A New Kind Of Giveaway

Kelly over at Corgi Butts, graphic artist extraordinaire, is doing a giveaway to celebrate 100 followers on Blogger. Wow, what an accomplishment! I was amazed when I got 10. Hehe. What's she giving away? Her graphic artist extraordinaire skillz! Awesome! You can win either a custom blog header or a custom illustration you can use through cafe press to purchase merchandise. Here's the catch, you have to decide which you want if you win! Ack!

I'm not too worried about it, since I have yet to ever win a blog giveaway, but if I lived in an alternate reality where I did ever win anything, which would I choose? I have no idea! They both sound awesome! I mean, a custom blog header would be great. Kelly's blog header is totally adorable. But...at the same time, I like my blog header. I love that picture of Theo's tushy when he was a pup. Then again, if it's custom, maybe I can still keep the picture but with other better stuff. Or I could go for the illustration. Of course that would mean spending countless hours debating which picture of Theo I would want illustrated. I may be too indecisive for that. On the other hand, how cool would it be to buy stuff that has Theo's mug on it?

Decisions! Decisions!

Anyway, head over to Kelly's blog to enter a chance to win yourself! Corgi ownership is not required!

No Suds

Here is a sage tip from my many years year of dog owning experience: when giving your dog a bath, it's important to have dog shampoo on hand.

Yesterday I was about 10 seconds from dropping Theo into the tub and dousing him with water when I realized I had used up the last of his shampoo the last bath and had negelected to buy more. He was literally dangling over the tub. Phew! I almost had to deal with a wet, dirty dog!

And a heath tip you all probably already know, but never use human shampoo on a dog. That was Husband's suggestion when I told him Theo's bath would have to wait another week. I set him straight.

Arriving In Style

Has anyone heard of PetAirways?  Apparently they are a pet-only airline, where your pet rides in the main cabin of the plane, rather than the cargo area.  It's definitely an interesting concept, but I wonder what the main differences between the main cabin and the cargo area would be on a plane that is just for pets.  Obviously the cabin is not going to be equiped with reclining seats and a convenient reading light for Theo's leisure.  But temperature sound control would be a definite plus.

Would I do it?  Probably not.  But I think it's a really neat idea, and a decidedly better option that cargo shipping your pup.  Plus, I think it's neat that you can track your puppy's progress.

Flights start in July.  Would anybody consider PetAirways for their pet traveling needs?

Linky Loo

1. I got an email today recommending this website. It's all about dog food! I think it's just starting out because I noticed a somewhat limited list. The food I feed Theo isn't on there (the Wellness complete nutrition brand that is fairly new), but the more popular Wellness Core is. I like that it has a website rating as well as a section for users to rate it as well.
2. I also got an email from someone asking me to post about a dog food drive. Banfield veterinary practice is teaming up with Meals on Wheels to deliver pet food to senior citizens who can't move around well enough to get out and buy pet food. It's good to remember that pets need food in these hard times too. You can check here for your nearest Banfield to donate.
3. This is flipping cute! If it were Theo he would be eating all the packing peanuts...which is why I am neurotic about making sure I pick up ever peanut off the floor when Husband's dad sends us something (he's very packing peanut happy with his packages).
4. To all my fellow NaBloPoMo-ers: we're in the home stretch! I can't believe I made it this far! We're on our last week, so make sure you remember to post admist the holiday cheer. I will kick myself hard if I mess this up on the third to last day or something. Hehe.
5. Don't forget to watch the national dog show on Thanksgiving! I was all set to tune in to Animal Planet, but this one is actually on NBC. I will definitely be tuning in while I'm cooking up a storm.
   

Video Of The Week 26: Dougy's Mental Muscles

Kelly got to posting this before me, but I did want to talk about this new AKC S.T.A.R puppy program. Have you heard about it? It's like Canine Good Citizenship for puppies! It starts off with a pledge by the owners that they will be good puppy parents by keeping the puppy healthy, safe, and well mannered. Then there is a 20 part "test", part of which consists of making sure the puppy have been properly raised thus far, such as having the proper vaccinations, diet, and exercise. You can view the the full details of the test here. I love that you get the adorable medal...and yes, I know I'm a total consumer whore.

I think it's a really great idea. It gets people off on the right foot. For new owners it's a good checklist for learning the ins and outs of raising a puppy, and for experienced owners it can be a stepping stone to getting their CGC. I sure wish this was around when Theo was in puppy class. Heh, technically since Theo isn't yet a year old he could take it now. It would of course be totally ridiculous since he already passed his CGC test...but funny too. ;) I plan on emailing my trainer and asking if she's planning on incorporating this into her classes. What do you think? Would you take the S.T.A.R. test if you had a young puppy?


Thank you James for sharing this adorable video of Dougy:



He is so well trained! It's funny to see how some of Theo's movement are obviously "Corgi moves". They lay down the same way, they roll over the same way, etc. Hehe. Congrats on teaching him bang! Theo hasn't gotten this one down. He always goes straight into a roll when I try it with him.

A Missed Opportunity

Philip's owner posted on our local Corgi meetup group's message board this week, saying that she would be going out of town over Thanksgiving weekend and was wondering if there were any Corgi owners out there who would be willing to Philip-sit. First off, props to her! That's a great idea! Rather than boarding a dog up in a kennel, I'm sure Philip would much rather be in a home, and even better, a Corgi home!

Second, yes please! I would have jumped at the idea of having a second dog for the weekend. I mean, I would get to see what it would be like having two dogs without, you know, having two dogs. Plus, Theo would have a playmate for a few days. Not to mention Philip is the most adorable puppy ever. Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed with Husband's immediate refusal. Boo! He said "no way, Jose" faster than Theo could wolf down a piece of cheese. Boo! I guess I understand his point of view. We'll be having houseguests and enough going on without a houseguest of the canine persuasion. But I still wish we could do it.

Fortunately, there were already 3 or 4 other people who were also willing to take Philip in for the weekend. I think it's so great that my local Corgi community is so friendly and welcoming! It's also nice to know that I can suggest the same thing next time we need to go out of town and leave Theo behind (no plans for that in the forseeable future, but you never know). Hopefully the next time she goes out of town Husband will be more amenable to the idea. *fingers crossed*

A Good Idea: Book Club

Manda Girl is having a kind-of giveaway over on her pugs blog. She's been given the opportunity to read some dog-centric fiction books for review and wants to pass it on. She'll send out the extra copies of the books she has with the stipulation that you read and review them so she can post it on her blog. It sounds like a fun thing to me so I've already emailed her asking to participate. The books don't sound like anything I would voluntarily pick up at a bookstore, but who knows? They might be a fun read.

Dog Food A Little More Demystified

I have a hard time with the notion that everything a dog needs nutritionally can be packed into a handy dandy hard piece of kibble. If such a thing is possible, where's my people kibble? I wouldn't mind having all my nutritional needs met by little crunchy balls I could pop in my mouth all day (and they would clean my teeth!). So I supplement Theo's diet with "whole foods", which just means regular food (not processed fat America food, just real food). I've said this before, but since I'm going through the trouble of doing a partially whole food diet, I want to make sure I'm feeding him a quality kibble as well, otherwise what's the point?

Well the other day I found this website, and I'm loving it! It basically has a rating system for most dog foods (it had all the ones I could think of), on a scale from 1 to 6 stars. It also breaks down the ingredients for you, based on the quality as well as the quantity, which is nice. For instance, the reviewer doesn't just note that there is quality meats in the product, s/he also points out where in the ingredient list the meat is because it makes a difference. The 6 star foods I saw all had at least the first two ingredients as meat.

I was happy to see that the kibbles I've been feeding Theo have all been rated with 5 or 6 stars (I've tried out a few different kinds over the last few months just to see if he reacted differently or looked differently eating any of them). I just switched Theo to this one, and so far we're both loving it. I think it's a keeper!

Scrapbook

As part of my birthday present this year, my ever-thoughtful mother gave me a really cool doggie scrapbook kit! It's got everything you need to make a fun book of memories except the pictures. Now that I've had Theo for a while, and we've built up some fun memories, I think I'd like to start making it. The only problem is that I have too many pictures and a indecisive mind. If you've got some free time on your hands, browse through my photos and let me know which ones think would go well in my scrapbook (you can either comment here or on flickr).

PS: Mom, I find it extremely funny that all those months ago you asked me if I was going to be one of those people who buys everything with a Corgi on it, when the only Corgi stuff I own is a pair of socks and this scrapbook, both of which you gave me. :p Not that I don't like them, I do. I just like to point out the irony.

Theotivators

I've been having loads of fun messing around with this site today. It allows you to manipulate your flickr photos in fun ways, and it's totally free. That's right, this "Theotivator" is a julo original! I'm not saying it's genius, but there's a bit of wit to it, right? If only I had gotten a picture of Theo doing this when there was peanut butter still visible on the spoon.

Favorites and Testing

We all know that Theodore has been my favorite of the puppies since I first laid eyes on him all those weeks ago. It was a shallow love at first, but I'm told he's got the personality to match. It's apparent from my poll that Theodore is the favorite for most of you as well. I'm happy to report that Theodore is also the favorite of my breeder! She emailed me yesterday saying that Theodore is an "amazing pup" who is "still her favorite", and he grows "more gorgeous by the day". He is "charming and sensitive at the same time".

Those all sound like ringing endorsements to me! It makes me so excited to meet him! Two more weeks from today. Woohoo!

She also told me that she'll be doing Volhard puppy aptitude testing on the puppies tomorrow. I'm really interested in the results. Cross you fingers for mostly 3s and 4s! For those who don't know, the Volhard test is a personality test that is supposed to give you a good idea of the puppy's personality and suitability for the "average" person. It tests things like social attraction, following, restraint, etc. I was actually planning on doing some of these tests myself because I think it's just a great idea. It consists of things like turning the puppy on his/her back to see if they freak out and struggle or if they relax and except the restraint. Or pulling on their ears and touching their feet to see how they do with being handled. This website explains the test pretty well, I think. As you can see, each reaction is given a score 1-5. Mostly 1s or 5s means the puppy is more "undesirable" to the average person, and should probably be placed with people who are aware that they're not getting a usual cuddly dog. Not to say that they're bad dogs, just that they might require more special care. Personally, if I had a choice between a dog who got mostly 3s and a dog who got mostly 5s, I'd want 3s all the way.

If the breeder is kind enough the share the results with me, I'll keep you posted.

Post Script: I know my other blog is usually reserved for the complaining, but I just want to point out that my dog blog has been rather barren this week because I was made to slave away at work for an ungodly amount of time this week. Between last Saturday and this Saturday (yes, I had to work them both), I worked almost 65 hours. Ick! Come puppy day, I'm dropping back down to 80 hours per two weeks, no more and no less...ok maybe less sometimes, but that's a good thing!

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.

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!

Labeling Your Crate For Travel

A few months ago I found someone detailing out their step by step instructions for labeling a dog's plastic crate for traveling. It was really a cute idea, and I'm bummed I can't find it again, but at least I remember their stylish suggestion. You can find the instructions here.

Basically you get some thick paper and make a stencil. The person made a stencil that had her dog's name and a paw print on either side (very cute). She then taped the stencil to the crate, and then colored over the stencil with a Sharpie. That's it! Voila, one stylish crate! And it actually looked clean and fun. I'm definitely doing it to my dog's crate when the time comes.

Update: I found it! Go figure. I search Google for an hour prior to this post and find nothing. I search Google for 2 minutes after writing this post and I find it.