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Amber and Kirby

Female

Anchorage, AK

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:: anchorage
About Me:: i live in Alaska, and I have Kirby my heart dog. I am a dog handler by profession.
Welsh Corgi Breeder?: No
Website:: http://www.myspace.com/amberlier
About My Corgi(s):: I have one Pembroke named Kirby. He has earned his Canine Good Citizen title.
list of his known commands:
sit
stay
kennel up (go to his kennel)
roll over
do the wave (like at a sports arena)
spin
stop,drop,and roll (had to teach him fire safety)
goodbye (sit, and wave one paw to signify saying goodbye)
bang (play dead)
zombies (wake up from playing dead after a few random words until i say zombies)
over (jump over something)
lets go (walk on loose leash)
down (lie down)
go upstairs
go downstairs
go potty
go outside
speak
touch (touch an object)
high ten
low five
give me a kiss
daps (like high five but he placed both paws on my fist)
get your rope
get your frisbee
leave it (had him perfectly trained to leave it by 4 months)
come here
Wave goodbye (one paw waves in the air)
I have:: Pembroke

Comment Wall:

Geri & Sidney

welcome Amberlie and Kirby!

Aug 20, 2009
christy fry

welcome to the group!!

Aug 20, 2009
TALLULAH

Welcome Amerlie and Kirby!

Aug 20, 2009
Wendt Worth Corgi's

Aug 20, 2009
Natalie, Lance &Tucker

Hello and Welcome!

Aug 20, 2009
Laura Culp Elliott

Hello and welcome! It is especially great to meet a fellow Alaskan!!! I live in Eagle River, so if you ever want to get together, drop me a line. My boy Finn loves other corgis. If you want to get into sheep herding, let me know too. You are more than welcome to ride out to Wasilla with me some Saturday morning to introduce Kirby to sheep. I go year round (bring watertight boots! LOL). Are you doing any puppy classes with Kirby... that helps alot. Great to meet you both!

Oct 24, 2009
Laura Culp Elliott

There are lots of great training classes in Anchorage. Sheep herding pretty much limits you to either Palmer or Wasilla. I don't know who the person is out in Palmer, but my trainer is out in Wasilla, down KGB road. I am hoping to get enough people in our area with corgis to take up the sport that they were bred for! Not only for the sheer fun but also so we can get some corgi high in trial awards going. I know FInn LOVES it. We are just now starting our rally/obedience training so we can start showing in that in March (next rally/obed show).

I go out to Wasilla pretty much every saturday morning. I leave Eagle River at 8:45-9am to get there by 9:30. 10am is pretty much the latest I get there to start. And after 2-3 runs on the sheep, we are usually done by 11-11:30 at the latest. There are a group of us on Sat. mornings, it is really fun. Cold but fun. Usually you start introducing pups to the sheep around 5-6 months. And my trainer Suzanne can do an instinct test to see if Kirby will show any real interest... but I bet he will! LOL

Oct 27, 2009
Amber and Kirby

Pink Ribbon

Nov 20, 2009
Laura Culp Elliott

Hi Amberlie and Kirby! How are you likin the cold? My Finn loves snow and often rolls around in it making little doggie snow angels. He loves to lay across my doorways too, I think to catch some of the cold draft air coming through the gaps.
We have missed sheep herding for several weeks now due to weather and dog shows. We hope to get out tomorrow. Next week I fly south for Thanksgiving and to pick up our new red headed tri color female!!!! Her name is Bad Widdle Fairy Fae or Fae for short.
How is the potty training coming along? Find any puppy classes and doing lots of socialization? Hope you guys are doing well! Have a great weekend!

Nov 20, 2009
John Wolff

10 months old? Our breeder was quite firm with us: no big challenges until 1 year old, perhaps older. You want the growth plates on the long bones fused, esp. at the wrists. You want to avoid growth plate injuries, among other things. Read Joanna Kimball's blog ; interesting blog and I think that link will get you to her rant on achondrodysplasia.
So maybe it's good that you've not been doing more. If limping, pay attention to that! Find out why. Sore feet, or something worse? He can't tell you what's hurting.

Don't encourage habits of jumping off high places (beds, furniture), esp. if floor is hard, slippery. We have ugly nonskid throw-rugs at all takeoff/landing zones, and a step for the bed. If Kirby sleeps on your bed, consider making a ramp.

Mar 12, 2010
John Wolff

Y'know, we never did anything special to train the dogs for hiking. Just like humans, be wary of big challenges without preparation; if you get off the couch and try to run a marathon, you're gonna get hurt.
First 2 times, I concluded a corgi was good for only 9 miles or so, then they'd just sit down and say, "Carry me". Then I found the sore that the chest harness was wearing on the collarbone.
Ours are mostly couch potatoes, but I try to give them two city walks a day, over a mile, and FAST, once the sniffing is done. One thing I do think is valuable: we poach on the paved school playground (No Dogs Allowed At Any Time) when we can get away with it, on best behavior, and they LOVE to chase a soccer ball around (current favorite is a child's basketball, lighter, smaller than a soccerball, and toothproof). Al particularly turns into a Total ANIMAL with these balls. They'll do it forever. This gives them some aerobic exercise. They come home panting, for a long time. That's good.

Gwynnie's not happy with me after, say, the 19-mile mark, but she's gone as far as 23 in 14 hrs with 9000' gain and some off-trail. May take some prodding, but if they have to keep going, they understand.

Mar 12, 2010
John Wolff

[had to send 3 parts; size limit]
I think the hydration thing is overhyped -- I drink when I'm thirsty -- but it took me awhile to develop the pattern habit: shed backpack, fill Outward Hound collapsible waterbowl, carry 1-pint bottle for dog water. Dogs can't sweat; they pant and drool, may need more water than we do. I dunno. The only time I've had to wait for them is above timberline in summer sun, they wilt. I hand-feed scraped snow or make a pupsicle out of them, which they love.

Al may be a bit of a tenderfoot. He's a rocket on the paved playground, and wears his pads thin. I've seen him get really sore feet on spring snow (running, keeping up with me on Nordic skis) and loose sand (beach, roads). They're not used to loose sand. It gets between their pads and irritates the soft skin. I think dogs may get used to this if they live with it, but our do not.
I carry these "Pawz" rubber balloon booties for emergencies. Blue, medium size. I've never tried them occasionally on snow, seem to work OK, but I just want something to enable the dog to get out in an emergency. I don't see using them regularly. I might try Musher's Secret for snow someday.

Mar 12, 2010
Gromit, Sparkle, and Doug

Gromit says "Happy 1st Birthday, Kirby!" Here's some sheep for you to play with.

May 4, 2010
Rachael & Waffle

Happy birfday, Kirby!

Waffle comes home on MY birthday, May 18. :] He's going to visit the house for a week beforehand so he can get used to it and be less scared when he "spends the night". He's very, very close to his littermates and it's going to take some adjusting. He'd come home sooner, but I have exams until May 12. :0

May 4, 2010
Alyssa & Chris W.

Happy Birthday Kirby! Hope you have a fun day filled with lots of toys and treats.

May 4, 2010
Jane Christensen

Thanks Amberlie and Kirby! I do love their tails. I have some corgis that you can see their tails and other that you really have to look hard to see them wag! I am enjoying all the tail wagging too!

Jun 6, 2010
Jane Christensen

Wow looks like there's a housefull of corgis in your pics????

Jun 6, 2010
Jane Christensen

I'd like to see your weimeraner mix...I used to have one but due to his age or more...his bad hips...he lives with my daughter! Mine is a wonderful dog!

Jul 19, 2010