Corgi Tales

Flashback: Puppies and Stairs

With a blink of an eye, your puppy's first-time experiences are over and just a memory.  Simple things that are taken for granted everyday.  Mundane actions like traveling a flight of stairs.  Going up the stairs is a climb for puppies and your close behind to catch, if needed, and reassure them that the adventure going up, is okay.   The tender part is the coaxing, coaching and building their confidence to come down a flight of stairs.    Once they have the hang of it and the "no fear" attitude - you're no longer needed and those sad eyes looking down the flight of stairs at you and the puppy whimpering and pacing to the right and to the left is only but a memory not to be experienced again with your sweet pup.

Depending on the height of the flight of stairs, the whole experience may absolutely require your picking up the sweet smelling puppy fur-kid in your arms, praise 'em generously and settle them down for a much needed nap.

It's ten degrees cooler today and it looks like we may get a sprinkle or two of rain on this beautiful Fall day.   I'm outta here to play ball with the boys before it does!

Corgi Tales aka CorgiTales

Flashback: First Days with Dockers

When we adopted Dockers and brought him home, he was intended to be an indoor furkid.  We set him up in one of our bathrooms (I know, that sounds horrible but it was a large bathroom with two parts and two sinks. It was actually larger than our master bath!) and had it all puppy-proofed, including a baby-gate.   We also had two other much larger fur kids, Nike and Puma (both Lab mixes), who were very sweet and accepting of the new puppy addition.   From our very beginnings with Dockers it was evident that he was a head-strong, energetic and very intelligent canine.  I'm sure most people feel this way about their kids but I say this with no bias and (unfairly) with comparison to other dogs I have known and other dogs that were my own.

We bonded immediately.  He was so eager and tireless to learn...I really should've taken his motivation to another level, especially for the type of breed he is.   Dockers was really a "perfect" puppy.  He rarely got into trouble and not for our lack of discipline, he was just very obedient and learned so quickly.   When correcting or scolding him, you never needed to raise your voice.   The tone in your voice and the use of the word "bad" was effective enough.   It would pain me to see his imploring eyes wanting my reassurance of forgiveness and not being able to rest until he knew he was back in good graces.  

A very puppy Dockers.
My brother-in-law teases and calls him "Radar" because of his healthy ears (5/1999).

My husband and I worked full-time plus, so Dockers was indoors alone for most of the day.   When we came home, we'd let him out with Nike and Puma in small intervals to use the bathroom and play.    As the days turned into weeks and we began establishing a routine, I started to notice his demeanor change when we brought him in after being outside with our older dogs.  We had him baby-caged for amounts of time after his outside visits and while we ate dinner, etc.   He was becoming depressed. I remember one evening, I picked him up and was concerned that maybe he was sick.   I looked into his eyes and then I knew...and I really started crying.   He was depressed and unhappy and I knew what it was.   We started to slowly ease him into being outside more and eventually his indoor time with us became more like visits than him being an indoor kid. He was happier...and because he was happy, I had to let go of the idea that he was going to be our full-time indoor dog.

For the times that Dockers is inside and when he was younger he'd sleep in our room, I treasure his Corgi behaviors like flipping over on his back to sleep and the suckling noises he'd make at night cleaning his paws (like a cat!).    He's a character to be sure...and one that always needs to be busy.   

My Dockers.  Our ambassador to the Corgi-kind.  We couldn't have asked for a better representative and experience.

CorgiTales aka CorgiTales

Flashback: Cody's Introduction

Where are the days going?   The week just literally flew by and it's Friday again and already.    Why are our canine kids (Corgi kids) so absolutely forgiving and lovable?   It takes relatively little to make them happy and still I manage to disappoint them and myself.   To just say the word "ball" sparks a whole new life in them and makes them so incredibly happy.   So why then do I miss our play time, sometimes?   Last night - working away and look up at the window to see that it's dark already!   Ugh.   We didn't play ball.  I'm so sorry boyz =(

Today is Flashback Friday on Cody the Codester who is no stranger to a camera.   He had a camera in his face minutes after we brought him home and introduced him to our existing family and pack - Alpha (Dockers) and Beta (Nikita).   I'm not sure how Cody fits in.  He is definitely accepted, but he's neither an alpha or beta - and most definitely not an omega.  He helps keep things light and can provoke play by either Dockers or Nikita.   He'll be two (ALREADY), next month but still has that happy, go-lucky, pounce on you puppy demeanor.   His ears still slightly flop when he's running hard and although that may not be the "prime corgi characterstic" I love it and I hope he doesn't loose that.  

Cody looks scared, but it was all good. 
Our alpha and beta look on to reassure him he's welcome (3/2008).

Docker's, our alpha, formal introduction (3/2008).

Followed by our nurturing beta, Nikita (3/2008).

It's an exciting time when you're introducing a new member.  There are, of course, stresses that come along with it.  What if they just don't fit in?  Maybe something sensed by the older members, especially if the newbie had a traumatized past and displays lack of confidence.   We haven't been faced with those challenges.   It's such a change in routine and comfort for awhile when there's a new kid.   

• They don't know your routine
• They may not speak your language (simple things like "come" their name, etc.)
• Feeding time
• Jealousies
• Reassuring existing kids
• Crate and/or potty training!

the list goes on...

Having a new puppy, you just want to hold them all the time and snuggle them - but how about the older members?   They can feel displaced.   We started to see problems with Dockers and Nikita - not issues with Cody, but they started fighting eachother and we can only surmize that there was tension building due to their confidence of their place with us.   It was totally our bad and lack of enough empathy, even though we thought we were covering all the bases. This is another reason I feel that playing a group game that we all participate in, like ball or taking walks, is so important for that bonding with them and with eachother.

Daylight Savings this weekend...we fall back so we gain a whole lovely hour!  Have a fun but safe Halloween evening and great weekend =)

Corgi Tales aka CorgiTales

Related Posts

• Pack Initiation
• Our New Addition

Note:  In many of my posts I'll make mention to Alpha and Beta...if you're not familiar with these terms in the context of referring to a pack's hierarchy, there's an excellent documentary from Jim & Jamie Dutcher called "Living With Wolves/Wolves At Our Door".  It's definitely a must see.    Beautiful story, mission and cinematography - you'll fall in love with the Dutcher's work and the Sawtooth pack.

Flashback: Sweet Nikita

Our sweet Nikita is Docker's son.  Dockers has a wife named Bailey (my brother's Corgi).   Dockers and Bailey had a litter of two puppies named Nina and Nikita.   Nina lives with her mom and Nikita lives with his dad.  Nina is a tri-color like her father but doesn't look like Dockers.  However, Nikita is a spitting image of his mother only larger (his mom, Bailey, is the cutest petite Corgi girl you've ever seen!).

Nikita has a very sweet disposition.  He's not a frivolous barker and has made his place in the pack as a Beta.   He is loving, warm and nurturing and took on a very patient and maternal-like role when we introduced Cody.  

At an early age, Dockers and I taught him how to play ball with us and he absolutely loves it.   A tennis or golf ball is never far away from him.   We use a tennis ball to play our game, but when my husband practices chipping, Nikita gathers the golf balls in a neat little pile as my husband chips away!   It's absolutely adorable and we never trained him to do it.   I'll have to video it one day.

Nikita is happy being on his cushion all day.   He's not a busy beaver type of dog - he's happy and content to be on his cushion unless there's something to get up and off it!    Even though he's doesn't seem to be as physically active as Dockers and Cody (who are always up to something), he has a strong porportioned physique - we sometimes call him the "Stud Muffin".   He's a real sweetie and reminds me of a perfectly delicious muffin because of his warm fur color.   =)

More about our Nikita in future Flashbacks!

Corgi Tales aka CorgiTales

Flashback Fridays

I started the CorgiTales blog when we added our new puppy, Cody, to our pack back in February 2008.  I've been using the CorgiTales name on Flickr since 2006 - inspired by our Corgi Kids.   One day I hope to have sections of the blog printed out like a coffee table book of the postings I write of the kids.   With that in mind, I'm going to sometimes "Flashback" to stories and memories of other Fur kids we have had and the growing up years of Dockers and Nikita too.  

Blogging is a discipline, and honestly, sometimes I'm just downright lazy!   And then to flashback and pull photographs that were taken prior to my converting to digital...even more to procrastinate!   We'll see how this goes.   Hopefully, if you're reading this blog, you'll enjoy strolling down memory lane with me sometimes.  =)

Corgi Tales aka CorgiTales