The

Collie Nose A Newsletter from Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois Holidays 2015

Inside:

Point and click the titles, or scroll down to see all!

CRGI President’s Address/2 Collie Rescue Holiday George’s Grunts Hours/2

Holiday Pet-Proofing/3 Happily Ever After/4-5

& Groans/6 Volunteer Spotlight: Jeana Butler/7

Mission:AGILITY/9 What’s A Farmcollie?/11 Throughout this online newsletter, watch for clickable links to more information! The text will be in color, and underlined. Plus, Click on our logo on any page whenever you want to come back to page 1! 1

President’s Greeting:

Please Note Our Holiday Hours:

Wrapping up 2015 It has been an exciting year for Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, Inc. We celebrated our 20th Anniversary and Tina Kiselka, the lady who made it all possible! We have successfully rescued over 1330 collies, 28 of those were in 2015. Although the number of collies saved this year was low, the expenses were high. We had an overabundance of medical issues that included heartworm treatments, tumor removals, dental extractions, skin issues, medications and surgical procedures. We are already planning next year’s fundraising events including our annual bowling event and family picnic to help cover the cost of rescuing and rehoming the dogs in need. But we cannot do it alone! Please consider Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, Inc. when making your year-end donations, so we can continue our work. We wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year!

~Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, Inc. will

be closed beginning December 18, 2015 and will re-open on January 4, 2016. ~Please contact us for emergencies only. Our directors and volunteers work very hard all year long. This is their time to spend with their family, friends and other four-legged family. ~Our Infoline will only be checked once a day and respond to emergencies only. Thank you for understanding.

~And of course, during this time, any available collie(s) will be spending Christmas with his/her foster family, where he/she will enjoy warmth, abundant love, food, water and a Christmas tree to share with humans. NOBODY is in a shelter! Have a Happy, Healthy & Safe Holiday!

With Love~ Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, Inc.

Don’t forget to do your Collie-day shopping!

20th Anniversary T Shirts! Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, Inc is:

CRGI Store!

Board Members: President and Foster Home Coordinator Susie Moncek, Treasurer Tina Kiselka, Secretary Caroline Lewis, & Intake Coordinator Melanie Clawson Adoption Coordinator: Jeana Butler,

2016 Collie Calendars Events Coordinator: Kim Kiselka Newsletter Volunteers: Gail Diedrichsen, Sherylee Dodge, George Hayes, Ellen Keirnan, Kym McNabney, Dale Mohr, Madeline Sibon, & Amy Zurita

2

By Kym McNabney

Christmas Trees It is vital to anchor your tree securely to prevent it from being knocked down. Consider a gate or tree skirt over the base of a real tree, since the water may contain chemicals or bacteria.

Tinsel and Ornaments Tinsel can be inviting. When ingested it can lead to obstructed digestive tracts, vomiting, dehydration or surgery. Ornaments knocked down, and played with or chewed may cause internal or external injuries. Secure smaller, more fragile pieces higher on the tree.

Presents Most of us place wrapped gifts under the tree well before Christmas. Gifts that contain tempting scents are best kept out of reach. If your pet tends to get into things, consider leaving off bows and ribbon, both choking hazards.

Cords and lights Not only may cords be chewed, secure them safely to avoid tangled pets. Unplug the tree when you are not home, use pet-proof cords, or a spray to deter chewing. Make sure burning candles are safely located to avoid burns or fires

Peace, Love, and Pet-Proof Decor The holidays can be a busy time of year with get-togethers, shopping, and decorating. We don’t always stop to think about the things we place around the house as potential hazards to our furry companions. Plants

Food and Drinks

Traditional Mistletoe and Holly are toxic when ingested, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Mistletoe can also cause cardiovascular problems.

In addition to chocolate, anything sweetened with Xylitol must not be allowed for pets. Pieces of gum or candy with Xylitol would throw a 13 pound dog into severe Guests hypoglycemia. Ten pieces would cause liver failure. A little wine The holidays often mean a or beer may result in weakness, house full of guests. To keep pets and guests both safe, con- coma, or death. Discard bones, leftovers and garbage out of fine pets to a separate room reach. Feeding pets before when guests arrive, to avoid inguests arrive can reduce appropriate greeting behavior or begging. door dashing. Inform guests of things they need to know about New Pets your pet, such as no feeding table food, or whether pets are It’s fun to add a new family food aggressive. member, but it may be better to wait until holidays are over. A new pet requires adjustments Holiday Noise and routine – for the animal and Have a quiet place for your pet for your family. Tossing these to escape the noise and cominto the craziness of the motion. A house full of guests holidays may not be the best during the holidays can be overtiming. whelming. New Years Eve can offer variety of noisemakers, and even fireworks.

Keeping your pet’s routines as close to normal as possible during the holidays will help to reduce anxiety and help to prevent them from acting out and getting into trouble. Simply pet-proofing your home can make for safer and happier holidays! 3

Happily Ever After:

Reno’s New Life By Ellen Keirnan

Left, Reno’s CGC Award; Above, with sister River and the “tango bone”

Adopter Karen Bureski claims that the stars aligned when Reno, one of the Tomball, Texas smooth collies rescued last year, was made available for adoption. She and her husband were proud owners of River, a female, their original smooth collie, who was just turning 8 and seemed especially bored at home after a visit with a friend's pack. She truly seemed to miss the other dogs and activity. For the first time Karen thought about getting a second dog. So she made out her wish list - a mature smooth collie that wouldn't dominate River - probably a male. Then she started researching and found the Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois sites and they decided to visit a pet expo at the Kane County fairgrounds to learn more about Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois and the adoption process. After that visit, her husband was still skeptical that another dog was needed, but they started watching the adoption information and quickly realized how many collies were adopted almost immediately after they appeared on the site. Karen's birthday came and her husband agreed that a second dog should be included in their family. That day the 8 Texas Tomballs were introduced on the CRGI website. Karen spotted Reno and immediately filled out the adoption application. CRGI arranged for a meeting at Reno's foster home with River. Because Reno was so skittish and unsure of himself, special care had been taken to build his confidence and increase his trust in people. Even with this special attention he was still extremely shy with newcomers. They met him in his territory and let him make the first moves. Then they brought River into the yard. Reno cowered behind his foster Mom, Maureen Bryson, then he stared at River, and immediately perked up and it was obvious love at first sight for both of them. River came to him and immediately became his "Den Mother", letting him know what was an acceptable greeting. Reno joined the Bureski clan and has flourished since. He's been enrolled in obedience classes and just received his CGC, almost a year after being adopted. He's so intent on pleasing, that he immediately stops as soon as he enters the house, in the event his paws need to be wiped down. (Continued on page 5)

4

It's a behavior he's rewarded for and which is now so ingrained that he sometimes doesn't get all the way into the doorway before he's in a sit, his tail hanging over By Ellen Keirnan the threshold. Since Reno is around 3 and River is 8, she makes a point of controlling any over exuberance with quick barks. However, they've made up a game that Karen calls the Collie Tango, using River's cherished stuffed bone. They walk side by side through the house together, until hitting the end of the hall, then turn around and reconnect, carrying the treasure between them. The dance always makes the BuOne lucky day this past spring, a needy blue merle collie named reski's laugh and is a favorite Kota was released by her owners in Kentucky to Collie Rescue pastime. of Greater Illinois. But the search for even a foster home in the Reno's fears regarding CRGI network was difficult because of all of the strikes against strange noises and sounds durher. ing home remodeling are being First she was a senior - already 11 years old. Second she addressed with desensitization had a dollar size tumor on her face which kept her beauty hidtechniques that include eating den. Third she was matted and flea ridden, which also disguised treats laid on top of the electric the fact that she was almost bald. Finally she had many infecdrill. Now he's building up his tions - skin, ears, and mouth abscesses that had tortured her for confidence and testing authority a long time. Bringing her back to health would require a special regularly, while River makes sure family willing to devote the time and care that she so desperatehe heeds the important comly needed. It took 4 months with Susie Moncek's special care to mands, like "come." bring her close to being fostered with hopes for adoption. Reno has come a long Luckily Kathy Hayes, a member of the CRGI family since way in this year, from the tremits inception 20 year ago, was willing to take on the challenge. bling 39 lb. Texas Tomball trans- Kathy had fostered over 30 dogs over the years (9 in the last 3 ported to CRGI, nursed back to years alone). She and her family had seen all types of collies health and now a loving compan- from all kinds of situations over the years. What she wasn't preion to the Bureski's and River, pared for was Kota's loving and patient personality that shone who loves having a buddy to through all of her terrible afflictions. teach and play with her. This win/ Kota first had to be bathed on a daily basis to get rid of win love story has proven that her fleas and yeast infections. Special medicated shampoos Reno is certainly one star struck, were needed to get those issues under control. Also to be adlucky dog! dressed were the tumor on her face and the abscesses in her mouth - which resulted in 8 tooth extractions at last count. Little by little she's come out of her shell - as the infections cleared up and the wounds healed. However, it became obvious that some-

Happily Ever After:

Kota’s Silver Lining

(Continued on page 11)

5

Grunts&Groans: George with his girls, Annie (left) and Roxy

Here Come the Holidays! By George Hayes

The holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving pigouts, Christmas decorating, shopping, wrapping New Year’s Eve festivities

And speaking of memories, what makes holidays jollier than a sing-a-long? So everyone join in…1 and a 2 and a 3: DECK THE HALLS WITH BARKING COLLIES-

I think most will agree that Christmas is a wonderful time and it brings to us happy memories of holidays past. Our first collie, Winston, was a beautiful, mahogany, rough sable with a lush fur coat. He would wear his Santa hat with pride and enjoyed opening gifts…ANYONE’S gifts!

FA LA LA LA LA … LA LA … LA LA SABLES, WHITES AND TRI’S ARE JOLLYFA LA LA LA LA … LA LA … LA LA CHECK THE COUCH FOR FUR THAT LINGERS -

Moving forward 11 years and our Annie keeps up the tradition, minus the hat. She will wait politely for us to hand her a gift. She’s a dainty puller, but gets the job done. What she really prefers is to be out in the cold crisp snow, reclined in the middle of her yard, watching the flakes fall around her. Our regal and beautiful Annie looks like a royal queen surveying her realm .

FA LA LA LA LA … LA LA … LA LA GRAB A TREAT AND LEAVE THE FINGERSFA LA LA LA LA … LA LA … LA ... LAAAAAAA! Roxy, I think we got a hit! Happy holidays to you, from Grunts & Groans.

Roxy, on the other hand, prefers to be in the middle of the action…under the tree, behind the tree, in the tree! She’s more like the court jester! She goes from person to person as they are opening a gift with a look of great anticipation… “OH, is that for me? Me? ME?...No! NO! NO!!! Don’t give that to the cat!” At the end of another holiday, we’ll look back and realize we’ve collected and stored up cherished memories to last us another year and keep us warm all winter long!

Collie Ware? Collie WEAR? CollieWHERE? Find fun CRGI-themed gifts at the CRGI Store! 6

Volunteer Spotlight:

Meet Adoption Coordinator, Jeana Butler By Gail Diedrichsen

It’s not an easy job, but Jeana sees her Adoption Coordinator responsibilities as an opportunity. Jeana is a wife, a mom of three, a collie foster mom, and The CRGI Adoption Coordinator. She’s a charming, capable, and valued volunteer. The day she happened to wander into Petco during one of our “meet and greets,” where she made an immediate connection with Susie Moncek, was our lucky day. When a dog has been received into rescue, vetted, groomed, placed in a foster home, and then deemed ready to be placed up for adoption, Jeana goes to work examining our long list of adoption applications. It’s an “intricate game of filtering through information,” she says. She knows there’s nothing more important than finding the perfect fit so the adoption sticks— and finding that “forever home” is her goal. Communicating with her network of foster home volunteers and working closely with those who know the dogs best is imperative. Jeana knows first hand how important it is to find the perfect fit. When her previous dog Scout, had passed away, she was looking for a new sibling for her remaining collie, Chase. At the time, her family was fostering Chloe, a small tri whose owner had to move into assisted living. Jeana’s family, especially pre-teen Tommy, wanted Chloe to be THE one. “Chloe was perfect and so sweet... I fell in love with her the minute she walked into my house, as did my son, Tommy. But, my dog Chase had a very different opinion of Chloe. He wasn’t having any part of this bossy little tricolor and expressed his feelings of protest by blocking her from the water bowl. So, I gave Chloe her very own bowl— and she guarded that one. There was no friendship. As tough as it was, we accepted the obvious: Chloe needed a different family.” Jeana laughs as she shares a mother-son moment, “My son was very attached to this little Chloe. I had to say,’ Tommy, back off dude; this one is NOT staying!’ We were all happy (even Tommy) when an application came in from a family looking for a companion dog for a submissive male sheltie who had lost his dominant sister.” Jeana thought it just might work, and indeed it was a perfect match! Jeana laughs as she explains, “The male sheltie had been bossed around by his sister most of his life and missed being given direction. This bossy collie gave the sheltie a relationship that was exactly what he had been accustomed to.” Jeana explains this is one example of why it’s SO important to take the existing pet’s welfare into consideration when making a placement. Jeana was finally able to add a second dog to her family and says. “Just like many adopters, we waited for the right fit for our family and eventually our Bayne came along.” Chase happily accepted Bayne as his playful brother. (Continued on page 8)

7

Volunteer Spotlight:

sees that this gives her an opportunity to be a good role model for her kids. Barkley, their beloved first collie, is a fond (Continued from page 7) memory. “From the day we brought Barkley home at 6 months of age, we knew it would alJeana takes into account the prospective ways be a collie for us.” She describes the family’s makeup as well as their lifestyle. For quintessential collie who kept an eye on her example, Jeana describes a young guy who daughter from the day he joined the family. “My contacted her wanting to adopt a puppy. “He little girl loved to wander and explore behind the lived in the city in an apartment building on the shed in the backyard. If Barkley couldn’t see th 6 floor and worked a long day. It would not her, he would become upset and run back there have worked. People don’t always think these and herded her back to the house. He naturally things through.” Jeana knows sometimes people knew how to protect and herd at 6 months old! who rent their homes are also not always aware He insisted upon keeping all of his people toof the details of their lease agreements. This is gether!” part of her “filtering” as she describes it. Today, her 7th grader Tommy, is the one There are many reasons an adoption who seems to especially love the fostered dogs might not be a perfect fit. Jeana says, “When and he is very interested in animal welfare now people lose a dog they’ve had for years, often as a result. Jeana explains, “It’s so important for they MUST have ANY dog right NOW to fill that kids to understand, ‘We just don’t care about emptiness. However, often they are not ready ourselves and video games.’ My son underand if they don’t slow down, they may end up stands there are thousands of dogs out there in with the wrong fit. Given time to think about it, need and I’m happy he’s a kind kid with such they change their minds.” empathy. It’s so cool to see my son interested She continues, “Then there are the shy and attached to these dogs.” dogs who are looked at by folks with lots of Jeana says the best part of her job is “active” kids. I can see whether the dog is hap- hearing feedback from adopters who are happy py or comfortable during their visit. That quiet, with their new collie. Jeana describes a 12- year shy dog may need an older couple with a quiet -old dog whose owner went into a nursing home home, while the family with lots of kids needs a and needed a home. “When that dog found a more outgoing confident dog who can play.” home, we all celebrated, including my kids. I She says, “The most difficult part of my job is would hope if something happened to me, one of when I need to tell people it’s not going work… my kids would be willing and want to care for my the match is just not right. I don’t want to hurt dogs. I hope my volunteering has made an imanybody’s feelings, but at the same time, I need pact.” to do what’s right for the dog.” Her dedication to helping C.R.G.I. with Given some time, Jeana finds that “many placing homeless collies in their forever, loving people come to their own conclusion and rethink homes is appreciated. Her job is very imwhat they thought they wanted. For the most portant and she does it so well. part great, caring people who want to do the right thing contact me. Often, in fact, they want to help us.“ Jeana laughs and discloses with Visit us online at disarming honesty, “Even if we don’t have a dog CollieRescue.org and on for them, I sneak one in there now and then by mentioning, ‘You can always help by giving us a Facebook where we enjoy the donation.’” company of our adopters, Jeana volunteers because she loves colfans and foster homes! lies and wants to see them rescued, but she also 8

By Amy Zurita

In May of 2014, I brought home my sweet collie puppy, Clive. He was a little rambunctious, but I figured that he would grow out of it as he got older. In some aspects, he did, but it seemed that Clive just didn't have an off switch! We would get together with my parents and their dogs, and Clive would keep trying to play with the other dogs when they had clearly had enough. Even Jackson, my parents’ collie who is only a month older than Clive, would get annoyed with how much Clive wanted to play with him! I knew I needed to find a solution. Clive was irritating all of his friends because he didn't know when to stop, and to be honest, he was irritating me, too! I would come home and find my couches askew. Clive would get

The Benefits of Agility riled up and jump from couch to couch while playing with my other collie, Tesla. I was worried that he was going to hurt himself with all of his jumping around. I had seen his jumping first-hand and I have to admit, I was pretty impressed. While I obviously didn't want to encourage this behavior, it was clear to me that it was something that he really enjoyed. I took a video of the ridiculous jumping and showed it to my friends one day, and I said “look how agile he is!” That’s when I realized the solution: agility. In July of 2015 we started agility classes at a facility near DeKalb. Clive was very excited to play with the other dogs when we arrived. When we started exposing the dogs to the equipment and teaching them how to use it, Clive caught on quickly, showing no fear of the equipment—not even the teeter! I could see that he was a natural and how he enjoyed it, but I also noticed something else: it was calming him down! We would go to agility for an hour, and then Clive would fall asleep on the way home, and he would continue to relax once we got home. This is the same dog who would play with three other dogs nonstop for hours and then want to play some more. It seemed like the combination of mental stimulation and physical exertion was just what he needed to unwind. In September we moved to Plainfield, and I wanted to continue taking him to agility. I looked for somewhere closer to home and found Lucky Dog Academy. In my first discussion with the owner, Heather Haggerty, I told Clive’s story and how hyperactive he was before agility. She asked what kind of dog he was, and when I said he was a collie, she said that many working dogs have that problem. She explained that some working dogs have a stronger instinct to do work and that they need some type of outlet in order to relax. We currently attend agility classes once a week, and we both absolutely love them. They’re hard work for us both, but that’s part of the fun! We get a good workout, though I’ll admit his is more intense than mine, and we get to learn together and bond, which I think is really cool! We’re still very new to the agility world, but as we both get more comfortable running agility courses, maybe we will eventually go to agility trials. I think it would be fun to compete in a trial, but really, the most important thing is how much it has helped Clive. 9

What is the ‘Farmcollie’? by Dale Mohr

Most of the dogs which Collie Rescue of Illinois, Inc. takes in may well be purebreds, but sometimes they don’t have official papers to confirm it. Occasionally we take a dog in that resembles a purebred collie, but almost certainly is not. This type of collie is an important piece of history, as it was once the most popular dog in the country. They are descendants of versatile dogs, Old Scotch Collies that were loved by farmers in the 19th and 20th centuries. During that period, it was this dog that most Americans thought of as a “collie”, although they were quite different from the AKC collies of today. In addition to herding, these dogs were commonly used for guarding livestock and family, for hunting, and controlling predators. Their duties varied from protecting the baby from snakes to moving the bull. However, as the focus of American life moved from the rural homestead to urban areas and small farms became swallowed up in urban sprawl, the need for this type of farm dog gradually diminished. In its place came numerous specialized breeds as companion dogs, hunting dogs, and guardian dogs. All-purpose farmcollies can function like bossy older siblings. They seem to read the farmer’s mind as well as the mood of livestock, resulting in dogs that are outstanding at working the animals as gently as possible, but with as much force as necessary. For example, if the cows break out while the owner is absent, the dog will drive them back in and sit in the gap until the owner returns to fix the fence. This is a strong breeding characteristics for the original Scotch Collie. A farmcollie is not a specific breed. Identifying a dog as a “farmcollie” typically means they

are the old-time kind of "collie" that was the predecessor for the modern collie we recognize today. The American Working Farmcollie Association calls them “Old Farm Shepherds.” Tina Kiselka, founder of CRGI, describes them as “the old-fashioned collie that was bred for herding and working on a farm with livestock. With some dogs that have come into our rescue we determine if the dog is still considered a collie. These dogs are more ‘farm bred’ or look more as if they came from a ‘backyard breeder.’ They do not have the look of the collie we are accustomed to seeing in show rings. This doesn’t mean they are not good, healthy dogs who deserve to be adopted by a loving family.” She explains, “Over a year’s time we may receive 1% of dogs that we agree are not purebreds and thus could be considered a ‘farmcollie’ type.” Usually a little lower to the ground and with hair not as profuse as we see on today’s collies, the farmcollie has a noticeably different appearance that sets them apart from the standard collie. The head may be broader, the ears more widely set and more tipped. Noses may be wider and less pronounced than the modern collie exhibits. This kind of collie can have various definitions, including: (Continued on page 11)

10

(Continued from page 10)

Any collie-like dog that lives on a farm, and/or does farm work such as herding, guarding and pest control. A dog of the Scotch Collie type that works livestock in a looseeyed style. The remnants of the original Scotch Collie from which the Australian Shepherd and English Shepherd breeds derived. A rough collie of an old fashioned look that does not meet current interpretations of the breed standard. Farmcollies are sometimes called Scottish Collies because of this distinct look.

In the 1980s a few people who remembered the versatile original dogs began a search to see if any of them still existed. This type of dog almost became extinct, but a few individuals were found. An effort was then launched to locate other descendants of the Scotch Collie that retained various instincts of the original collie dogs. This has become the primary purpose of the American Working Farmcollie Association (AWFA) that was born in 1998. For more information, see the AWFA website: http://www.farmcollie.com/ Also see the website of the Old-Time Scotch Collie Association, http://www.scotchcollie.org/ (Continued from page 5)

thing was still wrong - as her immune system was so compromised that she had become allergic to almost all foods and the environment. After much searching, Kathy found a food that agreed with Kota and now her coat is starting to grow in. The solution seems to be a kangaroo and lentil mix that doesn't trigger any food allergy reactions. However, contact with leaves or grass still caused her to break out in hot spots, so the dreaded cone became part of her normal life, especially when she was left alone, even for short periods of time. Luckily boredom is not an issue for Kota, as her new companion family includes Silver, a blue merle senior and Sully, a tri-color collie, both CRGI foster failures for Kathy. The boys were happy to welcome her, and even Nemo, the "Pomeranian Collie Wannabe" provided her with the companionship she needed along with constant activity. Now a new allergy medicine just on the market seems to be the final piece of the allergy puzzle for Kota. Kathy and her vet worked hand in hand to find a better solution than steroids and antibiotics. Kota's coat is now filling in with curly fur. Kota may be a senior, but she doesn't show signs of arthritis, and her daily walks have been extended from 1/2 block to 1/4 mile. While Kota is not the most coordinated of collies (she has trouble with even one or two stairs and runs with a rather strange sideways gait), she is one of the most loving, sweet girls that Kathy has encountered. She still hasn't found her voice (no barking from a collie is unusual), but she has found her final home and Kathy is inspired that this animal, who was so miserable for so long, is still such a trusting, patient soul, and she is thankful that Kota has come into her life. 11