It's not just about the dog itself, but the relationship you have with it!

ForPaws Helps Corgis and Corgi Mixes


Dedicated to Bart, who had the Most Beautiful Tail

"It's very simple. Dogs and cats and other talented animals have tails; their tails, with their thousands of flourishes, provide them with a wonderfully complex language of arabesques, not only for what they think and feel and suffer, but for every mood and vibration in their feeling tone. We have no tails, and since the more lively among us need some form of expression, we make ourselves paintbrushes and pianos and violins..."

Hermann Hesse


Saturday, February 21, 2009

New Home for the Blog?

In my frustration with the Blogger editing tools, I imported my blog into Wordpress.com. I find that the posting editor is definitely superior, but I am much more limited cosmetically and find it frustrating that I am not able to personalize my site as much as I'd like, without being an HTML guru...which I am unfortunately not.

So...what to do! Have to ponder it a bit.

Here's the preliminary 4 The Dogz layout in Wordpress for anyone interested.


Thursday, February 19, 2009

A Bigger, "Redder" Bug!


At 17.5 weeks, we have a bigger "Bug" with much darker cream (red) coloring.  When I picked him up this morning, I could tell he was heavier. Sure enough, he's now up to 16 pounds! That's twice what he weighed when we brought him home on December 29.

As of this week he now looks much more distinctly like a creamy-carmel colored dog, with white markings, instead of just a light-colored dog that was kind of a mottled pale cream. 

I took these outside at +1 stop to try to get a more true rendition of his color. Being a very light colored dog, he tends to wash out, as the camera compares him to the background and compensates when in automatic mode.  So although the grass looks dark in some of these, they are a much truer rendition of Sage. 

The poses are nothing special - just to show color. It is hard to get Sage to stand/sit still long enough to get a photo, let alone a good pose.  And yes, the leash was in perfect condition when Sage first came home. During leash bonding/housetraining he chewed it apart a couple times and Moe mended it - using white carpet thread (attractive, eh?)






I think he has a beautiful face - He's got a small cream circle around the right eye. It has become more prominent recently.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Sage - 17 Weeks/The Age of Mechanical Reasoning!


During his 15th and 16th week Sage's exploration seemed to concentrate more on textiles. For example, he discovered that dishtowels come easily off of low towel bars and that he can take them into the living room in a flash, before anyone notices. 

This week, he's starting to lean more toward mechanical reasoning. The latest item of special interest is the door stop. Wow...there's one on the back of every door - strike it rich!

Last night he was in my office with me. While I was attempting to concentrate, he was examining the doorstop. Here's the process.
First stage:  This thing sticking out is really interesting. Why else would it be down here if I wasn't supposed to play with it? I'll just lounge here by the door and act like nothing is happening till she looks away!

Second stage: Look, this thing wiggles.  And it has this cool little plastic piece on the end. I know I can get that off . It's the same as the one downstairs that I took off earlier today.

Stage three: If I use my paw I can make it wiggle and I can make a lot of boingy noise - how cool is that!

Oh hi! What am I doing...nothing! But if you turn your back, I can make lots of boingy noises with this! Wanna see?


Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Sage - 16 Weeks


Sage has changed a lot in the past week or so. The cream color in his coat is much darker now. His muzzle is really starting to develop, and his ears are so BIG! Oh, I guess that part isn't new!

He's been on his new raw diet for about three weeks and is prospering as a result of the food change. His coat is nicer and he now weighs 15 pounds, which puts him right up there with Elbee, our tiny Pembroke. He is also even more energetic, which keeps Denali on her toes!

His temperament and personality just get better and better. This is one happy, sweet, playful puppy!















Saturday, February 14, 2009

Valentine Bugs!


Happy Valentines

As a reminder of the new Little Bug in our midst, these earrings came from my sweetie on Valentines Day!

They're really cool because they're so nicely done. They're about 3/8" long, with a nice rich red color and marcasite insets. Not something that screams, "I'm wearing bugs in my ears." Much more subtle! Very cool! Thanks Huny!

Friday, February 13, 2009

A "Twofer" on Friday the 13th - Lucky Day for Dogs


Today was a very Lucky Day for two nice tri-colored boys with 
ForPaws Corgi Rescue.
Coincidentally, both boys will now live in California, 
after starting out in Kansas and Minnesota.

Not only did Doodles get a great home in California, but his new owner actually flew to Kansas to get him! Something tells me this little guy is going to be loved in the way every dog dreams he might be!

This was the day that our fourth, and final puppy mill CastAway, "Wilson," set sail for his new home in California.  Arriving safely by air transport, he offered his new parents kisses as a pre-Valentine present!

Sigh...both dogs knew that this was a big day.  And both were ready and excited to meet their new family members. For our two foster moms, it was a day to shed a little tear as two special boys take a very big step. While we want them to find loving homes, and to prosper in them, they always leave a little piece of themselves in our hearts!

Live long, happy and healthy lives in your new homes boys!  You go with our love on this Valentine's Eve!

More Puppy


Sage with his Best Friend, Denali. She's really stepped up and taken her responsibility as Role Model seriously - well as seriously as a 5-year-old "puppy" can. They play non-stop and he's never far from her side. He's learned a lot and is showing signs of being quite bright - a good foil for 'Nali!

At almost 16 weeks, his cream color continues to darken.

Grass is for licking...and finding bugs!

Dead bug found...gotta give it a good roll!

A really good roll!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

What does a New Puppy Mean to You?


Less you be tempted to think heavy drug use...nope, just an Energizer Puppy!

This morning I let Denali play with her new puppy, Sage, for a LONG time. The puppy never did "run down." After 2.5 hours I had to crate him, just to give this girl a break! Sage adores his new big sister, and just can't get enough play time. Currently she looks like this and he's upside down, snoring in his crate!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Feeding Raw - Venturing into a New Territory


Well, this week I broke down and started attempting to feed my three dogs a raw diet. I was driven to it because Sage just hasn't done well on kibble since I brought him home. As well, one of my other dogs, Elbee, had not been doing well on her kibble diet for awhile.

After my clumsy attempts over just a couple of days, both dogs showed dramatic improvement. Elbee is an extremely small Pembroke Welsh Corgi, with a very large appetite! Needless to say, she is nothing less than Thrilled with her new diet of fresh chicken meat, bones, veggies, and a small amount of cottage cheese!

Formerly I fed my senior dog, Bart, fresh cooked meat and veggies, combined with some kibble, so this part of the transition isn't too much of a leap. But feeding bones has proven to be my area of real paranoia - and frustration! 

I've been attempting to feed chicken wings, which are evidently too small. None of my three dogs understands how to hold a bone and they attempt to swallow a wing bone whole - which is way too scary for me!

Getting larger bones, like chicken necks and backs is something you have to do through a poultry wholesaler. The average market doesn't carry these items. And even so, I just read in one article where these bones were high among those who complained that their dogs tended to break teeth eating them...and that dogs still made attempts to swallow necks whole...what to do?

So for right now, I am kind of stuck with a bunch of wings! This means that I have to sit and hold the bones for each of the dogs to eat - a very time-consuming process...and likely to be a deal breaker on the raw feeding thing.

As well, there is a lot of stuff written about raw feeding. It is rather overwhelming. I have big concerns regarding whether the dogs are going to get enough of the requisite vitamins and minerals on this diet - especially for a young puppy. (Note: puppy wants to play with the bones, not eat them. And he has no clue as to how to remove meat from the, so I have to de-bone the meat first. It is becoming very challenging to get enough bone in his diet at this point. I know he'll grow out of it, but for now...) At the same time, I am not into the idea of purchasing 6 different supplements to be added each time I feed, as a couple of the websites I visited recommend.  

I also found a "prey-model" website that says there is no need to feed veggies, as a wolf in the wild doesn't eat stomach contents and would never get veggies.  Not sure I agree with this, since we're not talking about wolves here, but...honestly I wonder if anyone REALLY knows what is best as far as the variety and types of foods to feed, after reading some of the articles out there. 

I only know that when I started feeding Bart meat and veggies, due to bladder stones, he seemed a lot healthier on that diet and he liked the food more. So I am thinking that the addition of the veggies and fruits on occasion is a good thing. It is clear that Sage really likes the addition of a little cottage cheese. The other day I gave him just meat and veggies, without any dairy and he looked at it, then at me quizically. It was obvious that something important was missing!

And so, I open this up for suggestions and advice from those with tried and true experience over years of raw feeding - both adults and puppies! I am feeding a 5-year-old Cardigan, an 11-year-old Pembroke, and a 15-week-old Cardi puppy.

My primary questions: 

1. What bones to feed? How small must bone pieces be in order for me to be comfortable with the dogs swallowing them and not risking blockages? I've been pulverizing the larger wing bones into very small bits for the puppy, and for Elbee. Elbee's mouth is actually smaller than the puppy's. She is an extremely petite girl, weighing only 15lbs, with a very small bone structure. They are able to gnaw the smaller wing bones, with me holding one end.

2. Supplements? Which ones and how do you know your dog is getting all of the vitamins and minerals it needs?

Sign me...the Raw Food Newbie!

P.S. Carolyn and Heidi do not have to reply, as they've already offered so much helpful advice - thank you! At this point, I am collecting any/all information so I can sift through and figure out what works best for us. Thanks to all!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Puppy Gallumping


At 15 weeks, Sage's gallumping is slightly more coordinated. 

From day one Moe has said, "He walks like a bug." Hence, the birth of his first nickname...Little Bug!

To see The Bug in action, visit these links:


Sage - 15 weeks & 14 pounds







Sunday, February 1, 2009

OMG...Someone Actually Recognized a CWC Fluff Coat!

Is that a Fluffy?


Those of you who own Cardigan Welsh Corgis, admittedly a relatively rare breed in the U.S., have gotten pretty used to people asking things like, "Is that a Border Collie/Bassett Hound mix?" 

Or, one of my personal favorites: A gentleman saw me out walking Kenai years ago and said, "Oh, that's one of those Dandie Dinmonts, right?"

Sigh...yep Kenai was a Dandy, but certainly no Dinmont!

But today an amazing thing happened. I took Denali up to San Francisco for an obedience workshop...where she did horribly at an indoor venue that had been host to a HUGE dog show a week ago. The ground still smelled like a million other dogs. She was SO distracted that she couldn't concentrate on heeling to save her life...and she actually stood up from a long down just to sniff....which she has NEVER done...ever!  So, OK, it was all about the experience of being indoors for the first time...chalk it up!

But, as we were waiting to go into the ring for sits and downs a woman holding a yellow lab kept looking at Denali. I was ready for the Border Collie mix question, when she said, "I've just got to ask, is that a Cardigan Welsh Corgi Fluff Coat?" 

Well, blow me away...I was completely amazed. NO one has EVER gotten the fact that Denali is a fluffy before! I replied that she'd just won the prize for the first person ever to know that. I started telling her about Denali's Glamour Coat when I realized that the other people waiting to go into the ring, as well as the ring stewards and judges, were ALL listening to me. Most of them had never seen a CWC before, and none realized that there was such a thing as a Fluffy. The ring steward had actually started to put "Pembroke" down when we were signing up and I had to correct her.

So...today Denali was a star, but in a different way than I'd hoped. Even when the yellow lab was overly friendly and in her face, she was a Good Girl. So, this wasn't a day for heeling, but it was Denali's day to show everyone what a Beautifooool Cardi, with a gorgeous coat and tail, and nice ringside manners looks like! There will be other days for heeling.

Denali - after a bath, looking her fluffiest!

I've always loved her "polka dot" on her collar!