Bosun (our tri-colored Border Collie puppy)

June

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June 1st 2006

Today Jaxx and Bosun had their treatment to prevent fleas, ear-mites, mange mite, tick infestation and for the prevention of heartworm. All I had to do was open a little plastic phial and drip the liquid on the back of their necks. Bosun did not mind having this done at all.

June 3rd 2006 Bosun is 15 weeks old today

Bo is growing taller and is able to get on the bed easily. He still loves to play with brushes, brooms, leaf rakers, cloths, and things that look as if they are having fun!! I have to plan when to brush or clean the kitchen floor etc to times when Bo is occupied elsewhere and also to SHUT the door because he quickly knows what you are up to and is there in a flash "helping"!!

Bo is usually good at night now. However on Friday and Sunday night he had an upset tummy and pooed in the bedroom both nights. Not nice to clean up and unfortunately he notified me AFTER the fact by waking me. Too late then! However I am sure that is due to his upset tummy, though am not sure what he ate to give him the upset tummy.

Monday 5th June

I came inside from cleaning paint brushes ets (we have a septic tank so I cannot let the paint water go down the sink) and Bo followed me inside to the kitchen (he is on a long tether still). Then he went out to the utility room and proceeded to climb into Snuggles' basket and then onto the washer and dryer. Luckily I was there, caught him on camera, and lifted him down before he was able to hurt himself. And I thought I had re-arranged the room so that he couldn't get onto the washer any more!!!

June 7th

I had to leave the house early at 8am this morning to go to Castlegar to be sworn in as a Canadian Citizen so I had no option but to leave both dogs in the utility room while I was gone. Because of Bo's antics with climbing recently I had to clear the cat things out of the utility room! I also removed the brooms!! It was a long day for the boys because I didn't return untill 3pm. Bo and Jaxx had been very good and everything was in order. Plus Bo did not use the room as toilet. He managed to save it all till I returned. Well done Bo!!

June 8th

I had to put both dogs in the stable/barn area jsut before 8am today as we had a digger in the yard digging a trench to put underground wiring from the house to the workshop. However when we had a coffee break about 11am Bosun appeared beside us! I have no idea how he got out of the stable/barn area. Maybe he climbed. I saw no evidence of hm digging. Jaxx was attemptinng to get out too. However he was between the two gates until I released him too!

About 5pm I tied Bosun to the picnic table leg by a long rope as I was using the sit on mower to mow the back field. About thirty minutes later he was on top of the picnic table standing like a goat!!! He really seems to love climbing these days!

June 10th 2006 Bosun is 16 weeks old today

I notice Bosun's fur is getting longer and silkier. He lost his first tooth today (that I have been aware of!). He likes to climb on laps now given the chance. He is getting bigger and won't be able to do this in a few weeks time! He is now sleeping in the utility room and nights and coping well with it. He likes to eat Jaxx's food in preference to his own given the chance (which is only when I am not aware that he has found it!). He likes to pull Snuggle's basket down from the side and chew it given the chance. He loves water and will play with it. He loves brushes, rakes and anything that moves quickly!

June 12th 2006

Bosun had the last set of his injections today. He also had his rabies shot. He will need his next injections in one years time.

June 15th 2006

Bosun gets his first proper outing today. We take him and Jaxx to Nelson which is east of Grand Forks about two hours drive away. We go through Castlegar to get there. We are disapppointed with Nelson. We can't find a space in the main area to park. Which is just as well in hind site. We did eventually find a visitors car space which we used. We went across the road to the information place. Only to find out we have come to a dog free city! There is no where in the main area that you are allowed to walk your dogs, even if they are on a leash! We are given a map and directions of how to get to the dog walk area. We drive down a couple of blocks and find an area beside the airfield and the river. The first area is an off leash area. The second is an on-leash area and the third area is an area that dogs are not allowed. We were so disappointed that after walking the dogs we drive back to Castlegar to have lunch.

Sat June 17th 2006. Bosun is 17 weeks old today!

June 18th.

We travelled from Grand Forks to vancovuer today. Bosun's first very long car trip. We left at 11-15am and arrived in Vancouver at 6-30 having stopped twice for the boys.. once just before Osoysoos and once in Hope where they coudl stretch their legs and do what they needed! I stopped before Osoyoos because just before then Bo had got from his place in the rear of the car and nuzzled me fromt he seat behind me! I wondered if he was asking to "go" as he relieved himself as soon as he found grass.

As we turned into Commercial drive there was loud (very loud!)music playing. (There were Father's Day Celebrations going on in the lower part of Commercial road where it was traffic free for the afternoon and early evening, and we could hear that as we turned.) Bosun got worried and came from the abck of the car and sat in the seat behind me.

Bo's first walk among so many people and traffic. We walked round several blocks. He pulled a lot on his leash and we had to turn directions may times so that he did not know which way he was likely to be walkign. It got better but was not good by the end of the walk. Lots more practice needed!!!

We brought Bo's cage with us and set it up on the patio for him. He was pleased to see it and slept in it all night though we had a few cries when we first put him outside at bedtime. He settled very quickly, first outside the cage but at one o'clock when I checked him he was fast asleep inside it. he was still fast asleep when we woke at 5-30 and he didnt wake till about 6-30am.

June 19th.

I took Jaxx into Pet Cetera for Grooming. So then I got Bo out of the car and we spent about 40 minutes wandering round the store together. He was very good. He was intriqued by everything; frightened of two workers who came up to him but wagged his tail and let them pet him (they thought he was wonderful, fluffy and they "oohhhed and ahhhhed" while Bosun lapped up the attention); he barked at the dogs in their play area; sat and waited at the till; and got back in the car happily.

June 23 2006

It's been quite a week for Bo. He has been at the apartment now for 5 days and it is much noisier here than at the farm. Also there is so much traffic around for him to get used to, so many dogs in the nighbourhood and so many people. He has done well. He copes well with sleeping on the patio, with going outside to do what he has to do, and with meeting new people and dogs.

Today we went out to Tsawwassen first thing in the morning as I needed to visit our previous vets so that she could verify I am who I say I am for my Canadian Passport. Then while waiting for that we went walking in the park by the school at Beach Grove. There we met two people who thought that Bo had Bernese Mountain Dog in him. They are not the first to think or comment on this. Today we met a wonderful little puppy just three days younger than Bo. He was part Bernese Mountain Dog and part labrador and was quite a bit smaller than Bo. Bo loved him!

Then we drove to Richmond where I parked under the shade of a tree and went off for nearly an hour to show my documents at the passport office. We had time then to drive home, have five minutes indoors when it was time to go off to meet my husband's workmates who were eager to see Bo. He got a promised walk there before going inside to meet several people eager to see him. He behaved well apart from his usual trick of pulling on the leash!

June 24th Bo is 18 weeks old today

Today we took Bo and Jaxx to Lynn Canyon on the North Shore. It only takes about twenty minutes from our apartment in Vancouver. It was crowded there and we were lucky to find a parking place that was in the shade of the trees. We leashed the boys and went walking. We crossed the suspension bridge and Bo coped well. He was a bit nervous but no more so than in any other new situation. He walked across the bridge while jaxx walked behind him looking through the fencing at the scene below him. Bo seemed pleased to be off the bridge and waited while I went back to take photographs. We then walked on to Twin Falls, which was about a twenty minute journey, though we stopped at some benches along the way to give the dogs a bowl of water and to have our picnic. Bo was thrilled at new smells and was eager the whole trip, going down the many steps eagerly and just as eagerly going up them the other side of the Twin Falls. We waited under the trees near to the car for the boys to cool off before setting back to the apartment and the cool of the patio where we lazed the afternoon away!

Monday June 26th

We set off at 5-40am for Grand Forks. We decided to go early to beat the heat! It was already 17 degrees in Vancouver when we set off. We arrived back at noon with Jaxx having spent the whole journey where he should in the very back of the car and with Bo having made his way forward three times to the seat behind mine! That seat was piled with a small suitcase and odds and end, the wooden dog kennel was on the floor beside the seat taking up the whole space (we no longer need it at the apartment..it used to be Otis' kennel..Bo has his cage which he loves which we fold up and take with us). We stopped before Princeton since Bo has made his way forward to that seat and both boys got out and stretched their legs and did what was needed. Then I stopped at Princeton for breakfast. I let the boys out again just after Osoyoos, the same place that we stopped on the way down, and both boys again stretched their legs and had a drink of water. Once I had let the boys out on the farm they were off exploring. They seemed pleased to be back.

June 28th

I bought a paddling pool for the dogs but only Bosun liked it. Jaxx was not at all interested! Bosun loved it from the minute the water started going into it from the hose. He played with the three toys I had put in the water for him. He bobbed for the ball; he "dug" the water and splashed it over the side; he put his nose under the water and was fascinated for a long time. Meanwhile I decided to go for a swim in the pool that was beside Bosun's pool. Bosun looked at me now and again but mostly he concentrated on having fun! He was still there playing contently when I got out of the swimming pool. After a few more minutes I tipped his water away and we left it for another day!

June 29th

I'm busy here before it gets too hot and having a go at cleaning the house. Meanwhile Bo barks to alert me to people around. The people who stable their horses here were busy in the paddock. One of their daughters and a cousin were there too, so I put Bo and Jaxx in the barn area so they could pet them. They left and I went back to more housework while leaving them secure in the barn area. Not long after I look out the back door and see Bosun "Houdini!" in the middle of escaping! he had sneaked through one gate (I didn't see how! but Jaxx still hadn't worked it out either!) and was poking his head through the next one attempting to get his body through a gap that wasn't big enough for him. He gave up on that and went between the two fences, found a gap underneath and struggled through!!

June 30th 2006

We have two friends who have brought their trailer to use on our land for the weekend. They have a beautiful little Bison Frise about 9 years old and both Bo and Jaxx love him! Bosun wants him to play all the time but he does the same as Jaxx and growls a warning! Bo takes no notice and plays anyway!

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