Herding Trials for some of the CastAway Boyz!!

Accompanied by their Pembroke Pal, Miss Ghillie, and their foster mom, K.D., CastAways, Nolan, Wilson and Charlie all had a taste of what it is to do the job for which you were bred - herding! 

Time to meet the sheep, kindly made available by their owner, JoAnna, and Steve, their trainer, who graciously provided herding instinct testing for our Rescues. - Thanks Joanna and Steve!

What's your guess? Who had the herding genes in the group? Check out the photos below and see!

Getting one-on-one attention is never a bad thing for a Corgi.  Steve shares some herding advice before the sheep enter the scene. Dog and shepherd must be in synch for this to work well!

Foster mom, K.D. shows Nolan and Wilson how it's done.

Whoa...Nolan is a natural!

Perfect Nolan, round 'em up!

Hey, wait a minute!

Nolan takes a moment to inspect the perimeter 

and savor the beautiful day.

Meanwhile, Wilson has work to do, with the help of Steve's corgi, Sammo.

OK Wilson...these are the sheep, it's up to you now!

You've got it Wilson, that's the way to get those sheep in line.

Thanks Sammo...and you're a great teacher!

Good job Wilson!

Run Wilson, run!

Watch carefully Wilson!

Go get 'em Sammo!

Someone looks like a tired Corgi.  Showing your new buddy what it takes to be a real herding dog takes its own kind of energy!

Oh, and for the record...no photos of Charlie wasn't a coincidence. He and Ghillie are like-minded on this one, showing no real interest in the sheep. Much more fun to play with the humans! 

And thanks again to Steve for giving us an absolutely gorgeous November morning, complete with show dusting in the air, and the opportunity to see which of the Boys possesses natural herding talent!

It's a very Happy Halloween for Nolan!

By far the most under-socialized (shy) of our recent CastAway/Puppy Mill rescues, Nolan gained a lot of confidence by having a Role Model. Here pretty tri-color, Ghillie, (also a formerly-shy rescue girl) shows him that meeting new people can be a lot of fun!

Nolan's confidence has also been boosted by the bond he's formed with his foster mom, K.D., and the excellent care she's given him. After a nice bath Nolan shows off his beautiful coat. This was his first time on a grooming table...a big accomplishment and a true statement of the trust he's built in K.D.

Here's something we never thought we'd see so soon! Nolan showed enough confidence to go to a Halloween Costume Party, accompanied by K.D. and his best canine friend, Ghillie. Commando Nolan made an appearance and was a great hit among the Therapy Dog Group's party attendees. He didn't even mind wearing the goggles...go figure!

And here's Ghillie in her costume. You'd never know from that smile that this little dog was too frightened even to approach a person when she first entered rescue! Today she's a social butterfly, thanks in large part to the patient work K.D. has done with her over the years! We never thought a "shy dog" could accomplish so much. They never cease to amaze and inspire us!

As if there was any question, as to who is Top Dog at this party?

To complete the picture, of course K.D. had to dress to match Nolan and Ghillie. Think Nolan is having a good time? Who has the bigger smile?

If you haven't figured it out by this time, Nolan has been welcomed as a permanent resident into K.D.'s home. The connection between this dog and his foster mom has been incredible from the start. We can't force a bond like this. It is a special gift when it happens.

Recently K.D. said, "I look at Nolan and he just makes me smile! I can't imagine him living anywhere else!"

And neither can we!

Congratulations Nolan - you couldn't have found a better home and we couldn't be happier for you!

Big Hugs, and Happy Halloween, from ForPaws Corgi Rescue!

A Better Time for Nolan

Nolan's first venture into the big world of social situations verified our observations regarding his status as the "shyest" of the four. He was clearly uncomfortable and not yet interested in meeting strangers. He wasn't nearly as happy to be the center of attention as say....Charlie!

So we thought we'd give Nolan a little morale boost by letting him run around a bit with his new little friend, Ghillie. Typically the presence of another non-threatening corgi does wonders for a dog like Nolan. And sure enough, Ghillie really brought him out of his shell. 

Things started out in a low key fashion with a little relaxation 

next to a gorgeous bed of summer flowers.

But Ghillie was ready to explore, 

so Nolan decided to follow along.

OK, fine...you're not the only corgi who can run fast 

on those short little legs!

Whew! You've had a little more practice with the fast running 

than I have.  Let's stop & catch a breath.

There's always good stuff to sniff here Nolan - check it out!

Wow...my first kiss....it's really nice - can we do it again?