"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us" -Robert Louis Stevenson
A few of Kirby's "rules" as I remember them....
Never eat your food until you're sure that nobody else in your pack has anything tastier than what you've been given. If somebody does have a tastier dish, then by all means be sure to get some of it before eating your food.
The "roll over" command is pure nonsense and should never even be considered without growling or vocalizing some sort of disapproval. Then, just to get the last word in, never roll over all the way--this really emphasizes your displeasure with such a silly trick!
Insist on going for a walk everyday. If it's past time to go, be sure to stare daggers until some motion occurs. If the daggers alone don't work, throw in some incessant barking. That will get things moving!
If you have a doggie door, here's a neat trick. You don't have to go all the way through the door to see what's going on. Just stick your head through the door and have a good look and/or sniff to see what's going on in the house or outside, depending on which way you're facing.
Kirby always liked to do this when it was freezing cold outside and let a nice blast of cold air in the house.
Speaking of the doggie door, never use it when you can use the big door.
When I was outside with Kirby and we were ready to come in, we'd get to the door, and even though the doggie door was right there, Kirby would always stop and look up at me as if to say "open the door will ya?" He always waited and came through the regular door when he got the chance.
Your water bowl should never come to you, you always go to it.
After Kirby couldn't walk anymore, he would still let us know if he wanted a drink--he'd sit up and rock back and forth on his front legs and just stare at his water bowl. At first, we would put his water bowl in front of him while he was lying on the couch. Well, he'd just turn his head away in disgust. After a few times, we realized that when Kirby wanted a drink, we were to pick him up and wheelbarrow him over to the water bowl so he was standing up while drinking. It was obvious to him but not to us that the proper way to have a good drink was in a standing position, not lying down on the sofa!
Why use a custom built cart to help you walk when you have two perfectly good humans to wheelbarrow and/or carry you around? Besides, that cart feels weird and just isn't normal.
Corgis are known for their stubborn nature, and Kirby was no exception--he was very stubborn. He would use the cart occasionally, but most of the time we'd put him in it, stand there with him, and stare at each other. I even once tried putting his collar and leash on and giving him a pull to get him started. Well, he just dug his front legs in even more and pulled back against me...talk about a hard head! He never really took to the cart we got for him, but luckily, he had us trained pretty well to move him around. I think he knew what he was doing all along!
If one of the pack is sick, stay by her side until she feels better.
I remember being sick several times and in bed for most of the day, and Kirby would stay with me the entire time. He'd lie on the bed with me or beside the bed and just be. I remember being sick once after Kirby could no longer walk, and David brought him up on the bed with me one afternoon. David said Kirby had been on the couch with him downstairs, but kept staring up at the stairs like he wanted to go upstairs where I was. Once he was on the bed with me, he stayed there for the rest of the day and into the evening, just snoozing and lying there with me. What a great feeling to have him there with me--such a faithful friend......this is one of the things I'll miss most about Kirby.