My "Puppy" :D

I'm always listing my beloved puppy in my "Gratitude List" every day, and people keep asking more about him! So here he is:

This is Knightley. He's a collie, and he's almost 2 years old. He was named after the fictional character "Mr. Knightley" in Jane Austen's book, "Emma".

Knightley enjoys sniffing things, sleeping, going for long walks (well, more like he "pulls" me down the street -- that's "walking" for us), being petted, sleeping, playing tug-of-war, sleeping, fetching his squeaky toys, and umm ... sleeping :)

And yes, he almost always crosses his legs "like a gentleman" when he lays down, lol :P

Really, he's just a 80-pound baby. He's never been vicious toward any person or dog. He's extremely friendly, loving, and playful.

And he's scared of EVERYTHING. One of the things he fears most is when we put a new trash bag in the trash can. Innocently whipping the bag in the air (to open it) scares Knightley to death. He's also afraid of balloons, thunder, large trucks with loud motors, the vacuum cleaner, the water hose, the lawn mower, the leaf-blower, the weed-eater, and any sudden or unfamiliar noise.

He's also very sensitive to order. If we re-arrange the furniture in the living room, he freaks out and won't go in.

Collies are bred to be hearding dogs. And Knightly definitely seems to have that "herding instinct". If I'm walking out of the room, but he wants me to stay -- he will run around in front of me and turn sideways to cut me off. Now he's about four feet long from nose to tail and two-and-a-half feet high. So when he turns sideways to cut me off, I'm really cut off!

He's soft and cuddly, and must be LEANING against me at all times -- especially when he's scared. His fur around his ears and head is still very soft, like puppy fuzz. When he's sleepy, he will just lay there and stretch while I pet him, and after a while he will yawn and nibble on my fingers to show affection. So cute!

During the summer, we have to keep a fan running for him 24/7. His fur is so thick, he gets hot -- even when he's in the house. We can only let him outside for a few minutes at a time on really hot days.

Every night, he sleeps in front of a fan with a soft red blanket spread out on the floor. He's had that blanket since he was a tiny puppy. He's managed to nibble a few holes in it over the past couple of years, but that doesn't bother him. He will still bring the blanket to me to show it off. He'll grab it and toss it in the air as if to say, "See my blanket? Isn't it cool? Wanna play?"

Did I mention that he's very playful? Whenever he's not sleeping, he WANTS TO PLAY. Nonstop, play until he's tired (or overheated). He's so much fun!

I love him! He's my boy :)