Diary of a selfless, good dog
April 11th 2006
I was born today!
All of my brothers and sisters are bigger than me. They said Iām the runt of the litter. I overheard that Iām a Red Tri Colored Border Collie, that sounds fancy. My name doesnāt sound so fancy though, they call me āPatchesā because of some little white patches of hair on my back.
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A nice guy and girl came to visit us, they played with all of my brothers and sisters, but they paid extra attention to me. It was so nice to be singled out like that. I gave them kisses.
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June 2th 2006
That guy from before came back and brought me in a car. I got so sick, I hate cars. Iāll never go in another car from now on. He told me he was my new daddy.
When we got to my new home, I met 2 new things called cats. I guess cats are similar to dogs but more terrifying.

The guy that called himself dad was running around like crazy. He put a picture of himself holding a ring in my collar.
The girl who I figured was my new mom came home and I ran to her. I was so happy to see her again. She picked me up and I gave her kisses. She looked at the picture and then my dad went down on his knee. They started crying and kissing each other. People are weird.
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They told me my name was Leia and they brought me to meet a lot of people. They said the name was after something called Star Wars. I donāt know what that is, but I like this new name much better.
That night, they threw a ball to me and I brought it back. They told me I was a good girl. That was the best thing ever. I liked making them happy, Iām going to bring them my toys from now on.
I met momās older dog named Shelby today. She lives at my grandparentās house. Shelby is a Dalmatian and she looks pretty old. She can beat me at tug of war though. She taught me how to get a drink of water any time I want in this magical thing called a toilet.
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I went to dog training and graduated! The best part is mom and dad keep giving me treats for doing silly little things like sit, lay down, roll over, shake a paw, speak and take a bow.
Mom and dad take me with them a lot when they go out. I hate the car part, but I love being with other people and doggy friends too.
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I learnt another trick called āGet the kitties!ā. I get to bark and chase away those kitties from the kitchen. Itās so fun. The kitties are starting to grow on me, theyāre pretty lazy though!
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We played this awesome game where mom and dad chase me around outside. Any time they get close to me, I bolt. Then dad starts running trying to catch me and mom starts yelling at me. They look angry, but I know theyāre having just as much fun as me.
It stormed outside, it was so loud and thereās bright lightning flashes in the sky. Iām terrified of storms.
I learnt this cool new trick called āGO CRAZYā. I take the nearest toy and growl and shake it side to side. Mom and dad must love it because they show everyone that comes to the house.
I played outside for the first time in the snow, I love it. Dad throws up some snow with a shovel and I jump, bark, and try to bite it. He says he canāt shovel properly though because I get in the way. How else am I supposed to get the snow under his shovel though?
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This new home is pretty great. We have the perfect family. I love it when mom and dad throw me the ball, I catch it every time.
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Iām not a fan of this thing called Halloween. Mom and dad dress me up in these weird costumes and I try to shake them off right away.
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My good friend Shelby passed away, They said she was old and suffering. Iām so sad.
I learnt the name of all of my toys. Mom and dad hide the toys around the house and then tell me which one to bring back. They think itās pretty cool and keep telling their friends that Iām such a smart girl.
I love getting belly scratches, I think I must have gotten that from my dad. Heās not very good at tug of war though.
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Feb 5th 2009
Mom and dad brought home a human baby boy today!
Iām really worried about him, Iām going to protect him. They said his name is Ronnie.

Another baby came home!
Isnāt it supposed to take 9 months to make a new baby human?
Now I have to watch over 2 babies? Iām so stressed out, mom sent me to Nanaās house so I could calm down. This new one is named Link.

My boys are pretty great, Iām going to protect and love them forever. Theyāre getting so big over the years. I love playing with them, it makes them so happy.
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Dad took me on a run, he goes really slow though and he keeps taking breaks. I think heās out of shape and getting old. I like running with him though.
Dad left me a treat on the couch! He unwrapped a 12ā sub from Subway and then ran off to go on a meeting in a hurry. It was so good.
Later, I got in trouble though, I probably shouldnāt have, but it was worth it. I felt really guilty when dad confronted me, I put my ears back.

My boys are chasing me around the house everywhere. Itās so much fun. I love them so much.
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Mom, dad, and I did a 5k run for dogs today! It was called Santa Paws 5k.

August 27 2012
They had another baby! Mom and dad already arenāt throwing my toys as much to me even though I put big piles of toys in their lap. That new baby is pretty cute, his name is Asher. Iām going to protect him too.

My 3 boys are so fun, they play with me a lot and they laugh when I do silly things.
Oh god they did it again, they brought home another baby. A puppy this time. This one is trouble. Mom and dad keep saying bad dog to her as she pees in the house and bites things she isnāt supposed to.

Iām starting to like this puppy they call Nym, when she gets out of line I put her in her place though.
As a wise old dog once taught me, I passed down the toilet water drinking trick to her.

This puppy is starting to get to be the same size as me. I canāt beat her at tug of war anymore.

It was my birthday again today, I think I might be getting old. Dad recently said heās not going to take me on runs anymore because I canāt keep up. I hope heās not disappointed in me. At least mom, dad, and my boys still walk me though.
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I canāt even get balls properly anymore, my favourite thing in the world. It hurts for me to jump up and get the ball, and Nym is just too fast. I donāt know whatās wrong with me.
I do chase Nym when she gets a ball and I wag my tail and bark at her. I wish I could still play ball though.

I used to go on long walks, but now I can only do the 3 streets. I hope mom and dad arenāt mad at me. I wish I could keep up. They take me on a short walk, and then bring me home. Then they go back out with Nym on a longer walk. They started giving me pain medicine every night.
Mom and dad cut my walks down to just 2 streets. It hurts to walk but I love being outside so much.
I feel really bad, I canāt control my bladder and sometimes pee when Iām sleeping. Iām so embarrassed. I didnāt mean to.

August 16th 2020
I could only make it half way down 1 street and we had to turn back. I was stumbling, Iām so sorry I couldnāt walk better mom.
August 17th 2020
I was very sick and dad brought me in to the vet to get checked out. They told him it was another vestibular attack and that I couldnāt support my own weight anymore. They said they thought it was time and that they were worried about my quality of life. They put me on IV until mom and my boys could be there.
Mom, dad, and my boys came to see me outside in a tent at the vet. They all seemed very sad and were crying. Iām scared but theyāre all there with me, hugging me, and telling me they love me. Itās making me feel better. I gave each of my boys one last kiss.
When the vet came out she had a needle and they pricked me. Iām scared, but Iām with my family. I just need to put my head down. Iām getting sleepy, I need to sleep.
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I met this new guy today that called himself grandpa. He told me he has been watching over my family and keeping us safe all along. He told me I was a good dog and threw a ball for me.
The ball flew so far, I ran the whole time at full speed without getting tired. I ran for 3 miles and then caught the ball mid air. I wish mom and dad could have seen it.
When I looked around after catching the ball, I saw that Shelby was there! She told me to come and get a drink from a giant toilet bowl. When I went to get a drink I saw my doggy mom, dad, brothers, sisters, the kitties, and many more of the doggy friends I knew over the years. I missed them all so much.
Best of all, I learned that I could watch over and be with my family any time I wanted, so I got to keep the job of protecting my family.
