Coco and Clover

The collies are getting bigger. Having two puppies at the same time to train has been challenging, but I am working through it and the collies are delightfully well-mannered in spite of the multiple dog situation. I sometimes take them to a local dog park in the morning to give them a chance to run. I only go to a particular park at a specific time because I enjoy the regulars and everyone there manages their dogs. I have had bad experiences in dog parks with unruly dogs and inattentive owners, so I am wary of going to them. The video below shows the two collies enjoying the dog park.

My son recently went on an extended trip and I am watching his 15-year-old Bedlington Terrier, Coco, for him. She has many health issues and is becoming frail, but she remains feisty. She clearly wants to play with Clover, my 5 1/2-month-old female collie. In the video below, you can see them playing together. Clover is twice the weight of Coco and probably does not understand her strength. The male dogs are hanging on the sidelines while the two girls try to play. At one point, I had to stop the action because Clover knocked Coco down while playing and I wanted to make sure things did not get out of hand. I stopped the action, but Coco was right back in it afterwards. Clover is clearly more careful with Coco than she is with Raven, her brother. Clover and Raven play rough, but Clover seems to know that she cannot play rough with Coco. Nevertheless, she is a large puppy and sometimes it’s too much for Coco.

Roles in the video:

Dart: 12-year-old male sheltie

Raven: 5 1/2-month-old male collie

Clover: 5 1/2-month-old female collie (she is the smaller collie and has a white spot on the top of her right leg)

Coco: 15-year-old Bedlington Terrier

I had a recent scare with Clover and I am seeking feedback from any reader who may be familiar with this problem. I was at dog training with Clover the other evening and after doing a short walk around the room, I could not see Clover’s eye. She was squinting and the nictitating membrane was covering her eye. It scared me. It eventually corrected but showed up again the next day. I called the vet to ask if I should be concerned and they set up an appointment for the next day. That evening, it happened to both her eyes. I had two collies before and never saw this. When it happens, she squints and appears to be uncomfortable. After discussing with the vet today, we are puzzled. She is healthy and does not have an inflammation, so there is no clear reason why this should be happening. If anyone has experience with this, please let me know.