If I Had a Penny....

...for every time Phoenix obsessed over something, I'd be a rich woman.

Rowdy, our friendly POA (Pony of the Americas) has been with us now for two weeks. He's a rather calm and friendly horse, but easily ten times a day, Phoenix HAS to be let outside and the routine is the same: she charges down to the gate, jumps up and barks in her loudest voice, "MOM, THERE IS A HORSE IN THE PASTURE!". Let's see... 10 times a day times 14 days means this has happened 140 times. Maybe more. At least she no longer barks at the cats. Why bother with measly cats when THERE IS A HORSE IN THE PASTURE!

We are looking for a new home for the horse. I know our neighbors will thank us. They may even throw us a party. 

Phoenix will not be invited.

Valedictorian

Phoenix finished her first obedience class on Tuesday. I have mixed emotions about going on. On one hand, when I get her training tub out, she literally runs and hides. If she were human, I'm sure she'd give me a story about having a stomach ache and needing to stay home. On the other hand,  once we get to the armory, she is happy and seems to have fun. 

This week the dogs had to hold a long down stay. It was a dog-wrestling event for the other owners, but Phoenix held her down stay in spite of the instructor squeaking and throwing toys, a boxer invading her space and me being across the room. Whereas the week before she swore she had never heard of such a term as "heel", this week she heeled like a champion, even with me doing inside and outside turns and varying speeds, which we had not practiced. Instead of racing out like a conformation dog, she stuck like glue and nailed every sit when I stopped. 

I have to stop going to classes until I find a full-time job, but I think we will go on. She is much more confident than when we started and she clearly was the best dog there, and I think she knew it. The other people gushed over what a great dog she is. All I could say was, "She's a corgi", and anyone who has a corgi knows exactly what I meant.

The Mark of the Beast

It started as an innocent day. I went to a meeting and left the dogs in the kitchen/laundry room suite, but by mistake I did not put down the myriad of dog toys after washing the kitchen floor the day before (what a wasted effort that was!). I returned to a freshly-chewed chunk missing from our sheetrock by the back door. So, who to blame. Wallace returned my gaze with a look that said, "Don't blame me, I only watched it happen." Phoenix, with her ever-guilty-look pled, "I am a reformed chewer, honestly!" Frodo, however, looked me straight in the eye and gave me the "puppy-defense" of looking cute. Additional evidence (see below) shows that the chewing was puppy-high. Please note the existing hole in the wall contributed by Phoenix shortly after we got her and before we realized that if we maintained a toy density of one toy per square foot, she would not literally eat us out of house and home.

Frodo is also taking after his aunt in the landscaping department. Whereas Phoenix can't stand to let a plant in a pot rest (she drags them all over the yard, chewing the rim and placing them where she thinks they should be planted), Frodo has taken it upon himself to roll up the newly laid sod in our backyard. Everyday I have to roll back the corners. He will roll back over a foot of sod, which is pretty heavy. So we have sod and plants covered, we just need Corgis that can move rock and install water features and we will have a full landscaping crew.


The Look of Innocence

Exhibit A: A puppy-level hole

Phoenix's hole in the wall

Frodo's Defense: I am too cute and you took my toys

Frodo Meets Rowdy

Rowdy, our personable POA (Pony of the Americas), has come back to live with us again after being gone two years. None of my current Corgis have ever met him before, so after putting Rowdy in the back pasture, I let the dogs out to meet him. Phoenix wanted to herd him, Frodo ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could, and Wallace sauntered up to the gate and touched noses with Rowdy through the gate. Those two formed an instant friendship and Wallace would hardly come in to eat because he wanted to hang out with Rowdy at the fence. I lifted up Frodo and let him meet Rowdy a bit closer. Rowdy's head is bigger than Frodo's whole body!

Life's a Stage....

Here is what Frodo is now doing:

1. He barks at EVERYTHING! We are learning "inside voice", which means to stop barking.

2. He knows sit and down, which he does with gusto. He doesn't get his food dish unless he sits, which he can do from midair as he bounces over to his food rug like Tigger. When there is a treat involved, he does the world's fastest down, flattening himself like a runover frog. He is most certainly food-orientated.

3. He learned how to say, "No" this week. He is in the "terrible twos" and wants to see "What happens if I don't do what mamma says?"

4. He's chewing on everything. My dining room table, my computer power charger, my bra, Phoenix, etc.

5. He weighed 14 lbs when he got his shot this week.

6. He continues to be ear challenged, so I am trying the Phi Vestavia (http://www.phi-vestavia.com/EARTAPING.htm) method and will use moleskin to help the ear stand up under the layers of tape.