Betrayed!

The Human Girl has betrayed us!

The Human Girl... went to Japan! Without us! How dare her!

Not only did she leave us hanging here and go to Japan, she played with other animals in Japan!

This is unforgivable!



I'm mad and I shall ignore the Human Girl for some time.

She got lost somewhere in Nara and had to go ask for the way... she asked a deer that was standing by the road sign. What was she thinking? When did deers give direction? She should have asked a dog!



Well, but given that she insulted this dog by not letting her have the yellow pig toy, the dog was mad!





A note of caution, seriously, the Human Girl was in Nara, Japan, and that's where all these deers are walking around the city (at least the park areas). This is official signage, so now you know. The deers are wild deers. They are dangerous!

Another day out at the suburbs

Autumn is here, Autumn is here, Autumn is here!

It is such a lovely time with this Autumnish weather! Or, it is just because we are being constantly walked out in the suburbs!



Here's a photogenic me the Human Girl snapped. Lovely walk around the lake today!

Not so many dog photos, but you can take the chance to see the beautiful scenery around!

We are Healthy Dogs

We are all so healthy. We get a lot of exercise!



Since Autumn is coming up, the air is getting cooler, we're really getting on our weekly suburb walks!



I am a Wii Fit Yoga Master. Listen to me!

Not really, but it's fun to pretend.



Actually we just really like the yoga matt from the Human Girl.



I also wanted to take the chance to say, it may look like I don't seem to be in danger in here (the air con was on!), that you should NEVER leave your pets or children inside a car unsupervised!

Book: Good Old Dog

The Human Girl has a book to recommend for everyone!


Good Old Dog: Expert Advice for Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy, and Comfortable
Lawrence Lindner, et al
Amazon Product Link

Book Description

Our dogs are living longer than ever thanks to enormous advances in medical treatment and a highly evolved understanding of what they need to thrive. No one knows this better than the faculty of the Cummings Veterinary School at Tufts, who treat more than 8,000 older dogs annually. Their philosophy of caring for aging dogs combines empathy for each individual dog and owner, a comprehensive approach to patient care, cutting-edge science and technology, and a commitment to innovation. Good Old Dog brings their renowned clinic into your living room, arming you with essential advice to see your dog through his golden years.

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This took me some time to read as I was rather busy for a time... however, I have to admit this could get a little bit (a tiny little bit) dry.

I bought this book because of the dog topic, and also because I have 2 aging dogs: Bido at 13ish and Menina at 8ish. Both were taken in as strays so I don't really know if that is their age or not. Besides, I've had numerous other dogs before them, so in truth, I was already rather, I wouldn't say knowledgeable, but, perhaps sympathetic is the word.

In any case, this book is not an encyclopedia. Please do not think that you can use this book as a "Hey my dog is limping, what does it mean?" While this book does illustrates examples as to what could be a problem, this is by no means a "Check and diagnose yourself" book.

What this book really does, is show you through systematic scenarios of what may be and what could be done. The book reiterates many times that you should consult the vet for advice first. Any decision of any sort, is ultimately, yours to make. However, you should take the responsibility to find out, research, and learn of available options to make the best decision in your case, in your scenario, in your family.

A few key advises from the book I would like to add in here:
- Get insurance for the dog if it is available where you are.
- Make a budget of medical expenses for your dog.
- Set money aside early on so you have the funds when your dog gets old and needs "emergency money".

Best Day Of My Life - American Authors

We have a song to recommend... at the same time the indie band too!

Best Day Of My Life - American Authors

Dog: Meaty from Georgia English Bulldog Rescue

Unique Way to Get People to Adopt Dogs

The Human Girl has a video she saw on Facebook/Youtube and she really wanted to share it here.

Seeing as it's also dog-related and can be a good way for local shelters to incorporate a similar tactic, we decided we'll let her post it here.



Seeing this video, I believe I could also be re-breeded as a "Corgi-Curly-Tailed-Husky"! Look at me!

Dog Days of Autumn!

The Summer is slowly going away, you can feel it in the air! We know it not just because of this, but that the Humans have started to take us on our mountain trails again!



It is a little sad though, as it was a public holiday yesterday, and the trails were just a mess... the "public" barbecue areas were trashed, peppered in litter. Where's the consideration, humans?

In any case, we trudged on!



Woofy probably needs some more training - he's been left to slack off for some time, he got tired merely a quarter way through...



The Human Girl is starting to take more care in looking Menina up an down. Menina is going to turn 8 soon (that the Human Girl knows of) and she seems to have some problem breathing. But in this trip, Menina made her own merry way, despite slowly, without any complication!



The walk took a little over an hour and let me take this chance to remind everyone: remember to keep your pets hydrated! Have water on you at all times!



That is all from this household!

It's been MONTHS

The HUMAN GIRL is unforgivable! It's been months since she posted any updates on us! She has been slacking way too much!!

I am officially MAD!!



There hasn't been that much of varying news about us though... here's a group-shot for you to refresh your memories of who we are:



Nothing much happened, really. We went out with on of the Human Girl's colleague and the lady liked us very much. Woofy continued to need the vet and taking baths with his special medication and it's been hard trying to maintain this weight.

What did happen that is out of the ordinary, is that Max got a dislocated joint, maybe his kneecap. Monday he was playing with Bido and gave a shriek, but after 10 minutes he was fine. The Human Girl though, noticed he seemed to be bothered by something, couldn't jump well and still whimpered once in a while. The Vet found out about the dislocated joint... and so the dog is on house arrest. Because on the very next day after seeing the vet, he again dislocated his joint and had to go to the vet again today!

So, you see, male dogs are really difficult to deal with. I'll just sit by here and soak up the sun for a bit!

For a change

I was feeling generous, so I decided to give the humans a treat.

I set their dinner table the other day!



However, they didn't seem to notice that I set the dinner table up for them. So I decided I shouldn't be worrying about these humanly things and just chill like I always do!



The Human Girl changed her bedsheets. That means THAT IS PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO SOIL IT!

So we did.

Light reading

Human Girl picked up a book in Hong Kong, and she is now reading it whenever she can.

What happened to her Kindle?

Her Kindle is very fine and well, but she still decided to buy an actual printed book.

The plan is to pass this book on to the local Library so that other people can read it too. Though she is not sure if anyone would be searching for such a book.



Funny it's got Menina on the cover, woof woof woof!

Of Car Rides and Cookies

The Human Girl has been working really hard! But she needs to manage her time better. We were out yesterday, all so happily without any worries, and... we couldn't go home right after our walk! The car ran out of gas and we had to drive over to the pump to get a refill!



But, it was a fun trip. I got to bark around at various random people. Hey, they were all around the car and pointing and laughing at me!

Oh, and today the Human Girl did something right, and all of us are really pleased about it.



Apparently, the Human Girl went to some baking workshop class and baked us cookies! That was yummy!

The Human Girl shares the translated recipe, which is from the Cebolinha Workshop 若野夢工房 (please note: this is in MACAU):

Doggie Veggie Cookies
Organic Whole Wheat Flour 220gr
Egg (whole) 1pc
Carrot (diced) 1pc
Apple (diced) 1 pc
Water as required

1. Make a depression in the flour, and mix the egg in by hand. Add water as needed, but keep in mind that eventually you will have to add in the apple and carrot dice and those give out liquid as you knead as well.

2. Cut in shapes or knead into shapes - anything works, just keep it under 1cm thick for easy baking.

3. Bake in a pre-heat oven at 180C for 25-35 minutes. Best result is if it is crispy on the outside and soft in the inside

※ (Human Girl comments) Forget about "decorating" the cookies with any remaining apples or carrots as it shrinks or burns easily. Personally I think it is better if you try to knead these into the cookie instead of just putting it on the surface.

As you can see, we are all pretty happy with the result!



The Human Girl should go on more such classes and cook things for us. Woof Woof Woof!

Looking Smart

"There is, undoubtedly, no other mongrel around that looks as smart as I do," Sai-Lup boasts.

"Oh, shut up," says Menina

The Life

Life should be enjoyed.



That is all...

Late update

Apparently, the human girl has been very busy and so wasn't able to update as regularly as she originally planned.

What inefficiency!
In the past few weeks, we have been up to quite some mischief and hard work!



These humans are in need of more road training! They drive all wrong! They should approach all the dogs they see!



I don't even want to think about how these humans are going to survive without our leadership!



And how come there is this dog that plays the violin? If it is a plushie, it is mine! But the human girl just isn't relenting! This violin dog has been mocking me since the day I arrived here!

Halloween Potential

Definitely...

This is the life

Such is the life of (fortunate) dogs nowadays. They are free to go sunbathing and hop back to bed as they like.

Menina sure looks like she is enjoying life!

Driving 101

Woofy decided to take driving lessons today. We got nowhere.



So we had to push him away and have the humans drive the car.

The humans made some chinese soup that had these huge pork bones inside... and gave us!



It was totally yummy!

Another bed-sharing moment

Although Bido and Woofy look rather worried. I wonder what's up?

I guess Bido thinks he is going to have to suffer a bath while Woofy is just being Woofy when food is not involved...

Another Sai-Lup Video

There you go!

Caption time!

Why don't we all try to caption this??



We were out in the morning and Menina just sat down there on the pavement and watched the world go by.

Or perhaps she was checking the handsome Golden Retriever that had just arrived out. Haha!

Video!

Sai Lup was enjoying himself during dinner... yes he was!

It looks yummy!

This is quite an interesting angle!



But just what is Bido licking his lips at? And just what is Sai-Lup looking at? Both seem quite intent with looking at the things they are looking staring at!

Picky eater

Menina has been a picky eater lately!



The human girl has to sit right next to Menina so that she would eat something, and FINALLY there she had finished her plate of food!

Someone has a new haircut

The other human girl too Bido to work and gave him a haircut.

A shave, really...

Notice his new lion's tail!

However, with this shave, we could see that he has some skin issues and will probably have to get that taken care of soon. Hm...

Book Rec - No Place Like Home

No Place Like Home
Pen Farthing
Amazon Product Link

Book Description

'Nowzad was a gentle giant when it came to taking treats. He never, ever snatched. To me it was just further evidence that, deep inside, there was a great dog struggling to find his way out'

When Pen Farthing brings stray dogs Nowzad and Tali back from his tour of Afghanistan, little does he know what he has begun.

Suddenly he has four dogs to look after - two of whom have never been house-trained. And soon he is inundated with requests from other Marines and soldiers to help bring their rescued dogs home. Whether it's little Helmand, Fubar or Beardog, Pen does his utmost to give these dogs the chance they deserve.

No Place like Home is the true story of one man's courage and persistence as he struggles to give his dogs at home, and those still in Afghanistan, the best possible chance. It will warm - and break - the hearts of dog lovers everywhere.

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I think I finished this in a 48-hour span?

This second book by Pen Farthing comes after One Dog At A Time, and this is about Farthing's life back in England, with the four dogs he has. That, and juggling his time between dog duty, dog training duty, work duty, and his charity duty.

I sympathized with Farthing on all his Nowzad (the dog) woes, but at the same time, and feel like saying "I'm dealing with a similar dog", (despite the fact that my "nightmare" dog is probably half or a third of the size of Nowzad, and is a local dog)... My nightmare dog is an angel most of the times, doesn't snatch food, doesn't fight, but let him see a dog while he is on the leash, or let him see a dog or another person when he is inside the car, then he goes ballistic. But I digress.

However, this time around the book felt a little slow compared to the first book. Perhaps it is because of his relatively "civilian" life in this second book, that it didn't feel as exciting? In the first book, his "missions" at his base were a novelty and thus fun to read about, I guess...

The Kindle formatting looks good as well. I read the first book as a paper book, and the second as a Kindle book, and I'm glad to say that the Kindle format looks good too.

Farthing runs his own charity. Nowzad Dogs.

Good eyesight

This is how our daily walks happen:

• Human girl wakes up at 6.30
• Human girl takes shower and gets changed
• Human girl wakes her Dad up at 7
• Dad gets changed while Human girl gets the leashes on us
• We file out of the building and hop into the car
• The car is a Toyota Echo Verso (Toyota Yaris Verso in some countries), with the back seats stowed away, so it is like a small minivan
• During the 5-minute car ride, we will try to make as much noise as possible, howling at the sight of other dogs, birds, and people that we don't like the look of
• We reach our fields, and we have our walk
• We hop back into the car and make another 5-minute drive home

Sai-Lup is very attentive of his surroundings and has claimed the backboard as his "throne" in the car. He can look out at all directions (almost) and he is king when up there.

Book-rec: One Dog at a Time

One Dog at a Time
Pen Farthing
Amazon Product Link

Book Description

In a remote outpost of Now Zad, in Helmand Province, Pen Farthing and his troup of young Royal Marines survive frequent engagements with the Taliban and forge links with the local community. Pen's tour of duty will change his life forever, but for entirely unexpected reasons ...Appalled by the horrors of a local dog fight, he intervenes to free the victims. One of these dogs finds his way into the Marine compound - and into Pen's heart. Soon other strays are being drawn to the santuary provided by Pen's makeshift pound, including one young mum who crawls under the compound fence carrying her newborn pups to safety. But as his tour of duty draws to an end, Pen cannot leave the dogs of Now Zad to their own fates. he begins hatching plans to help them escape to a better life. This is Pen's gripping account of his time in Now Zad, the friends he made there and the remarkable journey they - and he - undertook. Above all, it is the story of one man's courage and humanity and his fight to make a difference in the most hostile and dangerous environment - one dog at a time.

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This is the last of my dog-books (real physical books) that I bought last year in a sudden dog-frenzy. Finally got around to reading this. This book was a lot easier to read, compared to From Baghdad, With Love. 

I guess these books are pretty standard. Soldier gets posted in the middle of war-torn nowhere. Soldier befriends dog, or dog befriends soldier. Mutual good feelings. Soldier can't think of abandoning dog. 

This is basically the whole premise of this book. Only that, there's more to this basic story. Somehow, various other dogs know of this safe "haven" and try to move into this "Kennel" of sorts in this one base. So much so that, a new mommydog actually squeezed her puppies through the fence into the base.

The book tells of how Farthing spends his days taking care of the dogs, building the runs, serving food (as a stand-in chef), how the base celebrated Christmas... and his attempts at sending the dogs to a rescue in Kandaar so that they can be later be adopted elsewhere.

While the ending is considered "happy", there are some sore spots. I fell in love with Dushka immediately, but her end felt really... unfair. Patches must have been frightened seeing that (we don't know if s/he did though). RPG and AK are two mysteries as well... It is just so sad to hear that not all dogs made it to the rescue.

 Definitely recommended. I liked this book so much that I already bought the second book (Kindle Format)

Farthing now has his own charity. Nowzad Dogs.

Washing day

Yesterday... we got our regular morning walk! Bido made a face though!



And for some reason, the Human girl decided to give us all a bath! Not just that! But, since there are some of us that do not like the blow-dryer... she just kicked us out to the balcony to stay under the sun!



Anyway, while the girl was out she saw a random dog and snapped a pretty artsy photo. We let her post it here too!



So... we'll just be sleeping on...