Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I have videos to share! But until I get the time to post them, let me just wish you a very happy holiday season of catching snowflakes on your tongue!!

New Trick

Some things are just better with short legs. For example, me!

Some people might think that short legs would be a disadvantage, but I'm faster and stronger than lots of doggies with legs longer than mine, which I think makes it even cooler that my legs are so little in the first place. You already saw me shoot across the field like a rocket to get my soccer ball.. Do you know that I can also jump extremely high, even from a sitting position? My short legs are no disadvantage - in fact, they give me extra power for things like picking up speed immediately and turning sharp corners because I'm so low to the ground.

Anyway, there are other things that are better about short legs, too. One of them is that short legs are CUTE. And they're extra cute when I perform my favorite tricks.

Here's one trick that's way cuter with short legs:

I've been able to do this one for a while now. See the carrot on my paw? I LOVE carrots, but in this trick, I wait until Daddy says it's okay to devour that sweet treat. I have to be even smarter than a regular puppy when I do this trick, because my short legs place my paw - and the delectable carrot on top of it - right in front of my nose.. so close I can almost literally taste it while I'm waiting to chomp it! Such a tough test of patience.

Now in the past week I've learned another trick that's cuter with short legs:

I'm so excited about my new trick that I sometimes can't even wait to be told to do it! Why wouldn't I do something that's so super cute it earns me extra treats and affection from everyone?!

Remember: Just because other people see something about you as a disadvantage doesn't mean that it has to be one. Maybe it's just that special something that makes you extra cute!

My New Favorite Sport

I have a new favorite sport...

SOCCER!!!!!!!!!!!

Will You Help Me?

Hi, friends. I'd like to write to ask for your help. See, I need some practice..

I'm now a graduate multiple times of classes at my school. At my graduation last week I asked the teacher about what I should do next, and I learned all about two career paths that are available to me. I think I'd be a terrific competitor in Agility - you saw me in my last post on part of an agility course, the a-frame, and I'm also already an expert jumper over the low poles that are on another part of the course.

Almost too fast for the camera when I jump!

I also think I'd be great at going into hospitals and cheering up the kids there who don't always get much time to play with their friends.

That's where you come in.

My school offers a Therapy Dog class, to help puppies get ready for a big test - The Canine Good Citizen Exam. It sounds hard, doesn't it? I'm pretty sure it's super hard, and my momma went to see the Therapy Dog class on Thursday to see what it would take for me to get good at the test. I'm going to need some serious help studying if I want to pass the test and meet all of my future friends as a certified puppy volunteer.

I look good as a graduate, right?
My Canine Good Citizen certificate will look even better than this most recent diploma.

In Therapy Dog class, and for the test, I'm going to have to sit still and quiet while a stranger shakes hands with my momma, touches my ears and paws, brushes me, and walks away. I'm also going to have to walk through a crowd but ignore all the strangers around me, approach a person in a wheelchair without jumping into their lap, and stay totally under control on my leash during the whole time that I'm at school on exam day. Without any treats.

That may not sound that hard to you, but to me it sounds crazy. When I hear "stranger," I think, "future friend." I might be happy to sit still and quiet by my momma, but as soon as a "future friend" comes over, I can hardly keep my little butt on the floor because my tail is wiggling so fast that I think I might turn inside out. I'm just so happy to see everybody! And, when I get frustrated because my momma won't let me go up to a "future friend," I yell out to my friend, "Come over to me!" I jump and bark, and when they get to me, I want to put their hand in my mouth so that I can taste and smell them all over. It makes perfect sense to me; why wouldn't it be allowed at the test?

I'm just starting to get old enough to understand that being a Therapy Dog is all about what somebody else wants, not about what I want. Even if I want to jump up and see one of my future friends in his hospital bed, and even if I want to lick his face all over, he might be scared of my big strong teeth, or worried that I'm too fast and could accidentally hurt him. To be a real Therapy Dog, I have to be sweet about it, and make him love me in some other way, like by doing tricks or letting him pet me softly on my back, instead of insisting that face licks are the best thing for him.

Ready to love!

I'll be old enough for Therapy Dog class in about 1 year, and I want to practice hard until class starts so that I'm ready to become a Canine Good Citizen on my first try.

Will you help me study? Will you let my momma give you some treats, so that you can give me commands to practice? Will you promise never to pet me if I am jumping, so that I learn to get positive attention only when I lay still and quiet? And, most of all, will you be patient with me? I'm just a little doggy, and I love you SO MUCH.. I just don't always know how to show my love properly, so I'm going to need you to give me time and training until I'm successful enough to pass my exam.

I'll work hard for you, future friends! I can't wait to visit you!

Summer School

I hope you all had a great July and are wrapping up the summer with a lot of fun!

I spent one night each week for the last 6 weeks in school taking a class called "Good Manners 2." It was shorter than the classes I took before, but I still learned a lot and had some serious fun!

On my graduation day, I even got to run a rally course!

And here I am with my mommy and my diploma.

Over the last month, I've had also several occasions to practice my good manners when mommy and daddy had friends over.

My friend Mason even took a picture of my whole family while he was here with some other people from mommy and daddy's church making dresses for little girls in Uganda.

You can see how happy I am! Daddy says I still get too excited, because I bark a lot to get my friends' attention. But I just love them so much, and I want to tell them over and over and over and over!

Other than that, I've been going to the dog park a lot, of course, and I've had a couple nights at camp while mommy and daddy spent some time in New York City. Daddy says he'll take me there some time. He said there is a big park that I'll just love!

Are you looking forward to fall? I am! I am hoping to go camping, and I already know I'm going to see my Grandma and Grandpa in New Jersey a couple times in the coming months. I always love going to New Jersey!

I will check in as soon as I can to share more pictures and adventures!

Love,

Margot

I Love a Holiday

I love just about any holiday. I love when my mom and dad have time off, and I love getting to be around people. Tonight, for the Fourth of July, we went to the park for a picnic.

I didn't take any pictures with my friends at the beach tonight, but these are some photos from when I was there with my mom and dad a couple of weeks ago. See me ready to ride those boats and drive that tram tour? I'm an expert.

Fourth of July is not my favorite holiday, because of the fireworks. They haven't started yet tonight, and I'm just exhausted from the picnic, so I hope they don't wake me up too much..

Happy Fourth of July!!!!

Crazy Bean

This is a phrase I hear all the time in my house: "Crazy Bean." But what does that mean?

Like my raccoon?

I've been called Bean around here ever since I was a tiny puppy, because when I curl up to sleep and tuck my nose into my paws, I look just like a teeny kidney bean. The name just stuck.


These days, I may not sleep curled up very much, but I'm still Miss Bean. And lately it seems like I'm very often titled CRAZY Bean. I don't know if it's my antics, my gunshot-sharp bark, or if I really have a mental instability, but I'm pretty sure Crazy Bean is a term of endearment.

My favorite barking spot - under the couch.
Daddy thought I would have gotten too big to fit under here by now...

Speaking of antics, I went just about wild for the pool on my first visit to my grandma and grandpa's this summer. Last weekend we drove the long way to Jersey and spent the whole weekend sunbathing and relaxing.

Oh, did I say "sunbathing and relaxing?" Oops. I meant to say "barking at the water and trying to figure out why this pool is so much bigger and deeper than my puppy pool at the park."

I hope you enjoyed the longest day of the year wherever you are. Here, it's SO hot - there's nothing to do but swim!

Family, and Growing Up

I know - where have I been?!? Right???

I'm sorry that I don't write for you more often, but I have to tell you that growing up is hard work, and I've been really busy doing it well. I promise to try my hardest to post more often, even if my posts become much shorter. My life is definitely exciting enough to post about!

Just under two weeks ago, I went to Ohio, and I couldn't believe how much fun it was. My Grandma and Grandpa from Missouri were there, and I met all kinds of other family, too. And look at this amazing estate where I got to stay:

Isn't my great grandparents' home so big and beautiful?!

I even met my Aunts Chloe and Sophie, at last. I've heard so much about them. They're puppies like me, and they gave me the best advice:  chicken nuggets are the best food, long car rides lead to fun places, and pajamas are the coolest. Don't you agree?

Here we are walking with our dads.. Chloe had a little bit of trouble keeping up..

Too fast for the lens!

I spent a lot of my Ohio weekend trying to get my aunts to play with me. My mom tried to get a good picture of me playing tug with Chloe - we're both really great at it, but we sure are hard to photograph..

Here's Chloe in her pajamas!

And then I slept the whooooooole loooooooong way home! I'm a great travel doggie, and I'm working on convincing Mom and Dad to take me camping next. I heard that when we camp we'll get to cook food outside and play the whole time.

I sure love to play.

Here I am with one of my favorite playmates back at home in Connecticut. His name is Murphy, and we see each other at the park almost every day.

Don't we look like best friends? We are.

I love to travel, but I love to be home, too. I get tired a little bit more often than I used to as a teeny puppy. Now I'm a pretty big dog - more than 20 pounds when I went to the vet for my shots this week! As a pretty big dog, I can go to the small or the big dog side of the park, and I can go on really long adventures with my mommy. I can't wait to tell you about more soon.

This is my "Are you sure that I have to get out of the car?
"I'm a little tired, actually..." face

What have you been up to lately?

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!

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 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.