While he is sleeping

For the past week, mon chien has been spending his nights outside the house. I think he wants to stand guard against a neighbourhood cat, who decided that it's okay to poo on my flower bed when no one's watching. I've come to terms with him sleeping outside now. The only thing that is still heart-wrenching for me is seeing mosquitoes feed on him while he's sleeping outside. :(

Photo on 27 March 2009

When the playing got rough

Mon chien makes it a point to nudge me to his indoor playmat (formerly my expensive turkish rug) to play every night. So, last night we sat on the mat and I was petting him. Then, things got out of hand. He decided to bite my wrist and not let go. Soon, he got to his jumping state. So, I reached for the magic wand and gave him a big whack in the butt. He was still persistent and I gave him a second whack. I think my poor boy was shocked because the rest of the night, he sat outside the house....occassionally peering into the window to see what I was doing in the study.

When it came to bedtime, he refused to get up. Finally, he came in with his head hung low ... after much coaxing from me (rather by command of 5 kibbles). Usually, he sleeps in the bedroom...but yesterday, he slept in the hall. He only came in before sunrise.

I think he thought I could play with him like Arwen. It was my mistake.

Photo on 30 November 2008

The fern stands alone...

Sometimes I wonder whether mon chien may have been a gardener in his previous life. He likes moving plants around the garden. This fern was moved from the flower bed (arrow) to the middle of the garden (same spot) a few times over. It's as if the boy insists that it looks better in the middle. Then today, he carried the same plant into the house...from the rain. Threading soil and mud into the house.

Photo on 22 March 2009

Haruki's Report Card - March 2009

In French: he is mon chien (my dog)
Height: 23 inches and growing...
Weight: I don't know now...but he needs some exercise (like me)
Meals: 2 cup normal kibbles+ 1 cup diet kibbles twice daily + fresh minced beef/ liver weekends.
Favourite pastimes: Digging holes and pulling out plant in the garden
Favourite toy: his tug toy
Loves: running off with things and hoping you chase after him
Fears: my magic wand
Discovery of the month: brushing his teeth with dog toothpaste
Excellent: taking his shower and finishing his meals
Good: playing tug with me
Total fail: getting into the car after daycare and coming back into the house after his last pee before bed

Photo on 22 March 2009(at 7 months)

Tsunami strikes here every week

My patio used to be looking mighty pristine. Nowadays, it looks more like this... a total tsunami-affected area by the weekend.

You see...mon chien loves to dig the flower bed and meddle with the potted plants around the patio. When he finds something interesting, he'll park himself on the patio bench to look at it more closely. This is his wild side.

Photo on 21 March 2009

Someone is having too much fun

Getting mon chien into the car from daycare is taking forever these days. Finally, this afternoon my boy refused to follow me home. So, I went to the shops for a while and returned the second time to pick him up. Again, he simply refused to budge from the car porch. Since it was freaking hot, I gave up coaxing him and decided instead to water him down at his favourite swimming pool. He loves it! Looking a the photo make me wanna build him a wading pool with a fountain.

I went home dogless and had the rest of the afternoon cleaning "his house" in peace. You see, I have a bed and table at his place....hahaha. Dad walked him over later that evening.

Photo on 21 March 2009

The Magic Wand

For some strange reason, I was wondering why mon chien turns all submissive when I wave my makeshift cane (a branch picked up from our past walk). Then, I realised that it must be dad and his rod at day care!!

My wand has super powers.

I just need to wave it. I point it down, he sits. I touch the tip on the floor, he lies down.

It's generally effective but if I use it too often, it loses its power.
So, it's on use in desparate times....when deparate measures are needed.

Photo on 22 March 2009

Sunday with Godparents

Ruki's godparents decided to do a spot check on my boy. He loved all the playing he got to do. Our dinner was mighty FINE. Mostly hand-bought hahahaha...Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it. So, what you see here is what we had on New Year's Day. We had...

Vegetarian quiches
Roasted pumpkins, potatoes and carrots
minced meat rolls
percik chicken
Salad with cherry tomatoes and cranberries

orange cake with cream cheese frosting
Coffee

The face of a bra snatcher

Photo on 1 March 2009

My house is his playground

It started with just napping on the couch after his weekend baths. Soon, he found it fun to run about the house in high speeds and then "crashing" on the coach with a loud EEEKKKK. Then, he began to "take refuge" on the coach when he grabs something he's not suppose to..like a tea towel. Lately, he began to leap from couch to couch to escape from me.

Photo on 1 January 2009

Ruki is 7 months old

Once upon a time, he was looking like this at last September.



This is mon chien (my dog) after going through 4 x 15 kg bags of Eukanuba large breed puppy formula...to give you some perspective where all the food went!!


Awww...he's all grown up. If only I could turn back time... well, I don't mind taking the toilet-trained puppy version back. But then, he's really amuses me more these days.

Full monthly development report tomorrow. :D

Photo on 8 Mar 2009

The face of mischief

This is how Ruki looks when he's locked outside. He was caught "red-pawed" after digging the ground this morning. When he knows that he's locked outside, he'll patiently wait by the door to come in again.



He thinks that his remorseful face will gain him automatic access back into the house!



Well, my willpower isn't all that strong too, ya'know.... :D

Photo on 8 March 2009

Downward dog

I've been trying to get a yoga regimen going from home. Ruki thinks it's time for play because I'm on my mat doing cat poses and all. Needless to say, he wants to participate too!

Photo taken on 8 March 2009 in downward dog pose

Vacumn Boy

My house is a great big mess by the end of the week. So, the first day of the weekend is always a battle between me and vacumn boy here.

Photo 7 March 2009

The last of the furniture

It's confirmed. All the furniture in the living room belong to my boy now.

Photo on 6 March 2009

To be or not to be

I've (sort of) decided that my son will be a house dog. "Sort of" because I'm generally a liberal parent. So, if he decides later in life that he wants to have his own pad outside, I guess he will be an outside dog. This would mean the boy's all grown up. *tear*

My mum says that while at day care, Ruki is a total homebody. When he follows someone outside or goes out to pee, he normally rushes back into the house....in case he's shut out. Like in this photo.

It is the total opposite at my place. Perhaps because most of the time I do prefer him sitting prim and proper inside. Otherwise, he's outside jumping with the frogs or digging holes. Then, threading all the dirt back into the house. When he's in the garden...you can call him until the cows go home. He'll only come in when he's good and ready. So, I'm in my garden at midnight everyday with Ruki waiting for him to "smell all the roses" before having his last pee before bedtime.

*Ruki wee-wee* *chop* *chop*

Photo on 4 March 2009

Like clockwork

Every morning at 8 a.m., my boy's head pop up from the end of the bed. Like this...




If you don't get up pronto, he will put on his crossed face.



I need a new camera with faster shutter speed. My photos always come out blur because the boy doesn't pose for shots, ya' know.

Photo on 4 March 2009

Walk the talk, walk the dog

My dad could only manage a short walk with Ruki today. He said my boy is getting too strong (even)for him. It's true. My dog walks have shortened to 10 minutes at most because he goes into a sniffing trance when he's out the gate.

Photo on 2 March 2009

Joy rides

My boy seems to better enjoy his car rides ever since I had one of the car windows down recently. Now, I have the windows down between home and day care during our daily commute. I think he loves the feel and smell of the breeze in his face. Sometimes, it's quite funny when he barks at dogs and people from the car window.

I still have to be vigilant as I don't want to down a Marley-style escape from a moving car in the highway!

Photo on 28 February 2009

Duh....

We missed our class today...HAHAHAHA... >:)

There was a mix-up in the training location today. We went to the usual place but no one was there! I guess it was in the YMCA field. By the time we got to BU, Ruki was getting a bit restless...wondering why he couldn't get down. Silly me forgot to bring my phone. So, I couldn't check with my instructor. We decided to head home. No point. By the time we would have reached YMCA, it would be in the middle of class. The poor boy needs at least 20 mins to calm down from the extra long car ride and acclimatize to the new venue. He (I) wouldn't have been in the right frame of mind to take a test.

Does this mean that we're now dog school drop-outs? *bad mama*

Photo on 7 February 2009

Mon chien est gras

While mon garcon (my boy) is facing his exams this week, moi needs to finish my essai le francais by tomorrow. Le examen is at the end of March. No idea how I'm gonna pass that ....hahaha...

Mugshots

As long as there is rain and a hole outside my garden, my boy will look like this every night.

Photo on 25 Feb 2009 at almost 7 months

Crash Course - Day 1

If only he was behaving like an A-star student....


Instead, he was looking like the reluctant boy who didn't want to go to school this morning...


He had 2 sessions under the rod by the headmaster (dad) while I was at work. Then, I did the last session after work. Poor boy....

Photo on 30 November 2008 and 24 February 2009

Exam Fever

This Sunday will be Ruki's last training class. *gulp*

He (I) will be assessed on how well he does on heeling, sit, stand, down, sit-stay, down-stay, recall and general temperament. So, every morning and night this week he (I) will have to do his (my) revision.

Does he have a worried look on his face?

Photo taken on 22 February 2009 (at almost 7 months)

Lazy Sundays

After dog training classes and cool shower, this is Ruki on a typical Sunday afternoon at my house.



Here he is basking on the wet carpet which I am drying from last night's muddy episode.


Photo on 22 February 2009 (at 6.5 months)

Look what the rain brought in....

It was raining cats and dogs outside. We were having dinner. I caught a glimpse of Ruki from the kitchen window playing in the rain. That silly boy loves water. After a while, he came to the dinner table soaked to the skin and ran off. We continued dinner. In minutes, he dashes into the room again. This time looking like this!!



Together with him, a trail of muddy water from the front door right to the kitchen. I guess he thought we weren't giving him the level of attention the first time.

Ever since Ruki decided to dig his little hole in the garden, he has dragged a lot more dirt into the house. When it rains, the hole fills up with muddy water. He loves it. I don't.

Thank God it's Friday!

This reminds me that I really need to use my bath tub a bit more often. So far, I've only used it once since moving in. I wonder how my boy would react once the finds out that square thing in the bathroom can be filled with water.


Photo on 11 January 2009 (at 6 months)

Proud mama

So after some consecutive postings of Ruki's naughty but cute antics, I show you what Ruki is REALLY GOOD at. Sitting patiently beside his bowl before his command to eat. Those are the precious moments when he's sitting and not fidgeting. So, that's the time, I get to wipe his face, paws, clean his ears and wear his collar in the mornings. It's a calming ritual :D

I saw this poster at the Paramount LRT station about two missing dogs from SS1 since Dec 10. They have a website. Poor dog. Poor owner. Apparently, one of them (Creamie) was found by a family in Damansara Jaya (near KDU). Wow, that was one long track away from home.

The dog still missing goes by the name of Arjun.



missing since Wednesday, December 10, 2008 @ 2pm
and sighted around SS24, SS25 Taman Megah PJ & SS26 Taman Mayang PJ
If found please contact:
Ramin 012-2172721 ramin@hotmail.com
Chan 012-2183698 Teh 012-6121833
Reward For Return

So sad. I would be devasted if Ruki went missing. Already traumatized enough when he was 2 months old and went missing. We found him sleeping in between some pots of plants in the garden oblivious that the whole world was calling out for him!!

Photo on 14 February 2009 (at 6 months)

Angel....NOT

I left work at 10am today as I was working from home before an 11'oclock meeting. By 9.30, the boy was restless. Racing in and out the house. Bit a plastic flower pot to crumbs. Running around my study table. Then, CRASH!!!. His leg got caught in the the tangle of wires from my notebooks. My Thinkpad came crashing down on the floor from the table. OMG!! OMG!!! The LCD screen went haywire. OMG!! Just on Monday, my colleague's notebook screen cracked....flashed back awful memories about of my Treo's nose diving to its death.

Thank my lucky stars that the screen didn't crack!! I re-booted and the screen returned to normal. At the same time, Ruki ran into the house again. This time with muddy paws!!!

RUKIII!!! RUKIIIII!!!! *lecture* *lecture*

Photo on 3 January 2009 (almost 5 months)

Who is the boss?

Haruki peed in the house this morning. :(

Is he marking is territory?
well, he does make sures he occupies prime location...areas that he can be in-the-thick of the action even while he sleeping. Like sleeping at doorways to make sure no one goes out without him knowing!



First thing I do when I get out of bed is to open the front door to let him out to pee. Usually, both of us just end up standing at the door staring outside. I think Ruki thinks if he goes out, he'll miss his breakfast. Some days, he goes out first as he can no longer hold it in ... like today. After his big poo-poo session, he rushed in with the did-I-miss-anything look in his face. The next thing I knew, he peed on the floor...then continued to pee around my carpet. Horrors! He controlled his pee to make a full circle round my carpet. Interesting.

I guess trying to take over my study territory now!

So, it got me to research on territory marking.

First, is your dog neutered? NO, I didn't want to consider to cut his manhood that early. *gulp*
Second, do you have any other dogs in the house? No
If not, have other dogs been visiting your house? Not for a month now.

Who is the “Alpha” in your pack? Most humans will say that they are the Alpha in the pack and they truly believe that they are. Sometimes without realizing it, the human has let the dog gain the upper hand or paw. You may have done so without realizing it. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may be guilty.

Does your dog sleep in your bed? No, just next to the bed. He only jumps in if I oversleep.
Is your dog allowed on the furniture? With you? Or anytime he wants to? Ruki controls most of the furniture in the house.
Do you give your dog attention immediately when he demands it? *Guilty* I resist until I can no longer. He's a very persistent boy.
When you both go through a doorway, who goes first? I allow him to go out first.

A lot of times, humans can love their dog too much. They will elevate their dog to the same status that they are, and before you know it, your dog is controls the house. He sleeps and sits wherever he wants, he orders attention from you whenever he feels like it, and he marks territory in the house sending a signal to you that “this” is HIS. Clearly, he needs to be cut back down to size. If this is the case, do the following to take back control of your house. *gulp*

When he gets on the furniture, put him OFF the furniture, ensuring that you also tell him “OFF “as you put him on the floor.
Do not allow him back in the bed, and tell him OFF as you put him back on the floor.
When he nudges your hand for attention, tell him NO and move your hand away
Do not allow your dog to walk through the door first. Put a leash on him and hold him back as you begin to walk through the door. The “WAIT” command (which I am covering later this week) is very useful here.

For a while, keep a four to six foot non-retractable leash on your dog while he is in the house. Make the dog stay in the room where you are. Do not allow him free run of the house. This is a privilege that he has lost, and it is a privilege he can have back once he figures out that he doesn’t make the rules, YOU DO.

I would also suggest that when you are away from home, put your dog in a crate or a confined area. The message you are sending is:

This is MY house and you will respect MY house or you will not be able to enjoy the comforts of MY house!
By leaving the leash on your dog, you are also sending him a message: I control everything in MY house, even you.

I guess I need to show him who's the real boss!! This is my house, Ruki, MY HOUSE

So, I guess the real question to ask in this situation, who is in charge in YOUR house? errr...*me*?

This last thing may sound kind of silly. Do not let your dog see you when you clean up his marked spots. If he sees you or any human down on your knees cleaning his messes, what kind of message are you sending to him?

oh, I was cleaning the floor as he's biting on the towel.*lecture* *lecture* I had to leash him in the other room before the mopping started. He loves mops. :D

Photo on 2 February 2009 (almost 6 months)