We have had a busy summer.  Between kid activites and loving on our collies, I haven’t found time to sit and work on the website.  Now that fall is here and a more normal routine is in place, I will be able to spend some time at the computer.  I am also working on new photos and will put them on the site as soon as possilbe.

The most exciting news has been that our three adults were accepted into a thyroid study with the University of Minnesota.  They went through rigorous health screenings.  All three passed with flying colors and were then evaluated for thyroid levels.  

As a benefit of being of in the study, the thyroid results were submitted to the AKC.  All three of our adults, King, Honey and Wrap tested NORMAL!  This means that they do not have thyroid problems and will not pass on thyroid problems to their children.  We are so excited with this result as our main goal in breeding is healthy, well-adjusted puppies. 

I am so excited that we have found a wonderful home for Black Jack!  He is going to a family that has had collies in the past and I know he will be loved!

This means that we have now found homes for all of our puppies from both litters this year.  We are thankful that they have all gone to good homes and that their new families love having them!

Well, we only have one last puppy from Wrap’s litter (born Jan 29) who needs a new home. We are praying that a nice family will adopt him soon. We are calling him Black Jack. He is Tri and his face looks exactly like King’s, his father. You can see pictures of this cute collie puppy here. Black Jack is really a happy, friendly and gentle guy. I hope someone claims him for their own before I become too attached to him.

We are so excited to announce that our sweet sable and white male, Gentle Prairie Star, has gone to live with his sister, Lady, at Divine Acres Ranch to train to be a therapy dog at Elijah’s Retreat.  Elijah’s retreat is a wonderful ministry that is just getting started to help support families with autistic children.  The retreat is set in the Piney Woods of East Texas and will be a place where families can come to get away from hectic life and enjoy some quiet time in a beautiful, peaceful setting.  The retreat is in the process of building their first cabin.  They have 2 full size horses.  They also have 4 miniature horses that have been going to therapy training to work not only at the retreat, but also at area hospitals and nursing homes.

We have decided that we will donate one puppy each whelping season to a worthwhile organization where they will receive training to help make a difference in one or more people’s lives.  We chose Elijah’s Retreat to be our first recipient for several reasons.  One is that Jeff and Kathie Moore, the couple who founded Elijah’s Retreat and named it after their grandson who is autistic, have become our friends over the last months and as we have gotten to know them and understand more about autism, have realized the wonderful impact a collie could have on the children that come to visit.  Another is that autism is so misunderstood and can be such a stigma for children.  They need a place where they can go and know that they are loved and accepted for just the way they are.  What better way to feel that than to go to a peaceful country setting and have a soft, loveable collie snuggle up to you! 

You can learn more about Elijah’s Retreat by going to their website at:

www.elijahsretreat.com

You can also learn more about the growing problem of autism from The National Autism Association at:

http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/

I have already started my basic research for our next litters that will come somewhere between 5 and 9 months from now.  This has added a whole new exciting part of the puppy process for me!  If you know of any groups who could benefit from a donation next time, please feel free to comment to this post or contact me (Dixie) through our contact page.  I will be continuing my research and will consider any request that comes in and make my final decision once the litters are here.

The first of our puppies from our two litters is going to a wonderful home out of state.  He is getting ready to fly to PA on Wednesday!  To help ensure that he is comfortable and not too stressed out, we are introducing him to his traveling crate for short periods of time that we are slowly increasing so it will be a safe and comfortable place for him.  We will also start feeding him tonight in the crate so he will eat and drink while he is traveling and arrive in the best possible shape for his wonderful new family!