Hi, I wanted to keep some of you posted as to how I am doing. I will update this from time to time with a new story of things happening in my life. Most recent happenings first - so look at the bottom for my birth date, etc.

September 11 - I have had a very nice summer.  Most of my time was spent swimming and boating with the humans.  I have continued herding lessons and now am as good as my brother Checkers.

September 7 - I am proud for my human Glenn - he recieved the honor of being Member of the Year for the Bearded Collie Club of America.  We haven't seen the nomination, but understand that my web site, the work he does on the BCCA web site, beardie rescue, helping others with beardies and helping those who are trying to find a beardie and other BCCA and beardie activities were noted.  Thanks to all the viewers - my dad wants you to know that it is his love for the breed that motivates him and of course all the wonderful people involved with Bearded Collies.

July 10, 1999 - I took my first herding lesson today.  My beardie brother Checkers also had a lesson.  I was put into a pen with 3 sheep and a trainer guided me around.  It was fun - I think I did OK, but Checkers really did well.  I might be a little old to be as interested in the sheep.  I ran them around a bunch of times and then smelled everything in the area (I was supposed to keep moving the sheep around).  We will take more lessons.

July 8, 1999 - this is my "Gotcha Day" - 3 years ago I came to live with my humans

July 4, 1999 - Today I earned my Canadian Champion title at a show in Sarnia Ontario.  My human dad has something to say:

I wasn't able to attend the show today.  When his breeder / handler Mary Billman called with the news I was thrilled.  Hobo was purchased as a family dog, but his breeder said to think about showing.  We never expected Hobo to become a champion, nor did it matter to us.  Hobo was one of those dogs that needed to "develop."  His first show was in our State in the USA, and he was almost two.  Later I was told that he really needed exercise to develop his muscle tone.  Over the past year he has continued to run up and down hills, swim  and play.  He is now a strong boy at age 3 and his coat has grown to a nice length.  But my excitement is not because he has become a winning show dog - it is because I love him.  In fact, his show experience came about only because Hobo wanted to be able to share his experience and to prove that anybeardie can do it.  His win is for all his friends  Won for All and All for Won.  (His girlfriend Daisy in apan would tell you the "Won" in Japanese means "Bark."  And he now lives up to his nickname - Hobowon.

July 1, 1999  Actually by the time this appears I will be at a dog show with my beardie brother Checkers.  We always go through a routine before a dog show.  About 4 days before the show we get baths.  The next day Checkers is usually upset and gets dire rears (you know what I mean).  I guess he gets upset by baths, we have tried several shampoos, so that can't be the problem.  Then about a day before the show Checkers always manages to get dirty again.  Sometimes he digs in the mud, other times he jumps in a lake or something.  So the whole process starts over again.  You would think the humans would just wait until the day before the show to give him a bath.  This time I was jumping over the tennis court net, and landed, then I was limping.  I hurt my foot.  Part of the pad of my foot got scraped off.  So we went to the vet, where I got special cream to help heal the foot and stop the pain.  Finally, as always, it rained on the day we were to leave for the show.  That means muddy feet.

May 17, 1999  I am 3 Years Old today!  Lots of you probably thought I was older, right?  That's because my web page started when I was only a few weeks old (I think I was about 10 weeks old then).  At the time, I searched for all the beardie web pages - and there were only a few.  Some of those are gone now, but many more have joined the internet.  I think there were about 10 or so web pages that were strictly beardie sites back then (in early 1996) and several hundred now. We set out to find them back in 1996 - by the end of that year there were close to 100.  The number quickly rose to 150 just after the 1997 new year and has been growing ever since.  My own knowledge (and my humans) grew with the addition of web pages and through talking with people on the beardies-L   My human was a member of beardies-L even before I was born.  He first joined to find out about the breed, and later people helped him find a beardie for his own (me).  Dad had spent months researching various breeds - having had a bad experience the year before.  He also spent hour upon hour every day reading and educating himself.  Sure, dad had dogs all his life - but had not gained the knowledge to help when something unusual happened.  Over the first year, dad and I shared experiences while we both learned about dog care.  We found many friends and our network grew.  Most of my advice column was originally based upon the knowledge gained from our new friends.  Today we have the help of other dog owners, breeders, vets and even some dog psychologists.  People who work with dogs are anxious to help out.  I want to thank all my loyal readers and helpers. By the way - dad has been on the internet since the old days (back before browsers were invented).  He says there wasn't much to do back then but download files - or read bulletin boards.  Things sure have improved.  Happy surfing.

April 18,1999 - I started back up in conformation classes.  Dad says it is just to keep me socialized.  Yesterday I put up some recordings of a beardie song .. you might find it on my main page.  It is getting warmer here, and we have already been out boating.  I took the opportunity to slip off the boat and go running around the lake (dad wasn't happy).  Not much to report on.  The two girl rescues are still here - they have settled in and looks like they ae here to stay.

March 30, 1999 - Today was the last day of Conformation classes - we are signing up for another 8 weeks.

March 27, 1999 - Today I took my first Agility Class.  There were 15 Bearded Collies at the 6 hour seminar.  We went through tunnels, over the teeter, over the A-Frame, and through the weave poles.  I had a great time.  I think every dog should try this.  We may take more classes.  The seminar was a couple hours from our house, so we need to find a place closer.  Lots of people and beardies from the Beardies-L were there - it was Sponsored by the Great Lakes Bearded Collie Club.

March 23, 1999 - Looks like Lassie and CoCo are hear to stay.  I would write more about my life, but it has been pretty normal.  Dad has been taking me and Checkers to conformation (show dog) classes - just to keep us ready in case we ever show again.  Next weekend I will try agility.

March 15, 1999  The Two little girls are now called Lassie (or Flash - the Basset) and CoCo (the Cocker).  We haven't found their owners.  We have called all the shelters, vets, groomers, police, etc.  We can send them to the rescue - but they would separate them.  My human mom is getting attached to them.  Checkers and I play with them.  The girls fight each other for attention sometimes.  They have gained weight, and we have visited the vet - where we checked to see if they have micro chips (they don't).

March 1, 1999  A couple days ago two little girl puppies came to our house.  One is a Basset Hound, and one a Cocker Spaniel.  We have been looking for their owners.  No one seems to know where they belong.  They look like they have been traveling together for some time.  Both are in need of food and a place to stay.

January 19, 1999  We have had several snow storms since I last posted here.  So I have put up some snow pictures in my pictures section.  We must have had close to 3 feet of snow on the ground at one point .. and now it is melting.  But maybe we will have more snow in a couple weeks.  I haven't run away for a long time.  I haven't even gone out on the lake by our house .. I have been a "good boy" according to my dad.  Mostly I am relaxing and enjoying winter.
 

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