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!

CastAway Update - Wilson and the Fall Colors!

Time to assess the progress 

our CastAway Rescues have made! 

1. Kelly - This nice fellow has gone to his new home in New Mexico and prospers there with his new human mom and canine sister.

2. Charlie - Our Wild and Crazy guy is calming nicely. Still the most enthusiastic and adventuresome, this guy will need an owner who has had experience with a busy, strong-minded corgi. Make no mistake, Charlie is a real sweetheart, but is like a teen needing "tough love" at this stage in his development.

3. Nolan - Proving to be the shyest or the four, Nolan continues to make great progress in his socialization efforts. And there is a Big Surprise in Nolan's future! Stay tuned to learn more about it in the next few days!

4. Wilson - Our handsome little tri-colored boy has also proven to be a bit on the shy side. Getting used to all of the new people, places and things in the world outside of a puppy mill environment is more of a challenge for him. He will take a little longer than Charlie or Kelly to acclimate to the Big World. Wilson will need a home with someone who has had a history of working with a shy dog.  He's a very sweet fellow and is slowly blossoming in his foster home.

Below: Wilson gets a chance to explore the gorgeous acreage of his foster home (with his German Shepherd companion for moral support). These photos were taken early in October.

What's this? A bucket...what does it do?

Heading out for a big adventure!

Hmmm...sure smells good here!

Can you say Corgi in Heaven?

And more Heaven!!!

This is my favorite: Looks more like a painting and makes me want to be there!

Thanks for hanging out with me!

Wow!  This is really cool.  Can we go around again?