Search Dog Fly

Gosh life is exciting. Here I am 13 weeks old and they have changed my name. I had just got used to them calling me 'Fly' and now they seem to say 'Fly NO' all the time. I chew the chair - Fly NO, I jump on the table - Fly NO. Even if I am outside with Dad and chase the goat - Fly NO. I don't like chasing her now anyway because she always turns around and butts me hard with her head. Dad doesn't say Goat NO; oh no, he just laughs and says it serves me right. I think I will have to change the name of this blog to ‘Fly NO the collie’.

So what has been going on this week? I told you about the knitting incident, have to mention it again it was such fun. I don’t think Mum has forgiven me yet. She said she has had to unpick it all and start again, now she puts it out of my way and I can’t play anymore, how unfair is that. On Saturday 30th we all went to the Canisbay show. Dad says it is part of my socialisation. Well there were lots of people there I can tell. Loads of legs and feet. I was a bit worried at first but everyone spoke nicely to me and stroked me. There was a big house thing that made a loud noise, this rather startled me, Dad said it was the loud speakers and that they were very noisy. As we walked around I had the strangest feeling I was being watched but couldn’t see anyone it was scary. Then I saw Mum talking to Zoë. On Zoë’s arm was a huge bird called a European Eagle owl. I have never seen a bird this big before. It had enormous amber eyes and stared at me without blinking. Mum was stroking it and talking to Zoë who said that the bird liked the look of me and fancied me for dinner (they both laughed so I think she was joking) but Dad kept me away from it anyway.

I heard my name being called (the proper one not Fly NO) and when I looked towards the sound I saw my friends John and Ali, they had come to the show too. John made such a fuss of me and told me how quickly I was growing. I was a bit tired now so whilst they were talking I lay down in the sunshine and had a nap. I was woken by the sound of a cat being hurt. I didn’t like it one bit. Then a man appeared (at least I think it was a man because he didn’t have trousers on he had a sort of skirt) and he was making the noise – it wasn’t a cat at all it was something called bagpipes. Dad knelt down and stroked me telling me it was fine and they wouldn’t hurt me. I still didn’t like them though!

Sunday 1st July, I am 14 weeks old and have a lot of energy. I play with Spencer a lot now and he sometimes plays properly. He had a bit of a sad life before he came to live here so he doesn’t know how to play chase or fetch and he sometimes gets a bit selfish with the ball or ragger Mum says he can’t help it and that he is ‘ much better than he was’. I don’t think he is very he is very good at this play thing so if he is much better he must have been really bad before. Anyway we do play and run around a lot, sometimes we knock the table and if Dad has his tea on it, it slops everywhere if it spills on the floor I lick it up it tastes great. Dad calls us a pair of hooligans and has to wipe up the mess. I get put into my bed sometimes for a sleep because I get a bit snappy and Mum says it is because I need to calm down. She is right (as usual but I won’t tell her that and neither will Dad) I always feel better after a nap and then start again. My training is going well according to Dad he still calls me Fly NO a lot though. Sometimes I don’t do as I am told when I am training and then I get into trouble. Nothing bad happens but I don’t get a reward dad just ignores me so I try to remember to do as I am supposed to that way I get a small treat and it is much better than being ignored I can tell you. The big ‘training thing’ I am doing at the moment is a thing called speak. Dad has my very favourite treat called smoked sausage (yum) and says speak. Well I don’t know what it is he wants me to do but I do want a bit of the sausage so I whine a bit ‘ good boy’ says Dad and gives me a bit of it. Mmm. Then he says speak again so I whine again and get some more. He does this a couple of times more and then says enough and gives me a stroke. Now I don’t like this idea as I won’t get anymore sausage so I bark Dad laughs and gives me a stroke. A while later Dad says speak again I know he has some sausage so I bark ‘Yeh good boy’ says Dad and gives me some of it. When I have eaten it he says it again I bark and he gives me some more I really like this game. Now when Dad says speak I bark, I don’t get sausage every time but I don’t mind because it makes Dad very happy when I speak and that is important to me. Tee Dee says that being able to speak on command is a very important part of my training. I haven’t discovered why yet but I will one day. Sometime I forget to bark when Dad says speak I must try and remember to do it every time. Speaking of Tee Dee I must tell you this. Sometime I get fed up with playing with Spencer and try to get Tee Dee to play. When we are out doing the search game he plays with me but in the house he is a bit offish. The other day Tee Dee was asleep by Dads feet so I crept up to him and pulled his ear. He didn’t like it and gave an enormous bark so I ran and hid under the settee. When he had curled up again I crept up and tried again he gave a very deep and menacing growl I know that sound and I know that he really means it, so I hide under the settee again. I won’t try and pull his ears again – well not for a while anyway.

Today is Friday and Dad and James are going away for the weekend. They are going camping and none of the dogs are going. Tee Dee is very upset and sulks Titan barks as the van is loaded up but all Dad says is not this time boys. It doesn’t shut Titan up or make Tee Dee stop sulking. They are going ‘out west’ where ever that may be. I ask Tee Dee what camping is and he tells me it is where humans go and put bits of cloth up and live under it for a while. He says he doesn’t understand why when they have a nice warm kennel called a house they would want to live under bit of cloth but then he says humans are very hard creatures to understand – Tee Dee is very wise.

Today I am 12 weeks old. I am beginning not to like Sunday everyone gets up early not like in the week when it is just Mum. I have a walk with Spencer, (he is a cocker spaniel and is my friend, he lets me pull his ears and bite his tail) and after eating we are left to have a snooze but not on Sunday. Everyone getting up means something is going to happen. Today it means we are all going to Inverness, I am not sure what this Inverness is but it must be important.
When all the dogs have been seen to we all (Dad, Mum and James) get into the car and set off. After a while I start to cry and Dad tells Mum to pull in, we are going up a big hill Dad says at the top is a pull in area. I am let out of my cage and taken for a walk thank goodness as I am busting, Dad said I am wee-ing for Britain! A car pulls up near us and John gets out, he is going to Inverness as well and says he will see us there. We get going again and eventually – I had to stop them twice more - arrive at the Inverness place. Now I know it is a big town place. Dad and Mum were going to a meeting at a hotel. Mum parked in the shade of a big tree and I was left in the car with a big chewy bone. Dad came out and checked I was OK a couple of times but had to go back to the meeting. After a couple of hours they all came out and we set off to another meeting at another hotel. Again I was left in a nice cool shady place I could see lots going on and lots of people going past, but mostly I just slept.

Soon everyone cam out again and I got to meet two people called Stuart and Gordon. They seemed like nice people and Gordon said I was a ‘proper dog’ but I knew that anyway. I went for a walk with Dad. We met Stuart and Gordon’s dogs. They travel in a very special van given to them by Strathclyde Fire service. They are like Tee Dee and Titan qualified to do all the search work that I am beginning to learn. The people talked some more and then all got into their cars and set off. We travelled home stopping twice for me to have a run. What a busy day.

I am ‘under training’. Every day I go out and do something. Firstly I have to learn the lead thing I still don’t like it much, when I am wearing it I can’t run around and go where I like. Tee Dee says I will get used to it. In the training field I play a game of fetch with Dad. He throws a toy and I go and get it for him. It is quite a good game but I don’t understand why, if he wants the toy back, Dad keeps throwing it away! I am not allowed to do too much at a time; Dad says I am a bit young yet. So just when I am getting excited about doing all this training stuff I get taken in again. Another good game we play is ‘run-aways’. Dad gives my toy to someone, mostly Mum because she is there, and she runs off a little way with it then Dad lets me go and I run up to Mum and she throws the toy. After I have done that for a while Mum holds me and Dad takes my toy he runs off with it, and then hides. Mum lets me go but says find him, this is easy because I saw where he went but I get lots of fuss made of me anyway. We do this a few times and I get tired so I go and have something to eat and go to sleep.

We played the fetch game again today, but I got fed up with taking it back to Dad and ran off with it. I went and hid in one of the tunnels and although I could hear Dad calling my name I didn’t go to him, Dad crawled into the tunnel after me and when he was inside I jumped all over him and licked him. He tried to tell me off but just laughed and tried to get away but I wouldn’t let him.. When I thought he had forgotten my toy I picked it up again and ran out of the tunnel Dad crawled
out as well but I ran through the other end and waited for him to come in as well but he didn’t he just went to the gate. I didn’t want to be left so I ran after him, he put me on my lead and said got you. I will remember that trick.

Dad isn’t well, he says he has a bug. Now that sounds a bit like a word he calls me when I run off with his slippers or pinch Mums knitting and unravel the wool all over the sitting room. This bug of his means I don’t get much training I hope it doesn’t last long.

I have met a lot of new dogs this week. They come to Dad for training. They all seem to love it. James stands in the training field with me, I am not allowed to join in but it is fun watching. Sometimes Dad puts out an agility course for them to do and they all have a race to see who finished first. It looks such fun I will be glad when I am old enough to have a go. I am growing fast and everyone says I a beautiful looking animal (well of course I am) but there is a problem, well four problems really and they are my legs. Sometimes they don’t all want to go in the same direction, especially if I am running around, and then I trip up. This makes everyone laugh but Dad says I will grow into them, whatever that means.

Another Sunday and I am 13 weeks old. Only Mum gets up early so nothing is going to happen today. Wrong. The search team are all coming to our place today for a bit of training and a fun day. Firstly they do some obedience training and then they have a Kong throwing contest. They make John go first. He is a bit bad at throwing so the kong goes off is the wrong direction.
Dad put out the agility course and the group split into two teams they are going to have a relay race. My friend Kala, she is a black lab. Nearly pulled her Mum Jennifer, through the tunnel it was funny. Everyone had great fun and then had a BBQ. I wasn’t allowed to go to that I had to stay inside, what spoil sports. Dad still isn’t well and we don’t do much training again. On Friday Dad Tee Dee and Titan have to go away again. They are going to the West Highland way race. Dad says they are not racing, just on stand-by in case anyone goes missing.

Sunday 24th June I am now 14 weeks old.
Hooray Dad is home with Tee Dee and Titan. I am really pleased to see him. Mum is ok but she doesn’t play with me as much as Dad or let me do things that Dad does. Tee Dee says they have had a great time, there was a lovely river for them to swim in, he says even Titan went for a swim and Titan never swims. He told me that he didn’t have to go and find anyone but it was a close call because three people were late and no-one knew where they were, he said they had to get ready to go and search but that just as everyone was about to head out a message came through that they had been brought down safely. I am getting used to the lead now just as Tee Dee said I would. We don’t do it for long and I get lots of breaks for playing so I don’t get bored. I am learning how to come back to a whistle now. This is fun (and I get lots of treats for being good). Yes I like to do this training thing but best of all is Mums knitting. I have had one ball of wool and made a lovely mess of it this week though I did something else and I don’t think Mum was pleased at all. She was knitting a jumper with Thomas the Tank on it. When no one was looking I pinched it and ran off. There were four balls of wool attached to it what a lovely mess I made with it all. Mum was cross, not with me but Dad and he hadn’t done anything.

Phew what a lot has happened to me since I last wrote to you all. I am now 13weeks old and have been so busy learning alsorts of stuff. I will begin where I left off last time so you can catch up.

When I was nine weeks and three days old I was taken on a trip in the van. It was to a place called the vets. What a strange smelling place it was. Dad carried me into a big room and sat in a chair, he wouldn't let me go onto the floor he said it wasn't safe for me. After a little while a man opened another door and called to my dad. We went into this small room and Dad put me onto a table I felt very wobbly and a bit scared but Dad kept stroking me. The man, he was called Guy Gordon and was a vet, felt me all over and listened to my heart with a stethoscope, I tried to bite it but Dad held me quite firmly. He looked into my ears and eyes and told Dad I was a lovely pup and in good condition but could do with a little more weight on. Dad said I was on proper puppy feed now so there should be no problem. Suddenly there was a sting on the back of my neck, it felt a bit like when my brother nipped me. Dad said I was a good boy and it was all over, I don't know what was all over but it must have been alright because Dad said. The vet said I would need another injection in about three weeks. I realised that it was the injection that Dad said was all over. Dad put me back into the van and we drove off again and went home.

When we got home Dad took me for a little walk and then put me into my kennel with some more food. I was jolly hungry and ate it all up. Mum said that the trip to the vet had obviously upset me and laughed so I don't think it had do you.
When I was 9 weeks and 5 days old Dad was up early and took me out first thing. Mum normally does this so I knew something was different today. He put me into my kennnel and went away. When he came back he was dressed in differnet clothes, he gave me a stroke kissed Mum and said see you later and went off in the van without me. I didn't get to play much today, Mum took me out for walks, fed me and we played a little but she was busy with all the other dogs and the 'bloody washing and ironing'. Dad came home late and I was very pleased to see him. I jumped up at the kennel door and cried so that he would take me out for a walk. It worked because he took me with TeeDee and Spencer out to the training field and we ran around for ages. We had to go in though because Dad said he wanted a cuppa, whatever that may be.

My training is now beginning in earnest, Dad said. I don't know who earnest is but I might meet him later. I have a lovely red collar, I didn't like it to begin with and tried to scratch it off but I soon got used to it. I go for walks on a lead this means I can't run off. I have to walk to heel, well Dad says. I am not very good at it yet but he says I will learn. When I was 10weeks old I was put into the van again with Tee Dee and Titan and lots of bags and other stuff Tee Dee and Titan were very excited and told me we were going to work. It must be great fun this work thing because they were both so happy. Their tails were wagging very fast and they barked until Dad said to stop. Dad, James and us dogs drove out in the van for quite a while and when it stopped Dad opened the van doors and spoke to us. James put my lead on but I wasn't allowed onto the ground he carried me over to meet lots of new people they all stroked me and made a fuss of me. I was put back into the van and Dad took Tee Dee out, he put him into a red coat and they went to work. It wasn't long before Tee Dee came back and Titan was taken out to do the same thing. Tee Dee said that they were doing a demonstration for a ladies group. The ladies were interested in seeing how search dogs work. He said they had been very surprised that Tee Dee had found the hidden people so quickly. Tee Dee said it had been an easy search and that he had been to some really tough places. It was quite late when we had all finished and set off home. I was very tired and hungry. Tee Dee and Titan were happy as they had done some work. On the way home we met Mum at a big shop called Tesco. Mum had to buy a new 'phone because I had eaten through the cable of the old one.

So much is happening to me, Today I met a man called Neil, he is part of the group and was going to take my photograph. We went to a place called the harbour and Dad picked me up this Neil man had a big black box that he pointed at me, Dad said it was a camera. We had to be still while Neil took some pictures, the camera thing made some funny noises and then Neil said ' that'll do'. Dad said' great thanks a lot Neil' and that was that. Instead of going back in the van though, Dad carried me around town. It was quite busy lots of strange people and different smells. There were a lot of cars, buses and lorries. We wanted to cross the road and Dad stood by some lights and waited until they made a bleeping noise. Then we crossed. We went into some shops. Dad stood in the doorway first and asked everyone said yes. One shop we didn't go into we just stood at the door talking to a nice man called Douglas. The shop smelled wonderful Dad said it was a butchers shop.

At home I do training every day. I walk on my lead, I still don't like it I want to run around free but Tee Dee says it is important that I learn to do it properly, so I try very hard. On Sunday when I am 11 weeks old everyone in the house is up early. All the dogs are seen to and lots of stuff is put into the van again. TeeDee is so excited, he said he heard Dad say there were going to be assessments and that meant fun. I don't know why, probably because Tee Dee and Titan were getting excited, but I was excited. When Dad tested the radios Tee Dee went crazy running in circles barking and bouncing around. Dad said he was a daft old sod and put him into the van. Dad left the doors open but that didn't seem to bother Tee Dee he just lay down and watched as we all got ready to go. The group all met at Mr. Drapers place, well that is what Dad called it, someone called Chris was going to be doing his assessments with his dog Chloe. There was lots of talking and then they all went away. A while later everyone came back, james took me out of the van and for a little walk. Then everyone started to eat. Some of the other dogs then went out to do some work I could hear them barking and knew this meant they had found the person they were looking for. Chris and Chloe then went out for another assessment. It was a very busy day. Chris and Chloe passed this time, they were really good Dad said.
I went to the training field with Dad to do some stuff called recall again and then som retrieve work and coming back when Dad whistles, it's prety easy really but Dad thinks I am clever. When James got home from school he came with me and Dad onto the moor. Dad said we were going to start runaways. We took my favorite toy with us but I wasn't allowed to have it, Dad took it and ran away with it, I tried to run after him but James held me tightly. Then when he waas a little way from us Dad hid behind some grass James said ' Find him' and let me go. I ran straight to Dad, he was so pleased with me he gave me my toy back. Then Dad picked me up and we went back to James and did the same thing again I really like this game. After a little while Dad gave the toy to James an James ran away with it. When he had hidden, just like Dad did, Dad said to me find him and let me go. This time it was a bit harder because I didn't see where James had hidden but I caught a scent on the wind and ran to where he was. they both thought I was marvellous and made such a fuss of me. I wanted to do some more but Dad said I had done enough I was too young to do too much. I realised then that this was the work game Tee Dee and Titan love so much and I thought that I would love it too.

I had to go back to the vet today. Dad said it was a few days early but that the vet had said it was fine. This time it was a lady vet and the injection nipped again but the lady vet said it was the last one but that Dad would still have to be careful for a few days before I was safe. This time i felt a bit funny and didn't want much to eat when I got home. Mum said to just let me sleep and that I would be fine. She was right, the next day I was very hungry and eager to play again. Mum, I have discovered is always right ( even if she is wrong Dad says!)

There is a man pointing a black box at me, I'd better look smart.

We are visiting a place called a harbour

Me and David my new Dad

I woke this morning to the sound of dogs barking. I didn't recognise any of the barks and was a bit scared. Then I realised I was in my new home. I cried for a while, I did miss my Mum and brother. I was also a bit excited, this was the new life my Mum had said I would be going to.

Suddenly the door opened and Dad came in. I was very pleased to see him and barked. He opened my kennel door and I ran out. We went to the door and there was Tee Dee waiting for us. it was nice to see him I knew I would be safe when he was there. Outside was very strange and full of new smells, sounds and things to see. I sniffed around a bit, but really I wanted a wee so I went over to a nice bit of grass and did it. "Good boy" said Dad, " Busy busy" strange things these human people. We went up the path and out of a gate onto the moor. This is a huge place and the smell there need to be investigated but not now I needed to have a poo. Dad said his good boy busy busy thing again. He is easily pleased. When I had had a run about with Tee Dee I was lifted up and Dad carried me into the house. I was put into a indoor kennel and given some food. It wasn't like the food I had had before and I loved it and emptied the whole bowl. I felt very full and a bit tired. In this kennel was a lovely soft bed so I curled up and went to sleep.

A while later Dad came into the room and opened a door out of it came two more dogs, they had been having their breakfast and needed a run. Tee Dee told me later they were Spot and Spy two Springer spaniels. When Dad came in again he took me out of my kennel and with Tee Dee we went outside again. We walked up to the gate and as I looked up the path a huge white animal came walking towards me. I had never seen anything so huge. Tee Dee said it was a horse and he was called Thor. Dad gave him a carrot and we walked past him up to what Dad called the training field. This was full of big red and white stuff called agility equipment. Tee Dee ran through a green thing called a tunnel, I followed him it was dark and scary and I didn't like it. Tee Dee must have done though because he did it again. In this field was another big white thing Tee Dee said it was a goat and called Gladys. I went to say hello but she stood on her back legs and tried to hit me with her head. I yelped and ran behind Dads legs. Dad was laughing. He bent down and stroked me, " she will do that everytime you try to chase her" he said " so you must learn to leave her alone" I will try and remember that.
At night time Dad put me in my kennel again I was so tired but I had had a fun day.

I was born on 25th March 2007 in Invernesshire. During the next few weeks I did a lot of growing, found I could smell hear and see. I also found I had lots of brothers and sisters. We played together and spent a lot of time eating and sleeping. My Mum told me I was a border collie and that when we were a bit older we would probably become sheep dogs, helping the farmer in his work and that I must learn as much as possible before I left for a new home. I didn’t understand this but would try and do as she asked.

One day a big dog appeared Mum said he was our Dad. He looked very big and scary but was really very nice. He told all of us about being a sheep dog and said that we must carry on the proud traditions of the Border Collie breed.

During the next couple of weeks, some of my brothers and sisters left home, soon there were only two of us left. We didn’t see much of Mum now, she had gone back to work and we were being what they called, weaned, the new food tasted great.

Just after I was nine weeks old my brother, Dad and I were put into the farmers van and taken out for a ride, it was noisy and smelly but Dad was there and he didn’t mind so we knew it was safe. When the van stopped we were at a different farm, Dad said this is where he was born and was called LEAULT Farm. My brother and I were taken from the van into the house. There were a lot of strangers there and we both felt a little afraid, but much more curious. We were put onto the floor and allowed to sniff and smell anything we wanted to. One of the men watched us very closely, he didn’t say much but when I went to sniff him he put his hand out and stroked me and said “hello son, good boy”, his voice was very soft and gentle and I liked him. A bit later this man dropped something called a 'toy' onto the floor, my brother got to it first sniffed it and then went to see someone else. I went to have a look at it and picked it up. This seemed to please the man very much and he called me a good boy again, so I ran off with the toy.

A bit later he put another toy on the floor so I ran over and picked that one up as well it made a funny noise and I liked it. The nice man seemed very pleased with me and said in the gentle voice again ‘what a good boy, clever lad’ I ran off with this toy as well and no-one tried to stop me.

Suddenly the man who brought us here – he was called Neil – picked my brother up and took him outside. The nice man had taken his toys back and I felt a bit lost and alone. Then the nice man threw one of the toys again and said ‘fetch’ I had no idea what he meant but I wanted the toy so I ran over and picked it up. The man was on the floor now saying “good boy bring it here, fetch” so I took it to him, it seemed to be right somehow. This really pleased the man he stroked me and the way he spoke to me made me feel very special.

Neil and the nice man were talking and then the nice man picked me up and carried me outside. There was a big van. Neil opened the door and the nice man put me into a cage. There was a big black dog in the next cage and he barked loudly at us. The nice man said in a firm voice “knock it off Tee Dee be quiet” and he was. A little while later the van made the same noise, sounds and smells as the van I had been in before I started to cry I felt lonely and afraid. Then I heard the nice man's voice again saying “ It’s OK son, we’ll be home soon” I looked across at Tee Dee he was laying down looking at me, he was very calm and relaxed and seemed to trust the man so I settled down and went to sleep. We stopped twice during the journey and the man took us out and we had what he called a wander. I was bursting to go to the toilet and when I did go the nice man said I was good, I didn’t understand this bit at all.

During the journey Tee Dee told me about the nice man, he said he was called David. I asked if Tee Dee was a sheep dog. He told me he was a Labrador and had a very important job, he did search work. This sounded very grand, so I asked him to tell me more. Tee Dee said that he worked for something called CASST (Caithness and Sutherland Search Team) and was trained to look for missing people. He said that this is what I would be trained to do. He explained that at the moment there were two dogs trained to do search work and several more learning to do the important job. The dog, Tee Dee, worked with a border collie like me, his name was Titan, but he was ‘getting on a bit’, I didn’t know what that meant but Tee Dee said he was old and a bit slow now, and that I would be taking over when Titan retired. I was very excited now I would be doing a very important job, not looking after sheep but finding missing people. I lay down again and went back to sleep looking forward to my new life.