A Corgi Blog!

I have created a Corgi blog! Super cute videos and pictures, and well as Corgi information await!

http://thepembrokeandcardigancorgiblog.blogspot.com/

Answers to the Quiz

1. German Shepherds
2. Boxer
3. Dalmatians (yep, they are born without spots!)
4. Rottweiler
5. Newfoundland
6. Neopolitan Mastiffs
7. Border Collie
8. Beagles
9. Collie
10. Greyhound

Pictures of Spock!

Look at those legs!

Sleeping puppy! So cute!

Attacking 'Belinda' the rubber chicken.

Yum!

Looking like a German Shepard

Isn't this an adorable puppy!?

Spock wearing a hat I crocheted.

Yawning puppy.

More Spock Pictures

Spock's been doing really well. We got him some new toys today, and he loves them. He also loves playing outside. Today we discovered that he is very much a runt. Instead of 9 pounds, the normal weight for an 9 week old corgi pup, he weighs exactly 4 pounds. This is not unheard of the corgi world. Anyway, here are some more pictures!

Note: his eyes are not that color!

Oliver

Well, as some of you may know, yesterday was my thirteenth birthday. I got plenty of money for my birthday, and I decided to use some of it to buy another bird and cage, to be a friend for Kiki. He is being quarantined right now, but in a month he is going to live with Kiki.

My new budgie is named Oliver, a.k.a Ollie. I don't have any pictures of him yet, but I will soon. He is a beautiful bird, yellow and olive green (hence the name.)

I picked Ollie because he was the oldest bird in the store and he was old enough to tell that he was a male. I wanted a male bird, because females, like Kiki, rarely learn to speak.

The worker who grabbed Ollie and clipped his wings was shocked to find that Ollie didn't even try to bite her. It was a good sign, and Ollie is now tame enough to step on to my finger.

Many people have the mistaken belief that dogs and cats are the only animals with different personalities. That is not true! I have only had Oliver for a day, but it has already become apparent that he is quite different from Kiki.
Here is a list of differences I've noticed so far:

1. Ollie really likes having a spray bath- Kiki flees when she sees me get the bottle.
2. Kiki adores millet spray, but Ollie refuses to even taste it.
3. Kiki has always been a bit wary of fingers, but Ollie hops right up.
4. Ollie has been almost entirely silent so far - Kiki is loud (but Kiki was very quiet the first few days, so it might change)
5. Kiki will nip when she feels like it - Ollie won't.
6. Kiki loves to perch on my shoulder and will sit there for a long time. Ollie on the other hand refuses to do so- he just jumps off right away.

By the way, I still love Kiki just as much as before I got Oliver!

Raising Quail

Well, maybe you want to raise chickens but you don't have the space, it's not allowed (if you live the city), or you can't keep roosters but you want to raise chicks, or maybe you just want a fun and educational pet. If so, you could try raising quail.

Many websites like this one http://www.hometrainingtools.com/quail-eggs-incubators/c/161/ and other school/ home school science supply sites have chicks. For a rather low price ( $31 on this site) you get either four Pharaoh (also called Cortunix) or four Bobwhite quail eggs and an incubator.

It might seem hard to hatch chicks, but you can do it. First, since the eggs are dormant, you can leave them alone for about eight hours to 'settle'. The most important things to remember are: make sure the heat stays constant, keep it humid, and turn the eggs. You have to turn the eggs at least twice a day, but some people say every four hours. About four times a day should work.

It is recommended to mark an X on one side of the egg and O on the other. Also, you are less likely to damage the fragile eggs if you roll the eggs with your finger instead of picking them up to turn them.

When the chicks hatch, they will first poke a hole at the oxygen in - then sleep (they are exhausted), then they will peck some more, often sleeping. When they have hatched, leave them alone for at least eight hours or until they get active. Them, pick the chicks up carefully and but them in a brooder (a cardboard box or aquarium with a heat lamp, lined with newspaper or rodent shavings). Try not to handle them much for a few days (they are very, very, very tiny!).

After a few days, you can hold the chicks very gently (otherwise they will be very skittish when full grown).

Quail chicks can eat normal chick starter made for chicken chicks. My Aunt had quail as a girl, and she fed them oatmeal, I think. Chick starter is probably better.

When the chicks are full grown, they need a cage. They are small enough to keep indoors, and actually, many people do this. If you keep them indoors or in a garage or shed, you can use a wire guinea pig cage. Other wise, you can use a rabbit cage. Either way, they should have space to fly. Or, if the wings are clipped (for indoor quail and tame quail that you handle) they should have a run.

By the way, the website says that usually only two or three eggs hatch. If none of them hatch, you can get four more for two dollars.

The incubator is reusable, so if you have more eggs (if you have a cock and hen, you will have plenty) you can hatch them. If you want eating eggs, sell the cocks or keep them separate.

The moment you've all been waiting for!

Dove pictures! We were at a camp right in the middle of the doves' growth.

The chicks had their eyes open right before we left.

A couple days later, Pippin and Perry have feathers!

Pippin and Perry (Pippin with his wing out).

The doves didn't change much after the last picture was taken. A few days later, they were gone!

Mourning Dove Pics!

I decided to post some pictures after all. By the way, the second chick is named Paradox. (We call the squabs Pippin and Perry for short.) My brother named Perry. I hope you enjoy these pictures!

Pippin and Perry, yet unhatched

Pippin (one day old) with Perry in egg

Another shot of Pippin and unhatched Perry

Pippin (two days old) and Perry (one day old)

Another picture from the same day

Dovey, Pippin (3 days old) and Perry (two days old)

A cute picture taken on the same day

I haven't taken any pictures today, but I will try to.

More Chicks

Since it's getting close to Easter, I'm celebrating by doing a post with pictures of chicks! Also, if you haven't already, watch my "Chicks!" video clip. With this link: Chicks! Video. It's really cute.

You have to handle chicks a lot, or else they could be mean when they grow up.

Chicks have proportionally large feet.

Not all chicks are yellow!

By the next day these chicks will be fluffy!

Chicks need to be with other chicks, so if you buy some, get at least 3 or 4.



 

Unbelievably Cute Puppies

These two 9- week- old Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies are so cute, I just had to include lots of pictures. Even if you aren't a Corgi lover, you'll find these puppies incredibly adorable! Which picture is your favorite? My favorite picture is number 2.

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Kiki - The Movie

New Year's Day marked the one year anniversary of bringing Kiki home. This short video is made in her honor. Listen for the songs my brother and I composed and performed!

Comment and tell me what you think!

Book Review: Zooborns

Zooborns: The Newest, Cutest Animals from the World's Zoos and Aquariums by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland, is a delightful read for animal lovers.

If you like cute baby animals, you should read this book! Some of them (baby echidnas) are ugly, but most of them are very adorable.

My favorite animals from this book are the: fennec fox, red panda, emperor tamarin monkeys, pygmy rabbit, and white Bengal tigers.   

There is also two other versions that I haven't read yet. Zooborns (written for ages 2-7) and Zooborns Cats.

Zooborns also has a great website with hundreds (possibly thousands) of pictures and video clips all featuring  baby animals. Zooborns Link

Hamsters

Hamsters are small, adorable, and cheap pets. Many people want a hamster after seeing just how cute they are.

This is a Syrian, or Golden hamster.

Hamsters can become rather tame, but if they are handled roughly they will bite. Of course, hamster bites aren't dangerous.

Hamsters, like all caged mammals, need regular time outside of their cage. Do not let a hamster run free in your house! They will get lost! Instead, put your hamster in a large plastic tub or a small pet playpen. Also, if you do not handle a tame hamster regularly, it will lose its tameness.

The most expensive item you'll buy when you get a hamster is its cage. This can be an aquarium (ten gallons for a Syrian or two dwarf hamsters) or a wire cage. They can also be kept in a plastic tub, if it has high enough sides. They really don't need too much space, though some people give them lots of cage space anyway.

This true hamster lover has some plastic and wire "Habitrail" cages as well as bin cages.

The most expensive part of hamster care is the bedding in its cage. If you want to save lots of money on hamster keeping, my blog has instructions for making your own small animal bedding. It looks like this:

Homemade paper bedding for your hamster!

Do not keep more that one Syrian hamster in one cage! They will fight to the death! Most of the time Dwarf hamsters can live together, with the notable exception of the Chinese Dwarf hamster.

If you go on vacation, regardless of what people on the Internet say, your hamster can be left alone for up to a week. My cousin's dwarf hamster did just fine home alone for a week.

If you are willing to dedicate the time to care for a hamster and give it regular exercise, (as well as making sure it cannot escape) you probably can keep a hamster. But especially young children should not keep hamsters, since they are likely to drop a hamster or let it escape.

Corgis

Another dog my brother and I like is the Corgi. They are very smart and love people. Corgis love to be petted but do not like to be picked up. They also hate having their paws lifted. You can't train a Corgi to "beg" or "shake" for this reason.

Corgi's, being double coated, need lots of brushing, even though their coat is not all that long. Corgi's are considered to have medium length fur.

Their are two types of Corgis: the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.

Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Clicker Training Kiki

Sugar Gliders

Sugar Gliders are small opossums native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. These little marsupials can make good pets, but they are rather difficult to keep.

Sugar Gliders need to eat: commercial food in both nectar and pellet forms (expensive, but at least they don't eat much), fruits and vegetables, and insects. Many people find it difficult to feed all these different foods to a Sugar Glider every day.

Sugar Gliders can be kept in a large bird cage. They should have their water in a bottle on the side of their cage. They can have bird toys to play with.

A Sugar Glider will form a strong bond with its owner. They love to be carried around for hours in a pocket or bag. They need attention every day.

Sugar Gliders are hard to care for, but for a dedicated owner they can be wonderful, adorable pets.

Some Really Cute Pets!

Most people think that their pet is "Soooooo cute", but these animals are just unbelievably adorable!

Shetland Sheepdogs

The Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie) is one of my favorite dog breeds. They are so beautiful and, to quote from their breed standard, they are "intensely loyal". Along with such animals as the Shetland Sheep and the Shetland Pony, the Sheltie is much like a Miniature Collie. In fact, it was originally called the Shetland Collie. The look very much like a Rough Collie, or, in the case of the black-and-white kind, a Border Collie. Shelties are by far one of the most intelligent dogs, making training relatively easy. A Sheltie is a great guard dog.

 

Shelties are so beautiful!

Like all long-haired breeds, a Sheltie should have daily brushings. Many owners take their Shelties to a professional groomer, while others buy their own grooming tools. Though more expensive at first, buying your own tools will save you plenty of money in the long run, but you must be willing to take the time for a thorough grooming of your Sheltie.

They are very hardy outdoor dogs, but they would rather be allowed to spend some of their time indoors.

Shelties are very good with children, other dogs, and cats. They, like all dogs, should be supervised with small animals such as birds or rodents.

Aren't Shelties adorable?

The Shetland Sheepdog makes a wonderful pet for those who love the looks of a Collie, but don't have the money or space for such a large dog.