3yr 1 month old

Today is my birthday. Although I don't know my actual birthday, I'm glad godpa decided that my adoption into his home marks a new life for me. My life has changed dramatically since my days of wandering in the wilderness of Seletar West farm area. It all started with Bear, Bruno, and his pa (Uncle TK) picking me up as a stray who wandered near their home. I was a bundle of messy hairball then so they sent me to have a neat trim, fed me well, comforted me, and got me all ready to look for a new home.

I'm not sure why I was brought into this world and abandoned. Godpa guessed that maybe I was the result of backyard breeding, trying to cross a mini schnauzer with a chihuahua to produce a teacup schnauzer. And somehow I didn't get sold as a puppy so eventually I was abandoned when I outgrew my cute puppy looks. Uncle TK said I looked more like a yorkie cross coz I had long fur. It's interesting to learn that I'm considered a designer dog, makes me sound very high class right? :) Anyhow, godpa prefers to call me an MSX (mini schnauzer cross), it sounds kind of techie like the sports car, Honda NSX.

I'll never know what my previous owners think of me but I know godpa finds me very affectionate. I'm rather sticky and up till today I still follow right behind him in the house. I can be found laying down quietly at his feet when he's having breakfast, watching TV, or surfing the Net. I wait for him at the door when he goes to the bathroom, and I eagerly watch by the bed side for him to wake in the morning.

I'm a cheerful doggy, especially when I see the leash or see godpa go into the kitchen for my morning meal. I'll be prancing all around him, sometimes standing on my hind legs with anticipation. I recently got used to the combing and brushing that godpa does, and get so comfortable that I flip over belly up so he could give me a rub rub :)

I'm also very good in cleaning up all my food and being a quiet well behaved doggy at home. Given all my good points, it certainly gives godpa hope that my outdoor behaviours can improve.
Godpa is busy tonight and will be home late so he may not have any special plans or gifts for me. I told him I'm pretty contented already, I'm grateful for his presence in my life.

I love jalan jalan

It was another great weekend for godpa, Uncle Leon, and me. We spent the whole Saturday outdoors starting with Bishan park dog run in the morning, then visiting the SKC show at Kallang Leisure Park in the afternoon.

I met many more dogs at the run and overall godpa was glad that I had fun darting around and mixing with other dogs. As usual I didn't do too good on leash just outside the dog run. I even barked while in the car watching some poor guys doing the CWO (Corrective Work Order). We met Jamie (the boy MS who came on my adoption day) and his pa and ma. There was much running that day for all of us. We had so much fun godpa almost forgot to take photos. I love marking places with little golden droplets and godpa actually caught me on camera! Naughty godpa.
I had photos taken with godpa and Uncle Leon too. You'd have noticed my attention wasn't exactly on the camera. Great photo anyway. We left at lunch time and I miss the place already.


During lunch time, Uncle Leon put me up at his place for a rest. Later we went to the SKC show where I stepped into an air-conditioned shopping centre for the first time! I peed on the organizer's carpet, which fortunately was better than creating an obvious puddle on the marble floor. The place was echoing with dog barks and I took the cue to join in the chorus too ;) I saw very obedient dogs in warm-up practice and very fast ones running the agility circuit too. Godpa wonders if I can be like them someday. Overall the event, including the retail booths, wasn't fantastic and I think many doggies felt the same. We visited Pets Kampong upstairs where godpa bought me a bath massage brush and we ended the day taking a short look at the car rally just out at a nearby car park. Back home I was given a good scrub down with the massage brush. Godpa managed to do a good job blowing me dry while combing me at the same time, he imagined he was some fancy dog stylist :)

Discipline

I think godpa is gonna get more strict with me by first being more disciplined himself. He has read some books and a recent one "Final Hope : Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog" made him realize he had not been precise in his commands like sit. He's gonna refocus on the basics of getting my attention using sit-stay, before moving onto heel, come, and down. And he hopes these basics will help me change my behaviour outdoors.

What's going to happen is he'll make me sit whenever he says so, no exceptions. And I'm supposed to stay on my bums till he says ok. It's going to be tough for him but he's going to separate play and casual times from training time by not issuing any obedience commands during those times. It could be tough days ahead for me. Although godpa is smart, he still has a soft spot for me, so let's see if I can make him give up :)

Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde

Godpa found out something unusual during evening walk. I got flustered and barked when we met this cute friendly 7yr old pomeranian. Apparently I was friendly with her a few days ago when godpa's dad walked me. The pom's pa, an old man, also found it weird. Poor godpa got a few scratches on his arm when he tried holding me close to him to calm me down. Guess he won't try that again.

Godpa is beginning to wonder is it because of his presence. He wonders maybe I'm protective of him? After all he's my hero, nursing me since my surgery.

Sunny weekend

Last Saturday morning, godpa changed my routine by giving me food first and then waited for me to pee/poo. Little did he realize I was very good at bowel control :) He gave up after waiting till around 10am, then brought me out to eliminate.

Sunday early morning and this morning's walk in the estate was quite bad coz I went bonkers for no apparent reason, even barking at people who walked past. I had initial problems too when we arrived at Bishan Park late Sunday morning but godpa, with support from Uncle Leon, boldy brought me into the dog run. I was the lone dog there for a while, chasing godpa around the field, making him sweat.

Things were really exciting when a male white doggy came in with his young mama and friend. I ran up to meet him and we became good playmates. He's cute, though a little chubby and slow, basically I ran circles around him. I showed everyone my real talents that day, I was so agile and darted around at great speed. Uncle Leon said I looked silly with my tongue hanging out sideways as I ran. Looks like I'm the type who likes to chase things, when I see my playmate run, I go after him. Outside the dogrun I was eager and managed to make friends with a few other dogs too. There was a horny male pomeranian who thought I was an easy girl but I showed him who's the boss :)

This morning's meal was a bit special coz Uncle Leon made me some boiled brocolli and carrots yesterday. Godpa was glad that I cleaned out the bowl as usual. He's a bit concerned about my very small poo past 2 days so hopefully the vegetables would help.

Potty training

I'm having problem with my potty training. This morning I nearly peed in the house twice, but godpa was sharp enough to notice and shouted "No!". He quickly got me onto the designated toilet area but I just couldn't do it. He tried waiting for me until he gave up and took me downstairs.

He's tried putting pee and poo under the newspapers, and even bought a stinky housebreaking spray. So far I've peed once in godpa's bedroom, once in the kitchen, and twice in the guest toilet. Godpa doesn't know whether it's the smell, location, or texture of the place that attracts me to pee/poo. He's going to keep trying till I get it right.

Command & conquer

I'm getting better at doing "sit" like almost 90% of the time, sometimes I mistakenly go into a "down" position. I'm quite motivated by the treats so godpa tests me sometimes without treat. If weather is good, godpa's dad is gonna give me a bath :)

In sickness and in health

Godpa's feeling a bit down, he came home mid-day after seeing the doc, took some meds and went to sleep. I heard him coughing as he tried to nap. I licked at his hand hoping he'd get well soon and play with me. The nap was good for him, he said his sinus cleared and the headache was gone. He went out soon after as there was a night case, poor godpa, he came home about 11pm.

Serene

Godpa's dad bathed me yesterday so I'm freshened for the week ahead in anticipation of godpa's lessons with me. We understand each other based on the following vocab:
* Nikki - that's my name and I usually respond to it
* Come - I'll return to godpa's side after my little adventures
* Heel - I try to walk beside him while on leash though I'm a little ahead as I get very excited about walking
* Let's go - that's used when whoever takes my leash wants to change direction or move me forward
* Off! - that's to let me know I shouldn't be climbing up on things. I usually perch my front paws on godpa's knees to welcome him home.
* Paw paw - that's my cue to let godpa clean all my paws.
* Shake hand - godpa's dad prefers to just shake my front paws
* No! - that's what godpa says loudly when he wants me to stop doing something. I've been a good girl so he seldom needs to say "no" to me.

Amazingly I never learnt "sit" yet so godpa started coaching me yesterday, and I managed to get it right on a few times :) I can't wait for the next lesson coz I get porkliver treats during training *yum*

Patients, patience

I was the first patient at the vet's so things were quiet and I got so comfortable I peed a big puddle right in the middle on the clinic floor. The stitch removal was over and done with in the blink of an eye, and the microchip injection was just a little ant bite. And I thought we could all go home soon, but since I was so confident godpa requested for a heartworm check and I had to get blood sample drawn from my leg *ouch* Fortunately I was negative for heartworm and godpa will be giving me Heartgard for the next 6 months. The vet assistant says its chewy and tasty *yum* It's a good thing godpa reminded them of my history as they nearly gave me Heartgard without a test.

At the vet, I met many nice dogs of all shapes and sizes. Some were crosses just like me and they were all well behaved. I found that I could actually like other dogs once I got the patience to sniff them out. I saw a yorkie come in because of bleeding and his papa said there was blood all over the house. Poor boy, I hope he recovers soon. I think I liked the big old bulldog best, she's such a grand old lady even her muzzle was turning grey.

While godpa wasn't feeling great, together with Uncle Leon he still brought me to Bishan park! We didn't have time to go into the dog run because the weather quickly turned bad. But I did get to meet many other dogs passing through the area. I usually get hot when I see the neighborhood JRT but surprisingly I found the JRT there very nice. Let me see what other breeds I met...Beagle, Golden Retriever, Sheltie, MiniSchnauzer, and even a Cavapoo from Australia with her Aussie human parents! There was only one little dog I didn't like, it was a pomeranian having picnic with her big group of human family.

Later godpa and Uncle Leon went across the road to have lunch at the hawker centre, I came along too and it was my first experience in such a busy place. So much food and so many people! I stuck close to them and managed to keep very cool :) It was a great morning and I look forward to more park excursions!

Virtual image

Godpa got to know a neat website for creating customized images, and he created one for me and also for himself.

Here's mine on the left. Don't I look feisty :)














And here's godpa, the ever cool guy.
This is the website: http://unique.rasterboy.com. Have fun!

Friendship

Last evening, godpa's dad brought me out for a walk and I did quite well coz I didn't bark as we went past that house with the noisy dog. I am a fast mover though and bullied his dad a bit by leading most of the time. This morning, I finally made friendly passes at a pomeranian who came out with his mama. I was a bit nervous but we managed to have some nose to nose explorations before parting ways. Godpa was so happy we took a short run. I love running :)

Tomorrow I'm going to see Dr. Tan to remove my stitches, and I'll be getting my very own microchip pet ID! Finally I'll be a dog citizen. I wonder if they have doggy elections? I recall being very frightened after my spaying there but this time I'll show everyone how confident I've become. Uncle Leon's coming too and we'll have some fun together before sending me home.

More of me

I have more photos of me taken during my stay with Bear and Bruno:
http://bigbrownbearbear.blogspot.com/2008/04/random-pictures-of-nikki-chia-charbor.html

Sore throat

No, I don't have a sore throat but godpa has it. He was more lethargic this morning so we just had a short walk. He had foresight to walk me last night so I'm pretty happy with him.

Last evening Godpa bought a pack of beefcubes which he found at NTUC, he's quite delighted as it means more convenient and nutritious meals for me. It only cost him $4.50 for 500g (9 cubes). I've been doing well on a mix of raw meats and bones (chicken wing joints, wing tips, pork slice, minced beef) and canned food. Sometimes he adds in the trout kibbles to give variation. Here's what godpa found from the Internet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_feeding
http://rawfed.com/myths/feedraw.html
http://www.rawlearning.com/

He often feels for my ribs to make sure I don't get overweight :)

I did it again

Eh, I pee'd in the kitchen when godpa wasn't looking earlier, and godpa's mum found a big pool there. Gosh she got furious but eventually quietened down.

I was surprised she gave me a bath this morning and was quite happy about it. I must try to behave and get godpa to think of a way to paper train me.

Godpa thinks my morning watery poo could be due to a treat containing flaxseed oil, so he's going to stop giving them to me. Darn!

Oops!

This morning I woke godpa up again but I was more courteous this time, giving just a few soft barks. Godpa had a difficult time with me during morning walk coz I got fierce with a white poodle who was far away, and soon after just a few steps, had problems with a nice crossbreed who gave a friendly hello bark, and lastly followed by a domestic cat who dared to confront me. Godpa shouted to distract me but I was too upset to hear him. Surprisingly godpa gave me treats when things were peaceful, and before entering home, he rewarded me again :)

I'm quite embarrassed as I had a poop accident in the living room while godpa was changing for work. Good thing godpa's dad cleaned it up quickly, otherwise his mum would have been very angry. The poop was partly watery, I don't know why coz I already had a solid poop during the walk. Godpa is wondering if the treats which he used for training me could be the problem. Yeah, does that mean he'll buy new treats for me to try? :)

Wake up call

6.30am I decided to wake godpa by barking. It was so loud even godpa's dad heard it. Godpa feared I may wake the neighbours so he waited a while before opening the door to let me out of my "room". Then I was surprised to see godpa going back to bed! He made me wait 15 minutes before he rose to take me out for my usual walk.

This morning no doggies for me to bark so I tried barking at a jogger, but godpa shouted a command to redirect me. I'm glad he did that otherwise people may label me as a little tyrant. I want to let people know I'm an affectionate doggy who loves to cuddle and can quietly sit at home beside my godpa and his family. Godpa says he will ask Bear's Pa for some advice.

Come! Heel!

Godpa took me on a walk late evening. He's smarter now and notices the signs when I get anxious. Although he managed to redirect my attention before I could bark, he says there's more to be done as I've not really walked past a doggy yet. Train me! Train me! I wanna be a good girl.

Fresh after bath

Here's a photo of me fresh after bath. See how happy godpa is :)

East Coast Park excursion

Yeah! Godpa and Uncle Leon brought me to ECP today. The weather was great and I'm now a tired contented little dog. I met quite a few new dogs today, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, German Shepard, Shihtzu, and a few MiniSchnauzers. I did my usual barking thing, which seemed pretty rude, but I was trained to redirect my attention by walking away. They found out I love to run on leash and calling me to run helps distract me from focusing on my anxieties. I also got my first bath after surgery so I smell real nice and sweet...*YAWN* ZzzzZzzzzZzzz

Woof!

This morning I met that JRT again, it was daylight so I could see her clearly. I gave her a piece of my mind, and I believe our barking woke the entire estate. I'm not sure why I don't like her but I told godpa not to give up on me coz I don't have many doggy friends.

Weekend's coming!

Godpa says there are 2 fun events for doggies this weekend: the Class95 dog walk at Bishan Park, and the 2nd USDAA International Dog Agility Sanctioned Trials at West Coast Park Dog Run. He hopes to help me socialize with other doggies but is concerned about my stitches and whether I am ready to face such a big crowd. I'm still not very confident as I get excited when seeing other dogs and cats. Just this morning we met a cool cat coming towards us and I started standing on my hind legs and got frantic about it. The other day I barked at a Jack Russell while she was carried around in the garden. I usually whine a bit after that. Godpa just stayed by my side, he's a calm guy and this helps me regain composure. I guess he's trying to show me that he's there for me and there's nothing to be afraid of. I certainly want to live up to my name as Nikki the Brave too :)

Boney M

I had some new raw meats today. Godpa mixed some pork and a chicken wing joint into my usual minced beef and canned brown rice. Though godpa did much research into raw feeding, he still got a little worried seeing me crunch the wing, and watched in awe as I ate the entire joint, bone and all. I better show him some poop tomorrow or he'll worry more.

Punctuality

Godpa came home late today so I had late dinner. He said I couldn't skip my meal coz I only take medicine that way. He felt bad returning home late but I know he needs time to meet with friends and socialize too. I patiently waited for him by resting in my crate. But I think I got too excited trying to trail him round the kitchen. He wasn't very pleased with that especially when I scratched at the kitchen door.

Solid Gold

My godpa is a weird guy, he looked pleased as he picked up my poop this morning, which happened to be a small solid turd. Is there a special recycle program for solid turd? Tonight it rained, so no walk outside, but I'm contented lazing and watching tv with godpa. I'm beginning to smell nice...like a dog but godpa thinks otherwise and has been wiping me down, he hopes to bathe me this weekend. I will ask him to give me a nice massage then, wonder if he does Swedish or Thai style :)