Lean, Mean, Eating Machine

I started Frodo on a big-boy diet. No more frozen raw cubes--he got real chicken that was well-pulverized. I gave him two wings and a neck, plus a few bits of liver. I turned around and I swear it was no more than 15 seconds and his bowl was empty! He sat expectantly (he has to sit before I will give him food) and in the spirit of Oliver Twist pled, "More, please". Meanwhile, Phoenix, who would prefer her food in a neater format, worked on a half of a back for 10 minutes.

I bought whole fryers on sale and they work out well for the three dogs: Wallace and Phoenix share the back and Frodo gets the wings and neck. Dave and I need to up our chicken consumption since we can't eat two breasts and two thighs in one setting. I also trim the bones off the breasts for future dog consumption.

The Crown Prince Returns

Well, Frodo's ears stayed up for about an hour and he is now back to his "Flying Nun" look. I taped him up again tonight, then he immediately started working on abdicating his throne. I used my camera on my laptop to snap these pictures. As you can tell, he was wiggly, but it was as fun as stepping into a real photo booth and snapping candid pictures.

Do Your Ears Hang High?

Well the tape is off, and on good moments Frodo's ears are up, though I find myself humming "Do Your Ears Hang Low" as they wobble to and fro. His ears really aren't that big in real life, it's the camera angle. Honestly.

Frodo's ears finally got taped and we immediately dubbed him "Prince Caspian", though his expression was more like "Why do I always have to play the fool in this pack?" It's not a very good crown, but I will take it off tomorrow and see if it worked. Phoenix thinks it is a cool "puppy handle".

Phoenix and Frodo Go to School

Phoenix went to her first obedience  class this week. I got her titered (she passed!) and bought yummy treats and tempting toys. A great toy is to take a tennis ball and cut a 2" slit in it. Fill it with treats and throw it. When she brings it back, I squeeze out a treat for her. Boy! Does she ever love fetching the treat ball!

I was nervous about how Phoenix would react to the strange place--an armory with a concrete floor and parked Hummer--but she took it in stride. The other dogs didn't bother her and she had a great time playing and exploring. It was when the instructor took Phoenix's leash that Phoenix got very nervous. We worked on it, with me standing next to the instructor so Phoenix knew she was not being led away. We both gave a lot of praise, but Phoenix was still stressed. Later, Phoenix' performance was obviously affected--she just shut down. Out came the tennis ball and Phoenix was back to her happy self. What I learned is that Phoenix needs a positive distractor, i.e. toy, whenever she stresses because it helps her regain her focus. 

All in all, I am encouraged that working on an obedience title would be doable and fun for both of us.

Frodo also went to school this week, but it was a human one. I took him to work to meet my students, and he was mobbed, petted and kissed by about 100 children (closely supervised, of course). He took it in stride and loved every minute of it! He got a lot of compliments by adults on his calm temperament. Not one person had ever heard of a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and most thought he was a Border Collie, until I put him down and they saw his diminutive stature.

Tonight Frodo gets his ears taped. I was planning on doing it last night, but quickly learned it is a two-person job. 

Back in the Saddle Again

Tonight was my first obedience class and it felt so right to be back in the dog world again. Phoenix stayed home since everyone else were newbies. She will be the oldest dog in the class, which I am excited about since I think this will help her not be so nervous. Mary creates such a safe environment and I think Phoenix will have fun. 

I laughed when Mary said that we needed to find a special toy that our dogs would go nuts over. For Phoenix that would be every toy in the world. Still, this gives me an excuse to go dog toy shopping, which is my favorite thing to do. I was just at Petco yesterday and bought them a cool toy--it looks like a ball made out of colorful chain links. Of course Phoenix ended up with it.

Frodo has found his voice! It is so loud it actually hurt my ears. We are working on 'inside voice', though it hasn't done a bit of good.

A Snapshot in Time

Puppies grow so fast. Already Frodo is noticably bigger. One change I noticed is that his coat is even softer and is much glossier. I attribute that to the raw diet he is on now. We are feeding Northwest Naturals Raw Diet, available in frozen cubes from our local pet health food store, and supplementing with our homegrown eggs, organic yogurt and raw liver. When I fed raw before I would alternate these items so they got each one every third day. Wallace and Phoenix are very glad I am back on feeding raw again. Mealtime is even more exciting than before!

I am waiting to hear back from the trainer, but I  am hoping to get Phoenix started in an obedience class starting on Tuesday. It is time to get back into the dog world and I am hoping that this can be our special time to go have fun. I will be training with Mary Rioux-Forker in Tigard and I took classes from her many years ago. She uses food, toys and praise, and I think this is what Phoenix needs. If she enjoys it, I am hoping we could start showing in obedience. I will only do it if it is fun for her, though. 

As for the promised pix, here they are:

Frodo at 10 weeks.

His favorite toy.

Notice his beautiful brindle markings on his cheeks. He will be a handsome boy.

Phoenix is the best babysitter, though as Owner of All the Toys in the World, she tends to steal and stockpile Frodo's toys.

Wallace is too dignified to play with puppies.

Phoenix's eyes can melt the hardest heart.

Wallace loves to rub his belly on the rugs. I wish he wouldn't, but he does.

Meeting New Friends

Frodo went to visit Erica and play with her roommate's Aussie, Lucy. Lucy was befuddled by such a short dog and Frodo had never experienced a dog so tall. Still, the fighting was fierce, the tails were wagging and Frodo had a new friend. Afterwards, Frodo snuggles with Erica by the fire.

Cousin Terra came over to visit with Gwen.  Here Wallace warns Terra of what a pain puppies are.

Terra smiling in the corner. She likes her Auntie Phoenix and Wallace. Jury's still out on Frodo.