The teenager is in full swing! He has had quite a few days the last few weeks of being a total butthead. You know, selective hearing, super pushy, defying authority; the usual bit. Other days he's his usual angel self. I can't wait until we're past it, that's for sure. Running with him in the mornings has been quite a challenge. He absolutely will not run next to me anymore. Right out of the gate he bolts at full speed and will not stop no matter what speed I am running/walking, no matter how much is strangles him. No matter how much training I do with him to change this, he will not stop. I'm completely perplexed as to what to do about this. Of course, it's not all the time, or on all walks, just in the mornings when we run. I don't want to give up running (I'm finally getting some endurance!), but it frustrates me to no end every single morning.
His energy level is insane. He hasn't been sleeping on my feet so much anymore. That would involve sitting still for too long. Instead he just wants to play catch/fetch all the time, or chew on his antler. But I long ago was resigned to my fate as toy thrower, so that's fine. I'm still feeding him more than the average Corgi and he's still staying stick skinny, so I think that's just the look he'll be sporting for awhile. While at the dog park with him last week we saw another Corgi that was very fat with a shorter body (he was also 10 years older). A woman asked the other Corgi's owner what breed of dog she had. A few minutes later she asked what breed Theo was. When I told her they were both Corgis she looked at me in disbelief. "Those two dogs are the same breed?" Hehe. I am still laughing about it. I guess people really aren't used to seeing Corgis that aren't chubby.
In other Theo news, he started his second agility class last night! I'm really excited for this one. We're still not running full courses yet, but we got to do some great jump exercises (including a double jump!) and eventually we'll get to work off leash. It's a lot more serious than the first class. The first class was very "hey, let's play on some equipment!". This class there is a lot more handler training as well as dog training. I don't like feeling quite so on the spot, but Theo being such a star makes me feel much better.
I never did pull those snow pictures off of my camera. I know, I'm such a slacker. I can tell you all about Theo's snow jacket I ended up buying him at the last minute. It's this one here. I liked it because it looked longer than the average doggy coat. Also, Husband wanted one that fully closed at the bottom, rather than just a band, so his tummy stayed warm. Sizing was key and very tricky. I used their sizing chart and measured the appropriate measurements on Theo. Of course, all his measurements pointed toward a medium, except his big neck, which fit with a large. I didn't want to choke him, and I figured too large is better than too small, so I opted for the large. It turned out to be the perfect fit, so I don't know how much I trust their sizing chart. If I had bought the medium it would have been way too small (even though they list Corgis as being a size medium on the sizing chart!). And since Theo is so skinny I'm really surprised it was so tight. Maybe the average Corgi would even be better with an extra large? That's a crazy thought. Heh. I also liked the jacket because it comes with a hood. I figure since Theo's main complain about the rain is that he doesn't like it hitting his head, the jacket should help. Oh, and because I know you're curious, the jacket was the perfect length in that he protected his full tummy area, but he was still able to pee in it without hitting any material.
Ironically enough, my sister emailed me halfway through writing this post asking why I haven't been posting. Here you go sheshe!
