Bernese Collie Puppies Go To University of Doglando

Today was a special day for our seven Bernese Collie puppies ~ they headed off to camp at the University of Doglando!  Teena contacted me and asked if we’d like to participate in this unique children’s summer program and I was delighted to be able to say yes.  Children 11 to 15 years of age learn the responsibilities of dog ownership during a hands-on, one-week course.  Each child is responsible for one of the puppies through training sessions, outings, a visit to a vet, and even time in a pool!  Why didn’t they have this program when I was a kid? You can read more about the camp on the University of Doglando’s website.

I am so excited for my puppies.  They are wonderful, but they’ve lived their lives together as a group, with little to no individual attention.  This is going to be an amazing experience for them.  And the best part is, I fully expect them to be housetrained when they come back!  lol  I’m hoping that some will have adopters standing by so that we can hold the adoptions at Doglando on Friday, the last day of camp.  That way, the child will be able to meet the new family and tell them all the details of the puppy.  Wouldn’t that be incredible?  Fingers crossed!

The puppies knew something was up this morning when I was outside washing them at 6:30 in the morning.  No way were my babies going off to school with dirt behind their ears.  Of course, they were oh-so cooperative.  As I was washing Tootsie Pop, the rest were pulling the leash, dragging the hose through the f;pwer garden, knocking over the shampoo, wrestling with the towel,…. And she was just the first one!  By the time I got to sweet Toffee, I looked like I had been to war!

I had told Teena that I would be there at 7:30am, but didn’t arrive until 7:55. The nice thing was that the kids were already there and were excited to help my husband and I unload the puppies and carry them in.  The puppies, on the oth er hand, were big-eyed and uncertain.  As we drove away, I said to Glenn, “Do you think they’ll be okay?”  He laughed; I sounded like a mom who had just left her kids at camp!  Not to worry ~ my dear friend Jennifer, who is working at the camp, just shot me a note: “Babies are doing great! Yes, I’m sure they miss you, but they are adjusting well.”  Nice of her to feed my pretense!  lol

I’ll keep you posted here on how everyone is doing.  Jennifer and Teena said they’ll be posting photos and videos too.  Individual updates will be posted on their personal webpages too, so check out Twister, TicTac, Tootsie Pop, Toffee, Taffy, Twinkie and Turtle.  Do you think this is as cool as I do? How fun!

August 2nd Update:

I just got back from the camp.  I went there to take a few moments to talk to the kids about how we place our dogs and the importance of sending me updates on their puppies so that I can add them to the individual pages.  It was great.  Teena and Jennifer are on target, the kids are actively engaged and the puppies?  Well, the puppies are having a blast!  The campers were excited to tell me about “their” puppy, and showed me how well they already walk on a leash, sit and stay.

But the best part?  The best part was that I got to see them go in the pool for the first time!  Teena explained very clearly how they were to handle to puppy, introduce it to the water and get it to swim (I now know all the secrets!).  Then, one by one the campers jumped in the pool and were handed their puppy.  Holding it securely, they walked to the far end, turned around and let go.  The puppy automatically swam to where they had entered!  It was fantastic!  Oh, I’m so glad they are all having this opportunity!!!

August 4th Update:

I went by the camp again today and what a treat!  The puppies are doing wonderfully.  Besides sit, stay and come, they’ve been working on ringing a bell when they need to go out. Wow!  I watched them working on the agility course too, jumping over fences, running through the tunnel, and hoping through the tire ring.  I can’t believe how much they have learned in such a short period of time.  Each camper has sent me an update on their puppy that I have posted on each puppies page.  This has been just the most amazing experience.

I’m trying to keep track of all the things that the campers have been teaching the puppies.  So far, this is what I have:

sit
stay
long stay
down
come
ring a bell to go out
going through door after camper
comfortable in a pool
agility: through a tunnel, over a fence and through a ring

The families that get these puppies are going to be thrilled!!!!  And speaking of which, Ashley and Adam came to meet the puppies and after talking with the kids and playing with the puppies, finally settled on our little Taffy!  They’ll come tomorrow during graduation to get her.  How cool will that be?