Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/23408345.gchs-htch-mach-parseltongue Prompt: Oct 1 - Falling Leaves
Entry: There’s an ongoing joke in Louisiana that we really only have two seasons, and even then, it’s more like one long summer with a few days in the seventies. Leaves do change colour and fall, but it doesn’t really correspond to colder weather for the most part. What might drum up cozy thoughts in one collie definitely doesn’t here. The sun is just as sweltering, the humidity just as staggering as always.
He could feel the sweat on his paw pads. Sticky, wet, uncomfortable. He was panting harder than he had in a while, trying desperately to chase something cooler on this ninety-five-degree Fahrenheit day. His stark black coat did him no favours: a magnet for the sun’s killer rays. He was dying for some kind of relief, having been working pretty hard all morning. The sun was directly overhead now, and the leaves had almost all fallen off of the trees at this point, leaving him with no refuge from it. He glanced around, trying to figure out some kind of solution. There was always the swamp, but… he always felt gross after wading through the algae.
That’s when he heard it: the chorus of giggling human pups. Oh, right, the pool! The humans tried their best to keep them out of it, but surely they’d be alright with him taking a little dip, right? He made his way to the gate surrounding it, scoping out the situation. There were no big humans around, just the pups. Should be good to sneak in. He got up on his hind legs and depressed the handle on the gate. It swung open and he charged inside.
Before anyone had a chance to correct or anticipate him, Parseltongue jumped into the in-ground pool. His curly hair fought the sudden wetness as he sunk to the bottom like a stone. He held his breath before paddling back up to the surface, snorting cold water out of his nose as he did.
Sweet, sweet relief.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/10244917.htmch-mach-beauregard Prompt: Oct 2 - Autumn Wildlife
Entry: Beauregard was no stranger to wildlife. Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere, Louisiana, tended to acquaint you with it. He was used to seeing a possum stealing some food, a raccoon getting its grubby paws on his bowls and flipping them, or a baby deer abandoned in the pasture while mom looked for food. The farm a few properties over trained hunting dogs for squirrel and rabbit season, which always opened in the fall. Sometimes he felt poorly for the creatures, but he understood that food was food; the cycle of life must continue onward as it always had.
It was a nice day. In a true rarity, the weather was actually in the sixties today. Beauregard had decided to capitalize on it, enjoy it to its fullest. He had said hello to the horses, cows, and sheep as he always did; before hurrying off into the woods. He wanted to see if he had the chops to be a hunting dog. He would never be able to
kill another living being, but he wanted to know if he could track them. In his earlier days he had tried scentwork and been pretty decent at it, but who knew if he still had the olfactory memory.
He looked around the wooded area for a moment, just assessing the situation. The trees were too tall for him to seek out a squirrel, but rabbits… Hmm. His tail began to wag as he picked up a familiar scent. It smelled like his owners’ meat rabbits, but a little wilder. It must be a wild rabbit! He snuffled the leaves covering the ground as he followed his nose. He froze, like solid ice, as his eyes picked up on something in the distance. It was so well camouflaged that he might’ve missed it on first glance.
A rabbit! He
did have it in him! He threw his head back in a victorious
aroooo and watched as the rabbit ran off.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/8695471.malingen precursory reading Prompt: Oct 3 - Shadows
Entry: Life had been much easier once. She remembered being able to see in a way she couldn’t explain. Having sight for most of your life, only to be robbed of it in later years, was a unique experience. In her dreams, she could still see just as fine as he had before. It was painfully frustrating to wake up to darkness every day. Målingen had been coming to terms with this ever since the event that had changed her life four years ago. She could still see
some things – when she was in the sunlight or in a bright room, she could see shadows. She took some solace in being able to see them: at least it was something, right?
She’d learned to depend on her sense of smell more than her shadow-sight, as she called it. The attack that had rendered her blind had also hurt that sense as well, though, so it was limited. She had been retired as a personal protection dog after the incident, but the urge to protect her owner was as strong as ever. She felt the overwhelming desire to put herself between her human and any person, animal, vehicle and – well, anything. She remembered, fondly, the time her shadow-sight came in handy.
It was a very, very bright day. In her youth, Målingen hated days like this. Hated the feeling of the sun beating down on her black coat. She and her owner were enjoying the outdoors today. While her senses failed her most days, she still enjoyed getting out of the house and exploring her surroundings. They’d gone on a hike today. She heard the snapping of a twig nearby, and her ears and head swiveled. Her owner was too busy talking to her other human companion to notice the sound. She pulled to a stop, and then her eyes fixed on the shadow she could see. It was huge, much bigger than herself or anything she’d run into before now.
Her owner stopped and followed her attention, earning a soft gasp. She would later be told this thing had been a
moose. She could only imagine what it actually looked like.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/19823742.ch-htch-mach-matangi https://toyhou.se/14436022.theresa https://toyhou.se/31134701.deimos Prompt: Oct 4 - Collie Eye View
Entry: Matangi has seen a lot over the years. She’s been far and wide, she’s mothered a whopping fourteen puppies, and she’s earned a triple championship. To say her eyes have had a lot of mileage is putting it lightly. She doesn’t take it for granted, enjoys every sight she’s blessed with. Matangi knows many collies who are blind, and takes great joy in describing scenes for them. She remembers, fondly, describing her last whelp to her best friend in the Boghound kennel, Theresa.
The blind matron snuffled close to the freshly born babies. She jerked back as a small paw hit her nose.
“They’re just as blind as you are,” Matangi’s voice is warm, motherly; even though she’s been exhausted past her breaking point. This is news to Theresa, who had no clue all creatures were born blind and awfully helpless. She curiously nosed back in towards them, helping guide them to their mother’s belly. She pressed her nose against their bodies, feeling how small they were. She took in the fresh scent of something so unique she had never smelled before; of new beginnings, of life being breathed into new beings. Theresa felt the soft plush of their coats, slightly wavy but not distinct curls like their mother’s.
“What will you call them?” she asked, moving to sit back beside Matangi. The mother looked over them tiredly, watching as they nursed their first meal. “Iv, the father, will be taking one home,” she told her, “but this little boy is mine.” She nosed at the daker of the two pups. “His name will be Deimos,” she decided. “He looks nothing like me,” she began to explain, having told Theresa how she looked previously.
“He’s as black as the night sky with white on his undersides. He has my tiger stripes, but they’re hardly visible against the black. He has his father’s white face markings, and scattered across his coat are little flecks of white.”
Theresa paused, picturing it as best as she could in her mind.
“He’s perfect,” she gave in thought.
“He is,” Matangi agreed.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/28501421.satoru https://toyhou.se/28819964.suguru Prompt: Oct 5 - Character Collie
Entry: Satoru Gojo is a lot of things, and you’d be hard pressed to find a collie willing to compliment him despite it all. He’s quick, he’s powerful, he’s sharp witted, he’s loyal, he’s beautiful, and all things considered, he’d probably make a great father some day. Only one dog can
actually tolerate him, though, and that’s his mate: Suguru. Why
is Satoru so infamous? Why is he barely tolerated at best? It’s hard to imagine at first, but when he opens his mouth, you instantly get it. He’s loud, he’s brash, he’s got an awful attitude, he’s full of himself, he has no sense of time or consideration for others.
This isn’t to say Satoru is irredeemable. He focuses his energy on his mate and, when other collies are around, the younger ones. He sees himself as a fun uncle or maybe some sort of mentor or teacher. He loves the optimism of the youth, loves to see their wild imaginations not sobered by reality, loves that he can impress them with even mundane stuff since it’ll be the first time they’ve ever seen or experienced it. Some collies call him childish for this, especially because he hardly acts his age when he’s around younger collies.
Suguru sees a side of Satoru precious few get to see. He dotes on his mate paw and nose. He spends hours grooming Suguru’s coat, fetches him snacks even when he’s not hungry, puts himself between his introverted mate and those who impede his personal bubble. He feels one hundred percent safe around Satoru in a way he can not explain to others. His presence alone is enough to calm Suguru down from any sort of spiral or situation he finds himself in. They share a love few collies will ever know in this lifetime.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/30526453.tequila https://toyhou.se/33495997.red Prompt: Oct 6 - Fire
Entry: “You remind me of a fire.”
It echoed in her mind on repeat. She hadn’t been able to think about anything else since it was uttered. What had he meant? She rarely saw herself outside of the house these days – agoraphobic was a good way to put it. She had visited a barn hunt trial and her life had been flipped on its head ever since. She’d met
him there – a big, hulking beast of a collie. He’d told her that precisely: she reminded him of a fire. This was just moments before chaos erupted and a dog of nondescript breed grabbed on to her with their teeth. She yelped, tried to free herself as she was shaken mercilessly in an attempt to do damage. The humans were on the situation in a heartbeat, but it was too late. She’d already been injured; more mentally than physically.
Tequila didn’t even go for walks anymore. When she had to use the bathroom, she dashed into the backyard, did what she needed, and scooted back inside.
“You remind me of a fire.”
She pondered as she stared into the lit fireplace. Was it her coat? She supposed she did look like a flame. She was red and yellow, colours in common with it. Her freckles could emulate coals or, perhaps, the ash that fires spewed. Was it because she was warm and bright-hearted? She hadn’t been able to show much of her personality before the disaster, but she’d been pretty kind to those around her. She stared into the fire, letting it hypnotize her. She never even registered the visitor approaching on soft paws.
“You remind me of a fire.”
This time it wasn’t in her head on repeat, she’d heard it out loud. Tequila jolted, looking over her shoulder. Was this another impending attack, would she die here in the safety of her home? There he was, the collie she’d seen the day of the trial.
“You remind me of a fire – resilient and constant.”
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/30209472.yeti https://toyhou.se/33168278.oddball Prompt: Oct 7 - Making Potions
Entry: Yeti was used to grooming – she had to be, she was kind of a special case. Ever since she was a puppy her owners had made it pretty darn clear she was
different. They spent long hours washing, blow drying, brushing, and otherwise caring for her weird coat that was patchy. She’d been in the show ring before the alopecia had started – that’s what her owners called her weird coat. When it finally presented, she was the laughingstock of the show. It broke her heart into a thousand little dramatic pieces. Yeti was pleased when she never had to go to another show.
She wasn’t the only dog with this condition in her home, if you’d believe it. Oddball was what her owners referred to as a ‘rescue’. More chihuahua than collie, though she’d inherited the collie height so she didn’t seem
too out of place. Yeti was more excited than ever to meet someone who shared her condition. She and Oddball got into all kinds of mischief together, but they had a favourite thing to do in the grooming salon when the groomers weren’t looking. At first it had just been Oddball and Yeti to do this, but over the years, they’ve gotten other regulars at the grooming salon in on the game, too. It’s called
making potions and it’s a world of fun.
You grab your favourite shampoo and conditioner, and squirt some in a bottle. (Yeti usually does this because she has bigger, broader paws.) You put the lid on and shake it to combine. Then, you open it back up and start adding even
more stuff to it. Other shampoos, conditioners, the infamous blueberry facial (always included. Everyone loves that stuff!), and sometimes non-liquid things too! Stuff like cotton balls, q-tips, nail clippings, any bits and bobs you can find.
It drives the humans insane.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/19917181.gchb-htch-mach-pagan-min https://toyhou.se/19823742.ch-htch-mach-matangi Prompt: Oct 8 - Conformation Champion
Entry: Boghound has produced many champions over the years, but their least-titled program is conformation. There are so many entrants, so many stunning dogs competing – it’s tough competition! January 10th, 2021 marks the day Boghound had their first triple champion crowned. (Conformation being the last title this dog earned.) The recipient was Matangi, who has a long and storied history in Boghound’s kennels. She was imported on August 3rd 2020 and hit the ground running in the title program. She has mothered an incredible fourteen puppies who have gone on to carry her legacy. While most have achieved great success, one stands above the rest: Pagan Min. Pagan is triple championed, yes, but he surpassed his mother’s conformation score and brought home a Grand Champion Bronze before finishing off his career.
Pagan sits on his laurels pretty comfortably these days but has considered returning to the program once or twice. He would love to pursue a higher herding or agility title and hopes to be afforded the opportunity at some point. While he’s still in his prime and not quite retired like his mother, he is getting older and looking at the bigger picture. He’s only fathered two puppies thus far and hopes they go on to enter the title program in the future as well. (Though a father always wishes the best and for greatness for his children, doesn’t he?)
The collies Sigrid, Thoracic, and Sumika are currently titling under Boghound ownership and close to their own championships in conformation. They all hold one best of breed, which is one away from a championship. Pagan and his mother both have been known to join the collies going to the program to cheer them on. The three would-be champions all bear special markings referred to as spooky surprises, which they can only assume leads to their popularity in the ring.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/33606225.whittle Prompt: Oct 9 - Herding Champion
Entry: Whittle’s nose twitched as he watched the competitor before him run. He watched with intent in his eyes as they herded the various kinds of animals. It was always a surprise what animals would be in the ring at a herding championship. Whittle had trained on sheep and cattle, so the last few times he had been pretty tripped up. Sure, he had been around ducks and goats before, but working with them was another beast entirely. This was his fifth time competing for the championship, and God, did he desperately want to achieve it. He still had his entire agility career before him and couldn’t wait to move on to it. Herding was fun and all, but he longed to run, duck, weave, and fly through hoops.
It looked like today’s animals were sheep and ducks. He was
slowly learning about ducks as he entered the trials, but he couldn’t say he was completely confident with them yet. Sheep were a cakewalk; they had been the first animal he had mastered, and he’d done so with relative ease. He liked the way they smelled, the way they ambulated, the way they moved as a hivemind. They would pose him little challenge.
The dog ahead of him worked with ease: oh, how he wished himself the same. He readied himself, biting back nervous bile in his throat. He could do this. He would prove himself a champion, he would make his mothers proud. He took in a deep, steadying breath; counted down to the timer waiting to release him in the herding ring. Go!
It wasn’t a flawless performance. He had lost a duck on the way, but eventually got them all in the corral. The sheep had been easy, just as he had predicted. He paced as he waited for the results. The announcer moved to the stage, and his ears perked as he watched.
The winners of Herding Trial Champion in Round 334 are…!
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/29348814.kaisen Prompt: Oct 10 - Agility Champion
Entry: Kaisen has studied agility to the finest minutiae. He knows, logically, how to run the course. He knows what the different obstacles are, how to handle them. He has even gotten over his (some say irrational, but he argues it’s not) fear of the tunnels. While all of this is true, he still found himself struggling with the upper levels of the agility courses. He’s been stuck on Masters Agility Excellent for a few solid rounds now, and before that, he struggled a bit with the others. Agility doesn’t come second nature to Kaisen; it takes a real concentrated effort to think about and execute.
It's no surprise he’s overjoyed when he gets
into Masters Agility Excellent, but that joy has faded now as he’s done it multiple times. Gearing up to go into the same arena that haunts his nightmares is daunting. He doesn’t know why sometimes he hits a pole with his back legs while jumping, or hesitates on a dreaded tunnel, or dismounts the A frame too soon. He wishes he could be perfect; he wishes he was born to do this discipline. He has invested much time and thought into this: he’s interviewed Boghound’s best and brightest. He’s practiced the courses a million times, even when his owner wished he would give it a rest. His paws might as well bleed from the effort the was putting in.
And yet... and yet it wasn’t good enough. He sits short of the Masters Agility Champion. He sits short of the title that so many dogs have attained before him. He bides his time, he works himself to the bone, he sleeps, eats, breathes agility – and yet it is unobtainable.
He stares at the course with a familiar sense of dread rising in his body. He feels it prickle at his feet, travel up to his shoulders, his neck, and finally to his mouth. He releases it in a frustrated bark.
He will do this. He
will get this championship, even if it kills him.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/27593437.marlise Prompt: Oct 11 - Night Walk
Entry: Night is the only time Marlise gets to leave her home in a real capacity. Other humans are cruel towards her appearance, and other collies are, too. The collies who live with her are used to her extra legs, but they scare the ignorant. She tells herself she doesn’t mind because it’s cooler at night, and there’s more wildlife to stumble upon. She loves seeing the big toads that hop across the road from one swamp to another, loves chasing them and the loud whines they make when she pokes them with a paw. She loves when her owner uses a flashlight to illuminate all of the mysterious “swamp puppies” (other collies have told her they’re actually called alligators, but her owner uses this term, so she will too!) who glare at her from the water.
Tonight is an especially good night. The road beneath her toes is damp, still wet from the thunderstorm just an hour ago. Usually storms bring humidity with them, but today it feels less heavy. Her owner lets her off leash and she charges into the undergrowth, her extra legs getting caught on branches as she runs. She pays them no mind, however, instead interested in following the scent she’s picked up. She follows her spotted nose all the way to the adjoining home on their property.
Marlise sits down at the door and barks twice. There’s a ruckus in the house for a moment, before the door slowly creaks open. Her tail begins to thump powerfully against the porch. An old lady with soft eyes looks down at her, whole body smiling. “Good evening, Marlise,” she greets her, reaching in to rub her head. Marlise stands up to lean her whole body into the familiar hand, before licking at her fingers.
“Right, I know why you’re here, you cheeky little spider,” the old woman laughs, palming through her apron pocket. Marlise chomps down the treat in a second flat, before looking at her for another. She laughs again and shakes her head.
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Username: Kenjaku
Kennel Page: https://toyhou.se/BOGH0UND/characters Collie Entering: https://toyhou.se/34967542.ameerha https://toyhou.se/31149555.six-eyes Prompt: Oct 12 - Fell In Love In October
Entry: Love is something Six Eyes desperately wishes for, but knows is not in his cards. In the same way that people usually get upset by his markings, something about his personality upsets those around him, too. He isn’t sure what it is, exactly. He does his best to be a good boy, to follow directions and societal norms. He does what is expected of him without fuss, he minds those around him and how his bigger than normal body fits among them. He watches, forlorn, as every collie who has ever tolerated him pairs up with someone else.
Stuck in his own head about everything, as per usual, Six Eyes bumbles along. He has a momentary lapse in his mindfulness and runs right into another collie. He expects them to jump back and bark, or gasp, or cower at his mimicry markings. Instead there’s no noise at all. He calms down from the full body wince he’s been doing, curiously turns to look at the collie he’s run into. The other collie just peers back at him, just as curious.
“Ameerha,” he greets, holding out a paw. His voice is sweet, honeyed. Six Eyes raises an eyebrow, before slowly putting out his own paw. They bump together in greeting, similar to how he’s seen humans do so.
“Six Eyes, but you can call me Six,” he responds, voice weary; waiting for the other paw to drop, as it were.
“Your wildtype is
soooo cool!” Ameer barks, leaning in to sniff at his legs. Six Eyes is taken aback; no one has ever wanted to be this close to him before – not even the collies that had tolerated his presence. He finds himself bashful, uttering a soft, “thank you.”
“My owners are going to the pumpkin patch tonight,” he starts in, but Six Eyes gets excited and cuts in.
“My owners
own the pumpkin patch!”
“No way!” Ameer’s tail is wagging, he’s grinning. “So we can call it a date?”
Six Eyes’s cheeks burn painfully, so do the tips of his ears. He gives a bashful nod.
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