Stump Kid Link Love 3: Step-In Handlers, Fostering Pets & Healthy Weight

Cold, snowy days mean no training and really short pup walks, so that leaves more time for reading! Again, here's another collection of some good dog-related reads I hope you enjoy as well:

Can Other Handlers Run Your Agility Dog (Agility Fusion): The headline alone caught my attention. I've had Merinda run Dally at a trial once, when I suffered a stress fracture in my foot. It took a little bit, but they were a good team. I think Dally would probably run with a particular few, with good enough treats and time. LaMesa, however…no way. She'd be too busy trying to find me. I've tried to run my friend's Papillon before…and been "Gussed" (meaning he just ran off). It's not easy to run another dog or have someone run your dog. But just the basic obedience so someone can easily just walk our dog is key for any dog.

Top Ten Reasons Why People Foster Corgis (The Daily Corgi): This will tug at your heart strings, but this post has a lot of valid points about fostering a Corgi (or any other dog or cat for that matter). Fostering a pet will not only help save a life, but make yours because you will gain friends and forever connections when your foster is adopted. My one concern would be getting attached way too easily, which I tend to do. But that's why I volunteer at the humane society. Think about it.

Keeping Your Agility Dog's Weight Healthy All Year (Agility Fusion): As a Corgi owner I'm always concerned about Dally's weight…year-round. Winter is always a concern because I feel like we're less active than we usually are during the summer, so I try to do things like walks through the park so the girls can go off leash and run through the tall grass--I call it "cross country training." I also cut back on the girls' kibble and add more veggies in their dinner. I also worry about my weight during the winter, which can affect our performance in agility, so it's important to remember yourself, too.

Hopefully you enjoy these posts! Share a favorite read in the comments below.

Fat Corgis: Do You Have One?

In late September The Daily Corgi posted a great blog post by Vicki Combs, director of the Arizona Cactus Corgi Rescue. It was on managing weight in your Corgi. And it was spot on.

I encourage you to read the blog post here: Weighty Matters: The Skinny on Fat Corgis

This strikes home with me, not only because I have a Corgi, but because I'm always battling a weight issue personally, as well as with my dogs and other loved ones. I'm fortunate enough to fully understand what excess weight can do to any animal--Corgi or human--and try my best to prevent that from happening.

I am constantly watching Dally's weight. She gets a 1/2 cup of food at night, a "small sprinkle" in the morning, and maybe one small chewie a day (though most times LaMesa steals her chewies). Treats in our house mean a little cat food first thing in the am (whatever falls to the ground when we're feeding the cats), small cookies when we leave the house, and plate licks after dinner. However, both girls are very active, with 1.5-2 mile walks every morning, maybe another walk in the evening, agility practice, and lots of play time in the house.

Walking is one of the best ways to keep your Corgi fit and trim, and you, too!
(Special appearance by another fit Corgi, Porter!)

With LaMesa, I always worry she's too skinny, so she gets about a 1/4 cup food for breakfast and a full cup for dinner. The pup just keeps going, so it's like she has a non-stop metabolism! Dally's not as lucky, and I know that, so she's always on diet watch.

If I ever feel like maybe Dally's still hungry, I'll add some canned veggies to her meal. I hadn't thought about canned pumpkin, but after reading this blog post, I will now! It took Dally a while to be OK with having something added to her food, but now I think she thinks it's a special treat.

It's always funny when people put their hands on Dally because I know she looks like she can be a little hefty, but it's mostly fluff! If you get through her thick undercoat and feel, you can feel her ribs just fine. (I tried to find a photo I've taken of Dally during a bath to show what she looks like underneath her coat, but I've deleted them all, unfortunately!) Her weight fluctuates around 24 pounds for the most part.

Multi-tasking: Lunging your horse & Corgi for exercise...

Laurie later posted a Q&A with Vicki with some of TDC's readers' questions, so definitely give it a read: Winning the Weight Game: Q & A with Vicki Combs

How do you keep your dog (Corgi or not) in shape and ready for action?