Bunny Hunter

I'll get to the bunnies in a minute.  First I have to share with you how absolutely hysterical Theo is being right now.  I threw my back out on Tuesday (yes, I'm having just the best week ever), and laying on my stomach is really the only comfortable position for me to be in for extended periods of time.  So right now I'm laying on the floor on my stomach, typing away on my laptop.  Theo, fresh off his after breakfast nap, just came up to me, pulled off my socks, nibbled my feet, jumped on my head a few times, then laid down in a similar position to me, play growling while I gave him my hands to chew on for awhile.  When I went back to the laptop (to blog this here post!), he laid his head down on my legs and now he's taking a nap.

This is owning a Corgi.  When I say Corgis are goofballs, this is what I'm talking about.



A commenter on my last post brought up an excellent point I didn't mention.  Not only does Theo miss the dogs at doggy daycare.  He also misses the humans working there!  He absolutely loves the woman who runs the place, and I miss our conversations when I would come in to pick him up.  I'm sure they miss him as well.  I can't wait to take him back.



Ok, back to your not so regularly scheduled post:


Bunnies.  I know why a bunny is the figurehead for the commercialized Easter.  They are everywhere!  Little jackrabbits with white cottontails.  And Theo has become my little bunny hunter.  I always know when one is close by when I see his ears fly up.  And here's the thing. They are brave!  They don't fly off at the first jingle of Theo's collar.  They hold still, they wait, and when we're almost upon them, that's when they bolt.  This, of course, drives Theo crazy!  If he sees a bunny run somewhere far ahead of him, he watches with interest, but nothing more.  If a bunny bolts right in front of his face, his reaction is to bolt right after it.  It's like he can't help himself.  So it's like these little buggers are baiting him!  I can see it in their bunny eyes!  "A dog is coming!  Wait for it....wait for it....wait for it... RUN!  You're never gonna caaaaaaatch me!"

And did I mention they're everywhere?  My little bunny hunter has been on the prowl all through our walks the last few weeks.  Nevermind an Easter egg hunt, Theo is all about the Easter bunny hunt!

Baby Tested

I've mentioned that Theo loves kids before, but oh my, I wish I had a video of Theo meeting my nephew last weekend.  My sister came into town for work and was generous enough to put up with lugging her 19lb sack of potatoes (with cheeks!) all the way across the country just so I could see him.  Really.  Ok, not really.  But let's just say I'm the awesome reason...k?  Anyway, I had a 5 month old adorable baby in the house for 6 days, and Theo was hysterical.

First off, my sister knows Theo and I was glad to see, she trusted him implicitly around the wee babe.  I wouldn't have blamed her if she had been hesitant to have an excitable dog too near her precious cargo, but she walked right in, sat down, and even encouraged Theo to jump up on the couch with her so he could get a better sniff at my nephew.  How awesome is she?

Anyway, Theo's reaction to my nephew was priceless.  I knew he would love him.  I knew he would be excited.  But he was jumping out of his skin with excitement.  I've never seen his nubbin move like that!  It was like a hummingbird's wings!  Of course, I could tell he was excited because I know him, but outwardly he stayed very calm and gentle because he was around a baby, and he understands they're breakable.  It was so cute!  He sniffed his face, he smelled his breath, he licked the palm of his hand.  He just took him in.  My nephew did something similar.  My sister was laughing over them smelling each other.  And my nephew attempted to pet Theo, but ended up just kind of dropping his hand on his nose a few times.  Theo loved it.

Theo was this kid's protector the entire time they were here.  When nephew fussed or cried, Theo whimpered, very softly, but enough to alert us to the issue (like we couldn't hear it ourselves, but that's ok).  At one point my sister came out of our guest room and said "I feel like your dog is judging me!"  And I know exactly what she meant because I got the same looks when I was babysitting a couple days of their trip.  He would lay outside the bedroom door with a look that said "What are you doing to that kid in there!?  Why can't you keep him happy!"

After the initial meeting, Theo observed his usual two foot rule.  He was my nephew's protector. If my nephew was laying on a blanket on the floor, Theo would sniff him to make sure all was sound, then he would lay down with his body facing outwards, ready for whatever might come.  How cute is that??  When I put my nephew down for a nap Theo would sniff at the play pen we used for naps, then park himself outside the room.  One time, before giving my nephew a bath, I had him laid out on a towel on the bathroom floor.  I ran to the guest room to grab a diaper, and when I came back Theo had sprawled his body across the door frame with a look that said "None shall pass!"

I was impressed that Theo immediately sensed that he had fallen a wrung on the totem pole.  He knew his needs would come after my nephew's.  I was prepared for a needy dog who was jealous of the attention I gave the baby, but I actually got the opposite!  He was less whiny than he normally is because he knew I had a reason for ignoring him.  It was pretty awesome, but I also felt bad for him on the days that he didn't get much attention.  Heh.

So overall, I was really happy that Theo was so awesome with the baby.  I'm definitely not planning on having my own anytime soon, but it's nice to know that when the time comes when Husband and I are ready to grow the family, we'll have a dog that's been baby tested!  

The Pointer

Sorry to be a bit vulgar, but I have to share this story with you. It involves poop. Faint of heart be warned. Heh, no it's not bad, it's actually pretty awesome.

The other night I was out on a walk with Theo and Husband. Theo stopped to poop (aside: How cute are Corgis when they poop? The way they scrunch of their long bodies is kind of adorable, even though they're doing something rather unsavory. I should get a picture some time and post it. Would that be weird? I mean weird for me.), and Husband and I were chatting and not really paying attention. I stooped down to pick up his little present, and saw only a tiny turd, a third of its normal size. I jokingly scolded Theo for his tiny poop and asked him where the rest of it was. And as if he understood me (because of course he did, he's an uber smart Corgi for goodness sakes), he pointed his nose at another turd I had completely missed about a foot away as if to say "The rest is right over here, Mommy! Don't forget to pick it up too!"

I was flabbergasted. I howled in amusement, and then I praised him profusely. "What a good boy for showing Mommy where the rest of your poop was!"

Husband claimed Theo was merely smelling his poop, but I refuse to believe it. First, that's not nearly as cool as a dog who can point, not nearly as awesome as a dog who can understand me when most people can't make out my bumbling mumblies, and not nearly as hilarious as a dog that can't take a joke. And also, he never smells his poop. That's gross. Eating sheep poop, however? Totally acceptable.




It's hard to put to words exactly why owning a Corgi is just about the best thing ever. It's more than just their smart, they're tenacious, they're goofy. Those words don't quite convey just how smart, tenacious, and goofy they are! You have to see it for yourself in the daily goings on, when they do something so adorable, so surprising, so hilarious that you think to yourself Corgis are just the best! I regret that half of the great Corgi things Theo does never make it into this blog. They are so random and surprising, I often thoroughly enjoy those moments and then proceed for forget all about them. Just know that for every moment like Theo's point, there are probably two or three other moments that I just never shared. I'll try and be better about that!

Have you ever seen your Corgi point? What about other fun behaviors that sent you into spasms?

Cuddly

Last night I cuddled with Theo. I picked him up and held him in my lap, and he put his head down on my leg and rested quietly while I gently pet him. This may sound like a completely normal interaction for a person and his/her dog, but I don't have just any dog. I have Theo. Mr. 2 foot rule. He doesn't do laps. He doesn't do petting. He certainly doesn't reward you with cuddles when you have the audacity to lift his tushy off the ground. So what, you may ask, was the matter with him? Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that his head was swollen up like the Pillsbury dough boy at the time. Yeah, that might have had something to do with it.

You may recall this same exact thing happened almost this exact time last year. It was not a doggy daycare day, so when I got home I took him out to go potty and play some fetch. He was fine during this period. After about 5 minutes we went back inside to play some more fetch. He was fine during this period. After about 30 minutes Husband came home with dinner. Theo was very interested in the food, as per usual. I fed him his dinner, and Husband and I ate ours (Rubio's, yum!). It was about this time I noticed Theo's face looking ever slightly so puffy, and his behavior being ever so slightly different. Over the next 15 minutes or so he puffed up like a balloon. He went from being happy to miserable. Queue the lap time with mommy. He was in dire need of some comfort, poor thing.

I don't know what the heck happened to him. He ate the same food he always eats, we went only so far as the backyard for 5 minutes. He didn't seem to have any bee strings or obvious punctures or pains. I checked his feet, his muzzle, his legs. It was obviously a reaction of some kind, so I broke out the children's Benedryl. Remembering my mistake last time of not giving him enough, I gave him 3 teaspoons this time. After about 10 minutes the swelling went down considerably, but he was still pretty swollen, so after another 20 minutes I gave him 2 teaspoons more. That did it. His face went back to being ever slightly so puffy. Husband also decided that he felt a little hot, so we gave him some crushed ice, which he couldn't seem to get enough of. I think that may have helped with the swelling a bit too. His energy came back with a vengeance. He was playing fetch non-stop, so we figured it was safe to walk him. He did great. No issues. We put him to bed, and hoped he'd be okay in the morning.

This morning I woke up and checked on Theo. He looked fine. I couldn't tell if there was still that small amount of swelling because he was still in his crate, but there was no obvious swelling. I went for my run (Theo doesn't like to come running with me anymore. He prefers to run at night, apparently, but that's another post), I came home and let him out of his crate. He still looked fine. Maybe the tiniest hint of swelling, but I think I was mostly just being paranoid. I played a little fetch with him, then went on to do more exercising. While I was exercising, I noticed Theo being very restless. He went from laying next to the sofa, to on top of the sofa, to the foot of the sofa in the other room, the the top of that sofa, etc. Usually he just runs upstairs and hangs out on his bed until he hears me preparing his breakfast. So obviously, something was still wrong with him. Then the swelling began again. This time it was his eye and cheek that swelled. I tell you, it would have been hilarious if he didn't look so dang miserable.

He was still very willing to eat, but he had no interest in crushed ice this time. I gave him the last of the children's Benedryl, which was only 2 teaspoons. It helped, but he was still pretty swollen while Husband and I were getting dressed for work and discussing what to do. I asked Husband to take him to the vet, even though last time they charged us $300, for what was basically just a shot of concentrated Benedryl. Theo was obviously uncomfortable, so I figured I would just pay for the drugs.

$130 later (woohoo! Half the cost this time around!) Theo got his shot and we got some anti-inflamatory pills, including enough to last us until when this happens again next year. Hopefully when I pick him up at doggy daycare today he'll be his normal skinny-faced self. Poor thing.

What keeps happening? We have no clue, and neither does the vet. I noticed when his face swelled this morning that it started on his muzzle, and it looked like a bump or two formed before the rest of his face swelled. I would guess it's a bug bite of some kind that his system just really doesn't like. I'm going to wash his bedding tonight, in case there's a spider hiding in there or something. *shudder!*

I'm trying to look on the bright side of things. At least I got to cuddle my dog last night!

And no, I didn't take any pictures. I would have...I was just too busy being an over-worrying puppy mama. By the time I thought to take any the swelling was mostly gone. Maybe next time.

Not Mommy Socialized?

When Theo was a puppy, he got picked on sometimes by the older, wiser dogs. In other words, he got his nose chomped a few times for being a young whipper-snapper, which is the doggy equivalent of saying "get off my lawn!" Now that Theo is the ripe old age of 19 months, he's been displaying some crotchety tendencies of his own.

Let me start off by telling you something about Theo I don't think I've shared before. It's never quite come up, but Theo is a ridiculously submissive dog. Greeting a dog goes something like this: Theo sees dog and ears-back-nub-wiggling ensues. Theo and new dog meet nose to nose for about half a second before Theo rolls onto his back and spreads his legs wide for maximum goods exposure. After new dog is properly acquainted with Theo's scent, Theo will then, if permitted by the other dog, take a brief sniff of his own before either continuing to be submissive by licking the other dog's muzzle, or finally initiating a wee-bit of head jumping. Sometimes Theo will just stay on his back the entire time, even if the other dog is trying to initiate play. Either way, Theo always has an adorable look on his face that says "I'm totally non-threatening, I just want you to love me." Thankfully, he's not submissive to the point where he's scared oruncomfortable. He doesn't do submissive peeing and he never looks stressed out. As long as the dog isn't super dominant, he enjoys the encounter.

Of course, none of that applies to puppies. Theo was bullied as a puppy, so of course, now that he's big and threatening himself, he feels it's his turn to show the puppies their place.

Now, let me tell you about Fireball. He is a new puppy (~8 months old, I think) who was just adopted by someone in the neighborhood (this person already owns a dog of similar breed named Snowball, who Theo's age). I've come across Fireball while walking Theo three times this last week. Fireball is freaking adorable! He's one of those indistinguishable white, fluff dogs (usually some Poodle, Maltese, Bichon mix). He loves everyone. He loves to be pet, he loves to put your fingers in his mouth (but completely gentle), and he loves to jump all over you. He also likes to jump all over other dogs.

Theo does not like Fireball. Snowball he has no problems with. They've played together several times with no incident. Fireball, however, is a puppy. A peon. Not only does Theo growl at Fireball...he bares his teeth, very ferociously. He even snapped at him! He basically did every kind of dominant behavior you can think of, just short of straight peeing on him (which I wouldn't have put past him, given time). I was not pleased. Besides the fact that it's horribly embarrassing for my dog to be snapping at the sweetest dog on Earth, and besides the fact that it's not a behavior I will put up with for one minute...it means I can't play with Fireball! Who gets the short end of that stick? Moi!

On our second meeting, Fireball was learning not to jump all over Theo, and Theo was learning to let Fireball give him submissive kisses without snapping at him. Everything looked like they might, maybe, in time, get along. Then I reached out to pet Fireball. Oh my, was that a bad idea! Theo went ballistic! You know, in his adorable, ridiculous, Corgi way. Meeting over, we were on our way. No fair! I want to pet the puppy!

The experience made me realize that while Theo has always been well socialized with other dogs (puppy classes, doggy daycare 2-3 times a week, dog park visits, etc.), he's not necessarily well socialized when it comes to sharing Mommy. He has never liked it when I give another dog attention (though usually if there's another owner there to give him attention, he doesn't care as much), but since he's usually submissive, he doesn't raise a stink. He just gives me a pathetic look that says "how could you?" But since Theo takes the dominant role with puppies like Fireball, he has no problem telling them to back off of his Mommy in a very rude manner. I wonder, is that something dogs can get over with time and practice? Or should I count myself lucky that, thanks to his chicken-like ways, I'm able to pet other dogs at all?

As a hilarious aside, have you ever seen a 150lb Malamute act possessive with his owner? Sanook, whom I've mentioned before, does not approve of all the love his owner gives Theo (which is a lot, Theo eats this guy up with a spoon!) when we see each other, so he's taken to positioning his (humongous!) body between them and then leaning into his owner, causing him to either get up or fall over. Hehe. Oh the things you can do when you're 150lbs.

We Were On A Break!

I've been meaning to post about this for a few weeks now, but I wasn't truly decided until yesterday. Theo and I are taking a break from agility class. Theo, of course, will not approve. But I need one. I was beginning to dread Wednesday nights, and the whole point of the classes was to be a night of fun for both of us. Well they're not for me lately, so on a break is where we are.

On class nights, my evening goes something like this. I pick up Theo at doggy daycare, then walk him around for 30 minutes because there's a half hour gap between when doggy daycare closes and when class starts. I'm ok with this because Theo has so much energy, he could use the walk. I usually get lots of strange looks from the people who live in the neighborhood I walk in because they're private streets, and no one recognizes me. One day I was sitting down on the curb feeding Theo his dinner (since there's not time to go home first, I bring a bag of kibble) and some guy driving by actually stopped and asked if I needed help with something. Either I looked like I was in distress, or I looked like I was up to no good. Don't know which. ;p When it's time for class, I take Theo to get a drink of water, then take him around as many obstacles as we can get to for a warm up. Really, I'm just trying to get rid of more puppy energy.

When class starts, that's when Theo's barking begins. I have to hold his leash tight because the sneaky devil will lunge forward at any moment when he decides he just has to be there on the course, showing them all how it's done. If I give him a constant stream of treats for an hour, he will be quiet, but since I won't give him that many treats, I have to endure a lot of very loud barking. It's ear-splitting, really. Sometimes I try and pick him up to make him stay quiet. Lately, he's start clawing at my neck like a cat when I do this. He stops barking, but starts whining, sounding like a piglet getting Chinese water torture. Usually people start looking at me funny, wondering what the heck I'm doing to him. It's embarrassing. Sometimes I just let him bark, and my trainer comments (and by comments, I mean she not-so-subtly tells me to shut my dog up).

When it's finally Theo's turn to run a course, I let him off leash. Usually he dashes to the course with enthusiasm, and runs over any obstacle he can find. After a good minute of calling him to our starting point, he finally mossies over. It takes another minute at least to get him to actually sit down (asking him to sit usually results in him backing up 3 feet with lots of barking in between), and another minute to get to my starting spot while getting him to stay seated. Oh, by the way, usually the other people have completed running the entire course in this amount of time. When I'm in the right spot, I tell him to go over the first obstacle. Sometimes he decides to just go around the obstacle, the little bastard. When that happens, we have to spend another 3 minutes getting back into position. When he misses his contacts, I make him go back and do it again. Usually after 3 or 4 tries, I just pretend he hit them. He's so fast, that he's usually gone 3 obstacles ahead while I'm still telling him to go over the first one. He's great at keeping an eye on me, but he doesn't do so well with the listening.

Did I mention the barking? He barks the whole time he runs a course. It's because he's excited. He wants to let everyone know how awesome and excited he is. Too bad he's usually too busy barking to listen to me. Our exchange usually goes something like this: Me, pointing to jump, "Theo, jump!" Theo, standing in front of jump, looking at me, "bark! bark! bark!" Me, pointing to the jump, "Theo, JUMP!" Theo, after he's gone around the jump, then jumped over it backwards, "bark! bark! bark!" If it weren't so frustrating, it would be, without a doubt, absolutely hilarious. Usually while there's steam coming out of my ears, the entire class is in stitches. It almost seems like an old-style comedy routine.

I could live with the humiliation except apparently Theo is a little too excitable. My trainer told me the last class of the last session that Theo was launching himself into the A-frame too hard, and she was afraid he was going to hurt his shoulders. He's such a boy! She actually suggested we go back to beginning agility to work on his contacts. Beginning agility! After 3 classes of advanced! Heck no! Beginning agility was boring even when we were beginners! I'm sure we could have worked something else out, but I was down-right insulted at the suggestion.

I was so frustrated after that class that I was ready to give up agility all together. But then I remembered how much Theo loves it. He's only that big of a pain because he has so much fun, he just can't contain himself. He is a Corgi after all. They do all things all out, right? And then the woman who runs the doggy daycare (who also helps teach the agility class) told me very emphatically that Theo is an agility prodigy. He is really good at it and he loves it. He has no fear on any of the obstacles, and he's faster than the wind. If he could just focus (I took this to mean if he had a better handler), he could be really great. How could I cut him off after that? I can't. And I won't.

But that said, I do still need a break. In another 7-8 weeks, another class will start up. I think I've convinced Husband to start coming with me to class. I'm hoping he'll give handling a try. Husband has 10 times my patience, and he's wicked smart, so I'm convinced he could be a really good handler for Theo. And if not, maybe he can at least help me with keeping Theo quiet!

The woman who runs the doggy daycare also suggested I put agility equipment in the backyard for Theo to play around on. Her reasoning was that he'll be less psychotic in class if he can play on similar equipment at home. Two problems with that: first, money does not grow out of my bum, and second, my backyard is made of concrete. Otherwise, it's a great idea. Anyone want to buy me agility equipment? Ho-hum.

You'd Never Catch A Corgi With This

I know I haven't blogged for a month (edit: make that a month and a half! Oh my! Did I mention I'm totally important at work lately and have a million people annoying me with a million things all day? I do...). I've already been properly chastised by my mother. You can blame my laptop-hogging husband. But never mind that! Have you seen this? Um, probably not, since it's not a Corgi blog. But you must go to that link and see this hound dog sleep its way through food morsels! It's hilarious! I had to share the cuteness immediately.

Would that actually work with any of your Corgis (or other dogs, I don't discriminate)? I know for Theo it never would. He doesn't sleep that soundly, ever. If I walk near him when he's sleeping, he wakes up. If I take a picture of him while he's sleeping, he wakes up. If I'm rummaging through the fridge to get food to even try this trick while he's sleeping, he wakes up and comes running. But man, it would be funny if I could try this on him.

In other Theo news, we went to the local dog park yesterday for a mini meetup with a few Corgi owners in the area. It was sunny, but by no means scorching. This was by far the most hilarious meetup I've been to. They finally added additional benches to the park (previously, there was one per pen, right by the entrance), so we all huddled at the far end of the pen around a bench in the shade. All the Corgis (about 8 of them), cuddled right up to us people-folk, and didn't do much besides chase off any non-Corgis looking for trouble. Seriously. Other people were commenting about the Corgi-club in the back that wasn't allowing non-Corgis to join. It was pretty funny. There was one Beagle who kept trying to come and say hello, and every time there were 2 or 3 Corgis that would chase him away. Theo, of course, didn't have anything to do with such anti-social behavior. He was too busy being glued to me (giving me dirty looks when I was giving love to the other Corgis), or glued to the girl who snuck in treats (he loooooves her...can't understand why...). About an hour in I looked over and Theo was curled up beside me on the bench in the shade about 2 seconds from falling asleep! My dog fell asleep at the dog park! What a dork!

It was definitely the most sedate group of Corgis I've ever seen. It was nice and peaceful. Not exactly the point of taking your dog to the dog park, but oh well. It was a nice afternoon in the sun, surrounded by dogs. I can't complain. Of course, as I predicted, once we got home, Theo was a bundle of fetching energy. Oiy.

There's one thing I just don't understand about Theo. He goes head over heels when we arrive at the dog park. He cries and whines with excitement when we pull into the parking lot. He shoots into my lap the minute I put the car in park. We pulls me the whole way until we get to the pen. And then once we're in...plop. He just chills. After about 90 minutes yesterday I asked Theo "are you ready to go home?" He popped up, eyes alight with excitement, and started barking. Everyone agreed it was definitely a "yes". He even got indignant with me when I stopped to talk to a person while we were leaving. Why does he get so excited to come and then want nothing but to go home? I'll never understand, but in the mean time, he's darn cute!

(By the way, mom. I know you like regular updates on your grand-puppy, but I also have another blog I update weekly. I know it's not exactly your thing, but I talk about you sometimes on that one too.)

On My List Of Favorites

Last Sunday was a lazy day, even for Theo, my usual early riser.  It was the first day in I don't know how long that I turned off my alarm and let myself sleep as late as Theo let me.  To my surprise, it was until past 8:00am!  It felt soooo nice.  Theo needed the extra sleep time too, I think.  He had been very lethargic in the mornings the last few weeks.  Not in a "OMG, what's wrong with him!?" way, but in a "we've been uber-busy!" way.  The sleep obviously did him good because he was crazy energetic when he emerged from his crate Sunday morning.  It was hilarious!

The first thing he went for was my head.  Of course, he couldn't reach it, so I obliged him by laying down on the floor. Then the barrage began!  He did the putting his chin on my shoulder thing (which I love love love because it is sort of, kind of, not really snugly behavior!), he tried to pull my hair tie out, he nipped my ears (in the completely gentle, playful way), and of course, there was oodles of adorable play-growling.  I was eating it up!  We didn't end up going on our run until almost 9am because I didn't know how to end the play session.  It was so much fun! You know what really drives him crazy?  Blowing on his face when he's trying to own me.  Gets him riled up every time.

Theo's First Christmas

1. Theo is keeping his nickname of "big fat chicken".  We got our tree on Saturday.  We had it on its side in the backyard and when we went to pick it upright Theo freaked and bolted.  Poor thing.
2. He seems used to it now, but he's not really going near it.  I'm ok with that.  I'd rather have a dog that is scared of the tree than a dog that tries to knock all the ornaments off.
3. Theo got his own ornament.  You can sorta see it below, circled in teal
4. 
5. It's poop!  Sprinkled in snow of course (and it's ceramic of course!).  I got it at the place we take Theo for doggy daycare.  Apparently they're selling like hotcakes.  I had to wait until their second batch came in because the first batch sold out in a day.  
6. I'm still going to do a giveaway with something I buy at Petsmart.  I didn't have time to go this weekend (the closest one is still around 15 miles away, so it's not easy to get to on a busy weekend), but I'm going to look into buying online.
7. Ivy had some issues with Bryson drinking the water in their Christmas tree stand and getting sick (full story here).  Poor guy.  It sounds like he's still having some problems from it.  I hope he's ok!
8. I ended up buying the same tree preservative, and I was pretty nervous about it.  But when I looked at the stand we have, there's no way Theo could drink out of it.  I can't recommend this tree stand enough!  We bought ours at Home Depot a few years ago.  We liked it because we never have to worry about screwing the stand on straight (because it swivels!), and that little cap you screw on is so much easier than trying to maneuver the whole stand (you screw the little cap on and then put the cap into the stand, two pieces are better than one!).  And now there's a whole new reason for loving it.  It's built in such a way that there's no way Theo could drink out of it.  I had to wiggle my finger between the grooves just to feel the water level in the first place.  And it's so tall that I think Theo would have a hard time positioning himself to even try.  Anyone with a dog should check one of these out!
9. I got some great pictures of Theo this weekend. He was being adorable yesterday, very snugly.  I felt like I was getting sick so I decided to take it easy and just sleep most of yesterday.  According to Husband Theo slept right along with me.  Have I mentioned I have the best dog ever?  I almost want to get sick just so I can spend a few days with him. Hehe.
10. 

My Quiet Bunny

I was fully expecting to come home last night to a house full of dog pee.  Ok, actually we had Theo behind a gate upstairs, but still, I expected pee and maybe worse.  I was pleasantly surprised!  Not only did Theo hold it all day, but he didn't even do a potty dance when I got home (man, I love the potty dance!).  From what I can tell, Theo did nothing but sleep for 7 hours (I was gone for 8, but Husband goes into work later than me).  Needless to say he was quite antsy when I got home.  He jumped all over me and played the most enthusiastic game of fetch I have ever seen him play.  Overall I think it went really well!  Hooray!

I think we'll start out leaving him home just Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I figure that way we offset the lazy days with the excited running around days.  Right now, because of the activity level he is used to, I would feel bad about leaving him home all day two days in a row.  After I got home last night and the whole rest of the evening he just had so much energy.  I don't even want to imagine two days worth of pent up energy out of him.  This morning he was crazy!  When I let him out of his crate he was jumping all over me!  Then he got his tribble to play fetch, and then after some fetch he jumped all over me again.  It was hilarious.  Oh, and he was extra jumpy and kept barking everytime he heard a leaf fall off a tree outside.  

But don't worry.  I still played lots of fetch with him, took him on his walk last night, and on his run this morning.  He still has plenty of outlets, I think he was just more playful with me.  He's at doggy daycare right now getting all his yayas out.

Since I have every other Friday off, that means Theo will go to doggy daycare 10 days a month now rather than 20, so rather than paying $400/month, I'll be paying $200!  It's still a lot, but that's a number I'm much more willing to pay, and this way I think Theo still has a good outlet for his energy.  It just means Husband and I will have to get out more on the weekends, and since the weather has finally cooled down, I think that would be a good idea!

Here We Go

Well the family is all here (minus my sister and her husband who are coming tomorrow), and Theo is in heaven. He absolutely loves his grandfurparents. I'm like the new mother who loves it when people come over to hold her baby so she gets a break. I'm loving having people over so they can play fetch with him and give me a break. Hehe.

Theo got to experience something new today: intruders! My parents left for a few hours to go check into their hotel and we left the door open for them, since they don't have a key. I realized later this was a bad idea because Theo has never had someone just walk into the house without Husband or I letting them in first. I didn't think about that. Theo always loves it when people come over. He acts like they're his personal play dates. Well Theo was sleeping when my parents walked through the door. He instantly popped up and screamed out a bark like I have never heard before. It was a bark that said there were intruders in the house and he wanted them gone. As soon as he saw it was my parents he calmed down, but for that instant he was my protector. It startled the heck out of me! Hehe. But it was nice to know that Theo does not view people randomly walking into our house the same as guests who we let in.

Merry cooking to everyone tomorrow! Remember, not too many fatty foods for the pups.

Quirks

Does your dog do this?  

I've said in the past that Theo will only go into his crate at night when I "put him to bed".  Usually he sleeps on a blanket on the floor of the office right behind my chair while I'm messing around on the laptop or knitting.  As soon as he hears the laptop close, he pops up enthusiastically, knowing that it's time for bed.  Well if I ever stay up too late, he lets me know it.  Last night I was chatting on the mycorgi.com live chat (who knew they had that?) when I heard some soft and very pathetic cries.  I looked down to see Theo looking up at me with pleading eyes.  He wanted very much to go to bed, but he wouldn't go to bed until he knews I was also going to bed.  He does that.  So I informed the people chatting that my puppy was telling me it was time for bed and I had to log off.   He certainly is a dog stuck in his ways.

Playing A Little Too Hard

Husband and I have noticed that sometimes Theo can escalate play a little too much. On his walk tonight Theo stopped to say hello to a big yellow lab around his same age, Max. Max plays a bit rough (because he's big and awkward and that's what Labs do), and Husband said he saw Theo trying to nip at him a couple of times. And his usual "I'm so tough" play growl was turning a bit hostile as well. But of course, his nub was still wagging and Max was still playing and having fun, so it was really hard to read the situation. Husband thinks he just needs some negative reinforcement when Theo escalates like that. What do you think? I don't want Theo nipping at other dogs, so I'd like to nip this in the bud as soon as possible. I'll definitely be emailing my trainer about this.

On a lighter note, I can't wait to see who the finalists are for the Corgi calendar this year! I hope to see lots of familiar faces!m Especially the one that's all too familiar. ;)

His Nemesis

1. Theo is so unhappy about the Wii Fit that last night when I was playing he jumped up on the couch, snuggled up next to Husband, and put his head in his lap.  He completely neglected his own 2 feet distance at all times rule!  He must have wanted some serious comfort.  
2. When I gave Husband a go on the game I figured I could take his place in the snuggle department.  Of course, that was naive of me.  Once I sat down Theo jumped down and went and got a toy for me to throw.
3. We had a great time in agility class last night.  We did lots more jumps, and practiced going up and down the really tall A-frame.  Theo had a blast on the A-frame.  Whenever I would walk him in the vicinity, he would go and run over it (and that sucker is tall!).  I only wish it were a smaller class.  With equipment like the A-frame we go one dog at a time, and naturally, some dogs just aren't into it at first, and it can take awhile for it to be your turn again.  Theo and I would both get a bit antsy.  But if I were ever in doubt of Theo liking agility, this class did away with it.  He loves the obstacles.  I can already tell the hardest part is going to be getting him to listen to me when I try and tell him where to go.  But that won't be for a very long while.
4. Husband takes Theo to doggy daycare in the mornings.  On a rare day we're both ready at the same time and end up leaving together.  That happened this morning.  Theo got really excited, thinking we were going somewhere all together.  I let him in the garage, let him in the car, then closed the door, got into my car and left.  Husband was with him the whole time, but I've never seen a more pathetic look from Theo.  How can such a usually unaffectionate dog be so clingy?  Heh.
5. I made the mistake of googling agility equipment and found this website.  Looks like if we really get into this we can purchase some pretty easy to set up equipment for the backyard.  Too bad it all adds up to be a bit of a bank breaker! We'll leave it at a nice big "if" for now.

Don't Let Winter Depression Get You Down

I thought this was an interesting post on seasonal depression for pets.  I know it sure bums Theo out when he won't go outside to pee because it's wet.  I know it sure bums me out when he tries to get into the garage to go instead.  Hehe.  I know that a nice healthy play session makes us both feel better.  According to these tips, Theo should be doing pretty good.

Now that our family room is back in order (and in use thanks to the new Wii Fit!), and now that the WOW expansion is out, Theo is definitely getting his stair workout running between our office upstairs and the family room downstairs.  Hehe.  I always rotate his diet a little bit based on what I have on hand (potatoes/rice/barley, pear/banana/apple, carrots/celery/green beans, etc.).  I'm still doing obedience with Theo, though admittedly not as much.  I need to keep it up if I don't want Mr. Troublemaker getting away with murder.  But sorry Theo, no indoor pool for you.

Have you noticed winter depression in your furkids?

Theo's Job

How did it take me this long to realize? Theo is a Corgi. Corgis are herding dogs. They need to feel like they have a job to do. I've read in more placed than I can count that if you don't give a Corgi a job to do they'll make one up for themselves. Theo plays fetch obsessively. I'll play fetch with him in the house, then take him outside and he'll want to play more fetch. Then when we go back in the house he'll want to play even more fetch. It's so obvious to me now...

It's his job!!!

Fetching a toy or ball is Theo's job. I guess in his crazy dog mind fetching a tribble for hours on end is the equivalent of my pushing papers all day. When he talks shop with the pugs at the dog park he tells them all about the time he managed to retrieve the tribble from a very tight space without needing his person's interference, or the many times he's caught the ball outside, mid-bounce, and managed to avoid plowing into the wall aftwards.

As far as jobs go, I guess I shouldn't complain. Usually when they say Corgis give themselves a job, it's usually followed by "and you won't like what it is". I'm not thrilled that Theo's job involves me constantly throwing a drool soaked toy, but it's much better than tearing the stuffing out of his bed, or eating the towels in his crate, or chewing on the walls. If fetch is Theo's job, then I'll be sure to try and give him a Christmas bonus.

Theo's Switches

Theo's head has lots of switches. There was the switch that went off when he suddenly stopped mouthing my hands. There was the switch that caused him to want to play fetch all the time. There was the switch that helped him to finally understand "roll over". The latest switch to go off in Theo's head relates to our walks...well jogs.
As much as I looked forward to being able to take a nice jog with Theo, it was apparent not long after we got him that that dream was just not going to come to fruition. Being a herder, Theo didn't jog, he herded. Whenever I would quicken my pace to anything faster than a brisk walk, he would dart out and start swerving in front of me, like how a cop slows down traffic on the freeway when there's a big accident. Trying to run with a dog swerving in front of you is not only annoying, but dangerous to both parties. So I would never run with him...

...until last weekend. A switch went off in his head! I don't remember the reason, but I started jogging (I guess I have switches too), expecting Theo to bolt out in front of me like usual. But he didn't. He quickened his pace to a jog as well and stayed by my side! Let me say that again because I still can't believe it. Theo, the Corgi, the herding dog, jogged next to me! I figured it was a fluke, so I tried it again the next day and got the same result. I don't know what happened, but I've gone jogging with him every morning this week and had no issues! I'm loving it!

I told my trainer about it, and her eyes sparkled with pride and told me that it was such a wonderful thing and she was so proud of Theo for it. I am too! He'll turn out alright I dare say. In the mean time, I might actually get into some sort of a shape if I keep this up. Who knew?

PS: Ouch! The shin splints! Anyone know how to get rid of 'em besides swimming?

Poll Time: Sleeping

I've been thinking a lot about sleep lately. Actually, I think about sleeping myself all the time, but I mean I've been thinking about where Theo sleeps and how it affects how we interact. Theo sleeps alone in his crate outside our bedroom door. This was Husband's one stipulation about getting a dog: s/he wouldn't be allowed in the bedroom because of his allergies. A small sacrifice for such a wonderful gift. Anyway, his crate is right outside our door so he can still see us and feel our presence when he's in his crate at night. I think that made a huge difference in getting Theo used to sleeping alone. When I put him in his crate at night as long as I'm in the bedroom he'll go right to sleep. If I forget something and have to leave the room he pops up and eagerly waits for me to come back. If I'm gone too long he feels abandoned and starts to cry until I come back. He's so needy sometimes it's adorable. So that's where Theo sleeps.

I was at the dog park last weekend and there was an adorable pug named Nestle who jumped right in my lap and gave me lots and lots of kisses. Her owner remarked that it's not so cute when she does it in the morning and wakes her up. That really got me thinking about the sleeping habits of dogs and how they affect their relationship with humans. I don't think Theo would ever be the type of dog to jump in my lap and lick my face, but would he be more affectionate if he slept in my bed with me? Does is independent personality come from sleeping alone? It's interesting to think about.

So interesting, in fact, that I decided to do another poll. Check out the column to the right. If you want to participate let me know where your dog sleeps, then leave me a comment letting me know what type of personality your dog has and whether you think where s/he sleeps has an impact on this.

Fetched Out

I've experienced some serious cabin fever these last few days. Our entire downstairs is right now unlivable (well we could live on a concrete floor if it wasn't dirty and if Theo wasn't always walking around trying to eat debris, but that's just not the way it is), and our upstairs isn't much better. All the stuff from our kitchen, living room, dining room, family room, laundry room, and downstairs closet (minus the big furniture) is now upstairs in our guest room and loft (today a co-worker exclaimed that he couldn't believe we had fit it all in those two rooms...it was a delicate process). That leaves the master bedroom, which we don't hang out in because Theo isn't allowed in there. So really we've been banished to the office and the hallway. That's it! It's, what, 120 sq. feet? I was ready to murder just about anyone by the end of the weekend.

Poor Theo, as I mentioned in my last post, is stressing a bit about it too. Who can blame him? Not only do his living conditions keep shifting, but they also keep getting smaller! I'm sure he feels just as cramped as we do. He's been coping through constant games of fetch. And I mean constant. All weekend he followed me around with his giant tribble, wanting me to throw it for him. If I didn't throw it, he would cry and whine and protest until I gave in and did it. I felt bad for him because I'm sure he was just bored. I tried to take him out as much as possible to keep things interesting, but it's just too cramped.

So in the end the whole weekend was pretty much spent with me sitting on the hallway floor trying to read while every 10 seconds or so I had a tribble flying into my lap ready to be thrown. Let's just say, if this keeps up much longer, that tribble is going to be the first victim of my murderous rampage.

Adorable, Affectionate

Theo is a wonderful dog. He's fun, playful, friendly, and for the most part well behaved. Husband and I often thank our lucky stars that we ended up with a dog with lots to offer in the brains, looks, and personality department. One thing Theo is not (generally) is affectionate. Before our heinous remodel began I often mentioned my precious morning couch time with Theo. It was precious because it was usually the only time in the day when Theo would be affectionate with me.

By affectionate I mean letting me pet him as he lay next to me rather than moving 2 feet away where I couldn't reach him. Or sleeping with his head on my legs or feet, rather than sleeping where I am in view but not close enough for touch. Usually that is Theo's thing. He likes to be able to see me, to be close to me, but usually not actually being touched by me. He's the kind of dog that doesn't like being scratched behind the ears because it means he'd have to sit still. He doesn't like belly rubs because it means I'm focusing on petting him rather than playing fetch with him. That's just Theo. He loves people, loves being around them, but just not into being pet.

While that's mostly still true, I've noticed Theo has been a lot more affectionate lately. Last night Theo was sleeping in our office while Husband and I sat at our desks. My chair was turned out towards the room because I was reading. Theo was sleeping behind Husband's chair when all of a sudden he got up, walked over to me, laid down on my foot, and went back to sleep. He never sleeps that close to me! Better yet, after awhile my foot got tired of being in that position so I moved it. Theo woke up, lifted his head, and gave me the grumpiest, dirtiest look. Adorable! It wasn't until I put my foot back next to him that he laid back down and went back to sleep. Then this morning as Husband and I were driving him to doggy daycare before heading to work I casually rubbed the back of his ears because I was checking for any dry skin (Theo had fleas last week (that's another post), and his flea bath left some residue or something behind his head). Apparently Theo loved it. As soon as I did it his eyes closed, his tongue went out, and his head went up. I stopped for a minute and then did it again, and the "oh yeah" expression came back on his face. It was hilarious! I rubbed his ears the rest of the car ride, and I loved it.

I think the reason for all this sudden affection is probably related to stress from the remodel. We had to move everything upstairs (including Theo!) the weekend before last. He didn't like losing his play space anymore than I did. Whatever the reason I'm loving the new affectionate Theo, and I hope he stays this way!