...And The Destruction Begins

Husband and I have always counted ourselves lucky that Theo was such a nondestructive dog. We were prepared for a dog that would chew on the walls and claw at the furniture, but we lucked out and got a dog that would rather verbalize his need for attention than show it. Rex is apparently not that way. Let me just say that I in no way blame Rex for the damage that I am going to tell you about because dogs are dogs. And by that I mean, they act a certain way for a certain reason, not because they're vindictive or mean, but because in their minds, what they are doing makes sense to them. You can't reason with a dog, you just have to work to find common ground.

So we took Husband's parents out to dinner last night for his mom's 60th birthday (seriously, she looks late 40s at most!). We left the dogs home by themselves. We left Theo in the loft, as usual. Husband's parents decided that they would put Rex in our guest room (the bedroom they are staying in). This sounded like a fine idea. The room is a good size and has all their stuff in it that smells like them. Only I didn't know at the time that Rex has abandonment issues, and issues with being locked in rooms (they think one of his previous owners used to lock him in a bathroom because they say he won't go in any bathroom). In hindsight, the loft would have been a better spot. We could have rigged something to keep the dogs separated if need be (though I'm sure they would have been fine together). The loft is open. Rather than being locked in a room, Rex would have felt merely confined. But that's not what we did, and Rex was not happy with that decision.

When we got home I knew there was something wrong when I glanced at the bottom of the bedroom door and saw there was no longer carpet under it. That's right. Rex, in his frenzied attempt to escape his imprisonment, tore up all the carpet in front of the door, including the pad underneath. Really, this wasn't Rex's fault. I'm not mad because I know it was an accident and it's not like he did anything that isn't fixable. I was glad Husband felt the same way. After learning more about Rex's history, I feel bad for him, and happy that he's with people who will make sure he has a good life from now on.

Husband also told me yesterday that apparently Rex has a compulsive water drinking problem. He will drink and drink and drink until he throws up. I've never heard of that before! I'm used to Theo, who will only go near his water bowl maybe 2 or 3 times over the course of a day. Heh.

I'm still loving having Rex in the house. He is still a wonderful dog with a wonderful personality. His only flaw is that he loves too much! Hehe. Did I mention when I throw my arms up in the air, Rex will jump up and throw his huge, long legs on me to give me a hug? It is wonderful.

There's A New Dog In Town...

...and his name is Rex, and I love him!

Husband's parents are staying with us for the week and they brought their new dog, Rex.  They think he's a Texas Heeler, though only because of pictures they've seen (he's a rescue) .  He pretty much looks just like the dog in the first picture if you follow the link, only black instead of brown.  He is the sweetest dog ever!  He's a year and a half and very playful.  He gives kisses, loves belly rubs, and didn't meet a single one of Theo's toys that he didn't like.  I'm considering never letting him leave.

I wasn't at home when they were first introduced, but I'm told that when they first met, outside our house and away from the yard, Theo reacted to Rex as he does most dogs.  He sniffed and kissed and showed him his butt.  But once Rex came in the house with us, he was a little perturbed.  Understandably, he didn't understand why the intruder had followed him home.  That's how he seemed to regard Rex for the most part, an intruder.  When I came home, he was mostly ignoring him, except to growl at him when he came near the toy he was playing with.  But I'm told they had quite the play session in the backyard before I got home, and I did see a lot of head jumping and ear biting after dinner.  

Rex is so sweet tempered that he's kind of perfect for Theo.  Theo starts off nice and playful, but he often lets things get out of hand.  I noticed while they were playing that Theo's usual play-growling would turn into real growling, and he would start getting a little nasty, but Rex was all over it.  When Theo got out of hand, he would just get out of his way and let him calm down a bit before he came back for more.  Even though he's much bigger than Theo, he played very gently with him.  He even let Theo tackle him to the ground and have his ears for an evening snack!  And Rex was loving every minute of it.  If we get a second dog (eventually), I'll definitely have to find a Rex.

Of course fetch got a little interesting.  When Theo wants to play fetch, he wants to play with a specific toy.  If he brings you a penguin, he wants you to throw the penguin.  If you throw the tribble instead, he's just going to sit there and look at the penguin and then look at you as if to say "No, throw this one, you idiot!"  Rex is not so picky.  This is both a good and bad thing.  It's good because I could get him to play with whatever I wanted.  It's bad because when I would throw Theo's penguin, Rex would run after it as well, which would cause Theo to growl and Rex to be out of luck.  I, in my infinite wisdom, devised a way that both dogs could play fetch without someone getting a bloody nose.  I sat in the middle of the room.  I had Rex give me a non-penguin toy and threw that in one direction.  He went after it.  Since it wasn't the penguin, Theo did not.  Then I threw Theo's penguin the other direction, and since Rex was busy with another toy, Theo could fetch it in peace.  When they both came back, I did the same thing again, and when I stuck to that order, the fetch session worked out quite nicely. 

Meal times are also interesting.  I wasn't there, but I hear there were some words spoken between the dogs during an attempted feeding.  Husband should have known better, really.  The only thing that gets Theo full on aggressive is food competition.  So for dinner and breakfast this morning we made sure to feed them separately.  So far so good.  Though Rex eats painfully slow.

I'm looking forward to a whole week with a dog I can love on with no 2-foot rules!

The Houseguest And The A-Frame

My sister came to stay for a visit last weekend and Theo was just in heaven.  She was just getting over a cold and Theo just loves snuggling with the infirm.   She got to see what I mean when I talk about Theo snuggling my legs.  It's great, isn't it?  She also got to see that I am not exaggerating when I say he gets a bit psycho on our runs in the morning.  He was definitely a little bummed to see her go, but luckily he perked back up in time for agility this week.

It was my first time in the more advanced class.  By the end of it I learned that Theo is ready, but I still need a lot of work.  Theo is just a lot of handle.  He get so excited in class that he barks pretty much for the entire hour straight.  Then, when it's his turn to run the course, he won't calm down enough to even sit down and wait for me to give him the command to run it!  It's pretty cute.  He's so excited, in fact, that he runs the entire course at full speed.  Full Corgi speed is quite fast (compared to my oh so slow human speed), and I'm supposed to keep up with him!  When he would miss a jump or run past the a-frame, it was because I wasn't keeping in front of him to direct him to the next obstacle.  My trainer (and the rest of the class) kept yelling "run, [julo], run!" Phew!  It's so much pressure on me!  Thankfully the other students are nice and encouraging, rather than judging, so I try not to feel too self concious.  I always got a round of applause when I could finally rein in Theo's enthusiam enough to finish a couse.

Also, Theo's taken to making up his own courses.  He pretty much starts as soon as I take his leash off, then he just runs and jumps over whatever suits him, then once I can finally get him back to the starting point, we can begin "my course".  It's hilarious.  I told him "teeter" at one point last night.  He ran past the teeter, over the a-frame, back the other way over the a-frame, then over the teeter.  As my trainer said, he just needed a little a-frame for courage.  Hehe.  

One of the other students was nice enough to break out her tools and tighten up the teeter totter.  Last class Theo was terrified of it, but now that it's nice and stiff, he likes it a lot better.  That's good to know.  If he ever starts getting iffy with it again, I can just suggest she tighten it back up again.  Of course, it's so tight right now that I actually have to help push it down because Theo is too light to move it. 

It's really great to see how excited Theo gets running the courses.  He is definitely having the time of his life.  I think we'll have to keep doing agility for quite some time.  I've even piqued Husband's interest with my descriptions of Theo's crazy behavior.  He might actually come watch one of these nights.

Late Night Agility

How is it the middle of March and I haven't posted yet this month?  Man, I am still out of it.

The biggest Theo news I have is he started the next agility class last night.  The place I take him for training originally only had 2 agility classes: agility 1 and agility 2.  And people could just take 2 over and over again.  Well apparently the class got so big, the trainer decided to split the class and make an agility 3.  Since Theo had already gone through agility 2 once, the trainer graduated him to 3 last night.  What's that mean?  Well probably nothing except that now class is at 8:30pm!  Ugh, that's going to be rough.

Basically, it's a big pain for the trainer to pull out all the agility equipment and set it up every week, so she's not willing to do it more than 1 night a week.  That means she has to fit 3 agility classes into one evening, thus the late hour.  I wouldn't mind except it means driving all the way down there to pick Theo up from doggy day care, then driving home for like an hour, and then turning around and driving back.  I would just hang out and walk around, but an hours is a long time to kill and there's really nothing in the area worth walking to.  It's really not a very nice neighborhood.  It's not unsafe, just loud, smelly, and busy.

I'm a little nervous about agility 3 because it means I'm in the class with the people who have been doing this class for years and their dogs are just amazing.  Theo is still pretty terrible.  He gets so excited to be running the obstacles, that he runs past half of them.  And I don't think he'll ever quite get the hang of the weave poles.  Heh.

There's one dog, Princess, who does the cutest thing.  When she's all done with the course her owner throws his hands up and waves them around, and Princess hops up on her hind legs, and dances around with her front paws in the airs.  It's the cutest thing!  It's a fun way to celebrate without using a treat.  I don't think I could ever get Theo accept a treat substitute celebration.

I Don't Know How I Did It, But It Sure Is Awesome

Somewhere along the way in Theo's potty training, I managed to teach him a very effective way of letting us know he needs to go outside to potty.  Or maybe he taught us...I'm never quite sure.  Anyway, as I've often mentioned, Theo is a bit of a crybaby.  Crying is his go-to method for telling us he wants something, and it can be hard to distinguish what he's whining about since he's pretty darn needy and usually downright demanding.  If we took him outside every time he cried, we would probably decide to just leave him out there after a day or so.  So when Theo is insistently crying Husband and I will ask in a clear voice "Theo do you need to go out?"  If yes, he always gives an adorable emphatic bark (with full on "do my bidding" eye contact).  If no, then he just silently pouts because you're standing there asking questions and not seeing to the needs he is crying about.  We always make sure to ask a couple of times because sometimes he needs to go out, but for whatever reason didn't feel like responding the first time we asked (probably because he got distracted by something shiny).  

I am so happy we have this system worked out because this way we're both happy.  Theo doesn't have to bounce up and down uncomfortably in a corner, holding his knees together because he has to go and no one will take him out, and I don't have to neurotically wonder every 30 minutes whether he's going to have an accident in the house if I don't take him outside.

Now this isn't full-proof.  Sometimes Theo will "say" he has to go, when really he just wants to go outside and play fetch with the tennis ball in the backyard.  Sometimes he'll say he has to go because he knows it'll get me off my butt and he has a better chance of enticing to a game of fetch (it's always about the darn fetch with that boy), but I'd say at least 8 times out of 10 it results in a successful pee.  I'll take it!

How did we teach him this?  I have no freaking clue.  But we definitely have taken steps to make sure we don't mess it up.  First off, we don't ever use the word "out" with him unless we're talking about pottying.  I'll say outside if necessary, but usually if I'm referring to going outside I'll just mention the activity we're about to do.  For example, when we're about to go on a walk, I'll say "Let's go for a walk!" rather than "Let's go out!".  Second, the minute we're outside after he's proclaimed he needs to go out, I tell him to make his business so it's clear why we're there.   Theo won't go in the backyard anymore.  I played too much fetch with him out there and now it's officially living space.  So when I take him out to go, I snap on his collar and leash and walk him across the street and wait for business to happen.  If it does, it does, if it doesn't, it doesn't.  Oh well, false alarm.  Sometimes I'll fetch play with him after, otherwise back in the house we go.  But if I ask if he needs to go out and he says yes, then across the street we go.  I think that really helps reinforce what I'm asking.

There have been times that I've wondered if Theo actually understands what I'm asking him, or whether he's just responding to my tone of voice.  I've actually tested it a few times.  I'd say "Theo, do you need to go [some random one-syllable word not rhymning with out in any way]?"  Nothing.  That dog knows what I'm asking, and he's darn smart about it.   

New Friends

Bailey the Beagle's owner the other day asked me if there were certain breeds that Theo tended to get or not get along with (apparently Bailey has a complete disdain for all things Poodle).  I had never quite thought of it that way, but yes, there definitely are!  Theo is a lover, so he likes most dogs, but I will say if he's not a fan, then the dog is probably either a Lab or a Boxer.  I think Labs are a bit too exurberant for Theo's taste.  There's a lab the same age as Theo named Max that we often see on our walks in the evening.  Despite the fact that he's played with Max on several occasions when they were younger, and they've smelled each other on dozens of times, somewhere along the way Theo decided he didn't like Max.  Now whenever Max comes bounding up to him to say hello, Theo snaps and growls at him.  I think he's afraid he's going to get stepped on.  Max isn't exactly a graceful dog, and he's big.  As for the Boxers, I have no idea why, but whenever he comes across a Boxer it's all snapping and growling again.  I think, like Labs, he's just afraid of getting pummled.    Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such as the Lab that lives next door to my parents in Reno.  He was mellow and gentle enough that Theo tolerated him.  I wouldn't say he has a problem with big dogs in general because there are several big dogs we know that he's fine with.  For instance, Theo just loves Sanook, the 150lb Malamute that we often encounter on our walks.  A gentler giant I've never seen.  

While Theo mostly likes all dogs there are definitely breeds that Theo likes more than others.   Of course, that would be the herding breeds.  It's amazing how herding breeds really seem to prefer each other!  Obviously, Theo likes other Corgis best, but after that I definitely think Australian Shepherds are his next preference.  They have such a sweet and playful temper that Theo just eats up.  He hadn't really played with any Border Collies until recently, so I wasn't sure what he thought of them.  Of course, now I know that he loves them too.  A neighbor of mine just rescued one a few weeks ago named Brody and they are becoming fast friends.  Theo even jumped on Brody's head a few times the night before last.  I haven't seen him do that to any dog besides another Corgi in a long time.

Has anyone else noticed this?  Are there any breeds your dog doesn't take to or any that they can't get enough of?

She Blogs!

Wow, so much for taking a week off!  It's February!  Egads!

Well I knew it had been way too long since I had updated my blog when my mom called asking if I was ever going to update again.  I didn't even know she read it!  Hi Mom!

I have to admit, part of the reason behind the silence is...well...we really haven't been that interesting lately!  We've fallen into a pattern that I have been loving, but it's nothing really to stop the presses for.  There has been lots of morning jogs and evening walks, still a heinous amount of fetch, and even some cuddling thrown in.  But between this cold and rainy winter and my serious homebody tendencies, we haven't gotten out much since Reno.  Here's a bit of an overview of the last few weeks.

First, Theo is still loving agility class.  I got to work with him off leash a bit and he did amazing!  He flew over all the jumps without being hindered by the fear that he would run out of slack on the leash mid-jump.  Where most of the dogs take a leasurely pace going over the obstacles, Theo races!  My trainer is always telling me to run and keep up with him.  He's a fast little devil!  He still hates the teeter totter, but I've gotten him to do it a couple of times.  Like all the other dogs, he treats the yellow area (that's the area at the beginning and end of some of the obstacles, like the A-frame, that the dog is supposed to have two paws touch or it's a penalty) like it's made of acid.

I cracked the whole class up last week trying to get Theo to do the weave poles off-leash.  He was all over the place, going through every pole out of any kind of order, trying to figure out what I wanted so I could give him the treat I was holding.  Hehe.  I finally gave up because he was being too ridiculous.  He's going for class clown.  He really impressed me by always staying with me and responding to my commands.  When we are done with a course, he always makes his way back to our seat without taunting the other dogs still on-leash.  What a gentleman.  I spend the 30 minutes between when doggy daycare closes and when class starts walking him around so he's not quite so hopped up doing class.  That has helped a lot with the barking, but I still have to hold him in my lap for most of class to keep him quiet.   I think we have one or two classes left, but I'm definitely going to repeat the class as long we we're having so much fun.

We've gotten into a nice routine at home.  I've been running with him in the mornings.  He's still nuts about it.  He tries to run full speed the whole way, refusing to slow down to my speed.  So basically he kind of strangles himself.   I can't figure out why he's so intent on it, but I've been trying to work up to running faster so I can give him a bit of a break.   Any command I give him those 10 minutes is basically useless because he won't listen to a word I say.  If I slow down to a walk, he still tries to run...the whole way.  Sometimes my arm is sore from holding on to the leash so hard.  But on our evening walks he's an angel.  He heels great and listens to all my commands, so I try not to give him too hard of a time on our runs, since it's obviously something beyond just teenage disobedience.  

I've been walking farther and faster!  Thanks to a handy iphone app (love it!), I know that we've been walking just about 2 miles a night.  Plus I always run around with him in the little park in our complex so he has a chance to really stretch his legs.  Lately he prefers me to chase him, rather than him herding me.   I can tell when he's tired because he runs in very small circles, rather than all over the place.  Hehe.

Unfortunately, the rain has gotten in the way of a few of our walks and runs the last few weeks.  Don't get me wrong, I love the rain, but I've gotten so used to all the exercise that I feel terrible when I can't do it!  Hehe.  When it's only lightly sprinkling I'll throw on Theo's jacket and drag him along with me anyway.  He really hates the rain, but he doesn't usually complain once we're walking.

I've really been loving our peaceful evenings together.  Usually after our walk I'll curl up in the comfy armchair with a book, and play a little fetch with Theo.  Thanks to our longer walks, the fetch sessions don't last nearly as long.  Usually after just a few minutes he'll be off chewing an antler, and before long he'll jump up on the ottoman and fall asleep on my feet or leaning against my legs.  He's gotten much more cuddly in his teenage years.  I'm totally loving it!

So there's boring old me and our boring old routine.  It may make you fall asleep at your computer, but it makes me happy.

Theo really has been an angel for the most part lately.  We're still leaving him home two days a week while we're at work, and that's usually the only time he really does anything troublesome - not that I blame him at all.  Some days I'll come home to find bits of cardboard everywhere because he got bored and chewed up one of the boxes storing junk in the loft.  Husband was annoyed by it at first, but I told him that if chewing up an old cardboard box is the worst destruction we get, then we're lucky and he's still awesome.  Husband readily agreed.  Last week he had an accident, and again Husband was annoyed.  I asked him if Theo had done his business before he left for work that morning and he said he Theo wouldn't go.  Well it turns out lazy Husband wouldn't walk Theo to the bushes across the street (that's the place he likes to go), and just waited around in the backyard for him to go (he rarely will go in the backyard anymore - it's living space!).  So since Theo hadn't gone all morning, of course he had an accident after being home alone all day!  I scolded Husband instead of Theo for that one. 

I hope everyone's dogs are being little angels too!

Theo The Recluse

No wait...that's me!  Sorry for being so quite these last few weeks.  I think I've just been quiet in general.  Husband said I've been acting more "independent" lately. I think that means I've just needed a lot of me time lately.  I still do, but how can I not keep the world posted on my little star?  So back to Theo.   

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!

Still Here, Mostly Sleeping

Phew!  It feels weird to have gone so long without posting!  We're still here.  I had a 2 week vacation from work and everything just kind of hit me...the stress of the year.  I ended up basically catatonic during that time.  Ok, not really, but I'm sure I wasn't great company (sorry mom!).  I collapsed on the couch under my favorite blanket and a book and just read or slept the day away.  Every day.  For 2 weeks.  Basically.

Ok, we did go up to Reno for 5 days to visit my parents, but we still didn't do much.  My poor mom.  She was visibly frustrated by my and Husband's complete lack of motivation to do much of anything.   It was partially brought on by the fact that I couldn't really stomach food for the first week.  Don't know why, I just never felt hungry, and felt sick every time I tried to eat.  After we got home I vegged some more.  Now that I'm back at work, I'm wishing I was still at home vegging.  I may be addicted.  

Anyway, that's why I've been MIA for 2 weeks.  But enough about me.  The little booger was a total trouble maker the first week, and a total angel the second week for the most part.  

Let's start with Reno.  Theo loved it.  He was so excited, the first thing he did when we got into my parents' house was poop in their bedroom.  Awesome.  It snowed all of Christmas day. Theo loved playing in the snow.  He liked running around plowing it with his chest and then flinging himself over it with his bunny legs.  It was adorable to watch.  The neighbor's golden lab kept coming over to play.  At one point Theo wandered over to their backyard and wouldn't come back, even after calling him for 10 minutes straight.  He would look right at me, and then wander away.  Ugh.  He got in trouble BIG TIME for that.  The neighbors ended up seeing him in their backyard and letting him in their house.  I ended up having to trudge through the snow and icy road over to their house to go and get him ("Excuse me, may I please have my horribly rude dog back?"  Hehe.  They obviously loved him and didn't want to give him back.).  Booger indeed.  Husband and I tried to take him snow shoeing with us, but he wouldn't come with us.  He just sat by the back door and cried.  I think he was afraid of the big scary shoes.  He was great in the car, no incidents.

The next week, while I was even more catatonic than I was in Reno, Theo was pretty much glued to me.  Husband got food poisoning or the stomach flu or something so he was stuck in bed for most of the week, so it was just Theo and me.  I was perfectly willing to play endless fetch with him while permanently glued to the couch, but he wasn't interested for the most part.  He seemed to pick up perfectly on my apathetic mood and just chilled on the couch with me most of the time.  Not only did he sleep all week on the couch with me, he slept on me!  The 2 foot rule was temporarily suspended and I was even allowed to pet him at times while he slept.  It was crazy.  In that time of close quarters, I also learned the difference between Theo's 3 major whines: Mommy I need to pee, Mommy I want you to get off the couch and come over here and play with me, and Mommy I need you to come and get my toy that rolled under the couch.  The latter of the 3 is a ridiculously adorable quiet whine that is possibly the most pathetic sound you've ever heard.  Of course, it would have to be in order to get me up and in the other room every 3 minutes to get his ball he couldn't seem to keep from rolling under the couch.  Of course, now that we're back to our normal schedule, the 2 foot rule suspension has been lifted and we're back to our normal interactions.  It was nice while it lasted.

Well it's a new year.  2008 was year zero, the puppy year.  I think I'll call year 1 and maybe beyond "adolescence" because, really, he's just not a puppy anymore.  He's a troublesome little teenager.  My wonderful troublesome littler teenager.  I loved year zero, and I'm sure I'll love year one as well.

Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Love,
JuLo, Husband, and Theo the reindeer

Rained Out Again

Last weekend me and some other Corgi owners in the area attempted another mini meetup.  It was fun for about 40 minutes, until it started raining.  Why does it always rain when we see Philip?  Speaking of Philip, he and a puggle decided they were soul mates and did nothing but play together for a good twenty minutes.

When the puggle's owner went to leave, Philip was not happy.  There may have been jumping involved when the owner picked his puggle up.  Seeing a hopping Corgi is definitely a site.

Theo, ever the beggar while Sidney demonstrated his awesome "treat on the nose" trick.  He is so smart!  Theo is smart in his own way.  He managed to finagle quite a few treats from Sidney's mom.  Look at that begging position?  This is what I have to deal with every day.  I love it though.

Exhibit A of why you shouldn't bring food to a dog park.  Corgis aren't the only food mongers of the dog kind.  Hehe.  For some reason I love Theo's butt in this picture.  That ghetto booty's got attitude!

We had lunch with Mouth and Philip's owner afterwards.  I had a lot of fun (though it was a tad soggy, hehe).  Philip is so great.  I had a blast giving him lots of love.  Now if only we can get together without it raining...

(New Flickr pictures here)

Aside: A lot of people have been commenting on Theo's weight, saying how skinny he looks.  It's true, over the last few weeks he got really skinny.  We didn't reduce his food at all, in fact we increased it when he started to lose weight.  I'm guessing it was a combination of losing his puppy fat, playing more at doggy daycare, and running in the mornings.  Whatever the cause, his new figure is quite svelte!

Happy Birthday Theo!!!

I know I'm a day late, but that's just what engineers do. That's right, yesterday was my boy's birthday! He's one year old! Can you believe it's been a year already? I remember last Christmas obsessively checking my breeder's website to see if she had posted any more new born pictures of Theo. I remember instantly seeing Theo's picture and thinking, this is definitely the best dog of the litter.

And since this has always been one of my favorite posts, here's another list of 10 things I love about my furbaby:

Dear Theo,

1. I love the way you sigh when you toss and turn while you're sleeping.
2. I love how excited you get when you meet a new person or dog.
3. I love the way you try and catch the toy when we're playing fetch.
4. I love how you sound so ferocious when the doorbell rings, but when I open the door, you're a friendly little kitten.
5. I love the way you use the wii fit board as a platform to chew your antler chew.
   
6. I love how you can be sound asleep, but as soon as I get up to go to bed, you're awake and bolting to your crate.
7. I love the way you sit next to me on the couch when I'm eating dinner (most people would probably not approve of this, but it's one of the few times Theo violates his 2 feet rule, and he never tries to take food from my plate).
8. I love how pathetic you look when you hang your head in unhappiness (i.e. because of something on his head he doesn't like (see reindeer antlers), or because he's trying to get food out of me).
9. I love the way you look at me when I do something that violates our routine (for example, this morning I had the nerve to walk upstairs without first stopping to get you a lamb cookie, even though you were laying on your bed so nicely, just like I always ask).
10. I love how you wait outside the bedroom door for me, no matter how long I'm in there.

(See item 8)

Thanks for being a great dog. As Husband puts it, I wouldn't want a dog that's too well behaved or too snugly, or I would get bored with it. I like my dogs like I like my men, troublemakers!

These are Theo's holiday antlers. I got them way back in November. I can't wait to try and make Theo wear them all day on Christmas. Mwhahaha!

Giveaway Winners

And the winners of a set of awesomely adorable light up pet reindeer antlers are...

Betty and AJ!  Congrats you two!  Wow, it's a lucky time for Southern Californians!  Hehe.  

Alright you two, please email me (imperfectcomplainer@gmail.com) with your full name, address, and phone number, and I'll place the order ASAP.  Remember that to get the antlers by Christmas eve, I have to place the order by midnight tonight.  So I'll be keeping an eye out for your emails. 

Happy holidays everyone!

PS: While it wasn't a condition of winning, Betty and AJ, I really hope you will send me a picture of Koda and Ein in their antlers so I can post them in all their adorable glory.

Holiday Giveaway!

I'm so excited for my first giveaway!  I think it's just what I need to cheer me up (the gloomy weather is keeping me down today).  The majority was by far for the holiday reindeer antlers.  Good choice!  I have some for Theo as well.  In fact, I was planning to post pictures tonight, so stay tuned.  Anyway, I'm sure you're much more interested in the details of the giveaway, so here they are:

First, I'll be giving away two sets of these Pet Holiday Lighted Antlers from Petsmart.  That means there will be two winners. If you have two dogs, I'm sorry, they will just have to share. ;) These are pretty darn cute. 

Second, in order to get the antlers to you by Christmas eve I have to place the order before midnight tomorrow, so this giveaway is going to close in just one short day!  Sorry folks, you snooze you lose.  The giveaway will close tomorrow, December 18th, at 1pm (pst).

Third, how to enter of course!  Just leave a comment here in this post or send me an email (imperfectcomplainer@gmail.com).  If you email me, leave your email address in your comment, or if there is an email address listed on your blog or blogger profile, I'll send you an email notifying you as the winner.  Otherwise, I'll just post the winner here, and hopefully you'll see it and then send me an email with the information listed below.

Fourth, since I have to place the order by 9:00pm my time, the winners will have between 1pm and 8:30pm pacific time to email me their shipping information (full name, address, and phone number).  If you don't get it to me in time, that's ok.  You're still a winner.  It just means you won't get your antlers in time for Christmas. :)

Sorry for the short notice on this guys.  If this goes well, my next giveaway I'll leave much more time to enter.  Good luck!  

The Best You're Going To Get

Well folks.  Looks like my blog is the only way you'll get to enjoy this picture because Theo didn't make it into the mycorgi.com calendar this year. *sniff*  I'm really disappointed.  I was looking forward to buying copies for my family and having us all enjoy a month of my adorable puppy.  But it is not to be.  

Personally, I think there are some really great pictures that made it (congrats Kelly/Gibson and Ivy/Bryson!), but I question others.  December's picture you can barely even see the dog!  And while July is very patriotic...it's really a rather boring picture.  There's not even eye contact with the camera.  But I don't want to be a bitter betty.  All of the pictures are cute, I just was surprised some made it over others I thought were better (including my own!  hehe).  There were so many great pictures, I'm sure it was a hard decision.

Now will hanging this calendar in my office be a bitter reminder of my inadequate photographer skills?  For surely had I taken a better picture, Theo would have made it (because he's gorgeous of course!).  Eh, naw.  I'll get one.  I like Corgis.   Congrats to everyone!  Let's start taking awesome pictures for next year!

PS: Kelly, I notice Gibson made it onto the cover. It's too bad we're not able to get them well before January, so I could hang up the calendar by the cover to get some Gibson admiration time.  Isn't that why the first month and the cover are normally the same picture.  Those crazy cats.  But he does make an awesome cover picture.  Very enticing to potential customers.  Hehe.

PPS: Was it the shoe?

Lazy Evening

Yesterday it rained all day.  I thought Theo would be a bundle of energy when I picked him up from doggy daycare because he was couped up inside the whole time (though they did have a setup for them to play inside).  I was wrong.  He slept the whole car ride home.  After dinner I thought I would take him for a walk.  It was a little wet and drizzling a bit, but nothing I couldn't handle with a warm jacket.  Nope.  He didn't want to walk.  He didn't even want to play fetch inside!  He just wanted to sleep.  We were both curled up on the sofa all evening, me watching tv, and Theo sleeping on my feet.  It was a nice way to spend a wet day.

Of course,  this morning he was practically jumping out of his skin with so much energy.  I ran a lot with him this morning.  I'm sore.  It was totally worth it.

Enjoy being 0 years old while it lasts, Boo Boo, tomorrow you're 1 years old! 

Something For A Rainy Day

1. Due to popular demand (by one whole person!) I've put up a new poll.  That's right, I'm making you actually click over to my page from you google reader or the like. *groan*  But this is a fun one!  I wanted to know what type of swag people would be interested in if I were to do a giveaway with some of the money from the Petsmart giftcard I got for Theo's winning costume (read: I'm doing a giveaway, tell me what you want).  Here are the items I was thinking that go along with the poll items: Frisbee, antlers, plush, stocking, and chuck-it.  If you have another suggestion (which I'm completely open to!), let me know.
2. I can't guarantee anything by Christmas, so keep that in mind.  I'll do my best though.  Keep an eye out for the giveaway because it won't last long!
3. We met up with some Corgis in the area this weekend, including Philip.  Unfortunately, we were rained out again.  Why does that always happen when I meet up with him?  Well it was a lot of fun while it lasted.  This group of 5 Corgis is a really good group.  They all get along, and they're all very sweet dogs.  I'll post my pictures once I get a chance to download them from the camera.  But be warned, I got an iphone yesterday (it is awesome!!!), and I'll probably be good and distracted by that for most of the week.
4. Theo fell asleep at my feet last night.  He never sleeps that close to me.  Then this morning he snuggled with me on the couch.  The snuggly moments are few and far between, which makes me appreciate them all the more.
5. Along with cheese and peanut butter, Theo now has a love of almonds.  Everytime he hears me tilt the jar he comes running, looking expectantly at me for a handout.  No matter where he is in the house, he can hear the dispensing of almonds.  It's adorable.
6. We're wondering if we should get Theo some shoes for the snow next week.  He's a total temperature whimp, just like mommy and daddy.  Personally, I think a light coat for him would be better, and more comfortable.
7. We bought the peticure safeguard to attach to our dremel so we could sand Theo's nails indoors without making a mess (it gets dark too early to keep doing it outside).  We tried it out yesterday and it worked great!  No dust, no mess.  There was another bonus too: safety.  Sometimes when we're sanding his nails he freaks out and tries to bite the sander.  Obviously, not the best thing for Theo's mouth, and Husband kept getting scratched up by it when he would try and stop Theo from biting it.  This attachment works great for those two purposes.  

It's All In The Collar

1. Theo woke me up at 5:30 this morning.  He didn't have to use the restroom, he just wanted out of his crate.  I took him downstairs and he slept on my feet while I watched last night's Top Chef on the Tivo.  As much as I hate it when he wakes me up that early, I love having those early morning moments with him.  He's always so quiet and mellow.
2. I probably should have gone running with him instead of watching tv, but for some reason running before the sun came up just wasn't tempting and my lazy butt got the better of me.
3. Theo was doing just ok in agility last night.  He kept running around the second jump, or knocking the bar down, and on the A frame he totally froze up.  We did the tire jump for the first time and he would not jump through it without me standing really close on the other side calling him emphatically.  Then it finally hit me: I forgot to put on his "it's time for agility" collar!  No wonder!  A collar shouldn't make a difference, but I swear it did.  As soon as I put on his agility class collar we did the dog walk (which he flew across), and the teeter for the first time, which he was totally fearless on.  Ok, he was a little apprehensive about the tilting part, but he did great for his first time.  After about 6 tries (I snuck over while we were waiting to try the other equipment throughout class), he would finally jump through the tire when I asked him to.  Progress!  And he ran straight through the tunnel (last week he kept running halfway through and then turning around and running out when I called him). 
4. Our agility class is a pretty good group of dogs.  They're all pretty good about doing the obstacles, even if they don't enjoy it.  We actually finished early last night because we didn't get hung up too much by dogs who wouldn't do the obstacles correctly.  That's great because it's hard to get around to all the equipment when we get stuck on one thing for a long time.
5. We're taking Theo up to Reno for Christmas.  I was hoping for snow, but apparently the gulf area decided to take all of California's (and Nevada's) snow this year.  Boo!  I should really get to an auto store and buy snow chains for Husband's car (hybrid).  Though maybe with gas prices so low we should just take my car (non-hybrid).  I have snow chains for my car.  With my luck there will probably be no snow, but still very very cold temperatures. 
6. Theo will be in heaven.  He loves it there, and Husband's parents are coming too.  I'll have to remember to walk him before it gets dark (that should be interesting), so the coyotes don't get him.  Apparently in that area it's very dangerous to walk your dog after dark.  I would totally kick the butt of anything trying to eat my furbaby, but it is still better to not take any chances.  I don't exactly have cat-like reflexes.
7. Is anyone tired of these lists yet?  I kinda like 'em.

My Gloomy June

While we're all agonizing over whether or now our little balls of fur made it into the mycorgi.com calendar this year, the admins are keeping us on pins and needles!  Apparently they not only have who will be in the calendar, but have already shipped it off to the printer!  Here's the last we've heard:

Sorry folks, the results are in, but we're still waiting on the printer's confirmation.  Sorry to keep y'all waiting. What I can tell you now are the following:

1. 100% profit will go to Corgi rescue.

2. The calendars will be $14 each, lower price than last year's.

3. Calendar will be printed professionally, higher quality on premium paper.

As soon as we get the news, we will post the result and ordering information.

I don't know what printer confirmation means, but I assume it relates to the printer's confirmation of the design and readiness to print.  I understand that they want to wait until it's all ready for ordering, but I'm impatient dagnabit!   That said, I'm excited that this year's calendar will be better quality while lower in price and supporting charity.  Score, score, and score!  I'll definitely order one, no matter the outcome.  The question is how many will I order if Theo makes it in.  I know at least my mom will want one.

So while I wait, I've been thinking about what month would be the best to have your Corgi featured?  It's sad, I know.  But it's more interesting than doing my yearly performance assessment...what a snoozefest.  Right off the bat I wouldn't want January.  I usually spend the first half of January forgetting to even put up my new calendar, so that's out.  I usually spend the last half of December out of the office (I only use calendars at work), so that's out too.  April and June are big vacation months, so we'll skip those.  May would be good since it's my birthday month, and doesn't everyone always skip to their birthday month when they get a new calendar?  I know I do.  October and November are big holiday months and should have more festive pictures than mine.  February is a short month, which means less Theo time.  So that leaves March, May, July, August, and September.  I think May or September would be ideal months.

Now that I've probably put you to sleep.  How many calendars are you planning to buy this year?  What month are you hoping for if your pup was in the running?  How cute is that picture of Theo sleeping?

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!

Back To Normal

1. We started up our agility class again last night.  The trainer kept asking Theo to use the new equipment first (not exactly as a demo, since she has a helper use her own dog as a demo, but I think she wanted the group to always start off on the right foot).  In obedience class she would never use Theo as a demo dog, but I guess for agility he really shines.  He really loves all the equipment, especially the tunnel, which we used last night!  We also tried the dog walk, which was the one thing I was nervous about Theo liking.  The trainer was smart and lined the top with dog treats, so Theo was of course fine with it!  He kept trying to run back up and look for more treats. 
2. He hates waiting his turn in class.  When he sees another dog struggling he gets antsy and starts barking.  You can see him thinking "stop making a fool of yourself and let me show you how it's done!".  I think this is definitely the sport for Theo right now.
3. I'm having a hard time getting used to not having all the blogs I read having new posts everyday.  I really enjoyed having that last month.
4. I used "having" way too many times in No. 3, but I don't feel like changing it.
5. Today we are experimenting.  We didn't take Theo to doggy daycare.  The remodel is basically done (I say basically because they never really finished, but we got tired of waiting, so we took the lockbox off the door and decided to just keep our money), and we can't really afford to take him everyday anymore ($400/month is a lot!). The most we usually keep him home alone on the weekends is about 4 hours.  Today is all day.  We'll see how he does.  I'm expecting to take a very long walk tonight.
6. I don't think we'll totally stop doing doggy daycare, just cut back to a few days a week.
7. I want to buy our Christmas tree this weekend.  Hopefully we have a better time of it than Ivy and Bryson did.  Poor guy.  What should I get Theo for his very first Christmas?  I may have already invested in some red fuzzy antlers...pictures to may be come.
8. The picture?  Just felt like it.

Don't Forget To Do Your Corgi Duty...

...and vote! Today is supposedly the last day to vote for your favorite Corgis to go in the 2009 mycorgi.com calendar.  I say supposedly because the post actually says the poll closes Nov 2.  I told them they posted the wrong date, but they never fixed it (it should say Dec. 2).  I have no idea when the voting ends.  Midnight?  For the Halloween costume contest the poll actually closed at midnight of the day listed.  As in, it said the poll closed Nov 15th, so at 0:00am on the 15th it closed. As in, it really closed on the 14th at the very end of the day.  Confused yet? Anyway, please if you can spare a vote for my Theo, Ivy's Bryson (and Picasso), and Kelly's Gibson it would be much appreciated. 

I'll be sure to post whether or not Theo made it in.  I'm sure it'll take a few weeks for them to annouce it.  Honestly, I don't think Theo will actually make it in.  As cute as he is, I just don't think it is one of the best ones submitted.  There were some really great ones there.  I'm so surprised and honored he even made it into the finals with that picture.  As my co-worker said "there's a shoe in your picture!"  lol.  I'll just have to practice at being a better photographer for next year.  

Let Us Not Dwell On The Chicken Herder

But I did want to update you with some pictures from the big day (and by big day I mean "big half hour").

As I said before, Theo didn't really want much to do with the sheep to begin with.

I should point out that these sheep were not in any way challenging or directly threatening Theo. They were "dog broken" as I believe the term is called. He couldn't have found nicer sheep if he had raised them from lambs.

After running around like a jerk for a few minutes, I finally managed to get Theo into it a little bit.

The sheep were running around, kind of chasing me, and Theo just couldn't help running around a bit himself.

Then he seemed to notice the sheep were there and he started chasing after them a bit.


And then the moment passed. He wouldn't go near them again.


Theo took a break to give Sidney a go. As you can see, he's a natural.


During Theo's second attempt, he apparently felt he had worked hard enough to earn his first meal.

Don't bother him, he's eating.





I think what really bothers me about this experience was the woman running the place. She had her hands in about 5 different things going on all at the same time. We had made an appointment with her, so I feel we should have gotten some actual instruction or at least attention. But she pretty much just put us in there to play around and then took off. That's what I meant by not very "official" I guess. I feel like I paid the woman $25 to rent her sheep for 15 minutes. Those sheep are paid better than I am! I'll let a dog herd me around for that kind of money. I think if we do try ducks, I'll look around for a place I like a bit better. Overall, I would recommend the experience, just not at the particular facility I went to. And make sure to ask about ducks!

Closing Out

Well it's the 30th: the last day of the month, the last day of NaBloPoMo. Did you have fun reading my blog everyday? I hope so! Since I have trouble finishing things (and remembering things), I'm so proud of myself for never missing a day! Thanks so much to everyone who NaBloPoMoed with me! It was so much fun reading everyone's blogs. I hope we all do it again next year.

Ok, so back to Theo talk. The family is all gone and it's just us again. We spent the day dealing with lots of problems with Theo. First off, he's become unhousetrained all of a sudden. The last 3 days we left him at home alone for a period of time, and each time he peed in the house. He won't go outside because it's wet, and I'm not sure what to do about it. I guess I just have to take him for more walks? Anyway, it caused some frustration to say the least. After getting whatever he wanted all weekend because my family is a bunch of suckers, he was acting like a bit of a brat. Thankfully it was nothing a little obedience work couldn't fix. Have I mentioned I can't stress obedience training enough? Hehe.

I'll end my NaBloPoMo posting on a good note and talk about Theo's first Thanksgiving a little more. It really was a great time. He started off with some chewing by himself while we were all cooking.


He took breaks periodically to smell the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.


Little did we know we had out own little turkey closeby.


He had his own play squad assigned to him for the night. I don't think Theo has ever played so much fetch, much to his delight, I'm sure.

Oh by the way, his newest thing is catching the toy, rather than fetching it.

My mom had the furry socks to prove the fur was flying!


At the end of dinner Theo was treated with the platter full of turkey drippings. Yum!

And don't worry, it went straight into the dishwasher after this little "pre-rinse".

After all the exercise and delicious food, there was only one thing left to do...

Totally collapse into a coma.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! I think Theo's was a success.

PS: More pictures of the herding to come tomorrow. Right now the WiiFit calls...

Theo The Chicken Herder

And I don't mean he herded chickens. We took Theo to get his herding instinct tested today, and it was a very odd experience. First off, it wasn't nearly as official as I've heard other people describe it (at different locations of course). The place I went was very informal. In a nutshell it was go in the pen, see what the dog does, give advice, give money, and leave. I'll go more into it, but you can see how it wasn't exactly a "test", and Theo didn't exactly "pass".

When Theo got in the pen he went straight to the opposite side of the pen from where the sheep were. That's where it all went downhill... The lady said I should run around and herd the sheep myself to show Theo how it is done. Sufficed to say neither Theo nor I were very interested in herding those sheep, nor were we very good at it. It took a couple of minutes looking like a complete idiot before Theo seemed to notice the sheep. He seemed to get into it. I praised and praised and praised...and then he stopped herding. About 30 seconds was all I got out of him.

After 30 seconds Theo stopped dead in his tracks and wouldn't do anything besides eat sheep poop. The lady said to let Theo watch another dog try it to so he could see how it was done. Theo wouldn't get anywhere near the sheep the second time in. He only had eyes for poop. He actually started acting very badly and kept running away from me anytime I got close to him. I was not pleased, to say the least.

At the end the lady said that she thought Theo was afraid of the sheep because they were so big. She suggested we start with ducks, and after he gets comfortable with them ,we could move to sheep. Of course, we couldn't try ducks today because she hadn't caught them (I guess they're more free to wander?). And that's how we left it. She didn't really give much of a second thought to Theo before she wandered off to do something else. We paid her, then left. It wasn't a very pleasant experience for me, and I don't think it was a pleasant experience for Theo. I'm disappointed that it wasn't something fun for us, but at least there are plenty of other fun things we can do together. Maybe other herding places are better? At least Sidney had a good time.

Pictures to come!

Like A Kid On Christmas Morning

When I let Theo out of his crate this morning he ran straight to our guest room, saw it was empty, then ran straight downstairs to find Husband's parents. He was like a kid of Christmas morning, running to the tree to find his presents. He really loves his grandfurparents, and especially loves house guests.

I know the posts these last couple of days haven't been the most riveting. It's hard to sit down and write a good post when your whole house is aflutter with guests. It's definitely something I'm not used to. At least tomorrow we'll be doing Theo's herding instinct test. I'm really excited about it! Hopefully I'll be posting lots of stories all about it tomorrow.

I've noticed some discussion on mycorgi.com about the calendar contest. Some people are complaining that there are multiple pictures of dogs in the finals, which isn't fair because the rules stated we were only supposed to send one picture. The admin has responded saying that it's totally fair because only one picture of those dogs will actually make it into the calendar. I'm with the users on this one. The rules clearly stated to only submit one picture, and people who followed the rules spent the time to whittle their pictures down to just one. You all know I agonized over that decision...so much so that you all helped me pick it! What if the picture I submitted of Theo doesn't make it into the calendar, but the one of Theo being a goofball would have? I'm surprised they don't understand how people would view that as unfair, but since Theo did make it into the final vote, I think I'll just stay out of it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, this post is going to be short, sweet, and not a little bit lame.  It was my first Thanksgiving, and a house full of parental units.  I'm happy to say everything turned out well, delicious even!  And Theo was happy to have so much attention, and such a delicious dinner!  I won't be able to post a picture until later, but Husband's dad gave Theo the tray full of turkey juices after dinner to lick up.  Hehe.  Theo was very confused with what to do with such a gigantic food bowl.

This was Theo's first Thanksgiving, and I think it was a good one!  How was yours?

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.

THEO IS A FINALIST!!!! (again)

Wow, I was really trying not to get my hopes up because there are so many great Corgis and great photographers out there. But somehow Theo's adorable mug managed to make it as a finalist on the mycorgi.com 2009 calendar! To say I am excited is a huge understatement.

You can go here to vote for 15 pictures you would like in the final calendar. Theo is on the third row from the bottom, second to the right (really, by the time I had got way down there and seen all the great pictures, I had given up hope that Theo had made it...don't toy with me admins!). It's the picture that looks like this:

I see that Ivy's wonderful picture of Bryson and Picasso made it as well. Hooray! If anyone else had a picture that made the finals, please leave a comment and let me know so I can vote for it. I'm saving up my vote just so I make sure to get everyone in. If we all vote for each other, we have a better shot, right? And who wouldn't want to stare at an adorable Corgi they know for a whole month?