Needed – A Home for a young Cardigan Boy!

“Romeo”

Available for adoption. Fostered in Wichita, Kansas.

Currently ForPaws Corgi Rescue has this handsome 17-month-old Cardigan boy available. He is neutered and up-to-date on his vaccinations, heartworm negative.

He is a typical teenager – full of energy, happy, affectionate and in need of all of the typical training and socialization that goes with raising a nice young Cardigan. He gets along with other dogs, plays well and understands the cues. Being a teenage boy, he’s a bit full of himself and would not work with an alpha male dog. He has not been cat tested. We also would not place him in a situation with young children, as he’s pretty rambunctious.

Ideally, we would love to find a “cardi person” for Romeo. Another female corgi, or dog of similar size, as a companion would be wonderful. Any new owner should plan on basic obedience training and continued socialization for Romeo.

With the holidays coming, there are always more dogs in rescue and we’re really overloaded right now. If you’re aware of anyone who might be right for this boy, please send him our way.

Interested and qualified parties should submit an application through ForPaws Corgi Rescue.

Please help find Romeo a wonderful new home for Christmas! (Thanksgiving would be even better!)

Whee…it’s an RAE3!!

Two days

Four Trials

One Blue Ribbon

One Perfect Score!

One new RAE3 Title!

One incredibly beautiful working dog!

Congratulations C-Myste Denali RAE3

Check out those scores. This is how it went ALL weekend. An amazing field of dogs performing wonderfully well. A real pleasure to watch! The downside – no margin for error. If you didn’t score 98 or better, no chance for a placement in many cases.

Denali was as focused and consistent as I’ve ever seen her. She did an awesome job, but should have traded me in on a better handler. I did things I’ve never done before – walked through a sign (would have been a second place) and didn’t notice that the judge swapped a Pivot Right for a Pivot Left between the Advanced and Excellent Classes (would have been a third place finish).

Redemption came with the award of a perfect score in the Advanced Class of our Title Leg! The clapping at the end said we looked good out there. I was hoping for a 99. When I saw the 100 I was thrilled! Must be an audience. Last time we got a perfect score Denali’s Gramma Carolyn and her family were there to see it! This time we had some new cardigan friends who were anxious to see how Denali looked in the ring. She didn’t disappoint! Thanks to Lynn and Peter for sticking around to watch!

The final result…one tired girl. Have a nice nap Denali – you earned it!

Age 3 – Still a Puppy!

Here he is – my Big Puppy – all grown up! Hard to believe that the little bundle I held in my arms at the age of ten weeks is suddenly three years old!

Here’s what he looked like when he first arrived – age ten weeks:

Even with the duct tape crown he was still adorable – and made the cutest little puppy talking noises, some of which he continues to this day.
Always ready to play, he’s keeps Denali busy (which is a good thing!)

Notice his pale coat color. Sage is one of two clear red (pink) dogs in this litter. He was a surprise, as we didn’t know that both parents carried the recessive red gene until he arrived. At birth he was completely white. At ten weeks, he was a very light cream color. His “pink” coloring came in gradually and has continued to darken for his first three years.

Look at the difference today: Now we know he’s a pink merle.

As an interior architect and designer, I appreciate good design. Clearly Sage inherited the need to modify his environment from me.

If he was still a puppy, I’d say that he just hasn’t outgrown the chewing stage. But now that he’s three years old, and officially an “Adult,” (did you hear that Sage?) I have to say that he’s simply “restructuring his living space to suit his personal tastes.” These pictures were taken about a month ago.

Really – don’t you like it? I call it “Collage de Used to be Your Magazine.”

Renovating your space takes a lot of time and energy. Always nice to park at the foot of the bed with your best friend for an afternoon nap.

And when its time to go outside, nothing is cooler than a great pair of shades, man! Doggles are the Bomb!What, you think he’s funny…oh yes! He’s the funniest, sweetest little boy dog ever. And regardless of age, he will always be our adorable puppy!

C-Myste, Baledwr, SN Redwood Sunrise RN (Sage)

Happy 3rd Birthday Sage – and to all the littermates in the Tree Litter!

Thomas – On the Road Again Soon – Chapter 7

Thomas has come a LONG way since that first day when he arrived in rescue and got to play in the snow. When he first arrived he weighed quite a bit more, but that sweet happy character came shining through!

Now, with some serious surgery under his belt Thomas continues to do well with recuperation. But he’s got one more round to go. Next week he goes back to Kansas State Veterinary Hospital to have the remaining bit of skin cancer, that they weren’t able to get previously, removed.Currently the plan is for the surgery to be performed on Wednesday, October 12th and for Thomas to be ready to go home on Friday, October 14th. These are dates when the Blog Mistress will be out of town, so I may not be able to post until I return on October 19th.

We know that there are a lot of you out there pulling for Thomas! Please continue to send those good vibes to him and think special thoughts for him next week. I’ll update you on his status as soon as I return!

And remember – saving Thomas wouldn’t have been possible without those wonderful people at CorgiAid! Thank you Angels!

Home Needed for Lada! (Or even a Foster in SF Bay Area)

You’ve seen her before. This is Lada!

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Lada has been in foster care with ForPaws Corgi Rescue for awhile in order to get past a stubborn urinary infection. Her previous owner was hit hard financially so her veterinary care was overdue. Ultimately she realized she just wasn’t able to keep Lada, which broke hearts on both sides!

Right now we really need a home, or even a foster home, for Lada ASAP. We recently had another foster dog in the same home rupture a disc in her back. She will require an extended period of care and crate rest and Lada is WAY too playful to have around while we’re trying to keep our patient quiet for the next couple of months.

Now this spunky girl is 100% healthy and ready to rock a new home! We’re on the hunt for the perfect place for her. She is a very affectionate girl, a velcro dog looking for Her Person.

A REALLY nice Cardigan Welsh Corgi with a textbook Cardi female personality, Lada loves to be Queen, but isn’t overwhelming about it. She gets along with other dogs, but will do best as an only dog, or with a male corgi who clearly understands that he is #2 in the pack order.

Lada is a pretty dog and has actually lost a little more weight than shown in these photos. She came in to foster care quite heavy and has done well on her diet.

She’s a lovely brown brindle girl. We were told she is somewhere between eight to ten years of age, but have a hard time believing it. We have no way of knowing her actual age. Our vet puts her around 7-8 years.

Lada is as active as any five to six year old dog, extremely playful and ready to go for a walk or ride in the car at all times. She’s been fully vetted, is up to date on vaccinations, heartworm negative and on preventative for heartworm and fleas. A true corgi, she loves a good belly rub and isn’t hesitant to ask.

She also loves, loves, loves to play with a tennis ball!

Unlike many corgis, Lada will “fetch.” She wants you to continue to interact with her and throw the ball again. It is all about being a companion to her person for this dog.

We mean it when we say “active.” Lada also loves to swim and will hop in the pool the moment she’s invited.

She’s become quite good at the dry cycle too!  Just remember to step back while you watch!

And she can multi-task with the best of them, fetch while swimming!

We are looking for a corgi-experienced home with folks who understand what makes a happy Cardigan Welsh Corgi tick and time to spend with her during the day. This is a dog that prefers human companionship to that of other dogs. We can’t put her in a situation in which she will spend the majority of her hours at home alone during the day. An retired couple or someone who works from home would be ideal for her!

She would love to be an only dog, which has been her situation up to now. But she will adapt to sharing space with another submissive pack member. She will do best if she is allowed to be the alpha dog. She is confident, slightly pushy, but not difficult to manage for those who “get” the corgi temperament.

Lada has had some basic obedience training, is house trained, leash trained, crate trained. She has excellent house manners and can be left indoors without issues. She is gregarious, and while she’s affectionate toward all people, she’d be too much dog for a young child, as she likes to bounce, jump and run and would definitely want to take a ball away from a toddler. We’re looking for an all-adult home, or a home in which children are at minimum age 12 or older.

If you know anyone who might be interested, or who could fill in as a temporary foster person in the interim, please ask them to e-mail Kathy@ForPaws.org (Serious inquiries from corgi-experienced and knowledgeable parties located in the Bay Area only please.)

Thomas – In Recovery Mode (Chapter 6)

Here we are on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Thomas was the penultimate Companion Dog this morning, helping with the chores. His recuperation is going well and he’s acting more like himself now that he’s past those first few days since his surgery.

Here you can see that the incision on his throat is healing nicely.

OK, so I get the drill and the measuring tape, but even if I HAD thumbs, I wouldn’t be able to use the sander!

As a reward for working so hard, he spent a little time at the playground too. Yahoo! The slide is my favorite, but I’ll have to wait awhile longer before I’m ready for that ride again!

Feeling well enough to kick up his heels a little!

Certainly there’s nothing wrong with his hearing. He takes in all of the goings-on while at the playground.

All those stitches are starting to itch – a good sign of healing!

Thank you for my outing. This has been a nice day. It is SO good to be home!

Think I’ll take a little nap before dinner. Awww…nothing like a good spot on the couch with some cozy blankets. Sure hope the hair on my backside grows back quickly. It’s a little breezy back there!

Thomas you’re doing a great job with the healing process! You can have as many naps as you like! Best wishes from all of your viewers and your extended rescue fan club here in California!

Thomas’ Trip Home (Chapter 4.1)

Because we now have some nice photos of Thomas’ trip home from the veterinary hospital, we’ll reverse time to show them to you. As you know he’s now back in foster care, where he’s recuperating.

The poor guy is on a boatload of medications, which tend to upset his stomach. As a result, he’s not eating all that well, even with an anti-nausea drug. His foster mom is checking in with the vet and perhaps they’ll have a suggestion.

Otherwise he continues to do well and his recovery is progressing without any surprises. This morning he accompanied his foster mom out into the yard and enjoyed relaxing with her while she did some gardening. All in all, a nice day.

This is what his departure from the veterinary hospital looked like this past Tuesday:

Coming out to the lobby to meet his ride home (foster mom).

This week he has a new veterinary student assigned to his case. She helps with his checkout process.

One last belly check. Whew, much less swollen!Okay Thomas, you’re officially discharged and free to go. (What no wheelchair ride out?)

Hmm…this seems familiar. Hard to believe I’ve been through so much since the last time I posed next to this sign on my way in last week. Bye Bye nice doctors. Thanks for all you did for me! Nothing personal, but I’m so much happier taking the outward bound photo.

OH LOOK…it’s my car! I’d know that scent anywhere. And a nice fresh blanket for the trip. Oh happy day!

Oh thank goodness they came to get me. This is just the BEST! I get to go home now. Did you hear…I’m going HOME! Yea yea, we’re on the way home! Can we leave now, huh? Are we there yet? When will we be there…start the engine!

Thomas – Good News…and Not! (Chapter 5)

Thomas returned to his foster home today. No more hospital kennel! He was pretty happy to see his foster people and enjoyed being out in the grass again. From this view, he looks like a typical corgi.

But from the back…

and the underside – not so much!

His doctors had some good news and bad for us as far as his test results go. The incontinence problem is showing very good signs of improvement and there is good reason to think he may no longer have this issue when he’s completely healed.

The thyroid mass was benign. However, they saw another very small node on the other side of his neck so they will do a followup ultrasound in about three months.

Unfortunately, the mass on his abdomen was a malignant Grade 1 Mast Cell Tumor and it was not completely removed during this surgery. Due to its location it was too close to the abdominal incision for the prostate and they couldn’t take as much as they wanted. Therefore Thomas is looking at yet another surgery so they can remove the rest of it in two to three weeks. At Grade 1 it is easy to deal with, but not so if it is allowed to progress, so it needs to come out now!

Sigh…this is such a sweet dog. Hard to believe all that he’s going through. But had the incontinence issue not presented itself the cancer probably wouldn’t have been found until it was too late. There are reasons for these things after all!

For now, he is delighted to be “home,” and able to sniff the flowers again. He gets his stitches out tomorrow and will have a chance to relax and recover for a bit now.

Again – thanks for all the good wishes. Please keep them coming!

Thomas – Soon to Go Home! (Chapter 4)

Just got a little update on our boy: Recovery continues to go very well for Thomas. Barring any unforeseen issues, he’ll be coming home on Tuesday!

For anyone interested in contributing toward the coverage of Thomas’ medical costs, please do so through CorgiAid, Inc. Click on the link below, and be sure to tell them that this is on behalf of Thomas!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Thomas – Day 2 After Surgery – Chapter 3

Today was day number two after surgery. Our little guy continues to heal very well and has been such a good patient.

The morning report from Thomas’ attending vet student:

Thomas is doing well today. They did blood work and will probably pull the IV and catheter if all looks good. They’re paying special attention to the thyroid results to make sure it is functioning properly. They also checked his abdominal fluid and will pull that drain today if all things are progressing well. They will stop the IV pain meds and put him on oral meds for pain today too. His progress is really good!

His vet again mentioned that Thomas is a complete sweetie. He is an easy patient, very compliant. When they need to check his incisions he just rolls over for them. (But we knew what a little gem he was going in!) Still, it is really nice to hear that his temperament has impressed his medical team! And we’re pretty impressed with them too!

Pictures from today:

Sigh…the E-collar, not a dog’s best friend – but so necessary in this case. 

As of this morning he still had all kinds of tubes attached.

And his belly is packed with gauze.

Ouch! Of course he’s very swollen. Given the multiple procedures, no wonder!

Ahh…this feels better – ice packs for the neck, belly, and pellet-removal incisions.

OK, now this is more like it. By afternoon the drainage tubes and catheter were out. Much more comfortable and out for a little walk with the medical team. Thomas thinks, “Whoa…all this attention just for me!  I LIKE it!”

Seriously, you all came out here just to see me do THIS? (Yup, that’s right!)

Of course, there was some time for petting and attention, which is what Thomas is all about!

This evening’s report from the medical staff:

Thomas continues to do well. The IV catheter and drain tube is out. He is urinating pretty well on his own. Looks promising for a complete recovery, but we won’t know till some of the swelling has gone down. Right now, he’s on track. His thyroid is low/normal so they will keep an eye on that. If he continues to do as well as he has these past couple of days, we’re expecting that Thomas will be able to come “home” to his foster mom on Monday or Tuesday!

Keep those healing vibes coming in! Clearly, they’re helping this great little guy!

BTW, in a previous comment someone asked about donating on behalf of Thomas. As we mentioned previously, the incredible CorgiAid, Inc foundation is paying his medical bills. If you wish to donate to CorgiAid, Inc. on behalf of Thomas, please visit their website to do so. And be sure to indicate that this is in support of Thomas!

We will also look into whether the veterinary hospital will accept donations directly in order to help offset some of Thomas’ costs and post more about it when we see if that is an option!

In the meantime, thank you to all of you who’ve sent well-wishes! We SO appreciate it! (And huge thanks to those who’ve sent the photos! It is great to be able to see what’s happening for those of us who are miles away, but keeping Thomas in our hearts!)

Good night Thomas – we will check on you tomorrow!