Pepper

9/14/2008

Pepper has been a busy boy the past few weeks doing herding, swimming, visiting people and going to class. About three weeks ago he was evaluated on sheep and did very well. The trainer commented that she could have him ready for a trial within a few weeks. Our next adventure was the weekly outdoor concert where there were many people and loud music. He didn't react at all to the music and gladly greeted all the adults and children that approached. At the annual end of year Dog Swim he was once again relaxed with all the commotion and was in seventh heaven with all the swimming, jumping and fetching. He did great with the other dogs as long as they didn't get in his face or try to get his ball. In those situations all he did was show his teeth and then look back at the ball. By now I am very impressed and want to put Pepper in more situations to see how he reacts. Every month my dog club visits the local youth shelter so I decided to take Pepper as my partner. He handled the teenagers closeness and handling well, but doesn't want this as a job. All of Pepper's training to date has been with me in the home so I enrolled him in Basic Obedience for classroom exposure. He sat patiently and quietly while the instructor spoke and eagerly performed every command that was asked of him. I can't say enough about what a nice dog Pepper is and how eager he is to learn. A former trainer always told me "To Trust My Dog", well Pepper has definitely earned my trust and I am one PROUD foster mommy.

Every night around 9:30pm I say "Who needs to go outside before we go nite-nite". Pepper is always the first to the door: he goes outside, does his business, comes in, runs around shaking his toys for about 5 minutes and then goes upstairs and gets in his crate. The other doggies and I usually follow about a half hour later.

When Pepper was being treated at Iowa State University Vet Hospital for his EPI they noticed a heart murmur. We now know the heart murmur is the result of a small hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of his heart, called Ventricular Septal Defect (VSR). It is probably genetic and requires no treatment right now, except for restricted activity. As he gets older there may come a time when he will needs meds for congestion.

Watching a dog like Pepper recover, blossom and grow makes my job as a foster extremely rewarding.

8/7/2008

Talk about a miracle dog, Pepper is one for sure. Six months ago Pepper was an emaciated puppy that had been dropped off in the country, today he is a healthy adolescent full of energy. Physically Pepper has almost doubled his weight to ~30lbs, has grown 2 inches taller and his body is no longer bones and skin, but muscle covered by silky hair. Socially he has gone from a rude puppy that bit the rear ends of other dogs to recruiting his foster brother for a romp in the grass.

Pepper loves balls and toys and will try most anything if one is involved. One great example is Dock Diving: while at the lake one day I threw the ball off the pier, in no time Pepper was in the air and diving head first into the water right where the ball landed. Another amazing thing about Pepper is that he is not afraid of storms or loud noises. He likes all people and will play with anyone who has a ball/frisbee. Pepper is a very biddable dog whose is willing and eager to learn. He is just starting on Agility equipment and I hope to try him on sheep soon. Around the house Pepper is proficient with the basic obedience commands needed for good manners.

Pepper has a very strong herding instinct and would do best in a home that is familiar with high drive BC's, has a fenced yard, has no cats or dog savvy cats, has children over 12 years old and has a job to offer. In large open areas Pepper will follow a lawnmower, tractor or truck without biting tires. However, in smaller areas where the roads are closer to homes he will chase and bite anything passing by.

If your interested in a smooth coated bundle of energy Pepper is the dog for you.

5/21/2008

Greetings, It is now late spring and the past month has been spent at the ranch. Pepper is learning all about lakes, creeks, tractors, hay fields and having a large yard to run in. His recall is great and he will stay close by when I'm working in the garden. He is good with other dogs, but will nip at the softer ones. On walks in the open fields Pepper is happy herding the other dogs rather than running after squirrels. Inside the house he is housebroken and will go to the door when he needs out. He likes to escort the cats where ever they go, so a home with dog savvy cats is recommended. He knows his basic commands and responds well to training. Pepper is a very active toy motivated dog that needs mental stimulation.

Healthwise his EPI is being managed. His weight has been stable at 28lbs and he eats normal food (Wellness Sweet Potato and Fish) which is treated with powder enzymes. The enzymes and warm water are added to the dry food which soaks for 30 minutes. In addition to the enzymes, Vit B12 injections are given every other week. The injections are given under the skin with a diabetic syringe which is very easy.

Pep, Peppie, Pepperoni, Pepper: all these names describe a wonderful dog waiting for his forever home.

4/10/2008

Hi Everyone, This is Beth Ann, Pepper's foster mom. Sunday April 13th marks three months that Pepper was rescued. He has grown so much, both physically and mentally and is now stabilized with his EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency) . If your thinking about Pepper, but have concerns about the EPI, let me assure you that EPI dogs live normal lives as performance or companion dogs. One example of a performance EPI dog is a 6 yr old Border Collie named Jive, who is owned by Carrie Jones. They just won the 2008 24" AKC National Agility Championship! Pepper eats normal food and acts just like a year old puppy. He is very responsive to training and has learned many commands as well as house manners, which includes being housebroken.

Pepper looks and behaves as though he is from herding lives. Physically he has a smooth coat, stands around 18" tall and currently weighs 27lbs. His personality is that of a friendly dog who likes to play, play and play. At night he settles down very nicely and likes to cuddle. His has been socialized with many different types and ages of dogs and gets along well with everyone. He loves people and is very toy motivated. Plans are to start him in basic obedience and agility classes.

If you are looking for a dog that is obedient, willing to please and affectionate Pepper is the dog for YOU.

3/8/2008

Playing in the snow, squeaking toys and tugging ropes are some of my favorite things to do. I must brag and say that you wouldn't recognize me since I've been on medicine for my EPI, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. Mom says I now have the energy of a puppy and have gained almost 10lbs. When I get up in the morning I am full of energy and go, go, go. Sofie, my foster sister, and I usually play tug with a long knotted rope while my food soaks. Reggie, my foster brother, plays with the ball so I get to go back and forth between the ball and rope. We play most of the morning until it's time to eat. Occasionally Bobby, one of the resident cats, will walk under me and rub up against my face. This makes me very excited, but I'm learning to have self control and not chase him. However, deep down inside I know it would be loads of FUN.

I love humans and wag my tail whenever I see one, even if they are across the street. Like most Border Collies I get very excited at the site of anything moving so I'm learning not to lunge at cars when were out for walks and not to bark and bite things like the vacuum and mop. Mom is a real stickler for training so I am becoming quite skilled with several obedience commands. I even know to go and stand by the door when I have to go potty. One thing I haven't done is roll and play with Reggie or Sofie even though I try to recruit them daily. Last week Reggie accepted one of my invitations and started bowing and running around. I found it a bit overwhelming and tried to hide. You see I've never physically played with dogs before and don't know what to do. Mom says not to worry, that play will come as I gain more confidence. In the evenings I usually lay by the fire while mom and dad read or watch TV. Sometimes I get in mom's lap and fall asleep. When it's time to go nite-nite I follow everyone upstairs and go right to my crate.

Last night I went with mom to the dog club and watched her teach a class. Afterward she told me what a good boy I was while waiting in the crate. Because I was so good I may get to go with her and Reggie to Agility trials in April and May.....that is if I haven't found my forever home yet.

Woof woof,

Pepper

2/12/2008

Hello Everyone, It has been four weeks since I arrived at my foster home. These have been the best four weeks of my life. I have a warm bed to sleep in, siblings to herd, toys to fetch and chew and most importantly a mom to love and comfort me. Mom calls me her velcro dog since I won't leave her side, well that is unless the cats decide to run and then I must eye them until they come to stop. I did try to nip them a first, but learned very quickly that behavior is not acceptable. I getting much better at self control and try to do everything mom tells me. So far I've learned to Sit, Wait, Leave It, Go to Crate, Go Potty and Come.

If you look closely at my picture you will see that I am still very skinny. In the time I've been here I didn't gain the weight I should have and continued to have diarrhea so mom took me to a University Vet Hospital where I saw a specialist. After much probing and prodding they determined I have a disorder called Canine Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). It is a disorder of the pancreas which prevents the pancreas from producing enzymes essential for the digestion of food. EPI is potentially life-threatening and without treatment I could have died, but don't worry it is treatable. Treatment includes adding powder enzymes to my food and injections of Vit B12. Since I am so sick they also put my on antibiotics because I have too much bacteria in my intestine. This is a condition that I will have to live with forever and whoever adopts me will have to understand that. Mommy said she will work with my new humans to help them understand what she had learned.

As you probably know my vet bill was expensive so Midwest Border Collie Rescue has set up a Guardian Angel just for me so people like you can make a donation to help pay my bills. I can't thank mom and Karla enough for saving my life.

To make a donation to the fund please click on the angel and visit our Allison/Soda Guardian Angel Fund

1/25/2008

My name is Pepper and I am a 15" tall, 8 to 10 month old black and white Border Collie. Somehow I lost my home and ended up at a strangers house. They saw how skinny I was and contacted rescue. Now I live in a warm house and have lots of food to eat. I have four foster siblings which include two dogs and two cats. Two days ago I discovered squeaky toys and balls. These make me very excited and put my herding instincts into high drive. I also get very excited when I see anything moving and try to bite it. Mom told me this is not nice and I must learn self-control. Stay tuned for more updates on my progress.