School Friends

My school is the coolest. I go twice a week to afternoon school, and I have made so many friends there. You know a lot about my park friends, but now I want to tell you a story about one of my closest friends: Milo.

This is not Milo. But it's the same kind of dog.
So you can imagine that Milo looks something like this.
I don't think he works quite as hard on his appearance as this puppy...

Milo and I met at the park. Sometimes he's really playful and we chase the same sticks all around. Sometimes he's grouchy and I bark in his face about it. For some reason that doesn't make him feel better. Usually, we have lots of fun, and we both really love our moms most of all.

Anyway, last week, Milo's dad took him to my school for his first day. I know what it's like to be the new kid in class, so when I recognized Milo at school, I told him that he could hang with me. I jumped up on the slide (we have slides inside at my school! I told you it was cool..) and I wanted Milo to come with me, but he wasn't so sure about it. Then, I was barking at him to come up, and he was barking at me to come down. We really caused a stir in class, which got me mentioned to Milo's daddy when he got picked up. Oops. We must have been using our outside voices like when we're at the park together, instead of our inside voices for school.

Because Milo is my first friend at both school and at the park, I'm going to have to behave even better than normal with him. I guess that's just part of growing up.

My school is so cool, I'm usually about this tired on my way home:

Little Big Dog

Today, I'm sure that I'm a big dog.  I had my first New Canaan adventure, and at Waveny park I was with all of the big doggies.  I mean, I think there were sheeps and horsies in there, some of the puppies were so giant.  But I played with them all.

And, what do you know?, I saw a friend that I've met at my puppy park in Stamford.

Snoopy is so cool, because he has a long back and short legs like me.  He doesn't get them from being part Corgi - he's a Bassett Hound and Beagle and maybe even Dachsund mix - so we aren't related.  We met another long-back/short-leg puppy today, though, named Max, and he gets his good genes from a Corgi line.  I think he's so handsome, and if I hadn't been so worn out from the sun this afternoon, I probably would have chased a ball with him even longer.

Then, you'll never believe it, we saw two full Corgis!  They got there when I was leaving, so I only stopped to watch them play ball and bark and bark and bark for a moment.  Aren't they so good-looking?  Their fur is more puffed up than mine, but I still think they are so cool.

Once we left the puppy park, I thought for sure that we'd had as much fun as a family can have in a weekend, but we weren't even finished with our New Canaan adventure yet!  It was such a beautiful day, so we took a little walk around the New Canaan Nature Center before we went home.  Look at this enormous tower that I climbed on my own little legs!  I'm a very big dog, you know...

I don't think I've ever climbed so many stairs before..
plus these were the scary kind that are open in the back.. but I'm a brave dog, so I don't mind!

I got a piece of banana for my efforts.  Eat your fruits and vegetables!

Great view of the loud birds from up here!

When we got home from New Canaan, I let Mom handle the spring cleaning while I took a long nap in the sun.  I didn't even know it, but I needed my rest because we had friends over tonight.  What a busy day!

I hope that you are enjoying the Spring where you are.  My family loves getting out into the fresh air, and of course it's best when our adventures involve off-leash park time.  Now Mom says we're going to start gardening together again soon.  I was such a tiny puppy when we hung out in the garden last Summer, but now that I'm a big dog I'll be able to help with the yard work a lot more.  I have special talents for carrying sticks from place to place, plus I'm learning to dig things up.  I can't wait until it's warm enough to chase the water from the hose all over my backyard.  It's a great time of year to be a little big dog.

Now get off of your computer and go soak up some sun!

Happy Birthday To Me!!

Today is my birthday!!! I'm one year old already, can you even believe it?!?!

I got to visit Daddy's office in my birthday hat today, and everyone says I look great.

I'm sure that you're dying to know what I got for my birthday, so I'll show you:

Here's one of my birthday cookies.
I didn't get a cake, but I got ice cream, see?
I'm told there will be more birthday cookies, too,
but a girl can't eat too much in one day and stay trim..

I ate the icing first, of course!

I also got this duck, named Lester.
I love him because he is already injured,
so he didn't even mind when I chewed off his tail.

When it's warmer, I'm planning to celebrate with all of my park friends, maybe on my adoption day in April. I think that going home to my family is something to celebrate!

On Raising a Baby

A guest post from Mommy

Some of the stages of raising a puppy bear obvious similarities to the stages of raising a human baby.  For months, we "moms" and "dads" divide our lives into one-, then two-, then three-hour increments according to the length of time that our little ones can go without peeing or eating or whining.  We leave the party early, if we even go at all; we get up in the middle of the night.  Teething is a pain, first baths are sweet, proofing the house is an ongoing chore, and so on.

It's some of the less obvious, silly similarities between these two types of "parenting" that I'd like to write about today.  See, we have snow on the ground this morning, and as I was putting on my heavier socks and layers of sweaters and big ugly boots in order to get my crying baby dog from this indoor side of the window to that outdoor one where all the fluffy white fun is waiting, I really felt the call of Mom Duty.

First, raising a puppy for these several months has been a lot like raising a baby because...

1.  Every season brings fresh joy and photo opportunities.

While puppies don't (usually) have a fashionable sundress in their first Summer and a new mini peacoat in their first Winter, they do share the wide-eyed wonder of a sweet child when they experience things like swimming and snow for the first time.

2.  Strangers often address a puppy first, just like they address a baby in a stroller, even though their statements and questions are mostly intended for momma's ears.

"You're just so adorable! How old are you?"  This is usually fine, when my response is met with eye contact and a pleasant conversation.  It's awkward, however, when a whole discussion about the dog happens without any real acknowledgement of me.. the owner.. the only other party available with the ability to speak..

3.  When babies sleep, parents really, really, really want to sleep.

I'm just 8 weeks old in this photo!

Even if you weren't the one awake with their middle-of-the-night needs.  On our first morning waking up with Margot, I took her outside at dawn.  Our first hours together the day before had been so exciting - a new state, a new family, a new big yard to explore - none of us had slept much.  When we came inside from our little morning walk, GoGo curled up at my feet on the softest spot in the recliner and fell fast asleep.  Needless to say, moments later, so did I.  She's a much larger and stronger puppy now, but I still want to fall asleep every time I see her peaceful face curled close to her paws.

4.  We all deal with cranky toddler moments.

A puppy just doesn't want to waste her time on sleep.  Why take a quick nap when you could keep yourself awake by stealing pens off of the coffee table, getting in trouble, and nipping the fingers that feed you?  A puppy, like a toddler, is wild most of the time, until finally, she drops exhausted into a hard sleep.  In between, there are lots of cranky, if-I-fall-asleep-I-might-miss-something moments.

As a reasonable adult, of course I realize some key differences here.  So, I also want to share with you some ways in which raising a puppy is nothing at all like raising a baby...

1.  Teething babies don't typically bite as hard or as often as daggar-toothed puppy dogs.

2.  Potty training happens a lot faster for smart puppies like litte miss Margot.

3.  When a human baby does something that it's not supposed to do, it is not generally considered to be in good taste to spray them in the face with a water bottle to get them to stop.  On the contrary, when a human baby does something nice, no one's first reaction is to feed them a little frozen broccoli to encourage similar behavior in the future.

My Best Tricks

Well, you already know that my very finest tricks include dancing on my hind legs and giving kisses on command. But now, we're working on even better tricks. See, I've been wild lately, and my 10-month-old crazies are inspiring Mom to give me Super-Extra-Training opportunities. My best tricks will soon include the most perfect loose-leash walking (EVERY time I'm out..), coming when called (EVERY time I'm called..), and welcoming visitors into my home (how THEY want me to.. not however I feel like welcoming them..)

As part of my Super-Extra-Training, I'm eating some of my meals one piece of kibble at a time, each as a reward for a trick. I'm basically an expert at puppy push-ups again already, which I haven't done since puppy school. To do a puppy push-up, you just sit, then lay down, then sit, then lay down, then sit, then lay down, and so on, without ever taking your cute butt off the floor. You might think that I have an advantage because my legs are so short - my belly is practically on the floor before I ever start my puppy push-ups! - but really, I'm challenged in the world of push-ups because I'm so inclined to spring up off of the floor every time I get excited.. which is every time I see a treat.. which is almost all the time :)

Anyway, let me show you what I like to do at mealtimes when I'm not busy Super-Extra-Training. Ever since I got big enough to jump on the couch, I like to hang out with my mom there. Who says you shouldn't play with your food? I hope you enjoy this video!

For more photos and videos of crazy cute Corgis like me, you should visit my new friends at The Daily Corgi. I'm feeling so famous because my blog is now listed on The Daily Corgi site. I want to thank The Daily Corgi folks, because I'm having so much fun seeing puppies just like me.

I call this photo, "Corgis Love Couches."

We're linked with The Daily Corgi on facebook now, too. Are you following me already? If not, go do it! We Corgis aren't always easy to keep up with, so get a head start now before I get even bigger and faster!

Home Sweet Home

I'm just back from one of the best days I've ever had at the park. Mommy froze to solid ice, but I told her to heat up some hot chocolate and warm her fingers so that she could type this blog for me. I can't wait to tell you about my friends.

The Stamford dog park is really cool, even when it's super cold. Some of my best friends still come around, while our owners shiver. Today at the park, my friend Sonny and I were tossing around my favorite ring toy when we found this awesome black glove.

Sonny has ears that stand up like mine!

Because this glove was so super awesome, Sonny and I both wanted to hang onto it. First, I chased Sonny for it; then, she was trying to keep it from me with her front paws. I'm small and stealthy, so I got it away from her. When Sonny started chasing me to get it back, I held on tight. Sonny is bigger than me, and a little bit faster, so she caught up and we both hung on to one side of the glove. I heard the some threads start to rip.. then.. suddenly.. Victory was mine! Sonny's side of the glove tore, and I got to run with it on my own!

Sonny taught me today that toys are even more fun when we share them. I've never played tug with another puppy before; only with my mom and dad. When Sonny and I were pulling on that glove, I found out just how much fun tug could be. We played my favorite games - tug and keep-away - together all afternoon, right up until our friend Lexi came to the park.

See, I have lots of park friends. Here's one of my oldest park friends, Sally:

Sally taught me when I first started coming to the park that puppy teeth are sharp, and that I can't nip at other puppies' ears. She taught me so kindly, like an old aunt. Maybe we really are related, since we have the same colors. I'm almost bigger than her now.

My best friend at the park these days is Chloe:

Chloe was trying to play with a leaf in her mouth when Mom took this picture. But isn't she beautiful? When we met, she was wearing a big Christmas sweater, and she loved how my dad would scratch her so that the sweater didn't bother her as much. When it's not so cold, though, she just wears her fur. We run so fast that we both start breathing hard. Chloe sounds funny when she gets out of breath, I guess because her nose is so small. She loves to catch her breath by my dad's feet while he pats her, and I don't mind sharing his attention with such a good friend like Chloe.

I had a lot of fun on my holiday adventures this year, but now that it's 2012, it's nice to spend some time in my hometown with my friends.

Christmas, Come Again Soon

Christmas is just about the best thing that I can think of. We get to be with all of our family; we get to open gifts, bought and packaged with love. We get to eat special foods, and most of them are cookie-related. We even get to catch up with old friends. Whoever came up with Christmas did a fantastic job, but they made one mistake - they didn't plan Christmas to come often enough!

I had some amazing times over the past week, and I spent time with friends new and old. You saw my old across-the-fence friends in my last post, and then we went to visit some other neighbor dogs. These two sisters, both Scottie dogs, told me that they now sell odor free bully sticks, and I can't wait to get some. See, I love a good bully stick, but after I chew one, my mom doesn't think it's so great that everything (mostly my breath) smells like fish.

My New Jersey friends are the coolest puppies around, and now I can add Ogey to the list. Ogey belongs to some of my Pitman friends, and he invited me to his dog park last week.

See how we're almost the same size? Ogey is a good friend!

Ogey's park is full of trees

Ogey looks a little bit like me; in fact, we could be cousins, because his parents said that he's partly a Corgi. I think that we could be related, because we love to do all the same things, like running really fast after tennis balls, sticks, and each other. I'd love to visit with Ogey at the park any time.

Then, I met Molly, my new Philadelphia friend. I think she has an advantage when it comes to obedience, because her dad is a puppy trainer. I still tried my best to show her my skills, and she played with me so kindly that I'm sure we'll be friends for life. Too bad mom forgot to bring out the camera during our visit.

On the move!

Ever since we got back to Connecticut, I've been really busy. See, I got all these great Christmas gifts that I have to play with, and I didn't have hardly any time to sleep during our whole visit to New Jersey, so I'm still catching up in dreamland.

Now that it's a New Year, I guess I should make some resolutions. One of my resolutions is to invite my park friends and other Connecticut puppies over to my house more often. I behave a little bit better now than I used to, so I think my mom will say "yes" if I start asking her to have friends over. Another resolution of mine is to keep my breath fresh. I can do this in two ways: by brushing my teeth more often, and by switching to odorless bully sticks. I plan to do both.

What are your New Year's resolutions? Let me tell you, I'm so glad that we're friends, and I hope that you enjoy reading my blog. Let's keep in touch, and won't you come over soon?