woofwednesday

A Jump in a Snowbank Always Makes a Border Collie Feel Good!

Posted by Ellie
 

Joni's favourite season has always been the winter. As she was born into a Canadian December, her first trips outside were into the snow and the cold and even as a young pup she loved it and never wanted to come inside, preferring to brave the cold wind and snow to play and run than to be indoors looking out the window at it.

Her new favourite winter pass-time is to jump onto snowbanks, digging around in them for any small creatures that might be hiding under the covered vegetation. Here I just caught her as she leaped joyfully over a bank that was partly covering a holly bush.

My posts are all on my blog: www.elliekennard.ca .

For #Animalia (+Animalia) curated by +Adelphe BACHELET
Early for #woofwednesday +Woof Wednesday with +Sandra Nesbit and +Debbie Drummond
and for #hqspanimals +HQSP Animals curated by +Andy Smith +Nicol Eh and +Shannon Adelson

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A Look of Maturity and Sensitivity

Posted by Ellie
 

But Don't Believe it

Joni is now 2 years old and this photograph appears to portray a dog that is calm and mature and even sensitive. The true story, however, is somewhat different. As I type this, Steven is outside on a ladder in the pouring (and freezing) rain clearing leaves from the gutters in preparation for the snow expected tomorrow. He has trudged back and forth carrying a heavy long ladder all around the house with a wet, bedraggled Joni at his heels. Each time he stops and puts the ladder down to set it in place, Joni drops the Frisbee at his feet ready for him to play. Does that show sensitivity? Maturity? I think not.

Even this photograph, where she is lying apparently peacefully on a rug disguises her real state, which is closer to that of a coiled spring. She is watching us working around the kitchen, gauging where she should drop her blue ball so that we might see it and start a game. It took me several frames to get one this sharp as all the others were blurred by her sudden movements.

She is only 2 years old, still a youngster, so the playfulness and excitement is completely understandable. And she is a border collie, so the focus will never lessen, at least not for several years. But she could show a little understanding and sensitivity to the situation and not ask a busy man on a freezing roof to play Frisbee. Give him a break, Joni!

My posts are all on my blog: www.elliekennard.ca .

#Animalia (+Animalia) curated by +Adelphe BACHELET
#woofwednesday +Woof Wednesday by +Sandra Nesbit and +Debbie Drummond – sorry it's late!
#hqspanimals +HQSP Animals curated by +Andy Smith +Nicol Eh and +Shannon Adelson
#noapologies #bordercollie #puppy #JonisDiary #AdayinthelifeofJoni #fansofJoni

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Waiting Patiently

Posted by Ellie
 

Border collies are working dogs and are happiest when they have a job. That job can be something as fun as playing Frisbee or ball, or as serious as sheep herding or search and rescue. Joni wears this pack often when we go for a walk, partly because it helps to focus her, but also because the weight it carries gives her additional exercise and builds stamina and muscle. When she sees me holding the pack, she walks up and puts her nose into the harness. As soon as it is buckled on her character changes to being calm and serious. She becomes a working dog in fact as well as name.

She is learning to wait patiently for me while I stop to chat with someone or to take a photograph as I was here. She has also learned to drop to a 'down' position wherever she is, when I raise my arms and call her name (this was how the sheep herder told me to train her). She will also come straight back to me and sit by my left side when I call her name and tap my leg. She needs to work a bit more on it as, like a child, at times she becomes distracted and needs a reminder that life is not all about play. But she is getting there. She will soon be 2 years old.

#woofwednesday +Woof Wednesday by +Sandra Nesbit and +Debbie Drummond
#Animalia (+Animalia) curated by +Adelphe BACHELET
#hqspanimals +HQSP Animals curated by +Andy Smith +Nicol Eh and +Shannon Adelson

#noapologies #bordercollie #puppy #dog #JonisDiary #AdayinthelifeofJoni #fansofJoni

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I Love it. And So Does She

Posted by Ellie
 

I know it doesn't look like a lot of fun, when you are hunched against a bitter wind that is whipping your hair (or fur) around and ice is freezing your eyelashes. But you have to admit that there is something exciting about it as well.

I thought that the other day on this walk with Joni. I had my scarf up over my nose and my colourful wool hat pulled down to my eyebrows, held firmly in place with the hood of my winter jacket. I was dressed in layers and layers of thin wool, then ski pants on top and warm thick woolly boot socks. I was trudging along on my snowshoes on top of the thick wind-sculpted drifts, only stopping long enough to pick up Joni's throw toy and send it off into the swirling snow so she could go racing after it. She absolutely loved the game and the walk and bounded over the deep snow in what looked like pure joy. And I looked around me across the white fields that were misted with blowing snow and I felt exhilarated at the sight and the conditions. I love it. And Joni loves it too. What you see in this picture is a happy dog. Photographed by a happy person.*

*If you have your camera out in conditions like this, make sure you bring it into a cool room to acclimatise before bringing it into the warm, to avoid condensation in the camera innards.

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#dogloversworldwide +DOG LOVERS Worldwide by +Robert SKREINER

#hqspanimals +HQSP Animals curated by +Alejandro J. Soto +Krystina Isabella Brion +Andy Smith

#noapologies #bordercollie #puppy #JonisDiary #AdayinthelifeofJoni #fansofJoni

#fidofriday +Fido Friday by +mel peifer +Lisa Lisa +Suhaib Ayaz +Wes Lum

#woofwednesday by +Kana Yamashita

#winterwednesday by +Antoine Berger +Logan Miller

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