Update

Lola is doing well.  She was pretty tired and depressed yesterday - I'm sure a combination from all the excitement on Tuesday (long walk, the attack and then rushing to 2 different veterinary offices) and then the starting of antibiotics on Wednesday and the soreness from the rumble setting in.  I think Saturday we'll go for a walk, but today and tomorrow I think I'll just take her around the block once.  She's been playful today, bringing me toys and then ACTUALLY playing with them instead of just bringing them over and watching me play with them.  She's still a little clingy, wanting to lay in my lap or curl up against my stomach when I'm on the floor. (Yes, I spent hundreds of dollars on chairs and couches to sit and lay on the floor, lol.  My favorite it when I'm lounging on the floor and Lola usurps my spot on the couch, I'm sure in her mind I'm usurping her spot and she's just reclaiming it.) 

However, she still isn't very happy about being outside.  When no one is around she will stray a little further from the apartment, but as soon as we see anyone (whether they have a dog or not), she immediately wants to turn and go the other way/home.  She's eating and drinking normally, so I know she's got to pee and whatnot, but it's such a challenge because she just keeps trying to beeline to the apartment before doing her business if we see anyone outside (they can be hanging out across the street too, not even walking towards us)!  I'm guessing for right now it's because she doesn't feel good and knows she's hurt and she's just trying to protect herself a little bit more.  But at the same time, I don't want her to start to be afraid of walking passed other people or dogs on the sidewalk, so sometimes we'll stand off to the side to let people pass by, other times I wind up dragging her passed them. 

An Unwelcome Trip to the Vet

Lola's 3 stitches and a lot of blood

Ugh, I was walking my pup on our normal route, it's about 2 miles and we were a little over half way home.  There's one house we pass that has 2 dogs, a little one (as my father would call it an ankle biter) and a larger German Shepherd mix (he looks young too, but I'm not sure he's still a puppy).  The yard is fenced in, but the larger dog knows how to open the gate and that's exactly what he did.  So suddenly I have 2 dogs running at me and Lola.  The big one jumped right at her and bit her, at first it seemed like a lot of snarls and showing of teeth, so I started to let her leash go so that she could get away.  A car passing stopped and asked if I needed help just about the time the bigger dog picked Lola up and shook her around.  Lola let out this horrible cry and I started screaming at the dog.  He let her go and I managed to get her up in my arms and try to body block the larger dog.  Right about now is when the owner came out and grabbed her dogs with some trouble.  I checked Lola there, but almost as soon as I got her down the 2 dogs escaped again and came running back to her exposed belly, luckily they were stopped in time.

The woman admitted that the larger dog was aggressive and they were working on it and that he knows how to let himself out of their yard!  I didn't see any blood until a few blocks later, but figured more important to get back, grab my purse and take her to the Vet.  I managed to take a picture before I left with my digital camera (I watch a lot of People's Court and Judge Judy, Lola really likes those shows too).  I took her the few blocks to my normal vet, but they were closed (or no doctors were in), so he pointed me a few blocks further and we went there.  Lola was fine the whole walk back and down to the other vet (no car!!).  She got 3 stitches and some anti-biotics, they said she was really good and she's still happy looking and not attacking her wound with licks or trying to pull her stitches out.  (I wonder if she remembers the cone from when I had her spade.)  So that took forever since we were a walk in and not critical, but the people there were chatty, so it wasn't too bad.  I brought Lola home and then went back to the house, but they weren't in.  So I left a note.  She just called and offered to pay the bill, so I didn't have to ask and I'm glad this isn't going to be some ugly small claims court battle.

Lola really is a happy little pup, not sure if she'll be more weary of big dogs now, or that house (although I'm going to avoid walking passed it for a while).

Ye Olde English

I think someone misses me when I go to class...

This morning Lola and I listened to a video about Old English on YouTube by ProfASAr.  He has a whole bunch on a lot of older Germanic languages, very interesting.  After I did my best to read Beowulf (not that I understand Old English) aloud to Lola.  She seems to enjoy when I read aloud.  She likes to snuggle in close, and usually ends up with her wet nose on the page.  Her interest couldn't have just been because I was talking funny and using strange words and pronunciations -- she likes when I read anything aloud.  I've read to her parts of The Last Unicorn and also The Silmarillion, maybe next I'll try out some of my French Harry Potter on her.  She really seems to enjoy being read to.

Exhausted!

I guess the heat got to Lola yesterday after our walk - although it's been in the upper 70s only and not too humid.  Usually during the walk she'll need a few breaks (it's hot and she's low to the pavement and sidewalk so I'm sure it radiates heat on her the whole time too).  And then she'll get into the house and it's like we didn't just walk 2 miles.  But she looks like she's curling into that pillow for dear life.  Just so cute!

I'll Get You My Pretty and Your Little Dog Too!

This is Lola doing her Wicked Witch of the East impression.  When I can't find her during the day, she's usually hiding under my bed with just her back legs sticking out.  And when you come close to her, she pulls them under!  Oh, if only I had tiny little red (or silver if you prefer the book version) slippers for her.

About Lola

Lola on her 1st night home on Jan. 19, 2009.

Lola is a purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgi born on September 27, 2008.  Her corgi parents are Bob and Fido Barker from Meinno, SD.  Lola went to a pet shop in LA where I saw her several times before I realized I was supposed to be taking her home with me.  She's pretty small for her age (I've met 4 month old corgis who were already bigger than her), so I think she might have been the runt in her litter.

Lola enjoys going for long walks and hiking, but she doesn't like swimming.  She's very friendly with other dogs and people (except small children who are loud and jump around - she just tries to hide behind me).  Lola's left front elbow didn't form quite correctly, so when she's tired from her workout it "cracks" sometimes, but it doesn't seem to bother her at all (although I keep an eye on her to make sure she's not getting overworked).  She also enjoys watching me do pilates and yoga, the latter of which she'll sometimes participate.  Her favorite is shavasana (corpse pose), she loved to flop over and roll onto her back and lay there with me.

Lola is very L.A. and watches what she eats.  I was warned that corgis are like little vacuums and will eat anything they can, but Lola actually leaves food in her dish when she's full and treats on the floor.  Lola loves all food, but she can't eat carrots (they make her tummy upset), and I feed her corn-free Purina One Beyond (she really loves it).

Lola has 2 "cousins" - Abby and Sadie who are both Parson Russell Terriers.  Her best friend is Sultan, a mutt who is part Sheltie and maybe part corgi (based on his coat pattern), and he's probably got something else mixed in there too.

Lola is a funny little pup who likes to watch TV (she constantly tries to get behind the TV to get to the people on it) and her favorite movie is Lady and the Tramp.  Lola also loves Top Gear (UK of course) and rock music (especially Clutch).  It oddly keeps her calm.  Lola, unfortunately, tries to chase cars (probably why she likes Top Gear so much), and I keep working at breaking her of this, but she's stubborn and tries to herd them.

Whenever Lola gets new stuffed toys she immediate performs trephination and removes its "brains."  Her new favorite toy is her bird house with 3 birds that she can try to get out.  I call them her Angry Birds, since if they're in the house and she whips it around they tend to fly out and knock things over (luckily she's never broken anything).

Lola has a bed right next to mine that she lounges in during the day, but when she's tired she hides under my bed in her "cave."  And of course, at night, she sleeps on the bed with me - usually down by the foot, but by morning she's usually got her head on the other pillow.

First Blog

So, I've been inspired by the Daily Corgi and other corgi blogs I've read to create one for my own Corgi.  So that's her, my little Lola Bean.  Right now Lola sleeps next to my desk while I work from home this month.  At first she didn't understand why I put a pillow next to my desk, but pretty quickly she realized it was for her comfort.