Welcome Linda! It is great to have your expertise on board! We would love to get our dogs to train in agility one day!

Guess what???????????? Toby almost got the rabbit tonight. Bob had to clean bunny tail out of his mouth. He so much more spry since he is losing weight and has Lola for his companion. BTW, we also give them Charlie Bears.......only 3 calories and the love them. Lola's Mom

Toby is down to 33.7 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dr Ava was thrilled. She had to do a lil manipulation on his back again but otherwise he is spunky as ever. Lola weighed around 20lbs (she wouldnt stand still on the scale) She is doing wonderfully. Im so glad she is ours now.

Auntie Linda, your boys are doing terrific! Sorry I haven't checked in lately. Getting ready to move again, but already have the side yard fenced, a deck for Bear's pool (I swear he should be moldy as a sloth by now) and double doggy doors. You would not believe what a pushy social creature Bear has become! Mr. Head-Shy nudges people for attention now.... And you know that Gibson is as intense, co-dependent and fiercly loving as usual. Hope to catch up soon. (PS: I hear Willa has come to expect her evening rides in her new mom's convertible!)

We made it!! Nia and I are being very supportive of Rob right now. Nia will not leave his side, and will spend hours with him just laying her head in his lap. She's been so good for him this week! We will see you on Monday for agility class...it will be nice getting back to a normal routine since this week has been so crazy!

Allie, I'll meet you at the usual place. We missed the right side left side thing so we will have to play catch. I'm playing catcxh up in obedience too. It doesn't pay to leave town.

If anyone has any old rugs or towels, please throw them our way. THe puppies go through them fast. Thanks, Linda

here is a pic of my little izzy.

Wow! A new photo of Izzy. She is cute as ever. I hope that you can make it to Corgi Fun Day this year. I'd love to see her. Linda

We both put in for Friday off so when can be there early Saturday to help. What am I saying, well be there early anyway. You know us =) I might not have bells on but the kids might. Unless Wizard eats his..lol

Linda,
Im so excited about Corgi Fun Day. I got Carson a costume and i think you'll love it!See you Nov. 17!

Jess

I'm thinking about dressing up Grandma Annie as the Queen, Of course with her kidney cysts she walks and pees and walks and pees. Might be a problem. ;-) I wonder if the Quees does. She's no spring chicken. ;- )

Hey Linda! Can't wait to see you at the agility trial over thanksgiving!!!

Sorry, we won't make it for the celebration with the corgis. On the first week in Nov., we will begin our trip to Florida. I wish we came through St. Louis and you could see the girls. They are making themselves right at home and seem to like it here. They have made it to the bed at night and are little bed hogs. Cinni kissed David while he was asleep and he let out a war-hoop and scared us all. Now, we have all settled down. I bought new crates for the girls and I think we are in good shape for our trip. Our van accommodates a lot, so we won't be crowded. I will make reservations for a motel in Alabama that takes dogs. We have stayed there before and it is o.k. Of course, it is not the Hilton, but clean and quiet. I can't believe when I look at people's photos, I feel as if I am looking at Cinni and Gynx.

Linda, I have a question for you. I have noticed a lot of differences between Cinni and Gynx, so I was wondering about their history. Gynx is so similar to my PattiCake and Cinni is so different. Her legs are longer, her nose is a different shape, her body is long and has a long stub for a tail. Could she possibly have Cardigan blood in her? I am very curious about this. We love both of these babies and intend to keep them as long as they or we are alive. Thanks.

I swear they're skinnier than they look in these photos! Gibson doesn't even look like a harp seal anymore, honest! : ) Bear couldn't be happier since moving out to the country, though I have to be ever-vigilent for cow pies. He's so awfully proud when he finds one....

Hi, Linda, I thought it was time to update you on the lives of Gynx(known here as Gynki) and Cinni(known as Cindi). They have settled in and seem to feel right at home. Gynki is a ball player and carries her favorite tennis ball around with her everywhere, while Cindi enjoys being picked up and loved. Gynki sleeps with me( or is it me sleeping with Gynki; Cindi sleeps with Amy and loves to sleep until late. They have dug holes in various places in the yard and I think Gynki buried one of her footballs. We still haven't taken off for Florida because of my health problems, but as soon as I have been given a clean bill of health, we will be in the land of warmth. I hope you are well and your doggies are great.

Linda, yesterday I noticed a lump co=lose to one of Gynx's breasts, so she was taken to the vet today. We were told that she has 3 lumps that need to be excised. They are too large to be needle drained, so she has to have an operation. I scheduled it for Wed. AM. because tomorrow I have to have a colonoscopy in Indy. Wow, do I have my hands full right now. We are planning to leave for Florida on Saturday if Gynx and I are all right for travel. This weather is killing me with my arthritis and I need to get out of here! I think the corgis will feel better, too. Cinni is fine and the vet thought she was a beautiful corgi. He is a corgi owner himself. I will keep in touch.

Linda, dearest, I have to go to an instructor course for a week next month. I can present on any topic.... It was suggested that I might do something on dog rescue. For example: when is this a good choice for you, what to expect, special challenges and benefits.... If you had any material you wanted to share, or points you think are critical, I'd appreciate the information. Of course I know how busy you are, so if you don't have time I'll understand. Either way, I'll gladly share any materials that are developed as a result. Just wanted to check. All is well here, but bear has weepy eye again. I treated with triple antibiotic and just finished, so I'm giving it a few days, but may have to get him an oral antibiotic. If any of this sounds weird to you, do let me know. The last time it just went away after treatment. Vet says he just had an irritated lower lid. I usually blame these things on how hard he plays. He is SUCH a boy! Hope all is well with you, and I wish I could squeeze that puppy of yours!

Hi Nichole,

Email me at home. This is one subject that I know something about!

Linda

Linda, we are now in Florida enjoying the warmth of the sun. The girls love it and have settled right in with us. Gynx had her surgery and had trouble with infection, but she is fine now. We found an excellent emergency animal hospital near by so that makes me relax a bit. My husband had a heart attack two days before Christmas which jarred me quite a bit. He is home trying to behave. We will be glad to see 2008 so maybe our luck will change. We have had a bad year! The best thing that has happened is getting the girls. They are so entertaining and loving. Amy is here visiting and they love to play with her. Cinni likes to jump up on the arm of a love seat we have on the enclosed porch. She surveys the neighborhood to make sure everything is going as planned. Gynx can't make the jump up there, so she is a little put out about it. I love these corgis!

Linda, just wanted to let you know that the boys and I have accepted Travis' proposal. I think he asked me to marry him just so he could have official joint custody, really : ) The poor guy has gone from an I-can't-believe -you-keep-dogs-in-the-house person to a spending-upward-of-a-half-hour-checking-labels-on-treats to-make-sure-they're-not-from-China pet-parent. We're all quite smitten with each other and I can't tell you how much Gibson and Bear have taken to him and our new home. I'm just a little jealous that Travis now gets "my" welcome home yodel from Bear (he gets home first). Though I occasionally get an encore performance. Did I mention the yodeling? He makes this great warbling yodel for his favorite people when he's happy to see them. Oh yes, and he still grooms Gibson before bed. : ) I sure do love these guys (the one with the warm nose, too!).

Hi Linda,

I want to get Charlie into Agility or Flyball, but have heard to wait until he is between one and two years old to avoid damage to his growing bones. My plan is just working on "good dog" manners and obedience until then.

What age do you start your Corgi-kids in athletics?

Charlie is a cutie! He does have a very long back. I would stay away from flyball. AKC will not allow participation in agility until 18 months of age. But the reason that you should wait to compete is because of the growth plates in the legs. Growth plates in Corgis do not completley close until 10-14 months of age. Norm is 11-12. Your boy has small bones from what I can see in the photo. That and the long back means that you will need a very experienced agility trainer, hopefuly someone familiar with Corgis. But. you can start him in foundation agility, (should have a basic obedience class first) as early as 8-9 months. He should not jump over 4" and the A-frame should be close to the ground. Only do three weave poles. Foundation class would be great fun and he will start to get the basic concept of agility. Plus, since we train with food, he will REALLY learn fast. ;-) Things to remember: The A-frame is the worst obstacle for the dog, especially small dogs. It can tear their shoulders all to heck if you don't do it correctly. Make sure that he has at least a 6' run before starting up the A-frame, and keep him going. The great thing is that simple jumps and weave poles can be made inexpensivley for your home. Great for practice. However, I do not recommend it for people who have not been to classes. If you want to let me know what area that you live in, I can recommend a good trainer. And welcome to agility! I hope that you get as hooked as we are! Also, you may want to locate a good certified Animal Chiropractor in your area. Agility Corgis usually manage to throw out a back or shoulder somewhere along in their quest for titles. Linda

Hey Linda!!! Nia and I have been missing our agility lessons...things are going good. We're taking her to the dog parade this weekend, and Rob has been working on some new tricks with her. She listens so much better to him than to me...she crawls so well on her belly and she balances her treats on her nose until Rob tells her to get them. It's great! We need to get together very soon so Nia can see her Aunt Linda!!! :)

Hi Linda,

I would be happy to list a painting on eBay, with a percentage of the proceeds going to support Lake Shore Corgi Rescue Group. If your not a member of Mission Fish you will need to provide me with a permission letter that has your groups letter head on it. This is per eBay regulations in order for me to list an auction for your group. If you follow this link to one of my auctions you will see an example of the letter I need. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110241593584

Also, you might consider applying for membership in Art Helping animals, www.arthelpinganimals.com. We are a group of animal artists from all around the world who support animal rescues through the sale of our artwork. There is a waiting list of charities wanting membership and as one of the founding members I could put in a good word for your rescue once it's on the list. :)
You can e-mail a request for an application to: ArtHelpingAnimal@gmail.com

Let me know if you have any questions!
~Tanya

I just visited your rescue web site Linda. Bravo!!!!!!!!! I really loved were you encouraged people to adopt senior dogs. One of the rescues I support through my art is Old Dog Haven here in WA state. My husband and I adopted a 14 year old Peke mix from them. :)
I'm really looking forward to working with you and will be waiting for your permission letter. And yes, I always need good reference photos, so please send me as many as you can. My e-mail address is: TanyaAmberson@verizon.net

~Tanya

massachusetts!

Now that I've stopped hyperventilating about Gibson's foot.... Could you tell me what you're feeding your adult corgis these days, and how much (and often)? Gibs is gaining some weight since we haven't been getting the lengthy walks in so much this summer. Also, I think he's an emotional eater, just like his mom. : ) It's as though the less exercise he gets, the hungrier he acts.... It's just been so hard out here in the boondocks with the weather, no sidewalks, no street lights.... I mistakenly thought we'd get more outdoor time here. I can't wait to move back somewhere with sidewalks! In the meantime, I think we have to adjust his eating habits, or we're going to need to buy a treadmill! Bear has actually stopped scarfing and only eats when he's hungry and when he's full. Who knew he'd become the role model?