE, NY, NC, IN, TN

12 months of memories and good times

And here is your medal for making it this far :)

Happy New Year!!! May 2011 be wonderful for you and those you hold dear.

2011....Bring it On.....I'm ready

What do you mean there's no Santa?

2010-12-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and (almost) happy new year from the collie crew! I know, I know. It's been a while my friends but lets see if I keep one of my resolutions this year. Jackson and Poe wish to say hello and hope you had a happy holiday.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! I'm so excited!!!

What are so excited about Poe? You know Santa isn't real right? I mean, what are you, a puppy?
What do you mean there's No Santa?

This is just a bad dream. I'll dream of Santa and he will be real.

SANTA!!!! You are real!! I knew it!

*Jackson whispers*

I still believe in you Santa

So a few days late, but Happy Holidays! We hope 2011 will be a good one for you!

Happy Gotcha Day Little Buddy!

2010-02-21T12:15:00.001-08:00

6 years ago today I got a little (well, not that little) wild border collie that changed my life forever. Thank you for being the best dog you can be and helping me be the best person I can hope to be.

In the last year Jackson has proven once again that he is always learning. He earned his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and did so well that the evaluator didn't even believe his background. He has started training for flyball at the age of 9 (well, estimated...he really thinks he is 5 but he can't read a calendar. The best thing about not having a birthday is that you can be as old as you feel). He has been jumping higher, running faster and pushing me harder everyday.

When asked to describe Jackson's story is just 6 words the only thing I could come up with was "right time, right car, right life". Everyday Jackson proves to me that what is meant to be will be. It is hard to dismiss fate when you trace his journey as wild stray in rural Colorado to a loving family dog living on the east coast. He is one of the lucky ones that was discarded but found the place he was meant to be all along. Which is in my lap, on my couch, in my life and in my heart.

So Jackson, happy gotcha day little buddy.

I have a blog?! What blog?

2009-12-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have a big problem with follow through! I have been extremely lax with my blog entries for the last oh.......4 months.

Mother, I'm disappointed in you

What, you don't want to tell people about us? *sniff*

Way to lay it on thick you two.....

In the last 4 months things have been a little hectic. The setsails have bought the terrible twosome a little collie cottage on the coast. Then the Poester decided that she was going to be a flyball star and started competing long before the humans were ready. Jackson has his schedule full of competitions and guest appearances. Then of course there is work, ya know, what pays for all the kibble!

Sorry for the lack of info on the mischief makers and I'll try to catch ya'll up on the misadventures of Jackson and Poe!

That's right Mom. And you better not do it again.

Casa del Collies

2009-09-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

*Jingle Jingle*

What could that sound be?

*Jingle Jingle*

Could it be the keys to a new house for the duo of destruction?

Why YES! Yes it is!!!!

After 5 long years of waiting for us human to get our stuff together we finally got the fur face a house of his own. And hopefully fabio-dog can help make some of the payments.

Mama, you so funny

Guess not.

Anywho, we signed our financial life away for 30 years and got the keys in our hot little hands. The dynamic duo are going to be so happy. There is a big yard in the back, a huge deck, a beach up the street, and a nice boardwalk on the water in the next town over. What more could a collie want except for the beach to be full of sheeps?

So, welcome to the Casa del Collies

Hopefully the collies will be happy in their new digs. If not, they can do what they do best, turn tricks and make some $$.

Wait, that doesn't sound quite right.

In Honor of "Shark Week"

2009-08-02T18:17:00.001-07:00

Nom nom Nom nom NomNomNomNOMNOM

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water

Danger appears from beneath the waves
Swimmers flee the water in a panic

SHARK!!!!!!!!!!!!

The cold and lifeless eyes

*Those eyes....they haunt my dreams*

The mouthful of razor sharp teeth

But sharks are mostly misunderstood

Most attacks are warnings
Or cases of mistaken identity

But after terrorizing the public the shark is finally caught

Whew! We're safe! But I think I'll stick to the beach from now on

From the movie Jaws

[about to go looking for the shark]

Brody: On the water?

Hooper: Well, if we're looking for a shark we're not gonna find him on the land.

Wanna bet?!

Nom nom Nom nom NomNomNomNOMNOM

Happy Gotcha day Little Poe!

2009-07-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

One year ago today we decided to adopt the cutest little crazy dog east of the Mississippi. After too many late nights on petfinder DH found his dog:

The cutest little freckles, the impish look on the cutest little face. The fluffy little skunk tail, the batshitcrazy eyes. He had to have her. It was only after I spent minutes fawning over her that he broke the news to me that she was in Alabama.

what?!

Somehow my DH managed to convince me that driving 16 hours from Maryland to Alabama to look at a little dog we knew nothing about was not the epitome of crazy. So we packed up the car, packed up Jack and drove overnight to the deep south. As we arrive to the foster mom's house the skies open, thunder booms and I'm sure the angels were snickering at us as we saw our new little girl for the first time. She was even cuter in person and so calm in her crate. Then we let her out and quickly realized that she was completely insane. And we were completely in love.

Most of my pictures from the drive home looked like this. Now you can see what the world looks like through my eyes. Kind of trippy isn't it?

The feeling was NOT the same for Jackson. A month of growls and pouts and temper tantrums, but the little dog never stopped trying to be his friend. Finally one night Jackson decided to play with this thing in his house and they have been inseparable ever since.

Life with poe hasn't been boring. She is smart, creative and hell on wheels. The e-vet number is on the fridge for the late night calls of "My dog ate......". She has an affinity for laundry. The vets groan when she comes into the room. She is quite the little klepto.

Poe has been the perfect addition to our family. She makes us laugh everyday and pushes us to be better trainers and owners. She has found her calling in the flyball lanes and it has been an adventure to see her blossom into a happy, confident, funloving dog. However we are still working on the whole disc dog thing lol.

She has been the best little sister for Jackson. She knows when to push and when to back off and her love of life has brightened up his outlook on the world. Her happiness with strangers and need for attention has pulled Jackson out of his shell. Nothing like a little sibling rivalry to overcome a little fear of people.

She loves her brother, loves her dad, loves her ball and loves life. And everyday I give thanks to the rescue that pulled her from the shelter before that spark could be extinguished.

So Little Miss Poe, thanks for being just the thing we didn't know we needed :) Thanks for being the best little sister for our quirky boy Jack. Thanks for just being you, you spunky little thing. And thanks for all of the gray hair on my head. Happy gotcha day little girl. The last year has been a wild ride and we look forward to rest of the trip. Can't wait to see what you will come up with next

I licked a kong and I liked it....

2009-06-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

I Licked a Kong and I Liked It

sung to "I kissed a girl"

This was never the way I planned, not my intention

I got so brave, peanut butter inside, lost my discretion

It's not what I'm used to, just wanna try this treat

I'm curious for you caught my attention

I licked a kong and I liked it

The taste of its peanut butter

I licked a kong just to try it

I hope my food bowl don't mind it

It felt so wrong, it felt so right

Don't mean I'll skip dinner tonight

I licked a kong and I liked it

I liked it

No, I don't even know what’s inside, it doesn't matter

You're my little after dinner game, just canine nature

It's not what good dogs do, not how they should behave

My tongue gets so confused, hard to obey

I licked a kong and I liked it

The taste of its peanut butter

I licked a kong just to try it

I hope my food bowl don't mind it

It felt so wrong, it felt so right

Don't mean I'll skip dinner tonight

I licked a kong and I liked it

I liked it

This kong is so magical

Hard rubber, red sides, so fillable

Hard to resist, so lickable

Too good to deny it

It ain't no big deal, it's edible

I licked a kong and I liked it

The taste of its peanut butter

I licked a kong just to try it

I hope my food bowl don't mind it

It felt so wrong, it felt so right

Don't mean I'll skip dinner tonight

I licked a kong and I liked it

I liked it

Jackson and Poe spent the weekend on a college campus for a competition where they put us up in the dorms for the night. Jackson buckled down and worked hard all weekend but Poe let the college experience go to her head. While Jackson tried to go to bed early and study his notes for tomorrow's freestyle, Poe spent the night whoopin' it up in the dorms. And after a few peanut butter hits she got a little crazy:

Well look who I found?! Hello there Mr. Kong

What do I need a desk for? We aren't studying!

Why do I always get the party animal roommate? I've gotta get up early tomorrow for a test

NomNomNom...I love you kong

Random college hook-up

I've had way too much peanut butter tonight. Man I'm WASTED

Oh man! That's the RA! We're busted!!

What, a party, drinking, tomfoolery? Happening here? No way? I was just studying.

Hey, that's college.

Free to good home....2 collie/demon mixes

2009-05-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

The rain hasn't stopped for like 2 weeks. If it isn't raining, it is cloudy so nothing is drying out. After Jackson almost wrecked his knee last spring running on wet grass and Poe's habit for dangerous gymnastics and NASCAR impersonations I'm hesitant to let the dog run too much on the swamp we used to call a field.

So what does that leave me with? 2 very very very very very very bored collies. Poe at least has flyball and obedience class to take the edge off, but poor Jackson. I can't stop moving without a stinky slimy stuffed frog shoved in my face. All.the.time. I throw Mr.Frog, Poe steals Mr.Frog, Jackson cries, and I end up with a cold wet collie nose poking me in the face.

And I'm getting a bit bored myself. I don't like being trapped inside for weeks on end. Too much time alone and boredom make me do crazy things, like use my dogs as props:

As you can imagine, this quickly turned into a game of musical chairs, which started a fight.

Siblings.

*sigh*
And the forecast for the rest of the week:

Rain, Rain, Rain, Thunderstorm, Rain.

Are you shitting me?!

SPCA March for the Animals

2009-04-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Jackson and I participated in a disc dog demo for the SPCA. He had a blast. He got to be on TV, got cheered by the crowd and got to meet a giant turtle. All in one day! He was a real super star. He helped the newswoman deliver a live teaser for the morning news show all by himself! I got to be a total stage mom and make hand puppets behind the cameraman while he posed and modeled his good lookin' self. Then he got to play frisbee for the camera. Now that he has been on TV he let the stardom go to his head. After his TV spot he forgot the little people, snubbing treats from friends. Gotta get that ego in check.

During his demo he was having a lot of fun. Enjoy:

We love doing demos. It is fun to just play with my dog without pressure. People are always happy to see the dogs fly. And Jackson is a true Cinderella story. This gives us a chance to talk about his background and show what a rescue can do! It also helps people realize that anyone can get out there and start competing. I am not the most talented and Jackson isn't the fastest, but with some hardwork we can manage to improve lol.

The 45,670th reason that Poe is "special"

2009-04-14T06:54:00.001-07:00

We have 2 very nice braided fleece tugs made for us by a friend. The other night we are playing with the longer tug and Poe was assaulted. The crime scene investigation lays out the crime. See the case file below:

Victim: species-Canine sex-female name-Poe
Witness: species- Human sex-female name-Setsail

The complaint: The tug was wrapped around the victim's back leg. One end of the tug was being held by the witness. The other end was in the victim's mouth. The victim was pulling on the tug toy when she was assaulted by something resembling a foot to the side of the head. The victim was assaulted by the foot repeatedly until the victim dropped the tug from her mouth and attacked the assault weapon.

Detective's notes: The assailant turned out to be the victim's own foot. Apparently with the tug wrapped around the back leg, every time the victim tugged on the tug toy her back leg would fling out, kicking herself in the face. The victim, not seeing the connection between the paw to the face and the tugging motion being made with her mouth continued to play with the witness, repeatedly kicking herself in the face until the victim attacked her assailant. No injuries were sustained during the attack.

Charges filed: The victim has decided not to press charges at this time. However she had vowed revenge on the witness for laughing at her and a restraining order my be issued against the attacking foot.

Yup, everytime she tugged she got kicked in the face until she finally growled and attacked her own foot. Yes, Poe resource guarded the tug from herself. And this is why Poe is so special.

border collies.............the smartest breed.

Until Poe

Border collie moves

2009-04-01T08:10:00.001-07:00

Having 2 young agile athletic dogs in the same house makes play time so much fun. They make up little games with each other and moves that would even awe Matrix special effect directors. Here is just a sampling of their most common moves:

The Flying Squirrel: Poe is about half of Jackson's size, making it very hard to wipe him out. Enter the flying squirrel. Poe will climb to a high height such as the bed or the couch. She will jump out to Jackson with all 4 legs extended, hind legs a little further out than her front legs. All legs are spread as far as possible to achieve maximum surface area at time of impact in the hopes of toppling the giant. Considering that Jackson isn't paralyzed or stupid, this doesn't often work because he just steps to the side or duck and watches her crash into the ground. She also greatly underestimates the sheer strength of the brute because the few times she has hit him with the flying squirrel she just bounces off his side and falls onto the floor while Jackson looks over his shoulder rolling his eyes at her.

The Paw biter: This is usually the secondary attack strategy after an ill fated flying squirrel mission. After crashing into the floor Poe will roll into Jackson, snapping at his ankles. He usually stops this by sitting on her.

The 'Possum: Poe will innocently lay in the dog bed or on the couch, luring her victim into a false sense of security. When Jackson walks by she will suddenly lunge out, gnaw on his ear and promptly fall back asleep. The possum can also be used in the middle of paw to paw combat in combination with the paw biter. The fur is flying and Poe will suddenly fall over. Jackson stands over to investigate, leaving him open to a paw biter attack.

Ring Around the Poesy: This is a spin off of the possum. Poe will lay on her side in the middle of the floor. Jackson will circle her carefully like one would a live bomb. At some point Poe will spring to life and jump on his head.

Cartoon Ninja: During a stand off Poe will stand on her hind legs, front legs bend down with her head turned to the side. Finally she makes her move and walks up to him on her hind legs, snakes her head to the side and goes for the neck/head. It is called the cartoon ninja because if you listen closely you can almost hear the "Waaaaaaawaaaaaaaaaa" in her head before she strikes. However, it can also be labeled the velicoraptor.

My Ass is Bigger Than YoursTM: This is a trademark move for Jackson. When Poe comes in for an attack he will body check her with his bum. Then spin in a circle, pushing her away with his big hairy rear. This is usually the point where Poe will attempt a flying squirrel out of ineffectual rage.

TIMBER!!!!!!: Another Jackson move. Poe will hook a paw over his back and pull him down. He will exaggerate the fall, roll on his back and expose his belly. Poe moves in for the kill, but Jackson flips back on his feet and smacks her as she falls face first into the carpet.

I'm bigger, the end: When Jackson needs a break he will just sit on Poe's head. He will lay on top of her and occasionally spoon her. A nice homey scene except for the crazy legs. You can't see Poe, but you can see her legs flailing like a beetle stuck on it's back.

Circus Pony: Jackson will stand in place and prance like a pony. Poe will be laying on her back under him and will try to catch his legs as they dance.

The Berserker: Poe might be tiny, but she is mighty. Jackson might be bigger but Poe is crazier. She demonstrates this by wrinkling her puppy face into a rather comical snarl while emitting high pitched yips and squeals. She will paw at the ground and rub her face in the carpet like a bull, give a scream and flying squirrel into Jackson. Usually Jackson just side steps and looks at me saying "that there is one CRAZY bitch". The Berserker either ends in poe zoomies or Jackson puts a stop to it with I'm bigger than you, the end.

So there is just a sample of their antics. Conversations in our house go a lot like this:

"Jackson Timbered on Poe and she paw bit him. He started to bum bump her and she totally flying squirrelled his ass!"

I really need to get these moves on video. I'm thinking pay-per-view.

How Poe got her name

2009-03-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

When we adopted Poe her name was Jasmine. We quickly realized that this little charmer was going to need something a little more unique and started brainstorming. My husband is an english teacher and apparently in my sleep I told him that he could name our next dog.

Going on a literature theme we tried Juliet, Raven, and Puck. She didn't respond to a single name. Not even Jasmine even though she had that name for about 2-3 months at that time. My DH has always been an Edgar Allan Poe fan. He has always wanted to name a female border collie "Poe". When I ever pictured a Poe I had a mental image of a small, intense, dark border collie with upright ears in a classic border collie crouch. I did not picture this:

I made a deal that if she responded we could keep it. So far the dog was only responding to "spastic little shit" at this point so I figured I was safe and we would keep looking. "Spastic little shit" was dozing in her crate when DH said "Hi Poe!". Well let me tell you. "Spastic little shit" jumped up, eyes bright, ears up. She started wiggling and dancing, licking the bars on her crate. Every time we said Poe we got the same reaction.

So Poe she became.

It took us about 2 states later to finally make the leap that Poe sounds just like No. As crazy as she was I'm sure she got "NO!" yelled at her so much that she probably thought her name was No. She was probably thinking "Hey, these freaks know my name...No!".

So yes.....Poe kept her name and will respond to Poe and No with the same enthusiam.

"Hi my name is No, No, Bad dog, what's your name?"

Pomp and Circumstance

2009-03-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

After 7 weeks, Poe has graduated from Basic Obedience. She did pretty well in class and rightfully earned the title Class Clown. Just a brief run down of her antics:

- Wrapped herself in her leash like a present
- Hogtied me to her with her leash
- Stole her practice "leave it" cookie every class
- Stole the other dog's "leave it" cookie
- Drooled on the floor during stay exercises
- When confused her default behavior was to spin on her hind legs like a ballerina
- Jumped all over the trainers
- Started holding on to the trainers' legs when they ignored her jumping
- Wrapped her paws around the trainers' leg and held on while they walked away
- Stole the entire plastic bag full of cut up hot dog bits and ran around the room
- I'm sure there are more but post-traumatic amnesia has set in

Poe loved class. She loved the challenge, she loved making a scene, she loved seeing new people. She did very well and has come a long way from the dog that jumped on my dining room table the day she came home. Wait. She did that last week. Never mind.

And major props to the trainers. They never got frustrated, they enjoyed her zest for life and helped me realize that even with manners, crazy will always be crazy. They recognized that her enthusiasm is a gift and we should harness it, not fight it.

So Poesy is moving up to intermediate and was recommended for a tricks class. Yup, poesy will be turning tricks.

And surprisingly enough, she has NOT eaten her diploma.

Snow Day!

2009-03-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

So March decided to come in like a lion and dumped about 8inches of snow on us. Hello? Spring? Where are you? Nothing like hearing about a foot of snow and the DC cherry blossoms all in the same news broadcast.

Being from Alabama we assume (of course...we know how that saying goes) that little miss Poe has probably never seen the white stuff. Jackson lives for snow so he was EXCITED to put it mildly. We all woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed (well, Jackson anyway) and headed out for some fun in the snow. I risked the wintry camera killing snow and took some pictures of the kids taking a snow day. Enjoy.

Beneath his sweet face lurks the heart of a beastie:

An Abominable Snow Beastie

Ready to spring on unsuspecting Southerners

Run Poe Run

Old Man Winter is after you!

A Poe in the Snow
Beat down to commence in 5....4....3....2....1

HaHa! I beat old man winter!

Everyone had fun playing in the white stuff. We get all dried off and headed up for a nap and some hot chocolate

WHAT?!?! NO HOT CHOCOLATE?!
You've GOT to be kidding me woman.

And if you find spring can you send it back? Mother Nature really needs a GPS. And a calendar.

Bonding time with Dad

2009-02-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

For the first time since Poe has joined the family I had to travel overnight for work. Two full nights away from home. Two long nights for the husband (DH).

Now, major props to the hubs this week. He loves to spend time with the crazy collies and couldn't wait for 2 nights alone with Jack and Poe. Manly meals of pepperoni and cheese for the man-beasts and embarrassment-free snugglefests and baby talk with his princess. He was ready with his lists of training homework, his clicker and treats. And his pen and paper so he could take notes for the blog post that will surely be generated out of this experience.

The husband decides that taking the kids into public alone can't be too hard. He loads them up in the car and takes them to a wonderful boardwalk close to home. There are people to watch, dogs to greet, seagulls to watch, water to smell.....................oh honey, how did you ever think this would go smoothly?

It started smoothly. Oh how such a short sentence can hold so much meaning. Everything was going well until Poe met a new friend. While meeting new friends is all in good, it helps if these friends don't have wings, don't fly, don't shit on your head and aren't currently flying over water. Poe tries to fit through the slats in the pier to meet her new seagull friend who we can call Bob. While Poesy can swim, this is really not the time or place. The husband blocks her. Crisis averted. But Poe once again shows her true brains and determination and figures if you can't go through something you might as well go over and starts trying to scale the railing. Well Shit. When that didn't work she jumps into his arms and tries to go over the rail. Well Double Shit. Thank god for DH's ninja like reflexes as he catches her and puts her back on the ground. Meanwhile, Bob isn't helping, still flying lazily overhead.

Fu*k you Bob.

Not to be shown up by his little sister Jackson shows just how smart he is. He is so smart that he can conjugate verbs, mainly the verb "to sing":

According to Merriam-Webster SING means:

1 a: to produce musical tones by means of the voice

b: to utter words in musical tones and with musical inflections and modulations

c: to deliver songs as a trained or professional singer

2: to make a shrill whining or whistling sound

3 a: to relate or celebrate something in verse

b: to compose poetry

c: to create in or through words a feeling or sense of song

4: to produce musical or harmonious sounds

According to Jackson sing means:

to channel his inner coyote and yodel, yip and howl so loud that there is no hope for slinking casually away, hoping no one recognizes when you return 6 months later.

Two women walk by and in conversation says "Whahahah ahahahahah singing whahahhawhahaha". Jackson quickly realizes that singing is a related form to sing according to Merriam-Webster and breaks out a howl like none other. People stop, staring slack-jawed at the tones emitting from his pointy little collie head. Jackson takes the stage and sings with all of his heart, dazzling his audience with eye drum splitting octave jumps. His audience grows, astonished that only 50lbs could push out that pitch for so long, much like Mariah Carey .

DH tries to quiet them but suddenly finds himself like most dads, woefully unprepared for the situation. Without even a crumb of a treat he is hard pressed to distract Jackson from his ever-growing audience. The husband stares into the crowd, seeing the cop car turning onto the street. Oh dear....there is no way to describe this scene without using the words "disturbing the peace". DH grabs the kids and bolts for the car. It might be a while before we can show our faces on the boardwalk, but hey, if you have to leave go out with a bang.

Dads might not do the job like mom, but they get the job done.

*love you honey*

Happy Gotcha Day little buddy!!!!!!

2009-02-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

Five years ago this week my life turned upside down. My best friend was leaving for Africa and I agreed to keep one of the dogs she had rescues 9 months earlier. I loved dogs, but hadn't had one as an adult and what little I knew about border collies was enough to make me realize that I would NEVER have one. But my friend needed help and Jackson needed a home so I thought, what the hell? Never mind that I was broke. Never mind that I wasn't allowed to have dogs in my apartment and would have to hide a 50 lb collie. I made my one and only impulse decision and offered to keep Jackson.

Jackson was found 9 months prior as a wild stray in eastern Colorado. Emaciated, flea ridden, matted and feral, he stepped out in front of my friend's truck while she was driving into the middle of nowhere for research. She managed to get him and his brother into the truck and took them into her life. She vetted them, cared for them and trained them. She drove them back east hoping they would have a better shot at being adopted. Her parents ended up with Wiley and I ended up with Jackson. After returning from Africa Wiley came to live with her again and the boys were back together.

This Jackson on his first day. Skinny, sunbleached and scared out of his mind. He's ideal weight is 50lbs. Here he was in the high 20-low 30 lb range. He was almost half his ideal weight.

So not only did I suddenly have a border collie, I had a wild border collie that had been starved, neglected and abandoned. I had no money for behaviorists or classes so with the help of some wonderful advice from online friends, books, and unlimited patience we slowly because to heal. Happy, content and looking good, Jackson has made great strides in accepting people into his life. His strong spirit and willingness to trust has helped turn him into a wonderful companion.

He has handled his transition from feral stray to high profile city dog with style, grace and humor.

We have made one heck of a team on and off the field as we helped each other through numerous challenges and periods of loneliness. With my best friend abroad and my husband in grad school Jackson was a source of companionship and comfort. And I hope that my presence helped him adjust to his new life and the expectations that came with it.

Jackson has completely turned my life upside down, all for the better. Rest well old man, you earned it!!!!!

So to Jackson....Happy 5 year Anniversary of your Gotcha Day. The last 5 have been great and here's looking forward to the future and all that you can achieve.

Country Collies in the City (how's that for alliteration)

2009-02-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

Jackson and Poe hit the big city this morning. For some reason we thought it would be a good idea to take the furry little terrorists to the most heavily guarded city in the country, Washington DC. Surprisingly the kids were on their best behavior. Poe was jumping up on statues, walls, and monuments, but at least she got down when police drove by. Jackson whined a bit, but who in Washington doesn't whine about something? They were so cute that tourists were taking their pictures. So if you see Poe and Jack on a billboard in Germany don't be too surprised.

Given their good behavior we tried to take a few pictures of the kids in front of monuments. You might think this totally crazy, but last year we saw a man taking pictures of his cat on a leash. I think he's got the pet crazy market cornered so we might be okay.

The kids were great with the tourists and the crowds but with Jackson and Poe you never know what is going to happen when out in public. Things can go bad or they can go good. You just learn to go with the flow. Today luck was on our side. Honestly a million things can happen with these two.

This is how our day COULD have gone:

Poe deciding that gates reading "DO NOT ENTER" don't apply to her.
Jackson thinking that might not be the best idea.

Shit! The Police!
*Whistling* Nothing to see here officer. We were just taking our humans out for a walk. No breaking and entering going on around here. *whistling*

Mom that was close! I was a little nervous.

I'm sorry Mom, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Forgive me?*

* this is how you know this is just my imagination. Like Poesy would ever apologize for having fun and getting in trouble.

HOW OUR DAY REALLY WENT:

The kids were great. They worked on sit stays, showed off for tourists and only dragged us like sled dogs about 50% of the time. They passed a few dogs with minimal hysterics and handled large groups of people ignoring them (the ultimate horror and torture). All in all it was a nice day. Of course the day couldn't be complete without a few snafus.

1) Poe tried to jump into the duck pond

2) Poe jumped up on a 5 ft retaining wall and fell off the other side (luckily the ground was only 6 inches down on the other side)

3) Jackson tried to jump on the same wall but didn't have enough slack in the leash so he was dangling, holding on to the wall with his little front legs while I tried to hold up his rump and ease him down to the ground

4) Poe tried to chase some gulls

5) Poe tried to jump into the duck pond.......................................again.

So all in all, this trip was a great success after our last trip. There weren't any police watching us on this trip (thank goodness- the day could have matched my imagination after all), but that wasn't true on our last trip into the city. Poe and Jackson decided to play bratty siblings in front of the White House and in front of two police officers. They tangled the leashes around my legs and rolled on the ground like two horny squirrels. I'm yelling at my husband for help but he was too busy taking pictures (bastard). The two police officers stayed in their nice warm car and laughed hysterically at the poor redhead hog tied on the White House Lawn. Serve and Protect my ass.

So yeah, after that trip, I'll count today a victory.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

The commercially recognized day of love is upon us. In honor of Valentine's Day Poe is showing off her pink collar with little pink hearts. She's ready for you to whisper sweet nothings into her ear:

Even Jackson gets in touch with his feminine side in honor of the holiday. It takes a strong man to be in touch with his feminine side, but it takes a REAL man to lay on a cotton candy pink bed

So to everyone reading, may your chocolate be plentiful and your flowers allergy free.

Training time with Dad

2009-02-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

I had a late night meeting so my husband took over crowd control for the night. He is all excited to get a night alone with the kids and work on some training. I leave behind Poe's "homework" for obedience class and head out the door.

I get home and ask if they got in any training in. This is the run down of the things they worked on:

- Don't eat your brother's face
- Don't sit on your sister's head
- Jumping into Dad's arms
- NOT jumping into his arms when Dad is carrying juice
- Don't lick Dad's juice off the floor
- Hey that's MY juice
- Jumping on Dad's back
- Just cause I bend over it doesn't mean you can jump on my back
- Waiting for Dad to actual bend over before attempting to jump on his back
- If one dog is on Dad's back, you stay off it
- Fitting 80 lbs of combined collie on dad's back
- Don't fight with your sister
- Don't fight with your brother
- Don't fight on the couch next to Dad
- Don't fight on top of Dad.
- MY BALLS

And so I return to find two smiling collies and one husband that looks a bit like a shrimp curled up on the couch.

Things that they didn't have time for:
- Sit
- Down
- Stand
- Touch
- Heel
- Recall

But hey, I think everyone had fun.

Introducing the main characters

2009-02-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the misadventures of Jackson and Poe! And just who are Jackson and Poe?

This is Jackson and Poe!

Now a little introduction to the main characters in this comedy I call my life.

Jackson: He's on the right Jackson is a border collie/rough coat(Lassie) collie mix. He has tolerated us for the last 5 years. He was found by my best frind running wild in eastern Colorado with his brother when he was 2 years old. My friend drove him and his brother back to Maryland hoping to find good homes for them both. After he ran away, chased some birds, and barked at everyone I told my friend he was a good dog and secretly laughed behind her back. But alas, as usual, the joke was on me. Over the next few months I got to know Jackson and I realized that he was in fact a great dog. During this time my friend was accepted into the Peace Corp and I offered to take Jackson. The rest is history! Jackson is now a mature 8 yrs old and the best dog ever!

Poe: She's on the left (obviously) Oh Poe...sweet sweet little Poe. How can one sum Poe up into a few short sentences? After having Jackson for 4 years we decided that he needed a friend (even if he didn't agree). We started looking for another border collie to adopt. One day I get a call from my husband. He found his dog. His little girl. He sends me the petfinder link of a dog where you can clearly see the word CRAZY in her big beautiful brown eyes . Lucky for her, those big brown eyes were overshadowed by the cutest little freckled nose ever. Problem was that she was in Alabama. And we are not. But apparently we are crazy too and we drove 15 hrs to go meet her and brought her home to Maryland. She is about 20months old and a border collie/hungrarian hellhound mix. Or Border collie/springer spaniel mix. We haven't really figured it out yet.

Setsail: That's me *waves*. I am the chauffeur, personal trainer, poop-picker upper, chef, and personal assistant to Jackson and Poe :)