T-Minus 48 hours and...Presto - We have Corgi Ears!

In the last 48 hours, the duct tape crown performed magic....amazing, now he looks like a Corgi!

Sage's First Day at Home

Okay, so I am not at all biased when I say that this simply has to be the nicest puppy in the litter...well, maybe a little!

Clearly a velcro puppy, this boy never strays far from his people. This evening I was on the phone. I looked down when my call was complete to see that Sage had fallen asleep next to me on the kitchen floor. After a long play session, he was zonked, enabling me to snap a bunch of photos before moving him to a more comfortable location for his evening nap.

Talk about the sleep of an innocent...too sweet for words.

This morning examination of our large basket of toys yielded a stuffed frog that caught his eye.

We played with the frog for quite awhile!

Officially ALL toys belong to Denali. She's not thrilled about sharing, but did decide to share the same room with Sage for her morning nap. Her Highness is a bit put out by the arrival of this little cretin, but she'll get over herself once she figures out he's fun to play with and that he will FRAP with her!

He was asleep, till I showed up with the camera.

If you're offering to play, I'll wake up!

Are you ready to romp?

There's always that first really memorable photo. I think this may be the one! Like I said, I am not at all biased, but isn't this the cutest puppy ever?

Sage Comes Home!

Road trip: Northern California to Southern Oregon a.k.a. 7 hours through some incredibly spectacular landscape in California and Oregon. Weather forecast: Rain, Rain, Rain! Since the rain was definitely better than the snow that we'd have had on Tuesday, we didn't wait, but took off on Sunday, Dec. 28. 

With Denali and Elbee riding along, the whole family went to meet our new member, Sage. Here is sampling of photos. To see all the pictures that Moe took (lots), visit this link!

Here we are with Sage. Between his unusual coloration, and his puppy ears that are not yet up, he looks more like a little spaniel than a corgi. But let me assure you...this guy is all Cardi!

Sage has a beautiful face. He's going to become a very handsome boy as he matures. And this happy smile is a feature most of the time!

This puppy is incredibly sweet! Carolyn calls him a "mooshy puppy." He loves to be held and to hang out with his people. Perfect, we love those velcro dogs!

If you pick this sweet guy up you'll never want to put him down - he's SO soft and cuddly!

Whew...it is much more work than Denali imagined being Queen of the Pack. And now with a new member...well she just passed out as soon as she hopped onto the foot of the bed in the hotel room. 

Carolyn was delighted to see our beautiful girl now that she's grown. Denali had a great time visiting with some of her relatives and Huxley has a huge crush on her!

Next morning it is time to prepare for the journey home. Sage gets his first official Prince Crown to help his ears stand up properly. He will get to wear this for 2-3 days and is NOT at all happy about it. In the background his brother, Fig, offers consolation. Fig, it's your turn next!

Carolyn & Tom say goodbye to Sage, as he continues to pout about the whole ear taping thing. Check out that cute puppy belly!

Bye Bye Sage. Travel safely and have a Wonderful Life!

Oh...and the Fig...yes, he's very Figgity! No way was he going to stand by without his fair share of attention. He's adorable. Alden has a handsome puppy here!

Due to the rain storms that were passing and the snow storms on their way in, we had a sky of spectacular clouds and some gorgeous clear views as we made our way back into California. I'll show more of those photos in a separate post. But this view of Mt. Shasta was simply perfect! 

We arrived home safely. All of the dogs were great travelers. Sage was just an angel. He "talked" to us on and off, took advantage of his breaks to play with leaves, twigs and explore a little snow. He's just wonderful! 

Looks like Fig, Colbert, and Sage are all going to be Northern California dwellers. Hopefully we can get them together again at some point! Megan, thanks again for doing such a nice job caring for this litter! And congratulations on Greta! She's just lovely!

Ready for a Road Trip?

Tomorrow is a big day. We're off to Oregon to pick up our new puppy. We'll pack up Elbee and Denali and head out in the early AM. Based on the weather forecast of 100% chance of rain all day long, we'd be better off with a canoe. Fortunately we have an AWD vehicle, but no oars!

This has been my week for road trips. I've already been up to Wine Country (Napa/Sonoma area) to pick up my mom for Christmas and take her home again. 

The Golden Gate Bridge is awe inspiring, rain or shine.

On my way home, I managed to snap the end of the sunset in Petaluma

Note: The Edit function on Blogger is as bad as any I've seen.  At times it gives me an underline on text, when I've not asked for it. And there is no underline button that I've found which allows me to remove it. It is late and I just gave up fiddling with it.  I know it looks silly - oh well!

Bart & Friend's Christmas Tree

(Click on photos for a larger image.)

Why our Christmas Tree will look a Little Different this Year!

As blog followers all know, we lost our wonderful boy, Bart, at age 16, earlier this month. It was time for his Journey to the Bridge. He was our First Dog, and my Heart Dog. 

To celebrate his life, and those of all of our dogs, I printed some selected photos. I am mounting and decorating them. They will become the ornaments on our Christmas Tree. Literally, this project will be finished today. 

This season things have been a bit topsy turvy. Two weeks before Xmas I decided to foster a rescue dog. Long story short, he presented a medical emergency almost immediately upon arrival. This necessitated a huge number of extra hours of my time, over the past two weeks. The result: I am the least prepared for Xmas as I've ever been. Tree isn't decorated, gifts are wrapped, but no ribbon, pie makings are here...but no pie...etc.

Last night I remarked to Moe that so many of these things were not yet done and my holiday was in chaos because of the mountains of time I've spent working on restoring the health of the foster dog, Zippy, and finding him a home, to which he went yesterday evening. He's there on a 30-day trial, but it is probably The Most Perfect match I've ever made in my 12 years of rescue..unbelievably wonderful! 

When I said, "Well, all of these things are not done, no pie, no ribbons, no tree decorations, house is complete and total mess...etc." Moe's reply was, "Oh, you mean you spent this time before Christmas doing something more important. You know...you saved Zippy's life!"

He's absolutely right. Given where Zippy was, in a high-kill shelter from which he wouldn't have been adopted. And then the medical issues that could easily have resulted in his death if not handled promptly. Yes, I saved his life...twice! I guess this Christmas is exactly as it was meant to be!

Here is a small sampling of the "ornaments" that will adorn our tree this year. I've only got about 25 more to make!  Wheee...

A door, coated with pupkiss. Kenai, Bart and Elbee (from left to right)

Our First Trio of wonderful dogs!

A portrait of Bart, shortly after joining us - age 6 or so.

One of my favorites: When we went up to Oregon to get our most recent puppy, Denali, Bart got to herd sheep. He was in his element. It was one of Bart's best and most beautiful days!

One of our last pictures. Bart always supervised while we put up the outdoor lights at Xmas. This year was no exception.

Denali - just being herself!

Another of Denali, showing just how fluffy a fluff coat can be!

Now that I've been rescuing dogs for 12 years or so and am just starting to feel like I've got some experience, I've come to see that one of the most crucial elements of rescue is the ability to treat each and every potential adoption as an individual circumstance. No two are ever alike. There is a time and place for everything, and considering each family's requirements is pivotal.

So as Bart started to fade I knew that while, no one could ever take his place, I would find myself wanting another "man" in the canine family. After we lost Bart, I researched potential rescue dogs, as possible additions. I looked at tons of postings, inquired about more than a dozen different dogs. After all that, I knew that none of them was right as a companion for Denali and Elbee. Denali is rather particular as to who she will accept, so it makes the choice even more challenging. As much as I wasn't really thinking of taking a puppy, I ultimately realized it was the right pairing for Denali.

Another thing I know about finding dogs...they find you. If you're able to listen, they will call to you. When I was able to clear my head a bit after losing Bart, I realized that a particular dog HAD been calling to me for awhile. I just hadn't been listening very well. Suffice to say I figured it out. That little voice was finally heard. Just after Christmas we'll be adding a new man to the family, and here he is:

Meet our new little Cardigan Welsh Corgi puppy, "Sage" (Registered name: Redwood Sunrise)

Sage has a somewhat unusual coloration for a Cardi. He's a Clear Red (Recessive Red), also referred to as a "Pink." To learn more about this, and see some other pictorial examples, visit this Cardigan Colors link and scroll down till you see Clear Red listed.

Warm Wishes to all for the Best of the Season!

Celebrating the Good Memories!

We're using photos of Bart, and our other dogs, to make Christmas tree ornaments this year. It is going to be the "Bart and Friends" Christmas tree, including some shots of a new young fellow who will arrive after Christmas! (More on this to come!)

Searching through our historical database of wonderful Bart photos, Moe came across this little video of Bart, doing one of the things he always did best!

More Going Home for the Holidays...we Hope!

This time of year is really bittersweet in the world of Dog Rescue. There are so many dogs that need homes. Shelters are full, rescuers are full. With the economic conditions, there seem to be more dogs needing homes than ever.

But on the flip side, many people do adopt a new dog during the holidays. They have time off from work, time to spend acclimating a new canine companion into the routine of the household. There are always those especially lucky ones that find new homes for the holidays.

This year, everything is coming up candy canes for ForPaws rescue, "Raindrop" a.k.a. "Rain." Looks like she's getting her new forever home just after the holidays! She's waited a long time, but it was worth the wait!

This happy little corgi/border collie mix, may also have found the home he's been seeking. He will go to a foster home in the San Francisco Bay area on a trial basis over the holidays. If things work out well, he won't have to leave!  This sweet boy originally came to us with the name "Sam," but it just didn't really fit, so we've been calling him "Zippy," and he seems to like it!

And speaking of happy dogs...Charlie, one of our Castaway Rescues, fostered in Minnesota, has made tons of progress and is ready for his new forever home. We will post him shortly on the ForPaws website and hopefully he'll find his new holiday home too!

Charlie is about five years old, but his energy level would make you think he's more like a two-year-old. He's an affectionate, busy fellow looking for a home with a playful female corgi, and an owner experienced in training and socialization of an active, inquisitive corgi.

Grace - Home for the Holidays?

Grace is wishing for a new Forever Home 

for the Holidays!

Can you help?

Grace is a REALLY NICE 6-year-old Cardigan Welsh Corgi looking for a Great Home!

When her owners couldn't keep her, or afford the expensive surgery she needed to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right rear leg, this dog came to the attention of ForPaws Corgi Rescue.

Ultimately Grace obtained support from the Cardigan Welsh Corgi National Rescue Trust, who financed the surgery she needed and through whom she is now seeking her Forever Home. 

Grace is a special needs dog, in that she requires a home without stairs, and will need a ramp* for any porch steps. She also needs to be kept warm for ease of movement so her joints don't stiffen - no staying outdoors on a cold day. She's a very sweet dog that is velcro to her owner and gets along well with other dogs, and all people. Ideally she'd be best in a home with someone present during the day. She is very companionable and wouldn't be happy being left alone all day long.

*Note: Rescuer has a ramp that is available to any adopter who needs it.

Grace will soon be posted on the CWCNRT website and we'll be putting a referral to that posting on our website, ForPaws Corgi Rescue. She is located in the San Francisco Bay area in California and we'd like to find a home within a day's driving distance.

Grace is spayed, up to date on her vaccinations, heartworm negative, and on flea/heartworm preventative. She weighs about 33lbs and has a beautiful brown, brindle coat.

If you think you might be just the person Grace is looking for, please visit the Cardigan Welsh Corgi National Rescue Trust website: 

http://cardiganrescue.org/Grace.html

Download the application and submit it to the California contact, 

Sherilyn Curti

E-mail: Curticardi@bak.rr.com