The Ones I Can't Have

I checked the breeder's website today, and she posted the pictures of the other puppies.

Alvin:

Simon:

Sally:

To me, it looks like the pictures of Sally and Alvin were taken a few days later than the others. Theodore and Alice looked like they were about 5 weeks, and Alvin and Sally look like they're more like 6 weeks along. Ah well. I guess that means I can't ask for new pictures this week, even though the ones I got of Theodore and Alice were from last week. I guess we'll see.

Speaking of the puppies, I'm surprised by the overwhelming response to my quiz. And by "overwhelming", I mean that I was expecting about 2 votes and I've gotten like 3 times that. Thanks guys! I hope all you lurkers out there won't hesitate to leave me a comment or two when you feel like it.

Would That Time Were Endless

I haven't done a book review in a very long time. It probably gives off the impression that I haven't been reading any of the books on my booklist. Not true, I just haven't had the time to actually review them! Ack! I've finished reading 3 of the books on that list, and given up and returned another. A 5th I'm about 2 days away from finishing, and I've got another 2 checked out from the library. Some of them were really great, some were terrible. I want to tell you all about them, but I haven't had the time to sit down and write it all out. It takes a bit more thought than throwing up pictures of puppies, unfortunately. Hopefully this weekend (or the next), I can find the time to sit down and write some of these out. Just don't be alarmed if you see a bunch in succession. Heh.

I Dream Of Puppies

I had a dream last night that I had my puppy. This being a dream, the Corgi puppy was about the size of a 20 oz. bottle of soda. Hehe. We were outside on a grassy lawn, and he was so soft and cute and playful! Man, I was sad when I woke up and realized I still have 22 days left to wait! Ugh! It's slow torture!!!

Cars With Dogs In Mind

Lynn pointed me to this great site today, and I just have to pass it on to the rest of you. How it works is a group of people test out cars, trucks, and SUVs from a dog-friendly point of view, post a full review, and even allow readers to post reviews of their own experiences with these cars. It's like consumer reports, but for pet owners! I think it's such a great idea. They give recommendations based on the size of dog(s) you can comfortably fit, the durability/maintainability of the interior, mileage, and of course, the overall performance of the car itself. It's pretty neat, and I'll definitely use this website (among others) when I'm in the market for a new car.

Finally! A Picture Update!

I haven't updated for a few days because, unfortunately, I had nothing to report! Not to mention my complete lack of time, but that's a post for the non-dog blog... Anyways, I finally got an email from the breeder with new pictures. The last two weeks I had to email her and ask for new pictures before I got anything. This week I decided to lay low and just wait patiently (my strong suit, I know) for them. Man, it was hard, but I don't like coming across of overbearing or feeling like I'm bothering people. At least it paid off and I have something to show for it:

Theodore


Alice


Yeah, only two pictures so far. Not the best, but it's better than nothing! I'm guessing she's only going to show me pictures of the puppies she's recommending for me. It would, after all, be kind of mean to send me a picture of Sally and say "Look how cute she is! But you can't have her! Neener Neener!"

Theodore I think it looking cuter than ever. Have you noticed how his nose is growing black more slowly than the other puppies? Look at him next to Alice. Hehe. Still so speckled! His fur looks a lot lighter this week. I wonder if he'll be a lighter shade of red and white. Or maybe it's just the picture. Alice is showing off what the breeder called her "smug face". I think she looks totally adorable as well. I asked for any updates in the personality department. I doubt much has changed this last week, but we'll see.

What do you think? Based on what we know so far, would you choose Theodore or Alice? How about we vote on it! Check out the voting box on the right. --->

Update: The breeder says that Theodore is her favorite. He is "charming and sensitive".

Easy Charity - The Best Kind

Click the paw above to donate food and care for rescue animals. That's all there is to it (ok, well technically you have to click again once you get to the animal rescue site website, but two clicks is still easy!). There's no intrusive registration before you can do the good deed or anything like that. Click as much as you want, it's a great cause. Pass it along!

Thanks to Manda Girl for bringing it up!

Happy 100!

Wow, 100 posts and I haven't even gotten my dog yet! Aren't I a talkative one!

I've Been Tagged! o_O

Yesterday I was tagged to do a meme by Ms. JennaZ. What the heck is a meme? I have no idea. That's why I headed to my ever trusty wikipedia to check it out. It still don't get it, but it sounds like it's basically a chain letter/email questionnaire- type thing. What the heck, it's an opportunity to talk about me. That's something I always up for, so here it goes! Here's a cut and paste of the rules:

Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you’ve written. But there is a catch:

Link 1 must be about family.
Link 2 must be about friends.
Link 3 must be about yourself, who you are… what you’re all about.
Link 4 must be about something you love.
Link 5 can be about anything you choose.

Post your five links and then tag five other people. At least TWO of the people you tag must be newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better.

Ok, I think I'm going to cheat and go between this blog and my non-dog blog, since I just don't have any posts that meet all those.

Link 1: I think this pretty much epitomizes my family.
Link 2: My bestest friends in the world! Haha. Just kidding. I would have to say the only thing that comes to mind is this scary time last year. There were many people there for me.
Link 3: I think anyone who reads my blog knows I'm all about puppies and complaining.
Link 4: As much as I love puppies, I think I'll have to go with my better half on this one.
Link 5: I love Corgis, they are interesting.

There you have it. I guess now is the part where I pass this chain letter on to other people or I'll die in a fiery pit of despair. Well I'd like to get to know Lynn, Ivy/Bryson, and Manda Girl a little better. As far as the other two? Well how about I leave it open. If you're reading this, and you'd like to participate in this meme, go ahead and post in the comments that you're taking up spot 4 or 5. :)

Funny Post Shout Out

I have to give a special mention to Amanda and her adorable pugs for creating this hilarious post today. I mean, look at that face!

Video Of The Week 15

Lynn over at Craftstew posted this amazingly cute video of her trip to visit her breeder's puppies. Personally, I melted when I watched it, so be warned: there's some serious cuteness to below!



Lucy looks like a dream. I can't believe she's so mellow! She was letting the breeder flip her all over the place. Hehe. Very cute.

I Knew It Was Too Good To Be True

I knew getting first pick of the litter at 8 1/2 weeks was crazy awesome and too good to be true. What breeder would wait that long to plan and place puppies? I never expected it. It was the breeder who told me "we won't let anyone choose until you are ready to decide". That's a direct quote! I understand, I just wish I would have known, since we might have done our travel a little differently.

I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. I emailed the breeder asking what the puppies' personalities are like and she told me that Alvin is a "spitfire" and going to live with someone with active kids. Sally has the pizazz to be with a couple who already have a dog, and Sally "chose them" by greeting them when they visited twice. So that's two down! I don't think we would have chosen Alvin anyway. He sounded like a troublemaker. But Sally was so cute! I was looking forward to meeting her. Though I must say, her descriptions of the puppies and the people she's placing them with, it sounds like a good match to me.

Of the ones that are left she said Simon and Theodore are more laid back and "snugglers". Simon is "ultra quiet" and Theodore is "a little more outgoing". Alice is "gorgeous" and "just as sweet as Sally", and has a great personality. She also said that Dolly is almost too outgoing and as "ornery" as Alvin. Overall she recommends either Theodore or Alice for us, but says that if we're ready to "tackle" Dolly "she might be willing to let her go".

Hmm...first off, I'm thinking definitely no on Dolly. Alvin didn't sound like the one for us, and if the breeder is willing to give her up when she originally planned on keeping her, then that sends up a warning flag for me. Simon sounds like he might be shy and timid, which in everything I've read says is not a good trait in a puppy. They should be curious and happy. There wasn't really much of a description of Alice. Being sweet and having a good personality isn't quite descriptive enough for me. So if I had to choose today, I'd pick Theodore! He snuggles! He's laid back! That's exactly what we said we wanted way back when we put a deposit down on this litter. And go figure, he's been our favorite since the beginning (that has nothing to do with it, I swear!). I made sure to say that while we like laid back, we still want a dog that will be active with us outside. And I asked if Alice was more hyper, since we wouldn't want a dog that's too active, since we both work. I also asked which puppies did better with people and being handled.

I can't be all that mad, since we were originally going to let the breeder choose for us anyway, but I just wasn't expecting it. I'll see what she says when she writes back, and then maybe I'll engage her a little more on when I need to make a decision without losing out. I just didn't think it would be so soon. They're only 4 1/2 weeks old!

So what do you think? Who would you choose based on those descriptions?

Update: The breeder just wrote back and said, basically, that she saw a good fit, and acted accordingly. I can't fault her for that. She did say that she'll watch Theodore and Alice closely because so far they're fairly alike and she wants to see who she thinks would be better for me. She slso said she wants to leave me with at least three options when I come to choose one, and she's thinking Theodore, Alice, and Dolly. So really, that just means she might place Simon before I get there. I think I'd be a little bummed at that, but again, I'd understand.

Also, I'm told Alice is smart like her mama and Theodore is a hunk like his daddy and will probably be on the big side because he looks a bit tubby but she only feels muscle. I told her I appreciate the opportunity to meet Alice and Theodore before I have to choose, and that I'd be disappointed if I didn't get to meet Theodore. Hopefully no one comes along that Theodore takes a liking to! I wonder if Alice is too smart. I don't want a dog that will outwit me! Hehe.

Puppy Picture Update: 4 Weeks!

Good thing I obsessively check my breeder's website as well as my email. This week she didn't let me know after she had updated the website. Arg! But that's okay because we have new pictures!

Alvin:


Simon:


Theodore:


Alice:
Sorry, no individual picture of Alice this week. But you can see her on the left in the teaser picture I posted yesterday.

Sally:


Dolly:

First off, what is up with Simon's ears? They are so small! All the puppies' ears are up at only 4 weeks. That's pretty soon based on what I've seen in other puppy pictures. I wonder if that means they'll have small ears, or if they'll shoot up later.

You know, I have to say, I think all the puppies are pretty evenly matched in cuteness now. I think that's a great thing because now I won't be tempted to pick a puppy based on anything but personality and how we get along. Phew!

I love that picture of Dolly with her tongue sticking out. Too bad she's off the table, she's cute! I also like Simon and Theodore's coloring right now. It looks like they're wearing glasses! As Mouth said "for Simon, that's very appropriate". LOL! I'm sure as their fur lightens, the "glasses" will disappear. Oh well. Sally has a nice twinkle in her eye, and Alvin has a gorgeous white chest. So far, there's something to like in everyone!

Now all I need is to hear some personality descriptions. I'm sure she's busy, but I wish the breeder was a bit wordier in her emails. :(

Teaser Picture

My impatience got the better of me today (gee, that's different), and I emailed my breeder to ask if she had any new pictures of the puppies. Hey, I'm proud of myself. I resisted for 8 whole days before I emailed her for more pictures! To her credit, she emailed me back right away with this little gem:

Not to her credit, she didn't respond to the other questions I had asked. You're going to need more than one picture to distract me that completely, lady! Hrumph!

I'm told more pictures are taken and just have yet to be uploaded. When I get more, you know I'll post 'em.

New Header Picture

If you've checked my blog anytime in the last 5 hours, you've probably seen all sorts of funky pictures at the top of my blog today. I finally got tired of my Corgi collage and decided I'd update it and add in some new pictures. Well it didn't go so well (when does it ever?)...Blogger ended up vomiting my updates all over the blog. The pictures were showing up as tiny, even though they were huge. I made it wide, I made it tall, but whatever I did, the picture looked like crap. Grr!

I finally got tired and fed up (I've literally been playing around with it all day...oops!), and a nice simple approach enticed me in the end. Just one picture with the title of the blog overlaid. "If nothing else will work, this will at least", I thought right before I updated the blog. Of course, it didn't work. The picture was stretched out and distorted. Blogger (curse you!) has changed things in the last few months, and now it's impossible to upload a picture without it looking like crap (unless you put your picture behind the title and description rather than instead of it, which still makes your picture align to the left!).

Well I was determined. I spent all day messing with this, and darn it, I was going to make something work. So I searched the blogger help and read up on how I needed to update the HTML code so that it didn't set a width for the header picture. Now I don't know HTML at all, and my HTML code didn't match the posts on how to update it because I use a different template, so completely flying blind, I was able to update the code so that it worked! That's right. I actually played with code, and I didn't break anything...yet. Woo!

It's still a temporary picture. Obviously my own puppy will be gracing the blog header as soon as I know which one is mine! That picture of Taylor (from my breeders second to last litter) is still one of my favorite puppy pictures.

I'll go ahead and put in the old header picture, just for archival purposes. My genealogist father would be so proud of me.

We Love Lucy

Congratulations to Lynn for getting to meet her future puppy last weekend! This is Lucy, who in just two long painful short weeks will be going home with Lynn. I haven't heard much about her yet, but she sure is cute! I love her coloring. That little patch of red amidst the white on top of her head is just darling. Spending the day with Corgis (and puppies no less) sure is my idea of heaven!

Yes, this is me living vicariously through people who actually have new puppy pictures. *sigh* I'll only be sad and pathetic a little longer. *points to countdown on the right*

I think Lucy is a great name (girl names are hard!), and I wish Lynn the best of luck waiting those two arduous weeks raising her new puppy. Hopefully she'll share her infinite wisdom (since she'll have a couple of weeks experience on me!) with the rest of us from time to time.

Update: I hear Lucy is one of those dream dogs. She's not shy or timid and she's not aggressive. She is fine hanging with people, but still shows interested and curiosity in other things. She even passes the puppy stress test; she can be tugged and pulled at, flipped upside down, and she's mellow about it. Lucy has just the kind of personality I would love to have in my puppy. Lynn, you're one lucky lady!

Happy National Dress Up Your Pet Day

According to my 2008 Petsmart calendar, today is National Dress Up Your Pet Day. Had I a pet would I be partaking in this festivity? Probably not, unless I had a Halloween costume handy (or a Bowser costume). But since I currently have no pets, I'm not faced with the dilemma. I perused the calendar for the next few months, and all the other holidays listed are normal ones, so I guess that means this holiday is (somewhat) legit. Anyone partaking?

Video Of The Week 14

This week's video is inspired by how completely cold it is out. Brrrr! If there's one thing cuter than Corgis playing, it's Corgis playing in the snow.



Too bad it doesn't snow where I live...

I Want This: PWC Property Laws

Someone hit me! I was perusing CafePress.com and discovered even more Corgi-related paraphernalia I want. I have a disease!

Anyway, I got quite a chuckle out the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Property Laws (left). It comes in shirts, boxers, mugs, etc., but I'm not really a "wear my love for my dog on my clothes" sort of person (yet), I don't wear men's underwear, and the mugs are a total rip-off ($17 for a mug?!).

Luckily, it also comes in a magnet, which would be perfect. The only thing that bothers me? It comes in a pack of 2. Who would want to put two of the same magnet on their refrigerator? I guess I can take one to work and use it on my filing cabinet. Maybe if I get it and I'm feeling nice (Together!? What are the odds of that?) I can send the extra to one of my two or three many readers.

I Feel Sheepish, The Rest Of The Pictures

Phew! I'm happy to report that my paranoia was totally unfounded. Ahhh, sometimes I love being wrong. She just sent out a ton more pictures of all of the puppies, check it out!

Alvin:


I'm starting to love his squiggly blaze and big collar. The breeder says he's the most active of the puppies. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, hehe.

Simon:


Finally, another look at Simon! We didn't get a two week pictures of him, so this is the first view of him coming out of his gerbil stage. He's still very cute, but he looks grumpy like he was just woken up from a nap.

Theodore:


Theodore is still my favorite! Look how adorable he is! I love all the white on his face and the black around his eyes is just gorgeous! I like that in all the pictures he's looking right at the camera. What a ham!

Alice:

Sally:

Look at that paw!

Dolly:

It's nice to see an updated picture of Dolly, since we didn't get one last week. She's looking very cute as well.

I admitted to the breeder that my shallow favorite so far is Theodore, and she told me he was the best looking of the litter and it was an excellent choice on my part. Yay! Though I must say that the rest of the puppies sure are closing the cuteness gap. They are all looking pretty darn adorable. I can't wait to see how they look next week. Hopefully the breeder will start giving us some more information on their personalities. Stay tuned!

Picture Update: Week 3, Girls Only

For some reason unbeknownst to me, the breeder only sent me pictures of the two girls available. No chipmunks in sight! *sigh* I've sent an email of complaint asking if she took any pictures of the boys, especially Simon, since she didn't take a two week picture of him. My first reaction was to think that she's already placed the boys with fancy people and is trying to push the girls on me without telling me I can't have one of the boys. I have to say, I'm a paranoid person, and this worry has been fluttering around the back of my mind all day. But if you'll remember last week, I thought something had happened to Simon because she hadn't posted a new picture of him, and really he was fine. I'm assuming/hoping it's the same deal here. She just snapped some pics, and just my luck, it was the girls. I need to keep telling myself this because, really, if she did place the boys already, we'd be having issues...and I don't want any issues! Anyway, here are the girls.

Alice and Sally:

Alice on right, Sally on left:

Sally:

I think they developed so quickly in just a week! Last week they were still so small and gerbil-looking. Now their ears look like ear (almost), their noses are turning black, and they're starting to look like puppies. I can't wait to see more pictures next week! (If I get any...)

Time To Choose A Vet

As the time draws near (yay!), it's time to decide some important things, namely: choosing a vet. Choosing a vet I've basically put off for as long as possible because it's a daunting task to me. I fear change and new things! I also see a vet as a very important contact, just like I consider having a good doctor important to me. I'm going to rely on this vet for helping me keep my dog healthy. I'm going to need to consult them on diet, nutrition, weight, vaccines, surgeries, etc. I'd really like to find a good vet up front.

So how do I choose a vet? Well I started off by asking the people I know who have pets which vet they go to and if they like it. Unfortunately, I don't know very many people with pets, and the people I do know definitely don't have the same view of care as I do. Based on the recommendations I somewhat trust, I have two places lined up.

Next I asked around on the Corgi Meetup Group message board. I figured it'd be a plus to go to a vet that has worked with Corgis before. Unfortunately, I barely got any replies, but I did get some people mentioning the same few vets. So at least they were recommended by multiple people. So that puts me at two more places to check out. I tried just general searches of the internet as well, but I didn't turn up anything, except a little more info on the vets that were recommended to me.

Between these methods, I've got four vets lined up that I want to check out. I figure in the next couple of weekends, Husband and I can go there and check them out. The only problem is, I don't know exactly what I'm looking for!

What makes a good vet? Are there warning signs that I should look for when I first walk in? Other than it being dirty, obviously. What do I say when I come in? Is it normal to ask to speak with a vet, see a tour of the facility? What are the questions I should be asking to sort out the places I like from the places I don't like? I'm all set to go to these places, just right now I have no idea what I would say when I got there. Any insight anyone could provide to me would be great!

Stay tuned for the actual vet decision!

A Cautionary Tale Of Free Feeding

Most websites and books you read on Corgis make a point of saying that you should not free feed your Corgi. They are eating machines and don't know when to stop. Of course, this isn't necessarily the case with all Corgis, but the general trend. I've always found it strange that some breeds will eat only when they're hungry, and some breeds will eat until they explode. Why is that? I've had people telling me that all I have to do is set down a bowl of kibble in the morning and I'm good for the rest of the day.

A long time ago, before I even started this blog, I saw a story about a corgi that was free fed nearly to the point of death. She was 70 pounds (!!!), and luckily her owners gave her up before she died from obesity. I was bummed because when I went to look for it again, I couldn't find it. But last week I happened up it again, so now I can share it with you. The story of this dog is mixed in with this article by a breeder who is warning about the dangers of over-feeding your dog, and giving advice on the best way to make sure you feed your dog in a way that ensures its good health.

As the time draws near when I get my puppy, I've found myself a lot more concerned with nutrition. I'm going to need to feed this puppy and keep it healthy, so I need to learn as much as possible, especially since I plan to do a "whole foods" diet. One of the concerns is what is the right amount to feed? I've heard anywhere from under a cup a day to over two cups a day. The article rightly states that it depends on the dog's age and activity level. I'll have to keep a close eye on him/her and work closely with my vet to make sure s/he is healthy. I think the "I'm starving" puppy stare is going to be the hardest part for me. If I won't be able to tell if the puppy is really still hungry, or just wanting more food, then I'll need to make sure I know what enough is. I'm afraid I'll be in constant fear of starving or underfeeding the puppy.

Any Corgi owners out there reading this, how do you decide how much food is enough for yours? It must be difficult, especially when some experts say that following the direction on the kibble bag would be feeding too much food.

Video Of The Week 13

This week I perused the mycorgi.com videos section and decided the cutest video was Gonzo, was was featured getting a bath a few weeks back. This time he's just had a bath and is running all over the place trying to get dry. It's totally hilarious. He sure gets a lot of baths!




Also, I wasn't planning to show two videos this week. But I also saw this video demonstrating the awesomeness of the FURminator, and I thought it'd be a good thing to pass along as well. Enjoy!


Find more videos like this on MyCorgi.com

Somewhat Settled On A Name

As I mentioned before, it looks like should we get a boy, Bowser will be his name. For those who haven't played a single video game in the last 20 years, Bowser (pictured), a Nintendo character, has been the main villain to Mario, Luigi and Peach since the very first Super Mario Bros. game.

We've tossed the name around for a couple of weeks now, and while I'll probably feel like a huge dork saying it for the first few months, I think it's cute! It's playful and fun, but not overly popular to my knowledge. Have you ever met a dog named Bowser? Well at least I finally got Husband over the name Ein. I would have liked it fine had there been a few thousand less Eins in the world already.

The best part about the name? The Halloween costume! I'm already planning on making an outfit with horns, a big red mohawk, a turtle shell, and a spiked collar! It's going to be so fun!

Another Countdown

Since my travel is booked, I figured I'd add another countdown to the blog to help drive me insane with anxious anticipation of the big day. Hey, at least it's better than the fetus I had in there before. ;)

Newest Puppy Pictures (Two Weeks)

Here's the new pictures of the puppies at their two week mark.

Alvin:

Theodore:


Alice:

Sally:

Simon and Dolly's pictures were MIA. I'm assuming she's leaving out pictures of Dolly because she's going to keep her (and thus doesn't need to advertise her, per se). I don't know what happened to the picture of Simon though. I asked the breeder about him. Hopefully there's no drama behind the reason.

I still think Theodore looks just adorable. The girls just havn't been doing it for me. Maybe it's just that their smaller and look less developed than the boys because it was such a big litter. We'll have to wait and see how they continue to grow.

Update: Heard back from the breeder. Simon is fine, she was just busy and wasn't able to get a picture of him. Well, ok then.