Dogs in Glass -- What Do You Think?

I love dogs, and I love glass. Hence, I love to make dogs in glass. I lean toward small plates that are easy to display. What do those of you who are dog people think? Small plates with dogs? Or larger pieces? Literal images of dogs, or more cartoony fun representations? Do you think women would want pendants with images of dogs? I appreciate your help! :)

8 Weeks Down!!!

Today Paddington had his 8-week checkup. The good souls at VOSM said that he's doing very well! They were finally able to check his shoulders and he had pretty good extension in both. Now we have to build him back up without hurting him. This is easier said than done, given his enthusiasm for life. At least he can go on short walks -- those have made his day, and made him less likely to explode.

And throughout it all, in true corgi diva fashion, Cady couldn't care less (except for the increased attention heaped on Paddington).

The Vet: A Corgi's Best Friend

When the Bella Fiori corgis aren't making fine glass art, they're finding ways to necessitate trips to the vet's office.


Cady gets frequent ear infections, which seems odd to me -- wouldn't ears this big and open be well ventilated? Apparently not.




Paddington leads the way with frequent vet miles. We got him (at a little over a year old) in July 2008. Since then we haven't gone more than 3 1/2 weeks without a trip to the vet. By the end of 2008 he'd had whip worm, ring worm, skin allergies, a urinary tract infection, and rocky mountain spotted fever. In October he started limping on both front legs. The normal vet couldn't find the problem, so in January we took him to the ortopedic specialists at VOSM in Maryland. A few months of rehab didn't work so 6 weeks ago he had surgery on both front shoulders. Since then he's been wearing hobbles, which are front-leg braces that inhibit any shoulder movement while he's healing.

The first couple of weeks home after surgery he had to wear a lampshade to keep him from getting into his stitches. He hated it! So, the vet tech suggested putting a t-shirt on him. Behold, tennis-action Paddington!

As cute as he looked, it wasn't meant to be: the shirt kept bagging down and he'd trip on the sleeves, which is not the greatest movement for a dog who just had shoulder surgery. He did look super-cute in his shirt, though.

For a total of 8 weeks he has to keep his shoulders as immobile as possible. We do daily exercises on his elbows, knees, and toes (knees and toes) to keep them healthy while he's wearing the hobbles, but the shoulders are outta luck for 8 long, long weeks. Can you imagine keeping a 2-year-old corgi inactive for 8 weeks? Let's think about that a moment. How long is 8 weeks exactly? Two months! Fifty-six days! Oye. Sadly, Paddington does not speak English, so it's been a challenge explaining this to him. As he's felt better every day he's tried to be more and more active. So, we've had to crate him or tie him to a handy piece of furniture. Most of the last 6 weeks have been spent with his new best friend, the coffee table. (It's a love-hate relationship.)

Today Paddington had his 6-week checkup, and he's doing pretty well! I was worried because he started limping on his front left leg, which is the one where the surgery was more intensive. The vet thinks that he's limping because he's got a lot of muscle tension in that shoulder. Phew! Now just 2 weeks to go until we can start shoulder stretches and they can check that his shoulders healed properly. Six weeks down, two to go!

We just can't wait until he's fully healed and he can resume his normal routine of fetch and zommies.

Nicknames

The Bella Fiori corgis are so cute that one name per dog just isn't enough. Their nicknames are many: Little Girl, Little Cutie, Mr. Wigglebutt, Teddy Bear Boy, Ms Stinky Breath, Silly Girl, Big Head Boy... What are some of your dogs' nicknames?

Vegecorgians?

Normally the pups, especially Paddington, want to eat anything that I'm eating. They are corgis, after all. But neither of them showed any interest in the vegetarian Morningstar Farms Chick'n Nuggets that I just ate for dinner. Is this a sign that canines are fundamentally carnivores? Or is it a commentary on foods spelled without vowels?