Welcome Christophe and Bernie!

Welcome Christophe and Bernie!

Welcome Christophe. . . .Bernie is adorable. . . .cool profession you have. . . .can't wait to see more pics. . .the one you have is beautiful. . .purple is my favorite color. . . .

Thank you. I actually have three Corgis--it is a little crazy in our house!

Thank you for your comment Chris. . . .these little critters are wonderful. . . .I wish I could have many, many more, but my city says I'm only allowed 3 dogs and 3 cats even though I have an acre of land for them to run and play in. . .what a shame, I have so much to offer them. . . .my 3 are just the love of my life, my kitties too. . . .lol

It is crazy at our house, but the real question to my sanity is that we are considering adopting a "special needs" Corgi this weekend. She has been waiting for a long time for a real home...

She is only three-years-old. She was a puppy mill breeder--so sad. She has a condition that causes her to leak urine. It is likely that it can be controlled with medication or possibly surgery. I guess no one wants a leaky dog...She has been at the foster home since January. She looks so sad in her pictures... She is about 3 hours away. I think I am going to drive to Kansas City tomorrow to see her.

I agree that puppy mills should be illegal. But everytime a state tries to put restrictions on breeders and limit the number of breeding dogs the American Kennel Club comes running in to prevent it. So many of the puppy mill dogs are registered and so are the offspring and it is a big income producer for AKC. Good breeders should be the ones pushing for change. I don't understand why we can't make more progress. Puppy mill dogs are treated worse that most food livestock. The sad little face in the picture is sitting in my lap as I type. She is sitting on a towel to catch any errant dribbles. She seems to fit in quite well with the others. I just could't say no.

I actually had some of the "doggie diapers" here at home, but even though they say they are made for dogs, they don't fit particularly well. Although, she will tolerate them. I think I will mostly use them when we are in the car. Thankfully I have all wood floors in my house and I just wipe up the dribbles with a disinfectant wipe. Not a big deal. I bought a special bed for her kennel and and antimicrobial pad along with Baby wipes to keep her fresh. I am making an appointment for her for the middle of next week with my vet. We will see what he says.

She is getting along so well with our other dogs and really seems to enjoy going on our group walks. Even Lizzie (our alpha female who is a bit of a curmudgeon) has taken to her. She hasn't growled at her once...that is a big deal. She is not an agressive eater so I have to watch her and encourage her to eat. I think she will get used to our routine quickly enough. She is so sweet and has the cutest little bunny butt!

We changed her name to "Fern". My daughter picked it out and it really fits her and she does respond to it. She is such a sweet little thing! She has now figured out that she needs to eat when everybody eats and she has a good appetite. She and my five month old are about the same size.

Hey Chris,

Animals and insects:
http://www.poisoncentertampa.org/venomouscritters/

Plants:
http://www.poisoncentertampa.org/informational/poisonplants.html

In my opinion, really watch out for fire ants, they are everywhere and they itch and hurt. Alligators are everywhere, do not leave the dog unattended if you live close to the water, there were incidents where alligators enter through the screen and into the pool or stake out close to the ponds.

Avoid walking your dog during sunrise and sunsets, mosquitos can carry west nile virus.

As far as temperature goes, it gets up to 98 but with the 99% humidity, it feels like 105. Having a cheap walmart pool will help. Get a furminator and make sure to groom the corgi well.

Hurricane season is June 1 - November 30. So be prepare, I cannot stress this enough, make sure you have 3 days worth of food, water and an escape plan. I-75 and I95 are the only interstate of escape route, usually there are plenty of warnings, but do not wait until the last minute to get on the road. Not all shelter allows dogs, so you need to get a crate. Be very careful after the hurricane have past, do not walk in water, that's the time when snakes and fallen electric wire are still active.

That's all I can think of right now, feel free to ask me any questions!

Yeah, the furniture from the 60% and 70% are quite timeless :)

Sam