Happy Birthday to my Chelsea Puprs!

Today is the birthday of Chelsea Kabob Bennett, my Welsh Pembroke Corgi. She is one year old. One of the first photos ever taken after we brought her home.

To this day, it is one of my favorites and I have it framed and at my desk, at work.

She still loves greenies. I gave one to her this morning.

Before she mastered the step between the first and second levels of the house.

She would just sit at the edge of the step.

The streak on her forehead has now moved to the back of her head.

With favorite early toys- her bunny, a teddy bear, her lamb. All destroyed in good time.

One of my favorite pics of her and Duggles.

On the limestone steps in the backyard.

I believe the breeder we bought her from has this one on her website.

She still looks out the corner of her eye like this.

On the picnic table.

Being cuddled by Duggles while he watched t.v.

One of my favorite pics of me and Chelsea. I had this put on a coffee mug for Duggles for Christmas. Duggles always says "where is the mug with the picture of my girls?" He always calls Chelsea and I "his girls." (Both of our cats are males.)

Look at that smile!

I love this one with my son. She is wearing her Petsmart bandanna and had just been groomed.

"Pointing."

Thanksgiving. She was wearing a sweater that I found at Target. It had an owl on the back of it. She wore it so much she about wore it out. In winter she had a pink parka with a fur collar. In May, for Duggles birthday party she wore a little pink party dress. The straps wouldn't stay up and I had to twist a twist tie to hold the straps together. It was pretty cute. There are those who think putting clothes on a dog is awful. I am not one of those people.

Hiking last fall. She is a great hiker and can hike further than a lot of people.

Huge snow last winter. So much snow the university was closed. The snow was falling very heavily and was about as high as Chelsea is tall. She loved it and hopped around like a bunny.

On my lap.

With Mya, Memorial Day weekend. Chelsea is very good with children.

Growing up.

Fetching and swimming. This was last Saturday. She loves to fetch, especially in the water.

Best in show.

This evening. One year old. Still does the tongue thing.
I love this little girl. At Petsmart when you fill out the paperwork, it says "describe your relationship with your animal." I circled "child." I'm certain that I am a better pet mom than I ever was a real mom. But, I can put Chelsea in her kennel, she eats two meals out of a bowl on the floor, she potties in the yard. She is in a good mood 24/7. And I don't have to teach her how to be responsible or how to handle money. Being a pet mom is pure fun.
When Duggles and I went out to the farm to pick her out - he gave me a lot of lip about "I'm not going to fall in love with this dog...blah, blah, blah." She was only three weeks old when I picked her out. Basically, she picked me out. I held each of the the puppies and Chelsea licked my arm. The runt had died and she was the smallest remaining. She is still small for a Corgi and only weighs twenty pounds and that is where the vet wants her to stay. At three weeks, she looked like a guinea pig and couldn't even use her back legs. I sat her down on the gravel in the farm lot and she tried to move forward but was making swimming motions only using her front paws. On the way home, Duggles was asking me what was wrong with her. I proceeded to ask him if he could crawl in gravel when he was three weeks old. I told him that she was a baby. We went back for a visit at five weeks and she had changed a lot. I brought her out of the nursery shed and Doug melted. I think he has loved her ever since.
We have not had her in any formal classes to date but have just signed her up for a beginner's agility class with a company called "Flying Paws." Isn't that an adorable name? It will be fun.
My puprs is now a dogrs. Happy Birthay, Chelsea.