Monday, July 6, 2009

Plum Tuckered

I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July! Mine was fantastic. We had some friends over for the greatest feast of all time a BBQ. We don't host many get-togethers at our house because of various reasons, mostly involving laziness busyness and my neuroses about cooking for other people and hosting in general, so Theo doesn't often have people play-dates. Oh boy, does that dog love having strange new people in the house to play fetch with him. Theo painted them all as suckers within minutes and their arrival, and between my four friends that were over, I think Theo managed to spend only a few minutes of the entire evening not running after a thrown toy.

I could tell he was at the point of poop-xaustion when, as soon as the front door was closed behind my departing friends, Theo literally collapsed where he was standing. One minute he was booty-wiggling them goodbye, and the next he was flat-backed on the floor, conked out. Husband and I enjoyed closing the evening with a good chuckle.

Then yesterday, Husband and I were feeling the aftermath of eating our weight in food the day before (not to mention the second round of pigging out that happened that day as well), so we decided to take a long waddle walk around the surrounding neighborhoods. That's right, we actually ventured out of the complex. It's something we tried for the first time last week and it was marvelous! Theo had a blast marking all new spots. I don't know how far we walked, or how long we walked (since I forgot to check the time when we left), but it felt like about 4 or 5 miles. Even though we stopped frequently for water and pee breaks (Husband and I, obviously, only partook in the water breaks), Theo was so pooped, he did the collapsing on spot thing again as soon as we stopped to open the front gate to our yard. He plopped right down, and when I told him to go in the house after Husband had opened the front door, he gave me the dirtiest "you want me to move?" look he's ever given me. Hehe. He even stayed lying down while I gave him his after-walk treats (he usually likes to lessen the time it takes to get a treat into his mouth by meeting me halfway). What a drama queen!

Looks like I did a pretty good job of tuckering him out this weekend, eh?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

We Were On A Break!

I've been meaning to post about this for a few weeks now, but I wasn't truly decided until yesterday. Theo and I are taking a break from agility class. Theo, of course, will not approve. But I need one. I was beginning to dread Wednesday nights, and the whole point of the classes was to be a night of fun for both of us. Well they're not for me lately, so on a break is where we are.

On class nights, my evening goes something like this. I pick up Theo at doggy daycare, then walk him around for 30 minutes because there's a half hour gap between when doggy daycare closes and when class starts. I'm ok with this because Theo has so much energy, he could use the walk. I usually get lots of strange looks from the people who live in the neighborhood I walk in because they're private streets, and no one recognizes me. One day I was sitting down on the curb feeding Theo his dinner (since there's not time to go home first, I bring a bag of kibble) and some guy driving by actually stopped and asked if I needed help with something. Either I looked like I was in distress, or I looked like I was up to no good. Don't know which. ;p When it's time for class, I take Theo to get a drink of water, then take him around as many obstacles as we can get to for a warm up. Really, I'm just trying to get rid of more puppy energy.

When class starts, that's when Theo's barking begins. I have to hold his leash tight because the sneaky devil will lunge forward at any moment when he decides he just has to be there on the course, showing them all how it's done. If I give him a constant stream of treats for an hour, he will be quiet, but since I won't give him that many treats, I have to endure a lot of very loud barking. It's ear-splitting, really. Sometimes I try and pick him up to make him stay quiet. Lately, he's start clawing at my neck like a cat when I do this. He stops barking, but starts whining, sounding like a piglet getting Chinese water torture. Usually people start looking at me funny, wondering what the heck I'm doing to him. It's embarrassing. Sometimes I just let him bark, and my trainer comments (and by comments, I mean she not-so-subtly tells me to shut my dog up).

When it's finally Theo's turn to run a course, I let him off leash. Usually he dashes to the course with enthusiasm, and runs over any obstacle he can find. After a good minute of calling him to our starting point, he finally mossies over. It takes another minute at least to get him to actually sit down (asking him to sit usually results in him backing up 3 feet with lots of barking in between), and another minute to get to my starting spot while getting him to stay seated. Oh, by the way, usually the other people have completed running the entire course in this amount of time. When I'm in the right spot, I tell him to go over the first obstacle. Sometimes he decides to just go around the obstacle, the little bastard. When that happens, we have to spend another 3 minutes getting back into position. When he misses his contacts, I make him go back and do it again. Usually after 3 or 4 tries, I just pretend he hit them. He's so fast, that he's usually gone 3 obstacles ahead while I'm still telling him to go over the first one. He's great at keeping an eye on me, but he doesn't do so well with the listening.

Did I mention the barking? He barks the whole time he runs a course. It's because he's excited. He wants to let everyone know how awesome and excited he is. Too bad he's usually too busy barking to listen to me. Our exchange usually goes something like this: Me, pointing to jump, "Theo, jump!" Theo, standing in front of jump, looking at me, "bark! bark! bark!" Me, pointing to the jump, "Theo, JUMP!" Theo, after he's gone around the jump, then jumped over it backwards, "bark! bark! bark!" If it weren't so frustrating, it would be, without a doubt, absolutely hilarious. Usually while there's steam coming out of my ears, the entire class is in stitches. It almost seems like an old-style comedy routine.

I could live with the humiliation except apparently Theo is a little too excitable. My trainer told me the last class of the last session that Theo was launching himself into the A-frame too hard, and she was afraid he was going to hurt his shoulders. He's such a boy! She actually suggested we go back to beginning agility to work on his contacts. Beginning agility! After 3 classes of advanced! Heck no! Beginning agility was boring even when we were beginners! I'm sure we could have worked something else out, but I was down-right insulted at the suggestion.

I was so frustrated after that class that I was ready to give up agility all together. But then I remembered how much Theo loves it. He's only that big of a pain because he has so much fun, he just can't contain himself. He is a Corgi after all. They do all things all out, right? And then the woman who runs the doggy daycare (who also helps teach the agility class) told me very emphatically that Theo is an agility prodigy. He is really good at it and he loves it. He has no fear on any of the obstacles, and he's faster than the wind. If he could just focus (I took this to mean if he had a better handler), he could be really great. How could I cut him off after that? I can't. And I won't.

But that said, I do still need a break. In another 7-8 weeks, another class will start up. I think I've convinced Husband to start coming with me to class. I'm hoping he'll give handling a try. Husband has 10 times my patience, and he's wicked smart, so I'm convinced he could be a really good handler for Theo. And if not, maybe he can at least help me with keeping Theo quiet!

The woman who runs the doggy daycare also suggested I put agility equipment in the backyard for Theo to play around on. Her reasoning was that he'll be less psychotic in class if he can play on similar equipment at home. Two problems with that: first, money does not grow out of my bum, and second, my backyard is made of concrete. Otherwise, it's a great idea. Anyone want to buy me agility equipment? Ho-hum.

Corgi Stuff Giveaway

No sorry, it's not I who is giving Corgi paraphernalia away. For that kind of awesomeness you'll have to check out Gibson's blog, Corgi Butts. In honor of turning one year old, Kelly is giving away credits for her store. How cool! I haven't gotten anything Corgi-related since my dad sent me a "Corgis for Obama" magnet. I wouldn't mind a "Corgi Agility" tshirt, or an "I love Corgi butts: license plate frame. Wish me luck! I never win these things.

Monday, June 15, 2009

You'd Never Catch A Corgi With This

I know I haven't blogged for a month (edit: make that a month and a half! Oh my! Did I mention I'm totally important at work lately and have a million people annoying me with a million things all day? I do...). I've already been properly chastised by my mother. You can blame my laptop-hogging husband. But never mind that! Have you seen this? Um, probably not, since it's not a Corgi blog. But you must go to that link and see this hound dog sleep its way through food morsels! It's hilarious! I had to share the cuteness immediately.

Would that actually work with any of your Corgis (or other dogs, I don't discriminate)? I know for Theo it never would. He doesn't sleep that soundly, ever. If I walk near him when he's sleeping, he wakes up. If I take a picture of him while he's sleeping, he wakes up. If I'm rummaging through the fridge to get food to even try this trick while he's sleeping, he wakes up and comes running. But man, it would be funny if I could try this on him.




In other Theo news, we went to the local dog park yesterday for a mini meetup with a few Corgi owners in the area. It was sunny, but by no means scorching. This was by far the most hilarious meetup I've been to. They finally added additional benches to the park (previously, there was one per pen, right by the entrance), so we all huddled at the far end of the pen around a bench in the shade. All the Corgis (about 8 of them), cuddled right up to us people-folk, and didn't do much besides chase off any non-Corgis looking for trouble. Seriously. Other people were commenting about the Corgi-club in the back that wasn't allowing non-Corgis to join. It was pretty funny. There was one Beagle who kept trying to come and say hello, and every time there were 2 or 3 Corgis that would chase him away. Theo, of course, didn't have anything to do with such anti-social behavior. He was too busy being glued to me (giving me dirty looks when I was giving love to the other Corgis), or glued to the girl who snuck in treats (he loooooves her...can't understand why...). About an hour in I looked over and Theo was curled up beside me on the bench in the shade about 2 seconds from falling asleep! My dog fell asleep at the dog park! What a dork!

It was definitely the most sedate group of Corgis I've ever seen. It was nice and peaceful. Not exactly the point of taking your dog to the dog park, but oh well. It was a nice afternoon in the sun, surrounded by dogs. I can't complain. Of course, as I predicted, once we got home, Theo was a bundle of fetching energy. Oiy.

There's one thing I just don't understand about Theo. He goes head over heels when we arrive at the dog park. He cries and whines with excitement when we pull into the parking lot. He shoots into my lap the minute I put the car in park. We pulls me the whole way until we get to the pen. And then once we're in...plop. He just chills. After about 90 minutes yesterday I asked Theo "are you ready to go home?" He popped up, eyes alight with excitement, and started barking. Everyone agreed it was definitely a "yes". He even got indignant with me when I stopped to talk to a person while we were leaving. Why does he get so excited to come and then want nothing but to go home? I'll never understand, but in the mean time, he's darn cute!

(By the way, mom. I know you like regular updates on your grand-puppy, but I also have another blog I update weekly. I know it's not exactly your thing, but I talk about you sometimes on that one too.)

Friday, May 1, 2009

Baby Love

Ivy's baby-centric blog reminded me about this baby I've been meaning to blog about!  No, this is not an "I'm pregnant!" announcement (seriously, everyone is pregnant right now, right?).  There's a couple in my agility class who have the most adorable baby they bring with them to class every week.  I bad at guessing baby ages, but she's just starting to talk (as in, mumble unintelligible words) and she can't walk yet, if that helps.  This little girl loves Theo.  Seriously, she cannot get enough of him.  Out of the 10 or so dogs in class, including her own two dogs, she only has eyes for Theo.  She likes to yell "Doggie!" and reach her arms out to Theo with a big fat smile on her face. It's the most precious thing ever.  

Of course, Theo loves babies right back.  If he sees a stroller while we're out walking, he will do nothing but stare until the kid inside is out of site.  Even when he was a nippy little puppy, he was always so gentle with kids.  He's not usually satisfied until their faces are properly covered with a coating of his protective doggy slobber, including meeting after meeting with the baby in my agility class.   Her mother will always set her down to say hello to Theo, and Theo always proceeds to cover her with kisses.  I always expect her to start freaking out and crying because the big furry beast is trying to eat her, but this kid has no fear!  She always just laughs and smiles and tries to turn her head away (the way most dog lovers tend to react to kisses).  A dog person this kid will certainly be.

How are your Corgis with kids?  I'm curious what Theo's reaction will be when we start having our own kids.  Will it be a wonderful joy, or just another intruder?  Hehe.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

On My List Of Favorites

Last Sunday was a lazy day, even for Theo, my usual early riser.  It was the first day in I don't know how long that I turned off my alarm and let myself sleep as late as Theo let me.  To my surprise, it was until past 8:00am!  It felt soooo nice.  Theo needed the extra sleep time too, I think.  He had been very lethargic in the mornings the last few weeks.  Not in a "OMG, what's wrong with him!?" way, but in a "we've been uber-busy!" way.  The sleep obviously did him good because he was crazy energetic when he emerged from his crate Sunday morning.  It was hilarious!

The first thing he went for was my head.  Of course, he couldn't reach it, so I obliged him by laying down on the floor. Then the barrage began!  He did the putting his chin on my shoulder thing (which I love love love because it is sort of, kind of, not really snugly behavior!), he tried to pull my hair tie out, he nipped my ears (in the completely gentle, playful way), and of course, there was oodles of adorable play-growling.  I was eating it up!  We didn't end up going on our run until almost 9am because I didn't know how to end the play session.  It was so much fun! You know what really drives him crazy?  Blowing on his face when he's trying to own me.  Gets him riled up every time.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Arriving In Style

Has anyone heard of PetAirways?  Apparently they are a pet-only airline, where your pet rides in the main cabin of the plane, rather than the cargo area.  It's definitely an interesting concept, but I wonder what the main differences between the main cabin and the cargo area would be on a plane that is just for pets.  Obviously the cabin is not going to be equiped with reclining seats and a convenient reading light for Theo's leisure.  But temperature sound control would be a definite plus.

Would I do it?  Probably not.  But I think it's a really neat idea, and a decidedly better option that cargo shipping your pup.  Plus, I think it's neat that you can track your puppy's progress.

Flights start in July.  Would anybody consider PetAirways for their pet traveling needs?

Monday, April 20, 2009

Only 8

I've been tagged with the following blog game by Infrared Goggles.  Here it goes!

8 Things I am Looking Forward to

1…..Being an aunt!
2…..Watching Theo grow up.
3…..Getting in shape (it's a wip at the moment).
4…..Retirement.
5…..Seeing Wicked this summer.
6…..More hikes with Theo and Husband.
7…..The dog beach!
8…..Getting old.


8 Things I Did Yesterday
1…..Went and had high tea with friends.  Yum! 
2…..Jogged with Theo in the morning.
3…..Ate a huge dinner that wasn't even that great. *sigh*
4…..Attempted to walk off said huge dinner, but Theo couldn't keep up, so I had to slow down.
5…..Vegged on the couch and watched a movie.
6…..Read a couple chapters of East of Eden and wrote down a passage I really liked in Chapter 7.
7…..Slept in until 8am!  That's a rarity for me.
8…..Played lots of fetch with Theo (yes, I really am a terribly uninteresting person, I know).


8 Things I Wish I Could do
1…..Sing.
2…..Write.
3…..Shrink (vertically as well as horizontally).
4.....Win the lottery.
5.....Move to Oregon.
6…..Have a house with enough land for lots of animals.
7…..Function normally with only a few hours of sleep each night.
8…..Give world peace.


8 Shows I Enjoy (DVR)
1…..Lost
2…..My Boys
3…..Battlestar Galactica (*sniff*)
4…..Survivor
5…..Good Eats
6…..Family Guy
7.....Damages
8…..Top Chef


8 Fur People I tag
1…..Lindsey at Frankenstein
2…..Kelly at Corgi Butts
3…..Lynn at Craft Stew
4…..Ivy at The Senakams + 1 (twice tagged!)
5…..Jenna at Corgi Pants (twice tagged!)
6…..Betty at...Oh snap!  Where did her blog go?
7…..Philip the Corgi
8…..Manda Girl at A day in the life of our pugs

You Left Me!

A bit delayed, but how was everyone's Easter/Passover?  Husband and I went to Reno for the weekend.  Since we were only there two days, we decided to forgo the 20 hours of driving and just fly, meaning we had to board Theo.  It ended up being 4 days of boarding for him because we dropped him off Friday morning (for doggy daycare and boarding in the evening), and weren't able to pick him up until Monday because they were closed for Easter (but yes, still taking care of the animals).  And since we were working Monday, we just did the usual doggy daycare and picking him up after work.  

When I finally got him back Monday evening, he was pretty pissed at me.  He had a "you left me!" look on his face the whole way home.  He didn't want to be touched, he didn't want to even be around me.  He pretty much just curled up and went to sleep in another room after we got home.  Husband had to go out of town for work Monday morning, so it was just the two of us.  Thankfully, he got over it by morning.  He was his usual peppy self, and when Husband came home Tuesday night, he was happy again.  Pehw!  Ok, maybe boarding isn't as painless as we thought.  Heh.





We had some friends over for dinner on Saturday night.  Theo was in heaven.  Not one, but three people willing to play fetch with him!  Oh my goodness!  My friend Mouth was there, and he is Theo's shining star.  He just adores him.  During dinner I found out why.  Mouth kept feeding him!  No wonder!  Hehe.  Stop trying to buy my puppy's love!  It totally works, you know.  





Summer is officially here.  It seems we're skipping straight past Spring this year.  That means it's already too hot to go outside in the middle of the day.  It was in the 90s yesterday!  I'm a little bummed because I don't think we got out enough while the weather was good.  Hopefully we'll get a couple more weekends of cool days before Summer totally sets in. *fingers crossed*

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Something In The Air

Rex is long gone (since last Friday), and Theo couldn't be happier.  He was Mr. Grumpy Pants pretty much 24/7 while Rex was here, and when he left, Theo was so relieved.  Hehe.  I guess we'll be keeping him an only puppy for a while.  I couldn't really blame him when Rex took to stealing whatever toy Theo was playing with and laying his body over it so Theo couldn't get to it.  What an instigator!  

I, on the other hand, was sad to see Rex go.  I liked having a dog who was cuddly, who would nudge my hand when I stopped petting him, who would roll over for belly rubs.  He was a total sweetheart.  But I do acknowledge that his rock-hard nails did cause quite a few gauges in our new hardwood floors.  And running a mile with him just didn't wear Rex out like it does with Theo.  But that's ok.  He's a good dog and Husband's parents are lucky to have him.

I think our runs together (Theo, Rex, and I) summed up these two nicely.  Theo would run at full speed, going as fast as the collar choking him around his neck would let him.  Whenever Rex would come up to close behind him, Theo would turn his head and growl at him as if to say "I'm in the front here mister, get in line!"  Rex would very diplomatically run right behind Theo and at my side.  When I stopped to pick up poop or had to slow to a walk for a short break, Rex would slow and match my pace.  Theo, as usually, would still try to run.  What a goof!





As I said, everything is back to normal.  Theo had his agility class last night.  As my trainer said, there was definitely something in the air last night.  All the dogs were just crazy hyper and all seemed to have selective hearing.  Even the trainer's dog (she always uses one of her dogs to run the course first so we can see what she means when she tells us the order) kept running off to do his own thing.  And I'd never seen a Greyhound really let loose and run before!  Man she was fast!  And Theo, of course, was pretty much how he is every week, only this week the other dogs matched his 'tude.  

Theo seems to have decided that I am not a necessary part of the agility class.  Last night after the trainer had her dog run a course, it was Theo's turn.  As soon as I let him off leash he started running it!  Who needs a human to tell a dog what to do when said dog can just watch and do by example?  Makes sense to me.  




We'll be boarding Theo for the weekend while we're in Reno for Seder.  We decided not to spend 20 hours in the car for just a couple days visit.  My mom sounded relieved since Theo's last visit resulted in a carpet cleaning.   I guess she should be grateful Theo is better behaved (and by that I mean crate trained and with softer nails, of course).  Carpet cleaning is better than carpet replacement.  Heh.  Anyway, he'll be staying at the place we take him for doggy daycare, so I know he'll be fine.  It's going to be so strange to be without a dog for 3 days!  I keep thinking to myself things like, "Oh, I have to remember to bring food for Theo when we go up to Reno...oh that's right, he's not coming with us."  It's weird! 

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

...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 I think it could have easily been avoided with a bit of sensible pondering.

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.  Of course, I didn't know 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).  Of course, had I know that, I would have suggested that they keep Rex in the loft as well.  We could have rigged something to keep the dogs separated if that's what they were worried about (though I think they would have been fine together).  The loft is open.  Rather than being locked in a room, Rex would have felt merely confined.  However, Husband's parents decided not to confide this valuable information in us before we left, and I assume they were simply hoping for the best.

Their hopes were not realized.  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.  Husband's dad then attempted to punish Rex by telling him what a bad dog he was in a harsh tone.  Thankfully Husband stepped in and told his dad that reprimanding him after the fact wasn't going to do anything, and he would be better to just leave him alone.  And I was glad he said something because, really, this wasn't Rex's fault.  I'm not really mad either way because I know it was an accident and it's not like he did anything that isn't fixable, but if anyone is to blame, it's Husband's parents.  They should have known better.

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.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

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.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

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.

Friday, February 27, 2009

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.   

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

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?

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

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!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

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!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

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!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!


Happy Holidays everyone!

Love,
JuLo, Husband, and Theo the reindeer

Friday, December 19, 2008

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!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

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.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

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!  

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

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! 

Monday, December 15, 2008

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.  

Thursday, December 11, 2008

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.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

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?

Monday, December 8, 2008

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. 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.  
  5. 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.
  6. 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!
  7. 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!
  8. 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.