Slurpie's Bow Wow Journey

Moving Out

2009-08-19T16:17:00.003+08:00

Hello all, after a long break from blogging this blog will be discontinued. Slurpie will blog at http://slurpiedoo.wordpress.com/ from now.

Please kindly update your bookmarks. Ciao!!!

Rats....

2009-04-16T14:16:00.000+08:00

when we were in Taipei earlier this year, we bought a battery operated rat at one of the night markets for Slurpie. Didn't they say schnauzers were bred as rat catchers initially? He was amused and really curious when we set it up, he trailed the rat and watched it carefully. Ready to run initially when the rat turned towards him.

the rat cost us less than $5 but it could turn corners and thus it would never get stuck but keep going so long it is not overturned. Slowly Slurpie had enough of this white furry running about and went up to check it out.

he used his paws to tap it and then turned and run. haha it was hilarious. now we on it to teased him occassionally. Quite stimulating for him i think. =)

Daddy's Home

2009-04-11T14:11:00.004+08:00

Slurpie always perks his ears up and stop in mid-act and run to the door sniffing at the gap when he hears our car turning into the driveway. Initially i was puzzled but now whenever he does that i know it means Slurp-pa is home.

He would then run out to the lift and wait.....presenting my personal radar:

waiting waiting patiently for he knows daddy will appear soon.

Wipe Your Paws

2009-03-08T16:19:00.001+08:00

We walk Slurpie twice a day unless it is raining. And after the walks, the moment he enters the house, he knows he has to "down" and wait till we wipe his paws with a damp cloth. We are considering getting him boots so he can walk when the ground is wet too. Ya he is a dog some would say and its ok for him to get his paws wet. We typically frown on human items on dogs but the boots would be really practical as wet fur means tangles and with his long fur on the legs its really a pain in a @** to comb.

Still looking for a easy to wear pair that is not more expensive than my Heatwave heels!

New house for Slurpie

2009-03-04T16:12:00.006+08:00

haha like real....not that we do not want to but we do not have a garden....ahem (what a good excuse). Reminds me of the chinese saying "same black dog but different lives"

maybe we can start we something smaller like this
but then again Slurpie never likes to stay in his kennel or even on the bed. his fav spot is under the sofa. ya lucky us, we have a low maintenance poochie. Perhaps we can look into a indoor garden for him? Mock grass carpet tiles.....hmmmm i like.

Tadah Groomed!

2009-02-17T13:50:00.000+08:00

Slurpie Turns 1

2008-12-25T13:36:00.000+08:00

My Christmas Eve Baby - Slurpie is 1!

to celebrate his 1st birthday on 24th Dec 2008 we went to cold storage today and bought a premium slab of beef sirloin. I seared it slightly in olive oil and his sides are boiled sweet potato and veggie (capsicum and broccoli). Look at his wistful face as he awaits the command to start his feast!

And this is him getting all buddy buddy with his ah gu birthday present

Pic of the month - Telok Blangah Waves

2008-12-20T10:50:00.000+08:00

I am turning a year old soon!

Doggie Crane

2008-12-17T11:12:00.000+08:00

This is our new devise that can pick up objects safely and securely......introducing the doggie crane system:

Fridge Raider

2008-12-10T18:32:00.000+08:00

No matter where Slurpie is in the house, underneath the sofa, in the room or out at the balcony and no matter what he is doing, sleeping, chewing his toys or peeing even, he is always by the fridge within seconds when it is opened. He knows his favorite apples are in there! Fridge = Food. His theory is to Sha Chuo Bu Fang Guo I think cos we really do not feed him from the fridge but somehow he notices that his food are stored there maybe!

Stripped!

2008-12-07T10:39:00.000+08:00

Overdued pics of how Slurpie looked after the Stripping. The first stripped portions of head and back has already grow out and the fur is very straight and shinny. Nice!

In 2 mths time he should be a handsome boy! Note he was not really affected when we did it as we did it slowly and sometimes he will actually fall asleep.

Play date doggie care

2008-12-04T10:59:00.000+08:00

Boxster a 6 mths old salt and pepper belonging to the neighbor came for a play date one Sunday afternoon. He is hyper! The 2 can wrestle non stop, take a 1 min break next to each other or wait while the other take a drink of water and start wrestling again! Well no complains as that gave us the luxury to just relax and watch some TV while they entertained each other =) Wrestling pics are a blur as they were that hyper so could only manage their resting shots.

Nutritional Meals

2008-12-02T10:31:00.003+08:00

We have started slurpie on nutritional barf diet, raw beef/lamb/kangaroo meat with veggies and sometimes some boiled potatoes. He is loving it and I guess it must be good for him too as his poo has reduced meaning most of it has been digested and absorbed?? Less stinky breathe too and we think he is putting on muscles not fat =).

What we do is to buy the meat and veggies and prepare them over the weekend into meal size portions using plastic bags and freeze them. Every night we will defrost 2 portions for the next day in the fridge. Its simple actually as all it takes is lots of chopping of the veggie and some packing. The vegs are cheap, I just buy what looks fresh and is having promotional prices (like 3 broccolli for $2.15). For meat we go for minced frozen beef/lamb about $5 for 5 days portion. Kangaroo meat for pets from Cold Storage Katong, hugh pack for about 10 days portion for less than $10. Healthy and good! What you see below has some Alfalfa from our salad yums....

MOVIE of the year

2008-11-24T09:14:00.002+08:00

ok so the photos are still in the camera and i have been slacking. But good things must share and this had to be timely!

MARLEY & ME is ocming soon on the big screen, yeahhhhhh. Loved loved loved the book and while movie versions seldom can meet the expectations, i am sure i wouldn't mind this one since there will be cute labs haha.

Watch the sneak here

Schnauzers Gathering at Sentosa again

2008-10-29T11:23:00.003+08:00

26th Oct 2008
tanjong beach, sentosa

After 4 mths we are back for the gathering at Sentosa. This time the weather was perfect, cloudy and no rain perhaps because it was also the Barkday Party of the year. Slurpie was surprising well behaved, never barked once. Only time he was notti was when he was distracted by this other schnauzer (male too) and he went off to the beach following him while Slurppa and me panicked and went about searching when i realised my bumble bee was gone!

Still had not downloaded pics from my cam so i stole from Serene's page haha. She has the whole event posted in great details. Go look here >>> Thanks for the great gathering gals! Will upload mine asap.

By the way i was not being cruel and making slurpie wear bumble in the sun but cos he has just been stripped and we did not want the sand and sun to irritate his skin.

Slurpie was so happy

Bumble Bee, Slurpie (aka the hand-stripped Botak) LOL~

Slurpie, digging for gold bars? bones?

End result of the digging~ muahahaha

Ahhhhh~ The sand below is cooler!

Ebi checking Slurpie out

Jester checking the Bee out

Designer Home

2008-10-20T17:23:00.000+08:00

wouldn't it be wonderful if Slurpie could have a cool kennel that blends into our modern home. Look what I found on DenHaus

beautiful! could totally act as a coffee/side table yet Slurpie can hide his toys in there. Someone please buy this for Slurpie.

Itadakimasu Slurpie San

2008-10-15T16:53:00.000+08:00

sushi for your poochie anyone? are we really humanising our pooch too much? Much as i think this is really cute, to me the ingredients will be a more important consideration. I do not think that Slurpie San really cares what shape his food comes in as long as it ends up in this tummy! Oh by the way this sushi set fo dogs comes with "wasabi" too for a complete jap course. Click on the picture for source.

Botak Pooch

2008-10-10T15:10:00.000+08:00

introducing the skin head poochie

Slurpie Passes Obedience Class

2008-10-08T18:25:00.000+08:00

Phew! Never had I thought that I would have felt so nervous when my dog takes an exam! We have thought that Slurpie would fail for sure as he was not very consistent in all the trial exams. He gets distracted really easily and likes to sniff the floor.

But Slurpie did PASS his exam! yeahhhhhhh i am so proud of my botak poochie (will do the botak post another time). Barely passed with 163/200 (150 is the passing mark) but still am so so proud! Perfect scores for sit and down stays. He got major deductions for moving for the stand for examination whereby he thought the lady had food in her fist as she was clenching her hand so he quickly sat down and gave her his cutest face. Haiz....he did well for this all the while. And major deductions for Come command when he sat there simply refusing to move despite how the man tried to call him. He only came after like 5 attempts to wave, clap and signal to him. Tsk tsk.....

Gucci Poochie

2008-10-04T11:10:00.000+08:00

OMG this is just so adorable! USD150 tsk the last I checked the tree outside my house was still not sprouting money......

Slurp Better

2008-09-30T16:43:00.001+08:00

wooo i love this, so chic and pretty that i will probably leave it in full view after a feed!

Hugx 401 Max (Donegal Pink)

Very expensive of cos....but other then satisfying the vain owner to have something this pretty, it is designed to make it easy for pets wearing the elizabethan collars or buster collars (or the lamp shade as I like to refer it as) to feed. Useful and aesthetically pleasing. Ok Slurpie, mummy get one for u when u let me strike lottery k...

Eco Biopet aftermath

2008-09-19T17:16:00.004+08:00

awhile ago I posted my personal review of the product here and I am really impressed and surprised when the director/GM actually read my review and gave such a good reply. I think it really speaks volumes about the commitment of the company and their dedication. Thank you Mr. Desmond Ng for your thoughtful explanation and concern.

I just want to reiterate here that what I have written were very personal observations and l may have not detected significant smell improvements although the consistency did improve. It could be due to wrong dosage, other products we were feeding Slurpie or maybe incompatibility with Slurpie in particular. The email however has really impressed me cos it is so rare to get a company who bothers to check responses to their products and actually address any concerns or bad reactions of the consumers in such a sincere and genuine gesture. =)

Plug & Play H..ping

2008-09-16T09:57:00.003+08:00

How about keeping yourself amused at work with:

click here.....

Mari - tear jerker

2008-09-12T10:54:00.000+08:00

not sure if this was shown in Singapore. This clip alone had me tearing, I love my Slurpie!

Find Command

2008-09-07T16:15:00.000+08:00

During one of the weeks that the man was away for biz trip, I got bored and tried to play Find with Slurpie. It worked and he really likes it, try with your poochie they really like to be lil sher-dog holmes *wink*

I started off with him doing a sit stay in about 3m away from the room where I intended to hide one of his favourite toy - pluto stuffed toy. I stood at the entrance of the room and showed him I had Pluto in my hand, then I walk out of sight into the room and placed Pluto about 1 m away from the door. For the 1st couple of times do not really hide the toy so they get the idea what the command Find means.

After that I released Slurpie with a OK and said Find Pluto while standing near Pluto. He came running and when he picked up Pluto I immediately praised him. Good Find. Repeated it a few times each time placing Pluto further into the room, on top of the low stool and eventually behind objects so he has to sniff and hunt around for it.

Now I can totally keep any toy out of sight or reach and when I say Find he will start sniffing everywhere. Hehe very vey fun really, try it!

Sit Stay Meal Times

2008-09-03T16:01:00.001+08:00

Since day 1 we make Slurpie do sit stay before he gets his meal. The duration gets pregressively longer. This is the time when he is the most focused (on the food!) and you can do whatever you like to him! The man now actually do stripping/grooming for 15-30mins now while Slurpie stares longingly at his meal. Occassionally he lets us knows he has waited to long by whimpering or trying to crawl to the food slowly.....

This is very important as we let him know he only gets to eat when we allow him to (we use release command OK). I have also extended this to play time. When I play fetch with Slurpie I will give the stay command before I throw sometimes and he knows he can only run after the toy after I release him. He thus knows his hierarchy in this pack =) hehe.

“Heart-Kun” The Cutest Chihuahua in Japan

2008-09-01T12:01:00.001+08:00

A Chihuahua puppy has been born in Japan with a large, clear, heart-shaped pattern on his coat.

Shop owner Emiko Sakurada said that she had been breeding dogs for several years now and had never come across such strange markings.

She says that she has no plans to sell the puppy. She has named the small dog: “Heart-kun”.

Feisty puppy scares off 3 bears in NJ back yard

2008-08-27T11:45:00.003+08:00

The Associated Press - http://www.kansascity.com/

If only Goldilocks had a cockapoo.

A 15-pound cocker spaniel-poodle mix named Pawlee scared off a mother bear and her two cubs Sunday morning after they strayed into his owners' back yard.

Whether his bark was worse than his bite, Pawlee's tactic worked just fine. These three bears got the hint and took off.

"We had just let him out for the morning and he ran into the yard and started barking his head off," owner Fran Osiason said.

Osiason said her 9-year-old son, Jacob, went outside to see what the commotion was about and came running back in to report there were bears in the yard.

She was worried that the mother would come after Pawlee to protect her cubs, but the pugnacious pup, just 8 months old, had other plans.

His barking drove the two cubs up a tree, and they eventually climbed down and hopped over a fence with their mother and retreated into the woods.

Osiason said she, her son, husband Andrew and daughter Eden, 6, have had Pawlee since he was about 8 weeks old. She marveled at his fearlessness.

"He's a little fur ball," she said.

Northern New Jersey seems to breed feisty pets: In 2006, a tabby cat named Jack chased a bear up a tree in his West Milford yard.

Bears are not uncommon in Wyckoff, but Osiason said her family has lived there for about 10 years and had not seen any until Sunday.

With Pawlee on guard, they might not see another one anytime soon.

wow 8 mths old same as Slurpie but no darling, i do not think he was barking at bears last night when he barked his head off at the yard!

Super Model Poochie

2008-08-20T19:03:00.000+08:00

You know how MTVs and commercials always have models with hair "flying" behind them. Well I think Slurpie's secret ambition is to be a super model.

we have this small circulator in the living room which was of cos intended for our own purposes. Somehow Slurpie realises how cool it was to lie there and now he is always in our way! Yes he lies so close we get worried that his tongue would be cut by the blades sometimes and worse of all....he blocked out all the wind! Argh....this is myyyyyyyyyyy fan!

Smart ass always goes there after his walk (even if it is not on haha) and in the afternoons when we are home. Now doting daddy actually switches it on for him even when we are not in the living room. hmmph....must i repeat this is my fan? I have more proof of the MTV model wannabe

Guilty as charged.

Dog Show

2008-08-18T11:39:00.001+08:00

This sunday! See u at Expo

Slurpie Hand Hand ^ 5

2008-08-11T11:06:00.004+08:00

Clever me took this with the camera held vertically and I have no idea how to rotate so the clip is right side up =P so tilt your head instead la

anyway we are so amused by Slurpie's version of hand hand which is more like a high 5 as he raises his hand so high hahahaha.....

Chris Christenson "Spa"

2008-07-21T18:57:00.005+08:00

The ever doting daddy again sourced what he deem will make Slurpie look and feel better. After loads of research and reading, he went out to buy the Chris Christenson starter kitThe series of products was suppose to make Slurpie's coat Black, keep his coat dense and also healthier. Below is the summary of each item.

Black on Black Shampoo
Like most shampoos for blackies, the shamppo is black in color. However it claims that it is not a dye. It is supposed to remove the red in black coats, increase color intensity and add sheen. it can also be used on salt & pepper, blue, brown. We had to apply it straight to a wetted Slrpie, worked it thoroughly into his coat and let him stand for 5mins. We chose to do a full body massage while waiting, sigh, he really has better treatment than I do in this home!

Thick N Thicker
After rinsing out the shampoo, we applied Thick N Thicker. This was slightly foamy in texture. We were to concentrate on fur ends and again leave it on for 2-3mins. Supposed to strenghten hair shaft and repair split ends (gosh never knew dogs have split ends?) I guess its like a hair growth cum conditioner in human terms. By this time my wet dog looked a tad pathetic as he kept wondering when is the washing going to end!

After Bath Rinse
Again we had to rinse off and next up is the After Bath Rinse. Supposed to rinse away residues of the 2 items above and seal the cuticles of the fur so it is healtier, easier to comb and retain moisture. Luckily there was no waiting time, we could just wash Slurpie thoroughly after we worked the solution into his coat. By now Slurpie smelled so clean and good (not kidding really good scent compared to the other shampoos). But we are still one step away from the end of this Spa treatment.

Ice On Ice Spray
After we towelled dry Slurpie, it was the spraying time. This is like a leave in conditioner and detangler with SUN SCREEN! Not only will it provide a glisten to the coat, it will repel dirt, rain, dust and urine. So I guess when Slurpie misses cue the next time and accidentally pees on his front legs it will not stink as much??? hmmm......

By the end of the whole process which took us about 45mins excluding ear cleaning and brushing, I was seriously quite displeased with the man. Hey he has never paid that much attention to my hair! Ok granted that I am one of those lazy gals who do not really bother myself. Imagine Slurpie has 4 different products and so many processes to keep his coat looking good where as the man only uses shampoo and me shampoo + conditioner. I do not even have any hair treatment thingy or leave in conditioner. OMFG I was so amazed at the completeness of this kit and how much attention to details! Never would I guess my poochie would have a spa weekly from now on while we have quick showers ourselves. Imagine the shock the old school dog owners will have haha i can so imagine my parents tsk-tsking to the length we will go for Slurpie.

Verdict:
Smells great not overpowering scent but a mild clean soap scent.
Hair looks a tad shinnier maybe will improve with more applications.
Whole process takes much much longer then ordinary shampooing and my poor Slurpie did not seem to appreciate the Spa, he was trying to break lose in between.
Cost seems ok about $28 for the starter kit, worth considering if it works. May buy again pending results after repeated use.

Eco Biopet Review

2008-07-17T20:18:00.002+08:00

What:

Eco-BioPet is a composition of micro-organisms from the soil of Gunma Region in Japan.

- Maintains a healthier digestive system
- Improves the absorption of nutrients in the small intestines
- Improves the quality of Poo
- Reduces/Eradicate the foul smell of Poo
- Strengthens the immune system
- Suppresses pathogenic bacteria in the intestines
- Reduces stress level in the Pet
- Increases reproductive activity

How:

Once taken by the animal, it will activate enterobacteria and intestinal activities to promote the animal’s growth and health. It suppresses coli bacillus, clostridium, salmonella, B-hemolyticbacteroides, and other pathogenic bacteria while increasing useful bacillus, such as lactic bacillus, in the intestines. It also produces digestive enzymes such as Amylase and Protease, as well as Vitamin B Group and Vitamin A. It stimulates intestinal immune cells to produce antibodies and activates macrophages.

All Natural - Not Chemically Enhanced…no fear of introducing chemically enhanced products to the Pets.

Ok honestly we bought it partly due to the attractive notion that Slurpie's poo will not stink as badly. The box stated detailed instructions not to keep in air tight containers or even plastic bags. No contact with water too or all the micro organism will die within 7 days.......creepy somehow to know the saw-dust like stuff is alive!

We faithfully gave the prescribed amt mixed into Slurpies breakfast and dinner. Supposed to see results in 10 days. Till now I think at least 3-4weeks have passed and well....his poo still stinks a lot! Ok so it did not work on the stench for Slurpie's case. However the consistency of the poo seems to have improved overall. It was more often solid although on some days maybe due to other factors such as us feeding him fruits or him being overly excited, the poo was still a little soft. I really cannot tell if this product works or is good? hmmm anyone care to share your experience?

When we finish this box, i intend to stop and observe the difference. If there are no key difference I will not buy again though. Too many supplements already! (blame the man)

Maintenance in progress

2008-07-15T16:44:00.004+08:00

Hello all

been busy trying to personalise a new template for the blog. find this iphone template too narrow and cramp. the poochie is testing our patience now. at 6.5 mths he is probably going thru the similar period of terrible 2s for kids i think! he has been whining, talking back and demanding!

I think all dog owners can differentiate the different ways your poochie barks, whine, cry etc so trust me when i say he talks back to us! When we get home we always ignore him for at least 5 mins or until he stops trying to jump and sit to wait for us to greet him. If he jumps we give him the knee treatment. So he does try to keep his butt on the ground although we can see its quivering with excitment and if our greeting do not come quick enough by talking to him and giving him some hugs and pets, he will start chiding us with this particular bark that tells us how disappointed he is and that he wants attention now! The same happens when we leash him but do not leave the house immediately or when he sees his food being prepared but not served to him after it is ready. We just ignore him or say quiet sternly. Hopedfully he will pass this phrase soon!

Will update soon when i have more time. Work is too busy now! help.....

meanwhile check out poochie blings here

Slurpie Nursery Class

2008-07-07T18:06:00.006+08:00

Slurpie missed out the socialisation aspect till he was about 4.5 months old due to some vaccination and health reasons. As such although we had been successful in training him in the basic commands covered earlier (Sit, Down, Stay) we were contemplating signing up some puppy classes just so he gets to socialise with other puppies/dogs.

tiny slurpie barking at the husky

We realised the very first time we brought him out that he gets intimidated by almost everything that moves and strange noises. We also recognised his fear barking with ears pulled back whenever he meets another dog. The barking no doubt stressed him out since he kept feeling fearful, it also made us stressed as we have to keep trying to calm him down, hold him back as he tries to lunge and apologise to everyone whom he barked at.

We tried to bring him out at every opportunity. Walks around the estate and the neighborhood park, East Coast Park (lots of obstacles: cyclists, runners, screaming children, roller bladers, bbq smells, shrieking teenagers, other dogs phew!), dog runs etc etc. We were trying to get him immuned to all the various strange sights and sounds that he does not experience at home. However we also wanted him to have actual socialisation with other dogs in terms of playing and not just the usual sniff and goodbye 5 mins greetings on such walks.

So we signed him up for a puppy orientation class. $180 for 4 x 1.5hrs lessons with 4 other puppies. The other puppies were younger than Slurpie, mostly about 2mths old and of cos as expected, ours was as usual the most vocal of the lot. He tends to bark as he approaches another pup/dog but once he gets a chance to go nearer and sniff he will stop.....until they run about or jump on him =P

Poor little Slurpie was made to face the wall on the first lesson for about 15mins as he kept barking when he saw 4 other pups and so many people confined in the room. Haha actually it really cracked me up when the Trainer's helper carried him and stood in the corner with him turned so he faces the wall. He seemed so pitiful hearing the other puppies playing but yet unable to see even though he tried to turned his head.

The lessons taught what Slurpie already knew: recall, sit, down and basic grooming. But the trainers told everyone to just let the puppies play even if they are rough or slightly agressive so each will teach the other what is wrong behavior. It was really good cos we saw a more agressive/untrusting pup slowly learning to join in the play, the merry little pup who learned to growl when required to defend herself and of cos our blackie who learned there are other puppies too in this world and how to play with them. None of us owners were overly protective like the people we meet on walks. We kept an eye in case of real danger but generally we realise our pups can all roll and tumble, growl and make up with no love lost. So what we really got for the $180 was a nursery play group for Slurpie and his first graduation photo:

P/S: the trainers were wonderful patient and nice people but the all love and treats method with ignoring bad behaviors approach really did nothing much for Slurpie who already had some bad habits. perhaps if he had gone earlier before 3 mths...but for us we needed another school of thought that would help Slurpie curb his fear barking problem. We are attending one now, 2nd lesson so far....will update progress!

Down Stay Command

2008-07-03T11:32:00.000+08:00

After Slurpie was consistent with his Sit and Down commands we started on the stay command in his 2nd week with us. Stay command is very very useful when you need to clear his pee/poo, pick up food that has dropped etc basically when u need poochie to stay away to allow you some time to clear up or mop the floor.

I am so proud of my PP he learns so quickly although he was only about 3 mths old. This is what we did:

1. Give down command first but no reward

2. with one hand placed gently on his back, we put the treat about 1m away (stretch as far as I could with my hand still on his back)

3. when he attempted to get up to get to the treat, I placed light pressure on his back while my other hand made the "stop" sign (fingers all opened like signaling 5) in his face and say Stay.

4. Released after about 1-2 seconds as I say OK and let him run to the treat and relish it.

5. Repeat
Tip: gradually we did not have to hold him in place, so we adjusted the pressure on his back as he progressed.

We increased the waiting time to 30sec, 45sec and 1 min gradually. We also started to walk away with the treat in our hands while he stayed, increasing the distance as we increased the time. He will come running the moment he hears OK at reallt high speed haha.

Now we can do the stay while we walk into other rooms/out of sight! Try it! Stay is really good cos only with Stay can you take nice pics like this:

after our home trainings we did attend some formal classes and found the methods they used were different. I guess there are many ways to train poochie so as long as it works I think any method is fine =) The above method was from a book we bought. Will do books review soon.

Xiao Mi Feng

2008-07-01T12:09:00.012+08:00

cannot resist posting my little bumble bee here

this is messy bee before his grooming. looks like a girl haha with the head gear.

checking out the tree for beehive

he sees the treat there (at the middle of the trunk) but he has not gotten clearance to eat it hehe

see super will power at work here as he goes nearer but waits for my Ok haha hilarious

disclaimer: i do not advocate clothes for dogs in singapore weather so any clothes we buy (too cute to resist!) we only let him wear for photo taking and maybe the first 5mins when we have visitors or when visiting others. this bumble bee only cost me S$9 from Shanghai how to resist! hehe.

MS Gathering at Sentosa

2008-07-01T10:16:00.013+08:00

29th June 2008
Sentosa Tanjung Beach
Lots of fun, sand and food!

this has to be the most exciting day in Slurpie's 6 mths on earth! to be surrounded by loads of people (he loves people!) and poochie friends. It was really great as everyone there are dog/MS lovers so everyone was tolerant to any doggy mischief and understands if the poochies were playful.

checking out his new friends
cool mohawk MS

all lined up swimming classes =)apprehensive Slurpieyeah my brave boy can swim!where there is food, slurpie is always there

the organisers are awesome and the event was a success! the result? 2o over tired poochies who had the best time running, swimming, eating and playing. lets organise the next outing NOW!

by the way, pls forgive my greedy chor lor pup who ate the meatballs of your pups hehe. cocodada...paiseh la.

Down Command

2008-06-28T13:42:00.000+08:00

After Slurpie was doing Sit command consistently, we introduced the Down command. This is relatively easy really as the pup will eagerly do anything to get the treat now that he knows training means treat! Don't worry later as we phrase out the treats he will still do the command automatically with consistent training and practice.

We start with Sit > Treat

Then in sit position, we used another treat. Place it near his nose and direct downwards to the floor. At this point his head would be near the floor but his butt in the air hehe. Held on to the treat until he settled down his butt and is in down position. Immediately gave him the treat and praised him. After a few times, we added the down command the moment his entire body is on the floor.

oops wrong pic...this is the "Carpet" version haha his favorite at rest position.......Down!

Down is good for safety! A dog in down position will be calmer and this is very useful outside when you want him to stay put in a more submissive position than Sit.

After he knows the command, he will perform a down quickly without the butt in the air part first. We also deviated from the treat at nose to ground and substituted a hand action of vertically moving our hand downwards (downward sweeping motion) while standing up (human not dog). Again after we give the treat we say OK to release Slurpie from the action.

The OK release command will be useful later for the Stay training.

Tricks and Treats

2008-06-27T10:57:00.008+08:00

We are pretty strict on Slurpie's diet. We try to at least. One big no no on any ingredients listed is anything to do with Chicken. Apparently alot of schnauzers get schnauzer bumps from eating chicken and so we try to avoid.

We also try to get items that does not list too many ingredients. One good example is the Shiloh & Lester Salmon Wild (100% salmon and not else supposedly). Omega-3 that should make his black coat glossier....

Only bane? this stuff is fishy big time. slurpie's breathe stinks really and cos we use this as our outdoor treats initially, it stank up the treats bag and even my bag cos i put the treats bag in mine. And when he licks himself the smell just gets all over!

We have stopped since the last pack as I cannot really stand the stench. But perhaps it will be ok to feed your dog some before his bath session just so he gets the goodness. DO NOT place the opened bag in your bag or car if you do not want to be mistaken as a fishmonger though.

Our regular treat is Jerky Naturals by Zuke's at home.

Fortified with vitamins and minerals
Only 17 calories per piece
Made without artificial colors, flavors or by-products
Free of wheat, corn and soy

As we put Slurpie thru regular training sessions daily we wanted something that will not make him obese from too much snacking and easy to chew and swallow (this is quite soft). As the pieces are pretty big, we cut them into small 2-3mm squares and place them in a container by his play area so it is always available. We only cut a few pieces each time and replenish as it runs out to avoid spoilage from frequent exposure to air in the "daily" container.

The reason we have different treats for home and outdoors is to keep Slurpie interested. Little rascal is so distracted outside that he is not attracted to the treats at all since he knows he can have the same stuff at home. After we finished the salmon, we bought cheese sticks. Hmmm...the ingredients are so-so la but at least no chicken parts. It is again soft and we cut them into small pieces.

I think its ok to change treats to keep the dog interested in the training since it would only make up 10-20% of his daily diet. But I still dislike funny treats i see with all types of nice coloring and shapes as i think they are meant to attract the owners and not benefit the dog at all.

Other regular treats that Slurpie gets includes apples, pears, oranges, yoghurt (good for him really but have to be the natural and plain type), basically any fruits we are having ourselves other then grapes which i heard are a no-no. He would sit and wait (drool and stare as well) while we eat our apples (he knows the hierarchy, he eats last! no begging allowed) Greedy boy is sooooo cooperative when he knows there is a slurpilicious treat soon!

Identity Revealed

2008-06-23T17:33:00.008+08:00

When we first got slurpie he had the usual puppy cut. Subsequently we only gave him a 1cm bear cut to retain his puppy fur instead of clipping it all off for a regular schnauzer cut. thus slurpie always look a little afro like and being black, many people could not recognise what breed he is. We often have passer-bys ask "Oh what a cute puppy, what breed is he"

To celebrate his 6th month birthday tomorrow, we finally tried the schnauzer cut and he looks so different!

>> Puppy boy

>> afro pup

yeah tadah the black schnauzer. pardon his legs, i actually washed his feet earlier and they were wet so it looks like it is tapered. it is actually a nice straight cut (funny how i sound like i am talking about jeans...)

the man likes this cut, feels that slurpie's eyes look brighter and more alert now that we can actually see them and that he looks nice and sleek. i kinda miss his afro look though cos it makes him looks so messy and cute like a teddy. As for Slurpie? This is what he thinks:

look ma i can see you now

Sit Training

2008-03-01T15:17:00.007+08:00

As soon as the 2nd week when Slurpie was effectively toilet trained, we started on teaching him basic commands. We read that while puppies looks oooh so teeny their brains are very developed and they are very eager to learn. We bought a couple of books (will do a review later on the books) and read extensively online too. Sigh this puppy is time-consuming!

Items prepared: Treats! we used kibbles and beef jerky. Try to use small size treats so the pup will not take too long to chew it and also not get obese feeding on treats! Ideally the treat should be able to be swallow with minimal chewing so he can get back to attention for the next treat.

No distractions

I started with Slurpie indoor with no other distraction like TV or sounds; holding 5 to 10 of his favourite treat. While puppies have brains that are thirsty to absorb new trainings, they also have short attention spans. Thus in the first week we only did the training 5 to 10 times each round so as to keep his interest and leave him wanting more.

Praise and reward

The ideal situation is to have your puppy looking at you but Slurpie is a very hyper dog and I found that pretty hard. Thus we made sure he knows I have something good in it for him by letting him get a whiff of the treat. Once I got his attention, I moved one of my hands holding a treat over his nose and slowly move it above his head. By now I have his full attention as he really wants to slurp up the treat =)
When I move the treat above his head he will naturally tip his nose and head up to follow the scent and the treat and will also naturally end up in the sit position. As soon as his bump hit the ground I made a big hoohaa praising him and giving him the treat. Once he finish the treat I repeated the process. By the 3rd time or so he does it very quickly sometimes even without waiting for my treat to totally reach above his head. Tip: try not to push down his backside or even touching him at all.

“Sit”

On the second session I starting associating the action of his bump on the floor with the command word "Sit". I repeated all the steps above with the addition of saying a firm “Sit” while moving my hand and just as his bump was about to hit the floor. Again repetition is the key to his understanding and I did this another 5-10 times. As Slurpie is pretty interested and fast, I did one session in the morning and one at night. hehe like having medicine, twice a day before meals. Tip: do trainings before meals so they are slightly hungrier (yes they are always hungry believe me so i use slightly hungrier) so they will be more attentive.
“Ok” release command
Release commands are important so let the pup knows he is finish with the action required. This is especially important later when I want to teach Slurpie the stay command so he knows he is to maintain the command until he is "released". I used "ok" cos i started using it before i read it is not recommended since it is a word we tend to use frequently and now i have to stick with it as Slurpie has already associated that as a release command. Other words that can be used will be "Done", "Off" etc, any single syllabus word should do I think. I would say “ok” before giving the treat to Slurpie when he successfully do the Sit command. This act as a “clicker” training where I can imagine the thought bubble of Slurpie would read: command+ action + ok = yummy reward.

Phase out the treat

After lots of repetition and patience, Slurpie could sit upon hearing the command without the hand signal. So I started to stop giving the treat but use lots of praise and head rubs/pets in place. I mean it would be impossible for me to forever give him a treat for every command in future ma so I used prasie inetead. Tip: Do not use the treat to lure your dog after you are convinced he understands the command.

Daily routine

I worked this command into his daily routine. maybe that is also why started with a Sit command as it does help me to gain some control over him when I need him to stay still. It also reinforces my status as the "pack leader" or owner so he knows who is the boss. Slurpie has to “sit” before he receives his dinner or before I give him his ball or any other toy.

Distraction

When the Slurpie became really a master at the Sit command at home, i started training again with the command and release BUT also with a treat outside during his walks. Distracted he sometimes may ignore me when that happens I do not repeat "Sit Slurpie Sit Sit Sit" instead I walk a little wait till I think he is less distracted and try again. He has to learn to do the act at one "Sit" and not after "Sit Sit Sit" everytime!

Key notes (from website la not me):

Be consistent. Always use the same word to mean the same thing. Remember, human language is not natural to your dog—he has to learn that words have specific meanings. He'll learn “Sit,” but he'll have a lot of trouble with “Aww, baby, pweeze sit here by me” or “You better sit right now, dammit!” or “Sit … sit down! … sitsitsit …” So play fair and use one word consistently.
Be concise. Give your command once and once only. If you repeat a command three, four, or five times, your dog learns that he doesn't have to do it until you say “down … down … down … down” or until you yell really loud or until you say the word and wave your arm at him or some other silly thing.
Be generous. Reward your dog for doing what you tell him to do. When you begin teaching a new command, reward him every single time he gets it right. A reward is something your dog likes—that might be a treat, a toy, or a butt scratch, as long as it obviously makes your dog happy. Use a word of praise—“good dog” or “pretty!” or whatever you like—along with the reward, and eventually the word itself will become a reward.
Be smart. If you're not in a position to enforce a command, don't give the command unless you know for certain your dog will obey. If you're in the bathtub, don't tell your dog “Down” unless you're willing to get out of the tub, drip through the house, put your dog where you want him, and have him lie down. If you give a command that you can't enforce, your dog learns that he has to do it if you're standing there holding the leash, but he doesn't have to do it if you're all wet or otherwise unable to make sure he does it. The point of training is to teach the dog that he must do what you say when you say it—and if you're consistent and smart when you're training him, you'll end up with a reliable dog.
Be prepared. If you're going to need a leash to manage your dog while teaching him to sit, then have the leash on him or close at hand. If your dog doesn't yet come reliably when called, then keep a long line near the backdoor and put it on him when he goes out at night to potty. Then if you say “Come” and he doesn't, you can reel him in.
Be happy. Your dog is your friend, and he really does want to please you. Use a happy voice when you give commands, and a very happy voice when you praise him. Put yourself in his place—if two people called you, one in a tone that said, “Oh, I'm so happy to see you; come and be here where I am!” and the other in a growling tone that said, “You get over here right now,” which one would you go see? Use your voice to tell your dog how delighted you'd be to have him do what you tell him.

Slurpie Week 1

2008-02-29T10:00:00.002+08:00

Day 1 (22nd Feb)

Slurpie came home with me after I braved 40mins of peak hour traffic, heavy rain and armed only with a cut trashbin box. He remained stiff throughout the journey in the box at the front passenger foot area. The moment we reached home and I placed him in his playpen, he morphed into an ostrich:

Luckily before i started to call the cops for being conned into buying an ostrich looking like a dog, he managed to move a little. The little fellow was quiet throughout that night and he walked cautiously with a hunched back showing how uncertain he was. The man came back early to meet his new baby whom we fear may be a dumb and inactive pup.

Day 2

We bought him to the vet to ensure he was in good health. He sat quietly between us, making no noise even when the other dogs at the vet barked at him. He liked to look at the road and the cars though. Vet ensure us he is one healthy boy and pretty big size too for his age. Weight: 2.2kg, 25cm by 26cm (withers and length). He started to warm up to us but was still timid....we were sighing that we have to accept his timidness and dumb nature.

Day 3

We discovered Slurpie's fox tail. He started to hop around, whined to be let out when we leave him alone in the playpen and was interested in everything. He was also able to pee and poo at the paper area. He did pee in the living room when we let him out as he did not dare to return to the playpen for fear of being locked in again.

In the next couple of days we realise Slurpie was also a mini sumo. He managed to shift his playpen into all sorts of shapes and one morning, we found him standing OUTSIDE the playpen barking at the people downstairs! Lil sumo managed to push his way out of his playpen! However he underestimated his mummy's creative mind. I filled the laundry box with water and used it to keep the playpen in place. Lil sumo now cannot push what is prob almost 15kg of water. =P

Slurpie also learnt the sit command. Smart pup! He also started chewing his make-shift DHL house. We wonder how much he has eaten though. Poor pup however started coughing, we suspect he caught it at the vet. It broke our hearts to hear him wheezing and coughing like he was out of breath. Vet issued antibiotics and the no shower order. To clean his ears we resorted to doing it at the lift lobby as only when he is out of the house does he stay still, afraid to move. So from dumb/inactive to sumo/smartass chewer, we have now one smelly pup.

Update: Smelly pup can now play the STAY game. This lil guy really is a smart dog. From refusing to budge once we clip on the leash (plus a real frowning look that cracks us up) to now trotting with the lease while attempting to bite it, he picks things up so fast. He also understand the word NO and while he cunningly tries to pretend and get on the carpet or into the rooms thinking we are not watching, the moment he hears NO, he backs off. Sometimes he would let us know how displeased he is by giving us a snobbish bark but he would than lie and wait outside the room. We are proud of lil smelly

Our new baby - Slurpie

2008-02-26T10:05:00.005+08:00

Born: 24/12/2007
Breed: Full Black Schnauzer
Markings: White patch on chest area
Cost: S$1380

Introducing the newest member to our home. Slurpie born on Christmas Eve =)

After all the research online and visiting so many pets shop we finally found our best friend. To summarise the posts earlier, The man wanted big dogs, I like them too but given all that he shortlisted were shedders, I had to refuse as housework as it is now for 2 of us is taking up so much time. Then he wanted a Standard Schnauzer. However this is not available locally and to ship one of the flurry from NZ or Aus will cost a bomb. We got a little distracted by the gentle giant Black Russian Terrier pup which Ericsson Pet was selling at S$8,888. haha we are not that rich but the BRT is really a great pup although I wonder how can we both squeeze into the corridor at home and all the doorways seeing that he likes following his owner =P

The common schnauzer in Sg is the Salt & Pepper. There are also quite a few Black and Silver. Being the difficult persons we both are, we again wanted something not easily available. Full black. So we left our names on a waiting list and that also explains the price of Slurpie as there was only 1 F and 1 M pup making the demand/suppy curve pretty skewed.

Selection

Gan Cheong Spider (aka the man) wanted to be the first to select from the litter so we went asap on 17th Feb, Sunday. The female pup was very yappy, barking and howling and she was also smaller in size and her fur not as black (slightly brownish). We picked the male after much observation and deliberation (read this) as he was bigger in size and his fur were black and dense although he was not really full black as he has a white patch on his chest and a few white blotches on 2 of his paws. We figured the white patch made him special too. So we placed the deposit and went to buy the necessities to prepare for him. (he had to stay for 2nd Vaccination and we could only go bring him back the following week)

Preparations

this is the fun part, we happily went directly to the various pet shops to get ready for our best friend's home coming. we bought chew toys, fetch toys, teething toys, leash, collar, shampoo, playpen fence etc etc.

Slurpie shall have a corner in the balcony. the balcony has bamboo blinds so he will be safe from the elements and our furniture will also be safe. Besides, it is the airest part of the house and so the stench of his pee and poo shall not be a problem. Tip: buy the playpen fence as opposed to a cage no matter how big it is as the fence gives more flexibility to rearrange the size as your puppy grows. this is what we are using, you can hook them together and form the shape and size that is ideal.
we set up the playpen is a simple square first, then took it apart and formed a "house" shape using part of the wall, then took it apart and tried all types of configurations. we also had the plants in the balcony shifted around just to find the best spot for Slurpie. Finally we decided that since he was still so tiny, it would be easier for us to toilet/paper train him in a contained area where eat, sleep and poo areas are distinct. A too big area initially may confuse him and give him a choice of where to do what. Thus it will be better to slowly increase the area later.

i was really tempted by the nice kennels/beds for doggies. however i am aware that not all dogs like to use them and they are really not cheap! creative juices flowed and i decided to make one for Slurpie using the DHL jumbo box we had first. After all puppies do not mind the looks as much as we do =P. Wanted to give him an option to hide is he feels like it or stay covered should he feel cold or scared. Did not take a good shot of how my DHL house looks like but here is a pic that shows the layout of Slurpies initial home for the 1st couple of days:

tiny tiny black fur ball

in the end we had to expand the paper part to the full lenght on the left of the picture as he did not know he has to do his biz on paper. by instinct he never did it in the house or in the quarter with the water bowl. however slowly we reduced the size of the paper area by placing him on it whenever we catch him about to poo or pee and then go crazy with lavishing praises to let him know that is a desired behavior. well more on that later....

Selecting your puppy

2008-02-17T17:01:00.004+08:00

yeah now we have decided on the full black schnauzer we wanted to be able to get the "best" from a litter. of cos my best and your best may differ. some people prefer shy dainty dogs who are all nice and proper while others like us prefers robust active dogs who are well...a little mischievious.

thank God for the worldwide web! we read again all possible articles and here are some links that may be useful:

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/buying/common/puppies.html
easy to read, easy to understand

http://www.dogbreedsfinder.com/dog-breeds/dog-breed/how-to-select-a-puppy-for-you.html
a little wordy but useful

generally the sentiment seems to be "Pick a puppy that is active, friendly, and inquisitive. Avoid the one that appears to be afraid of everything or snarls at people". the thing is most of the articles are based on overseas scenarios whereby there are professional puppy breeders who will show you the parents of the pup and allow you to observe their behaviors. In sg however, we were rejected by ALL of the pet shops and pet farms. Nobody allowed us to see the parent dogs. of cos there are also alot of imported dogs which also means it is impossible to view the parents.

the man actually printed a checklist of what to do and how to select the pup but when we got down to it, many did not work. 1stly the pups in available were 6-7 weeks old. Being so young, many are still very inactive and their characters are not apparent at all. We did try to do the following:

1. jiggle our keys or make some noise behind the pup and watch for response mainly to test that hearing is fine...

2. try to turn the pup over on his back and rub his tummy. if the pup is agressive or too fearful they may snare and struggle until you release him. a more ideal response would be for them to try and struggle then lay still when they realise you are not letting go. a pup that is too agressive or has problems submitting may mean training difficulties later. of cos if the pup does not try to break free at all, this pup is a tad too timid and may have confidence issues later. we had only 2 puppies to choose from, a female and a male and both passed this test.

3. let the puppies down and observe their behaviors when together and apart. We realise the female pup was yapping 90% of the time both alone and with company. She also tends to rome about more. The male pup seldom barked and sit quietly to observe walking around and sniffing occassionally.

as we only had 2 choices, the above honestly did not manage to help us make our decision. soooo we used the simplest approach, we chose the male for his slightly bigger built and unique marking on the chest. his face and body was also more square-ish inline with the standard appearance a schnauzer should have. we also like it he did not yap as much as his lil sis. if however you could have more puppies to choose from i believe you can run a few more tests to make a wiser decision.

Him Vs. Her

2008-01-06T15:45:00.008+08:00

Now that we have studied so hard all the online materials and also pored over so many books in OnePage we have "shortlisted" a few breeds:

1. Black Mini Schnauzer - My fav breed, hardly shed any fur so its easy to keep the house fur free, looks absolutely adorable

2. Beagle - the man's choice. I have nothing against Beagles except that they shed and are know to be pretty stubborn.

3. Corgi - we both love the cute face and short body but again this breed sheds, end of arguement.

4. Husky - oh lovely lovely huskies. needs to consider high exercise needs AND they blow their coats twice a year....hmmph

5. Cocker Spaniel - the black CS is so nice, we saw one at Pets Movers and selling only at 400. However CS sheds too.

6. AKK - our very initial choice due to the resemblance to Husky but the price makes it not very feasible really and they shed too =(

ok the above is kind of biased and by now you should have guessed that I have a major issue with shedding. the man does help to clean the house but many a times he has to travel and me satu orang will have to do the extra cleaning alone. ya some say if you love the dog you should not consider this a chore but i just want to be realistic and knowing myself well, i will be pretty stressed out if i walk into fur balls all the time. i rather spend more time playing with the dog then gappling with the mop.

we were willing to consider small or medium breeds since its not fair for big dogs such as Husky to have only a small area to roam.

I searched and sent many as many black schnauzer pics as i can to the man hoping to sway him into believing this is THE one. oh yes has to be black. He likes medium-big dogs basically and was not very open to the idea. Then he chanced upon standard schnauzers farms in aus and nz. he emailed them asking when the next litter will be, price etc etc. I had to jump up and pull him back onto the ground. $5000 approximately including air fare etc ! sorry darling the last time i checked, the tree outside our window does not have $$$ growing on it. so i started diverting his attention to mini schnauzers that are of the correct size as opposed to all the real "mini" toy versions that are so in the rage now as people go for smaller size pups. Slowly.......he agreed =D

we visited pet shops and listed ourselves on the waiting list for a full black mini schnauzer. Few places offer full blacks but we are adament. patiently we waited.....

Next we will cover where to get your dog and how to select from a litter....

Man's Best Friend

2008-01-01T14:08:00.007+08:00

The man and i have always loved dogs. Our family though were pretty against this so now that we have our own den, we decided to go look for our best friend.

getting a dog is a bigger commitment than buying say a car. dogs depending on the breed can live typically 10-15yrs generally. so we are looking at a long term deal. yah you can "early terminate" but come on you do not want to do that to your best friend now do you? thus comes the daily debate on which breed to get. let me tell you this process is much much much more complicated than looking for a boy/girl friend!

everyday we search the net for info on all types of dogs. we read forums local and overseas, to find out temperaments, charcteristics and needs of each breed. If you are looking to get a best friend too the following is what you should consider first:

1. Size
the most basic point to consider. if you are staying at a HDB flat you are restricted to small breeds. I will do a list of common breeds available in singapore later. If you have the flexibility as you stay in a private property, consider your personal preference, space available (some dogs are ok with apartments/condos, others need gardens etc) and also the tolerance level of other family members staying with you. The man likes medium to big breeds, however our apartment is only 88sm so the max we were willing to consider is medium breeds since its not fair for big dogs such as Husky to have only a small area to roam.

2. Temperament
this is especially important if you have elderly or kids living with you. remember we are talking about 10-15 yrs so consider your future commitments too. if you are newly weds, you may have kids during this 10-15 yrs so you have to think if you can handle powerful and strong dogs such as boxer, mastiff etc for both the dog's and your own good. some big dogs are also gentle such as golden retrievers. while it is argued that you can train a dog, generally the temperament of the dogs are very much inborn traits and we think its better to not think too highly of your own training skills!

consider also if you want a more independant dog or one who will like to stick by you all the time. a guard dog or companion dog? if you are planning to join competitions, look for dogs known to be easier to train or has traits for agility, herding, hunting etc.

3. Time
ok with this i am referring to the very practical aspects of cleaning the dog/house, grooming needs and exercise needs. Some dogs shed excessively, some blow their coats 1-2 a year, others shed so little it is manageable. If you have a maid to help or a garden so the dog will not really mess up the house as much maybe this will not be a big issue. However if like us, everyone is working, no maid and no garden, I recommend getting a dog that does not really shed. of cos this is assuming you are not a fan of having fur balls everywhere. do not underestimate this, particularly if you have kids since it may also cause allergy problems or nose irritation!

in terms of grooming needs, generally dogs should be groomed once every month or every 2 months. by this i mean professional grooming tha does the works plus clipping of coat. i believe in giving the dog a shower once every week in Singapore's weather to avoid foul doggy smells. note that some dogs are also know to me more prone to having doggy smells esp dogs that tend to drool such as bulldogs and long coated dogs. for dogs with long coat you have to have time to comb them regularly to avoid matted coats. if you think you have no patience or time for this, choose short coat dogs such as jack russells. take into account the cost of grooming and supplements too.

big dogs generally have higher exercise needs and you have to walk them daily preferably for at least an hour. this is for their well-being as well as to allow them to expend some of the energy as they will be calmer indoors. toy dogs being small in nature may need shorter walks since they can run around the house too. however some small dogs like jack russells have high energy and require more exercise. so check out energy levels of the dog too.

Dogs are social creatures like us and will not like to be left alone all the time so be sure you are willing to skip some clubbing, outings etc to spend time playing with them.

The above are what i deem the top 3 issues to consider. be a responsible owner ok, think before you leap.