WALNUT ——male–(AKA Wally) says: “I like to tell everything that I am the BIGGEST puppy, but really I’m only a little bit bigger than the others. I love toys a lot, but I love my foster mom even more. I am happy to lay around on the couch with her for a long time—well, a long time in border collie puppy minutes! She tells me that I am Mr. Personality, even though I don’t show it in the first five minutes of meeting someone. I think a puppy should check people out before giving lots of kisses & adorable wiggles. Toys, tunnels, treats are my three faves, but pleasing my people will be right up there at the top of my list, once we get close, & I’ll make you proud of me.”

REDBUD ——female—(AKA Buddy) says: “I would love to be your best friend!  That’s a good thing to know about me right away.  I love everything: people, other animals, treats!  Toys are super-dooper, & even though I’m a bit fluffy so seem like I might not be tuff, don’t be fooled: I love to play tug!  It’s my favorite game right now.  Our foster mom gave us some tunnels to play in, & wow, am I fast running through them.  I hear there is a sport called agility that has tunnels & that you can tug when you do something really smart & good.  I might like to do that someday.  Like all of my brothers & sisters, I am so adorable, but I have a very special, upside-down, white V on my nose.  If you take me home, you can figure out all of the things that letter might stand for.”

BONSAI—female—says: “The first thing my foster mom told me is that good things come in smaller packages.  Yes, I am what people call the runt of the litter, but what I lack in size, I make up for in energy & enthusiasm: my go-to position is wiggle & when I find it hard to hold still, pets & love calm me down so I can start thinking like a border collie.  I think I am going to have ears that stand up like a jackrabbit.  Even though I am a go-getter, I can be a little shy at first, so I’d be happiest with another nice & social dog to play with & lots of adventures & games to build my confidence.  Geez, I even like the silly cats around this place!”

I’m not really sure how I got into border collie rescue as I am but a tiny girl.  Found alongside a road, I was in need of some help, being only about 4.5-weeks-old and only 4 pounds, I surely could not fend for myself.  Luckily for me, Northern California Border Collies Rescue & Adoptions had some room for me, so I got to go to this fun place with other dogs and cats and chicken and all sorts of fun things to meet and play with.  And because I am so little and cute, they didn’t require a DNA test!  They just think of me as a mini-border collie-wannabe! My rescue name is Mae, but my foster mom calls me Dinky Dog (I sure love hearing her say it, cuz I know if I come running to her I get a treat!) 

Arriving in June, the six Cottonwood kids joined the pack in their foster family after a typical puppy quarantine.  Soon they were running, playing, and within minutes figuring out the dog door and exploring the great outdoors.  The garden, the big fountain, the cats, the tortoises, the chickens, and the other border collies all provide great adventures.  Their foster mom and other visitors quickly won these puppies’ hearts & trust.  At about 10-weeks-old, these Border collie/Aussie/McNab mix pups sure show all the characteristics typical of these breeds: smarts, speed, need to have things to do, & lots of energy (can we say “drive”?)  They all have easy-care coats.  The pups sleep together in an x-pen & eat all their meals in individual crates.  They are learning to use newspapers in their pen (as well as the yard when they’re all outside) so should housebreak easily when consistently taken outside.  They love treats & toys, which will make training fun.

MANDO is 9 weeks of age and 11 pounds of fun, fun, fun! He loves sharing the pool, the agility tunnel, and the living quarters with his sister Ahsoka. They play, wrestle, rest, and then start all over again. MANDO enjoys the pool but does not chase after the water coming out of the hose like his sister does. We think MANDO will be a rough medium coat but it’s tough to tell at such a young age. MANDO loves people and other dogs while cats are anyone’s guess at this stage. They both enjoy following our dogs around when we take them on an adventure in the yard. He greets us very enthusiastically any time we enter the area. Mando sleeps quietly through most of the night in the X-Pen with open crate setup. We are up about 6 for one of our other dogs so we aren’t quite sure how long he’d sleep. MANDO understands the basics of potty training and generally keeps his pen clean. MANDO is ready to start his new adventure with his forever family.

Meet OLIVER!  He is an nine (9) month old Border Collie/Labrador mix.  He has ears like velvet and is puppy soft.  He’s a very lovey, kissy dog who loves to play catch, go to the dog park, go for walks and is up for just about anything.  He’s very gentle and would be a good dog for a loving family due to his amazing disposition.  Oliver is a very happy puppy and has no bad habits that I’ve found as of yet.  He has been a joy to have in my home.  Oliver has gotten along with all other dogs and people he’s met so far.  He’s a bit bashful at first but within seconds, he’s having fun and the life of the party!

MAGPIE is a 14-week-old border collie/McNab girlie, who is sweet as pie.  She enjoys puppa-ventures to the coffee shop where she sits nicely to greet people, lifting her face up to ask people to stroke her cheeks & pat her head.  She travels with her foster mom to notice birds like big osprey in their nest or red-winged blackbirds along the rice field roads.  She was a well-behaved pup at the vet for her exam & vaccines, taking treats & following the vet tech around the room, deciding quickly that the vet tech was a friend.  While she is learning to be a well-mannered pup–sitting when asked, not jumping up, walking on a harness & leash, etc.—she is still learning.  We’re very happy with her progress

Say hello to our sweet boy CAL, a 1 1/2yr old BC weighing in at around 40lbs. CAL’s favorite thing in the world is chasing a ball, or running around with a ball in his mouth. Second favorite would be following his person around the house and doing his best to be helpful. CAL gets along great with other dogs and even cats! He loves to meet new people and always greets everyone with a smile and a wag.

CAL is a special needs boy. He was born with what the vets suspect is a congenital defect that caused his hind legs to bow inward. This does not interfere with his ability to run and play and lead a normal life. He gets along really well. CAL has seen several vets and while a reconstruction surgery is an option, he is leading a normal life without surgery. Because the surgery would be so extensive and the long recovery would mean months of crate time, we have chosen not to pursue surgery. We are happy to talk more about his condition and what it means for him, if you’re interested.