Life with Sky


So Sky recently turned 7, we took her on at 4 months old and 2 owners in.
I figured it was time to do a bit of QnA, I think I've covered most things but if there's anything else, just ask and I or Jen will answer.

Q. What breed is Sky?
A. Sky is mainly Border Collie with probably some Siberian Husky or other spitz in there.

Q. Does Sky have a favourite person?
A. Yes, I'm the person she's most closely bonded to, then equally Jen and my Dad then my Mum. Originally we got Sky to keep Jen company while I was serving in the military but because of Jens disability and other reasons, Sky has bonded to me and will stick to me like glue if possible.

Q.  Whats Sky's favourite toy?
A. Stuffed animals / teddies or a ball on a string. She has a LOT of toys, but its saved our walls and furniture from being destroyed. She only clawed open the plasterboard once in our first place (easily repaired) and after that I bought her a pile more toys to keep her amused

Q. Where does Sky sleep?
A. She has her own bed beside ours, during the day or if one of us takes a nap then she will sleep on the bed itself.

Q. Does Sky play with other dogs?
A. No, she used to, but over the years (and partly due to difficult "neighbours" in the past) she has grown less and less interested in other dogs and will now only go up and sniff some other dogs. Puppies she finds too full on and doesn't want anything to do with them. She on the whole prefers people but on her terms, mostly she will wag her tail but keep her distance. 

Q. Does Sky handle cars well?
A. Sky LOVES to travel in the car, I think she would live there if she could. If my dad and I are working on my car or his, she will bark and whine to be let out and allowed to sit in the back of the car. However on a walk, cars stress her, she has learned to walk onto the verge rather than lunge at them over the years but if the pavement is narrow she will still spin around and around before lunging forward unless I place a hand on her and try and calm her. Lorries and buses really scare her, the size and the noise, I think she seems them as some kind of monsters.

Q. Does Sky snore / fart?
A. Yes and Yes - loud snores and silent but very deadly farts, seriously Porton down could probably find some usable compound in there to weaponise.

Q. Does Sky have any "flaws"?
A. Yes she food guards, over the years we've learned to give her, her own space while eating, I think its because the first people starved her, as she was skin and bones when we got her. She also is terrified of old men with walking sticks and will flee in fear, which again we think indicates that the first person was an old bloke who hit her with a stick, the second owners (who we took her on from had noticed this in the week they had her).

Q.  Any others?
A. She likes to bark at birds, particularly hawks/buzzards soaring high in the sky (yes she can see them) and calling on warm days, wouldn't be so bad but she works herself into a tizzwazz and careers around the garden without looking where she is going and develops severe selective deafness.

Q. Does Sky like children?
A. Yes, however she isn't very keen on toddlers and will run away, she finds their sudden movements and urges to grab intimidating and will come and hide behind me.

Q. Does Sky do tricks?
A. No...she will reluctantly shake a paw, but only once in a blue moon and thats after my mum spent weeks and weeks trying to teach her it. She's not stupid, just very very very stubborn.

Q. Anything she does do?
A. She knows the names of virtually all her toys and generally will go and get them if you ask her to (unless she sees one she likes better), she also remembers where she left them generally, well unless Jen has put them back in the toy box then she looks bemused and comes and whines at someone. She also knows various words, for example she knows "present" means she is getting a new toy.

Q. Does she shed?
A. Constantly, we have dog hair everywhere, I've stopped noticing the smell a long time ago.

Q. Sky's view on the bath?
A. She will tolerate it, reluctantly but only if I tell her to get in the tub, otherwise she will skin out and hide somewhere in the house. Due to the thickness of her fur and the amount that will come out during washing its a 2 person job, one to wash/rinse and the other to keep declogging the drain on the tub. We have literally filled a handbasin with dog hair on more than occasion.

Q. Do you kennel Sky when you go on holiday / vacation?
A. No, we haven't had a proper holiday since we got her, partly money but also because she is so closely bonded to me and being in a kennel environment would be highly stressful for her and thats not fair on her.

Q. What does Sky eat?
A. James Wellbeloved Senior Turkey and some of whatever I'm eating that night for dinner - sausages, bacon, pork chops, chicken, fish. She is quite a fussy eater and has cheap tastes, she would rather have a sausage than an expensive cut of meat for example. If I'm having something she can't have or doesn't like then she will get some cold cuts / lunch meat - chicken breast, ham, haslet (as a rare treat) mixed with her kibble.

Any other questions please ask and Jen or I will answer them. :-)


Comments

  1. I loved reading this Q&A!

    I love that you don't go on holidays because you don't want to stress Sky...I'm the same with my fur-kids, as well as lack of finances being another factor. I even feel guilty when I go out for the day and Cody and Jack are left home alone...they give me such sad faces as I'm leaving. It sounds like Sky is very much loved and cared for and I wish her many more happy years with you and Jen. :)

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  2. Serena. I will let John know you liked reading this :)

    If we go to a movie, its only if his parents can watch her for a few hours

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  3. Fun. Glad to not be the only dog obsessed person her.
    Love the run down of all of Sky's like's and dislikes. Thanks Mr. Fuzzy.

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  4. Awww, I enjoyed learning about Sky. I'm glad she has found such a sweet and loving home. I've very much enjoyed seeing the beautiful sketches of her toys.

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  5. Ingrid, nope not the only dog obsessed person :)

    Lisa, thanks for reading the Q&A :) Im out of her toys to draw for the moment lol

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  6. I really enjoyed reading this post on Sky and had a big grin on my face most of the time... getting into the snort and understanding range when reading about snore\fart. (Ours did that too...especially after eating salmon skin)
    Then I really got a huge smile reading, posted by Mr Fuzzy. great!

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  7. this was fun to read about your dog. She is cute.

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  8. Julie, glad you enjoyed the post :)

    thanks sandy :)

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  9. A belated happy birthday to Sky. She has grown into a beautiful lady. One of the reasons we decided not to have pets is because we have to go away so often and if we had had pets I would not have had a heart to leave them behind. The other reason was my husbands health condition. From my very young age I grew up with pets in India and now I cannot have them. I miss having pets so much

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