Doesn't look like playing to me

What passes for playing in the dog world doesn't look--or sound--like fun to me at all!



Of course, I know they are having fun.


I know this because each time one of them stops to catch her breath,


the other one whines or barks or noses her to get back into the game!



I like watching from the sidelines--and I do mean watching! They ran around a corner together and nearly knocked me down once!



It doesn't look like playing to me, but what do I know?

Get a load of those ears!

 

She was about to fall asleep and didn't have her ears standing up quite as straight as they normally are.

But straight or not, they sure are BIG.

What Bonnie and Darby did yesterday

This is what Bonnie did yesterday:


and, this:


and, this:


and, this:


then, finally this to cool off after all that hard work:




This is what Darby was doing while Bonnie was doing all that:


This was Bonnie's first time in with sheep. At first, she didn't know what to do, then suddenly it clicked and away she went. She especially didn't like it when a sheep would break away from the others! She has a real hall monitor mentality.

Darby, for once, didn't complain about being held, and slept a big part of the time on Aunt Kathy's lap in the shade. She was very good with the other Corgis she met. She seems to do better with older dogs. Puppies seem to frighten her.

There were only two other cardigans--one brindle very similar to Darby and one black with brindle points. The rest of the dogs were all Pembrokes, with an odd other breed dog thrown in here and there.

I have to say our two girls were far and away the best behaved--no inappropriate, annoying barking and they sat pretty to be petted.

It was a good outing for the last day of Erika's and Bonnie's visit. We're going to miss them so much!

Too bad Bonnie doesn't go to school. She would have something fun to write about in her "What I did on my summer vacation" essay!

I don't know which is weirder

I don't know which is weirder -- the eyes or the ears!

Sloppy puppy kisses

Halloween in June

Darby and Bonnie in the Pool

Darby and Bonnie got in the pool yesterday.



OK. So, it was only a little kiddie-wading pool!



Neither of them cared for it very much.



But, I'll bet they'll like it a little later this summer when the temperatures out here in East County soar into the 90's and 100's!

Looks can be deceiving!

Now, can you imagine this sweet little puppy, calmly resting on her bed under my desk



growling at her human, wrinkling up her freckled muzzle and snapping at her human??

Bonnie, the big dog who is visiting us with her human (our daughter,) couldn't believe it either. Bonnie jumped off her human's lap, rushed over and growled at Darby. Of course, Darby stopped immediately and groveled around while Bonnie ignored her.

It seemed to the three of us that Bonnie lost her patience with Darby and said "Don't talk to my grandmother human that way!"

I want to learn to growl like Bonnie does. My attempts don't have the same impact with Darby.

Maybe I need to sharpen my canine teeth!!

(Darby's right ear was down this morning, but back up again this evening!)

The Ball

Bonnie has the ball and Darby wants it.






Darby may be little, right now. But, she sure is tenacious!





A moment later, Darby sneaked around in front of Bonnie and tried to grab the ball. Bonnie grabbed it first and warned the little booger off with a growl.

Poor Darby!

Daily

Whatever possessed me to name this blog Darby's Daily???

Erika's shower was great. Darby observed most of the festivities from her crate. (Very short, fast moving puppies and girls in 3 inch heels are a dangerous mix) She was coo-ed at and "oh, how cute-ed" both in and out of her crate!

Bonnie was the gracious guest she always is--mingling then going to sleep on the floor near where Erika sat opening gifts.

Bonnie and Darby played a little better this afternoon. About the time Bonnie has to go home, they just might like each other.

I'm off to bed--sleeping in Erika's bed with Bonnie while Erika is out partying with her bridesmaids.

Here's a shot from this morning while we were setting up for the shower. Harry on the table (I don't need to hear from anyone how that is un-sanitary) with Darby watching Bonnie watch for Harry to jump down from the table!

Bonnie is ignoring Darby!

I've been reading about how dogs behave around each other. Higher status dogs will often dismiss lower status dogs by turning their heads and tilting their heads slightly upward (or so I have read.)

Like this:


And this:


Puppies will try to get the other dog's attention by chasing it.

Like this:


When she got too close, Bonnie put her in her place with a quick growl!

Wish I could growl like that with Darby nips my heels!

Darby and Harry

Harry seems as interested in Darby as Darby is in him.

Darby charges after him and pounces on him.



Licks his ears until he jumps up and makes a half-hearted attempt to get away.



After letting her lick his tail, he decides he's had enough.




But, notice he doesn't run too far.



He doesn't run up the stairs where she couldn't get him!

I think he wants to play as much as she does.

I "heart" cardigans, or how I got Darby--the long story

I got Darby from Detroit--sort of.

A few years ago, my sister and I were returning to San Diego from our annual visit with our aunts and cousins in Michigan.

While we were waiting for our luggage at the carousel, I noticed an "I 'heart' Cardigans" tag on the bag of a woman standing next to me who had been on our flight.

I said "I'll bet that's not referring to sweaters, is it?" and she, Mary Gretchen Belloff, said "No! I breed Cardigan Welsh Corgis." We chatted for a bit about my daughter's cardigan (dog, not sweater!)and about the dogs Ms. Belloff bred and I asked for her contact information.

When our two big dogs died early this year and I was ready for a puppy, I couldn't find Ms. Belloff's contact information so I started "Googling" and eventually "detroit cardigan corgis" or some combination of words took me to her website.

I sent her an email, but didn't hear anything for a few weeks. Then suddenly one day, I received an email. Her website was defunct, she said, but she just happened to check its associated email box that day. She no longer bred cardi's--only judged them--but she put me in touch with Kim Shira and Leda Thompson of Coedwig Cardigans and the rest is history!

So, in some round-about way, I got Darby from Detroit!


(Never posted this cute photo from her first week with us.)

The ears--they are standing!

I think the ears are standing! Don't you agree?



When I used to voice my worries about some milestone in Erika's life--weaning, potty training, etc., her pediatrician would always say



"I guarantee that by the time she goes to the prom, that issue will be resolved."



I've thought of that several times over the last few weeks while I worried about Darby's ears.




Looks like the ear issue is resolved.

Like so much in life, there was nothing to worry about.

(Glenn was right.)

Tape

Another attempt at getting that right ear to stand upright! I hope it works!

Dang! Those ears are big!

Warm Weather

I hope we don't see any live ones of these this year:




In the eleven years we've lived here, we have only seen one rattlesnake in our yard. It was a baby, furiously shaking its rattle while our golden retriever and our rottie/german shepherd mix danced around it! I shooed them behind the gate and ran for a shovel. When I caught up with it on the grass, I wasn't strong enough, close enough, a good enough aim, but do anything but deal it a glancing blow with the shovel. That made it coil up and rattle even more furiously! Fortunately, a neighbor man was home and came over and dispatched it for me.

We've only seen that one in our yard, but neighbors on both sides of us and across the street have had rattlesnakes in their yards, and one friend down the road came home to a nearly 5 foot long one curled up inside her sunroom -- near the door left partially open for her miniature daschund (who thankfully wasn't bitten.)

I am enjoying the serious "June gloom" weather we've been having the last several weeks and am not at all looking forward to the coming warm weather waking up all those sleeping rattlesnakes.

Bonnie is coming to visit!

Bonnie is coming to visit us for a week. She is bringing her human, Erika.



I can't wait to see what Bonnie and Darby think of each other.

I hope they get along well and I hope Bonnie is a good ear example for Darby.

What's Harry lookin' at?

Guess who??

Catching--or rather, trying to catch--her tail!

I wonder if she is dizzy.



I would be!!

(Look at those ears!!)