Journey

Early Days

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Journey

My first summer at Asherpark was like a fairy tale. My Uncle Ash was so excited to meet me. He could hardly believe Mom had brought him a puppy to raise. I could tell that he enjoyed my company even if I was way too little to keep up with him. Mom said I took his mind of losing his girlfriend Tess.

Ash was the best nanny dog a little pup could ever have. He was big and warm and strong. I felt so safe around him and he always kept an eye on me especially when I was little. I didn’t realize until much later there were creatures who might eat me – owls, eagles, coyotes, even bobcats. With Ash as my bodyguard I could go anywhere.

Looking back it’s hard to believe how patient Ash was with me. He let me pull on his fur and sit on his head. When I got tired he let me curl up next to him and sleep.

I remember puppy dreams when I’d jerk and yip in my sleep. Then I’d wake up and see Ash looking at me kindly with his big blue eyes. I loved my Uncle Ash so much. These aren’t the clearest pics but you get the idea how Ash put up with a little runt like me crawling all over him.

 

 

Time went by quickly that first summer. I got to meet lots of special friends and family. Ash taught me how to race around and bark at anything that moved. I was learning bathroom habits and how to behave. It was the best summer a puppy could ever have. I’m so grateful. Thank you Ash. I will never forget you.

Journey

My Early Life

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Baby Journey

I can’t say I particularly like this picture, but this is me at three weeks of age. Guess who is holding me? Yup – Mom! She and her good friend drove all the way to the farm in Newport, WA to meet me and the rest of my litter.

I come from a place called Chandrea Farms. It no longer exists but there is some fun stuff online that gives you an idea about the place. Here’s a link to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChandreaFarms/ And another link to an inactive WordPress site that talks about some serious Aussie business: https://chandreafarms.wordpress.com

Chandrea Farms was a wonderful place to be born. The mama dogs and pups lived in the big house. When anybody came through the door we were handed out like candy to be loved and snuggled. The man of the house used to stuff us in his jacket pocket to keep us warm. We learned about how loving people could be before we even opened our eyes.

When it was time for me to go to my forever home, Mom came back to Chandrea Farms to fetch me. By then I was nearly eight weeks old and full of myself. I was out running in the field when she arrived. It was easy to spot me. I was off on my own adventure while the rest of my littermates were running together in the opposite direction.

The nice boss lady who owned Chandrea Farms asked if Mom was sure she wanted a little devil like me. By then Mom had already chosen my name (I’ll tell you more about that later) and there was no doubt that I was going home with my new mom to Asherpark. This is me just before we left the farm.

Young Journey

It was a long drive home – nearly six hours. I cried most of the way and acted like the world was ending. I was scared but also wanted more attention than Mom could give me since she was driving. Soon enough we arrived home and I got to meet my new family. All of a sudden I wasn’t scared anymore. I knew I had ended up exactly where I was supposed to be.

 

 

Journey

Humble Beginnings

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Baby Journey

Once I signed on to help Finn with BarkingProse I thought I should ask him what he wanted me to do. Finn asked me to go back through all our old pictures and find early ones of me as a pup and write about my puppyhood.

At first I was kinda embarrassed to be writing about myself. But Finn said it would give me something to do while I recover from my torn ACL and it could be fun. So here goes.

I was a born in Newport, Washington in May 2015. It’s the same place my Uncle Asher was born. My common breed name is Miniature Australian Shepherd but the AKC classifies me as a Miniature American Shepherd.

I think this AKC stuff is a lot of bunk. We were better off when the AKC didn’t recognize Australian Shepherds and we were part of the herding dog registry. As far as I’m concerned, we’re all Aussies but in case you want more details about my breed here’s a link with lots of information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_American_Shepherd

Finn comes from the same place and is the same breed as me. We are both blue merles, but his coloration is more standard. He would be able to participate in breed conformation competition. Because I have so much white I would be disqualified. By the way – that’s fine with me. I can’t think of anything worse than standing around while a bunch of silly people argue over who has the prettiest dog.

Herding dogs like us Aussies frequently have a genetic mutation known as the MDR1 Mutation.

When a dog has this condition certain common drugs can be like poison and even kill a sensitive dog. Because of that Mom had both me and Finn tested. Finn was clear but I have the mutation. That means I have to be careful what drugs I take and have to avoid common veterinary drugs like Ivermectin.

 

The MDR1 Mutation

Whew, all this serious stuff. I’m gonna close for now with a couple more pictures of me as a little squirt. The next Bark won’t be so serious and I’ll write more about starting life on a farm in the far northeast corner of Washington State.