Our family just came back from a ski trip with a group of our friends to Mount Snow, VT for 4 days for this Christmas season (and yes, I missed Caitey from head to toe during those days). It was our very 1st skiing experience, but it was quite an eye opener for me.
It sure felt "different" shivering in the snow in the sub 30F temperature just days after vacationing in the 80F plus tropical zone, and my brain had a little trouble making a rapid and dramatic adjustment for my body to respond properly.
If last week I felt the Atlantis was yet another Atlantic City built in the tropical area, this trip to the north presented me with a vastly different picture, something very appealingly primitive to me.
After the Sunny Albany we headed east for Mount Snow. It was chilled to the bone and it was pitch dark. After driving for an hour in no man's land, suddenly there were lights in a palm-sized town. My 10-year old Claire cheered in her usual sarcastic way "Oh great, finally a sign of civilization!". If you are tired of the uncharacteristically common malls and supermarkets, your might find the garage-looking shops and kitchen-sized restaurants very interesting. One day we passed an antique store -- for a moment, I thought the "store" itself was the antique.
I was excited and exhausted at the same time for the whole trip. I remember I woke up the next morning after the 1st day of skiing feeling like having gotten beaten up the previous night because the muscles all over my body were so sore. I actually still have trouble moving my neck around now so I will have to turn my whole upper body just to check the blind spot before I change lanes. I did however, came back with my original two legs -- I am glad that I did not leave one leg in VT or add a wooden one for support.
The biggest shock was to see how well my wimpy girls did on the trails. I registered them in the starter's camp fully expecting them to cry to mommy about their falls and quit before the end of the morning, but I never imagined in my wildest dream that my older one Claire was sent from Red to Yellow in just an hour, and from Yellow to Green in the afternoon. After only 6 hours of training, the next day she was already doing parallels in the Blue trail with her instructor -- she seriously thinks that she can probably manage Black if we could just stay a day or two longer. I was dumbfounded (and scared to death too) to hear her rapid progress because I assumed she was not a very sporty person (but then again, I don't even allow her to do front rolls at school in fear of injury), and her instructor also had a hard time believing that she just started the day before. Even my whiny younger one Caitlin could manage her turns on "Yellow Plus" as well.
Compared with my girls, their mommy was a lot slower and clumsier. The 1st time I got on to Yellow, I went straight down thinking going S would be too boring. Of course I had a major fall flat on my nose after losing control while heading down hill too fast ... but it was sure exhilarating acting weird and crazy once in a while.
Any way, many people in this same group are heading to Blue Mountain PA for the New Year and we are planning on tagging along as well... actually I would have been murdered if I said no to the kids so I have no other choice.
What I did learn is this, maybe I should start loosening up the strings on the wings of the girls and let them fly once in a while, well with loose strings still attached of course.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Season's Greetings from Caitey
My name is Caitey, which is named after my 2nd sister Caitlin. My mom also calls me “sweetheart” or “bad girl” depending on what I just did or her particular mood at that moment -- mommy is a big cat and you know cats have mood swings.
I am a pure breed Golden Retriever and I am almost 6 months now. Hope this does not scare you but I am already over 50 lbs but technically I am still a puppy. I am with my human family today because of my sister Caitlin’s relentless bugging and begging to my mom for a Golden Retriever puppy.
I was born on June 22nd 09, at a breeder in Pennsylvania. My doggy dad’s name is Hillside Von Boise and my mom is Pine Tree Lilly I per my birth record. I was adopted on Aug 18th and picked up by my family 2 days later. When I 1st stepped into my new home 4 months ago, I was barely 10 lbs. Mommy sometimes wishes I could stay small just a bit longer, she says it is like "blink" and I am too big to look like a puppy any more.
Mommy always says that it was like “love at 1st sight” when she laid her eyes on me at Puppy Barn for the 1st time. She says that I looked like a cute, fragile and scared little furry ball (mommy is never short of compassion for the underdog, pun intended). So when my two baby brothers clumsily stepped right over me to run to mommy, she asked to pet ME instead because she never liked bullies. When I rested in her arms, ahhhhh, I felt heavenly warm and secure for the 1st ever since I was taken away from my canine parents.
Mommy says that I am the best puppy one can ever find in the whole wide world and my family is very fortunate in having me. It is not blind love mind you, I have earned her trust with hard work. Like I was “almost” potty trained in just a week (except those occasional leak accidents when I got overly excited and lost control like an old lady); like I could tell mommy’s footsteps upstairs from others and happily ran to greet her when she came down just days after I joined my family; Like when I was sick and just had surgery, I would still manage to walk on my wobbly legs to throw up outside the house so I did not have to ruin my mom’s shining floor. Whenever mommy goes out to travel, she says I am the one who is constantly on her mind.
People often call blondes dumb, but my mommy says that I have beauty as well as brain, tee hee. Mommy likes my kind and intelligent eyes, which will always focus on her and behave like an angel whenever she has a treat in her hand.
I am a pure breed Golden Retriever and I am almost 6 months now. Hope this does not scare you but I am already over 50 lbs but technically I am still a puppy. I am with my human family today because of my sister Caitlin’s relentless bugging and begging to my mom for a Golden Retriever puppy.
I was born on June 22nd 09, at a breeder in Pennsylvania. My doggy dad’s name is Hillside Von Boise and my mom is Pine Tree Lilly I per my birth record. I was adopted on Aug 18th and picked up by my family 2 days later. When I 1st stepped into my new home 4 months ago, I was barely 10 lbs. Mommy sometimes wishes I could stay small just a bit longer, she says it is like "blink" and I am too big to look like a puppy any more.
Mommy always says that it was like “love at 1st sight” when she laid her eyes on me at Puppy Barn for the 1st time. She says that I looked like a cute, fragile and scared little furry ball (mommy is never short of compassion for the underdog, pun intended). So when my two baby brothers clumsily stepped right over me to run to mommy, she asked to pet ME instead because she never liked bullies. When I rested in her arms, ahhhhh, I felt heavenly warm and secure for the 1st ever since I was taken away from my canine parents.
Mommy says that I am the best puppy one can ever find in the whole wide world and my family is very fortunate in having me. It is not blind love mind you, I have earned her trust with hard work. Like I was “almost” potty trained in just a week (except those occasional leak accidents when I got overly excited and lost control like an old lady); like I could tell mommy’s footsteps upstairs from others and happily ran to greet her when she came down just days after I joined my family; Like when I was sick and just had surgery, I would still manage to walk on my wobbly legs to throw up outside the house so I did not have to ruin my mom’s shining floor. Whenever mommy goes out to travel, she says I am the one who is constantly on her mind.
People often call blondes dumb, but my mommy says that I have beauty as well as brain, tee hee. Mommy likes my kind and intelligent eyes, which will always focus on her and behave like an angel whenever she has a treat in her hand.
I know a lot of commands like "sit", "down", "watch me", "go potty", "roll", "come", "OK", "no", "leave it" and "take it". I also know common words like "treat", "food", "water", "toy", 'out", "walk", "mommy", and "daddy" etc. Like any other Golden puppy, I obey these commands most of the time, and sometimes mommy does not have to say a word -- as soon as she grabs her jacket I will be waiting for her at the door.
In case you don't know about this, we Goldens Retrievers rank 4th in intelligence among all dog breeds. We also rank first in working as service dogs, followed by Labs and Golden/Lab mix. Our friendly, loving, tender and flexible temperament makes us one of the most popular breed among people. My family went to a 3-month puppy obedience training program with me, and mommy is planning on get more intermediate training for me. Eventually mommy hopes that I can become a good canine citizen and get to be a therapy dog that helps the seniors and children to overcome stress.
It sounds like a lot of work but seriously I think it is quite easy to be a dog. I mean I get a treat every time I go potty outside, you probably will get slapped if you try begging for one from your mom for doing the same thing. See I get rewarded for not doing something bad, but you on the other hand might not get that from doing something good. Mommy says all good and beautiful dogs like me go to heaven, so I think I will still be a dog in my next life.
You should have sensed by now that I love my mommy the most. She is the person I go to if I want something. I don’t have to beg hard, I just give her this sad puppy look, mommy will be like “Oh my poor baby, are you hot? Are you cold? Are you hungry? Are you sick?”...... and before I know it, she will be back with a handful of tasty treats and I will have my feast. Funny thing is that she always tells other people not to give me wet food or over feed me, but she is a compulsive feeder herself. She will steal yummy pork chops or roasted chicken from daddy’s pot and feed me behind his back. Occasionally she will get mad at me for something a puppy will typically do, like having “leak” accidents in the house or stealing my sister’s slippers or ripping her dress etc, but she never stays mad for too long. One thing I am absolutely certain is that she will always come back to me with her motherly love, care and lots of treats.
My dad on the other hand, is one of those men who have that bulldog type of personality, that is, regardless of what you want or how much you beg, they go by their own rules so you can just save your breadth and tears. Man that ex dog-eater (like a lot of the Chinese) can hold a piece of chicken in his hand and have fun seeing my jump up and down for ages till mommy threatens to smack his head, and then he will give it to me -- reluctantly. Can you believe that he was the one who almost sent me back to Puppy Barn, just because I pooped and peed on his new floor like any new puppy will do? Thank heavens because of the way my mommy and my sisters protested, I got to stay – on probation. I have to say now that I am fully trained and well behaved (well at least most of the time), that dog-eater starts to really like me, well you know men all fall for us blondes any way.
Daddy is the best cook in the house and I love the chicken, pork and everything else he cooks. Speaking of food, mom makes sure that I eat balanced and healthy food with a good mix of kibble, meat, brown rice & barley, and fruits & veggies. If she buys any prepared food from the stores for me, she will use her Sherlock Holmes magnifier to check the labels so I don’t accidentally eat anything that has artificial ingredients in it. “You will live a long and happy life with me” mommy often says. “Your sisters will leave me in the empty nest after they fly to college, but you sweetheart stay with me forever”, which I will gladly do.
My eldest sister Claire is one of those very smart but “lean-mean-pushy-machine” kind of kids. She is a Collie lover (she certainly acts like one the way she herds and bosses me around) and whines every single day because my mommy would not get her one… yet. Mommy wants to get me a sweet and handsome male British Golden as my lifetime companion, but Claire does not want another Golden because she says we are over friendly and would probably “hold flashlights for the robbers to clean out the house”.
She is actually the real trainer in the house and I have no choice but to listen to her because I know she means business. I don’t even get oxygen to breathe if she is not happy with me, sniff sniff. I was confused about my potty schedule when I was only 2-month old, but that mean-ager (oops, meant "manager") told mom that I “could have prostate issues”. EXCUSE ME? ME, a beautiful female puppy?! UGH!
Just wait till she gets married -- I will tattle tell on her to her future husband so he knows what he is getting himself into!
Caitlin, my 2nd sister, has my kind of temperament, I mean personality. She is a little shy but is warm and kind and loving and caring and compassionate and considerate…. our merit list goes on and on but you get the idea. She is the one who would patiently brush and comb me from head to tail after she comes back from school in the afternoon. She will gently stroke my head and tummy when I am not feeling well.
Caitlin is so soft and mushy that even I can bully her sometimes, like I can ignore her order and easily steal treats out of her hand (I know, bad puppy). Once I got her crying because I kept dragging her feet behind to chew on the two little cute monkey heads on her slippers. When mommy had it and took out a pair of new penguin slippers for her, I dropped the old monkey heads instantly and grabbed the new pair right under Caitlin’s nose and ran away. By the way, every morning my favorite thing to do is to go upstairs and steal my sisters’ shoes. That act gets them upset and gets off bed right away -- works like a charm every time!
Let us see, so far I’ve had my first summer, fall and winter ever since I joined my family. I like summer because I get to chew and dig the green grass in the backyard when my parents are not watching, and I love chasing my sisters all over the place and get them (especially Caitlin the wimpy) screaming. I love autumn because I can chase the leafs that are blown by the wind on the streets; I also get to go to every house with my mom and my sisters on Halloween – they will say “trick-or-treat” and I will bark “Give me a hotdog or give me a hot dog (as my boyfriend)!". I am not a big fan of winter because my mom is chicken scared of the cold weather and dreadful of taking me out often in the chill and wind. I have to settle with running after the balls she throws down the hallway.
If there is anything that is a little less than perfect, I will have to say that I don’t have any play pals of my size in the neighborhood. Let us see, we have a tiny male Bichon next door who, with his Napoleon syndrome, thinks he is huge and yaps 24/7. We have a creamy male spaniel mix across the street who is so aloof that you would think that he was a monk in his past life. That dog likes to roam all over the place and got lost so many times that the policemen in our town know him very well. Then there is this 6-year old black lab a few houses down the street who thinks that I had too much coffee and is too hyper to be her pal, sheesh! The last one is this like two-ounce lap dog down at the end of the street ...... sigh, what can I say? I am going to be a 90-lb big girl and I have no interest in socializing with mini toy dogs. Geez!
So, I am looking forward to the day when mommy brings my male companion into the family. Mommy says that she will get him when I am fully house trained but I hope mommy does it soon. I hope I don't have to change his stinky diaper when he comes in like a crying baby though. My kind of Prince should be tall and handsome and protective and kind and preferably loaded, with treats just for ME -- me me me! Please please please mommy, don’t marry me to someone pushy and bully like a Collie or a German, another Golden will be most ideal. I will put on my best behavior and act as sweet as an angel to him. I hope he will love me and I will love him and we will be SO happily ever after!
That is it everyone. If you need my therapeutic licks, just come over to our house with a bag of pork chops and I will smother your all over till you can’t handle it!
Last but the least, jingle jingle everyone. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
It sounds like a lot of work but seriously I think it is quite easy to be a dog. I mean I get a treat every time I go potty outside, you probably will get slapped if you try begging for one from your mom for doing the same thing. See I get rewarded for not doing something bad, but you on the other hand might not get that from doing something good. Mommy says all good and beautiful dogs like me go to heaven, so I think I will still be a dog in my next life.
You should have sensed by now that I love my mommy the most. She is the person I go to if I want something. I don’t have to beg hard, I just give her this sad puppy look, mommy will be like “Oh my poor baby, are you hot? Are you cold? Are you hungry? Are you sick?”...... and before I know it, she will be back with a handful of tasty treats and I will have my feast. Funny thing is that she always tells other people not to give me wet food or over feed me, but she is a compulsive feeder herself. She will steal yummy pork chops or roasted chicken from daddy’s pot and feed me behind his back. Occasionally she will get mad at me for something a puppy will typically do, like having “leak” accidents in the house or stealing my sister’s slippers or ripping her dress etc, but she never stays mad for too long. One thing I am absolutely certain is that she will always come back to me with her motherly love, care and lots of treats.
My dad on the other hand, is one of those men who have that bulldog type of personality, that is, regardless of what you want or how much you beg, they go by their own rules so you can just save your breadth and tears. Man that ex dog-eater (like a lot of the Chinese) can hold a piece of chicken in his hand and have fun seeing my jump up and down for ages till mommy threatens to smack his head, and then he will give it to me -- reluctantly. Can you believe that he was the one who almost sent me back to Puppy Barn, just because I pooped and peed on his new floor like any new puppy will do? Thank heavens because of the way my mommy and my sisters protested, I got to stay – on probation. I have to say now that I am fully trained and well behaved (well at least most of the time), that dog-eater starts to really like me, well you know men all fall for us blondes any way.
Daddy is the best cook in the house and I love the chicken, pork and everything else he cooks. Speaking of food, mom makes sure that I eat balanced and healthy food with a good mix of kibble, meat, brown rice & barley, and fruits & veggies. If she buys any prepared food from the stores for me, she will use her Sherlock Holmes magnifier to check the labels so I don’t accidentally eat anything that has artificial ingredients in it. “You will live a long and happy life with me” mommy often says. “Your sisters will leave me in the empty nest after they fly to college, but you sweetheart stay with me forever”, which I will gladly do.
My eldest sister Claire is one of those very smart but “lean-mean-pushy-machine” kind of kids. She is a Collie lover (she certainly acts like one the way she herds and bosses me around) and whines every single day because my mommy would not get her one… yet. Mommy wants to get me a sweet and handsome male British Golden as my lifetime companion, but Claire does not want another Golden because she says we are over friendly and would probably “hold flashlights for the robbers to clean out the house”.
She is actually the real trainer in the house and I have no choice but to listen to her because I know she means business. I don’t even get oxygen to breathe if she is not happy with me, sniff sniff. I was confused about my potty schedule when I was only 2-month old, but that mean-ager (oops, meant "manager") told mom that I “could have prostate issues”. EXCUSE ME? ME, a beautiful female puppy?! UGH!
Just wait till she gets married -- I will tattle tell on her to her future husband so he knows what he is getting himself into!
Caitlin, my 2nd sister, has my kind of temperament, I mean personality. She is a little shy but is warm and kind and loving and caring and compassionate and considerate…. our merit list goes on and on but you get the idea. She is the one who would patiently brush and comb me from head to tail after she comes back from school in the afternoon. She will gently stroke my head and tummy when I am not feeling well.
Caitlin is so soft and mushy that even I can bully her sometimes, like I can ignore her order and easily steal treats out of her hand (I know, bad puppy). Once I got her crying because I kept dragging her feet behind to chew on the two little cute monkey heads on her slippers. When mommy had it and took out a pair of new penguin slippers for her, I dropped the old monkey heads instantly and grabbed the new pair right under Caitlin’s nose and ran away. By the way, every morning my favorite thing to do is to go upstairs and steal my sisters’ shoes. That act gets them upset and gets off bed right away -- works like a charm every time!
Let us see, so far I’ve had my first summer, fall and winter ever since I joined my family. I like summer because I get to chew and dig the green grass in the backyard when my parents are not watching, and I love chasing my sisters all over the place and get them (especially Caitlin the wimpy) screaming. I love autumn because I can chase the leafs that are blown by the wind on the streets; I also get to go to every house with my mom and my sisters on Halloween – they will say “trick-or-treat” and I will bark “Give me a hotdog or give me a hot dog (as my boyfriend)!". I am not a big fan of winter because my mom is chicken scared of the cold weather and dreadful of taking me out often in the chill and wind. I have to settle with running after the balls she throws down the hallway.
If there is anything that is a little less than perfect, I will have to say that I don’t have any play pals of my size in the neighborhood. Let us see, we have a tiny male Bichon next door who, with his Napoleon syndrome, thinks he is huge and yaps 24/7. We have a creamy male spaniel mix across the street who is so aloof that you would think that he was a monk in his past life. That dog likes to roam all over the place and got lost so many times that the policemen in our town know him very well. Then there is this 6-year old black lab a few houses down the street who thinks that I had too much coffee and is too hyper to be her pal, sheesh! The last one is this like two-ounce lap dog down at the end of the street ...... sigh, what can I say? I am going to be a 90-lb big girl and I have no interest in socializing with mini toy dogs. Geez!
So, I am looking forward to the day when mommy brings my male companion into the family. Mommy says that she will get him when I am fully house trained but I hope mommy does it soon. I hope I don't have to change his stinky diaper when he comes in like a crying baby though. My kind of Prince should be tall and handsome and protective and kind and preferably loaded, with treats just for ME -- me me me! Please please please mommy, don’t marry me to someone pushy and bully like a Collie or a German, another Golden will be most ideal. I will put on my best behavior and act as sweet as an angel to him. I hope he will love me and I will love him and we will be SO happily ever after!
That is it everyone. If you need my therapeutic licks, just come over to our house with a bag of pork chops and I will smother your all over till you can’t handle it!
Last but the least, jingle jingle everyone. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Caitey's 1st Major Snowstorm
So we are back from vacation, just in time for a major snow storm of the year (or several years) -- how lucky we are!
We managed to pick up Caitey right before the big snow started falling. We were greatly relieved to see how well she has been taken care of. She was very happy to see us come and ran straight to me while waving her tail violently... and it hit right in my left eye and almost blinded it for 5 seconds, but I was just SO happy to see, feel and hug her.
She also picked up a trick at my friend's house -- she would hit the bells hanging at the patio door just to go out and play, before she would only make that signal with her nose touching the bells when she needed to take care of her business outside. Today she did this so many times and annoyed my husband greatly. After he pulled and dragged her back home from the foot deep of snow for the last time -- she started to protest under the table and ignored him completely!
Now she has already started to act like a wife -- you go girl! :-)
In the afternoon, she had great fun playing with her sisters outside and jumping up and down all over the backyard. Her dad spent hours snowblowing the drive way and making a little jogging trail for her to go thru the backyard, but later we found out that she prefers to walk on the snow anyway. The girls and I brought her to see the snow tunnel that our neighbours' kids built, and when a boy went deep into the tunnel to dig with most of his body buried in the snow, Caitey started to dig into the snow in panic trying to "save" him because she must have thought he got trapped under snow.
I had great fun taking a ton of pics and videos of Caitey today, who is 50 lbs now with long wavy hair like a big beautiful girl.
It is sure nice to be away from things that you will have to do most of your life and travel to warm places in the winter, but it is nothing compared with the satisfaction of shivering in the wind for Caitey even when I didn't even know if I still had my feet below my legs.
We managed to pick up Caitey right before the big snow started falling. We were greatly relieved to see how well she has been taken care of. She was very happy to see us come and ran straight to me while waving her tail violently... and it hit right in my left eye and almost blinded it for 5 seconds, but I was just SO happy to see, feel and hug her.
She also picked up a trick at my friend's house -- she would hit the bells hanging at the patio door just to go out and play, before she would only make that signal with her nose touching the bells when she needed to take care of her business outside. Today she did this so many times and annoyed my husband greatly. After he pulled and dragged her back home from the foot deep of snow for the last time -- she started to protest under the table and ignored him completely!
Now she has already started to act like a wife -- you go girl! :-)
In the afternoon, she had great fun playing with her sisters outside and jumping up and down all over the backyard. Her dad spent hours snowblowing the drive way and making a little jogging trail for her to go thru the backyard, but later we found out that she prefers to walk on the snow anyway. The girls and I brought her to see the snow tunnel that our neighbours' kids built, and when a boy went deep into the tunnel to dig with most of his body buried in the snow, Caitey started to dig into the snow in panic trying to "save" him because she must have thought he got trapped under snow.
I had great fun taking a ton of pics and videos of Caitey today, who is 50 lbs now with long wavy hair like a big beautiful girl.
It is sure nice to be away from things that you will have to do most of your life and travel to warm places in the winter, but it is nothing compared with the satisfaction of shivering in the wind for Caitey even when I didn't even know if I still had my feet below my legs.
Atlantis Trip and Sweet Dolphins
Every year our family travels during the holiday season, mostly for the benefit of the girls so they don't get trapped at home and tear my roof during winter break, and this year we do the same. We just finished phase one of our vacation to the heavenly Bahamas on a cruise ship, which will be followed by a few days of skiing in Vermont.
For the obvious reason, the headache is not only whatever I packed for the 1st trip won't work for the 2nd one (except PJs and stuff), but the biggest challenge was to leave Caitey behind for a whole week for the 1st time. A family of our friends offered to take Caitey while we were heading south and they did a wonderful job taking care of her, especially considering the fact that they never had a dog before.
Maybe due to the timing of our trip, it felt like half of the people on the cruise ship were seniors and the other half Chinese. That probably explains why when The 2nd City performed at the night show, the audience did not laugh till the next morning!
I am sure you know that when you miss someone, the trip feels longer than it actually is -- that is what happened to us this time too, especially during the last "sea" days on our way back. We did have great fun going kayaking in the Atlantic ocean near Port Canaveral FL and snorkeling at the Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, both were first for the girls. The most memorable moment though, was interacting with the dolphins at the Dolphin Cay in Atlantis.
We had 3 female dolphins that day to play with us: a young female Dolphin X as our major performer, a dominant Sherry, and a sweet good-humoured Tracey. It was very heartwarming to see 3 of them doing all kinds of tricks from jumping up high and twisting in mid air in perfect in synchronization as a group, to flapping water like joyful kids sort of doing "yeahhhh", to pretending dead in the water to fool the sharks. I was greatly amazed by their perfect patience when they came and stayed still right in front of us for us to pat, kiss and feed them. The way they acted so happily that we liked their show kind of reminded me of my Caitey, who loves to be praised, patted and given treats.
Did you know that it is dolphin's nature to protect people, and if they see a shark attack a human in the sea they will form a circle so the shark can't get thru? They are adorable smart animals and I can't help falling in love with them. When it was my turn to kiss Dolphin X, the trainer yelled "Hey no French Kissing!" :-). I wish I could have their smooth skin which is said to shed every 2 hours, maybe the big pharmas can figure out how we get to have their ageless wrinkle-free skin one day.
When we left the Dolphin Cay around noon time on Dec 16th, a young black trainer brought a bucket of fish to start training half a dozen dolphins right in front of the the Royal Tower, the landmark of the Atlantis. I couldn't help but envy him -- the boy must have the most stress-free job in the world, playing with the dolphins all day long in crystal clear water and 80+ degree tropical weather under the sun with Christmas Carols playing thru the speakers as background music for their entertainment.
For the obvious reason, the headache is not only whatever I packed for the 1st trip won't work for the 2nd one (except PJs and stuff), but the biggest challenge was to leave Caitey behind for a whole week for the 1st time. A family of our friends offered to take Caitey while we were heading south and they did a wonderful job taking care of her, especially considering the fact that they never had a dog before.
Maybe due to the timing of our trip, it felt like half of the people on the cruise ship were seniors and the other half Chinese. That probably explains why when The 2nd City performed at the night show, the audience did not laugh till the next morning!
I am sure you know that when you miss someone, the trip feels longer than it actually is -- that is what happened to us this time too, especially during the last "sea" days on our way back. We did have great fun going kayaking in the Atlantic ocean near Port Canaveral FL and snorkeling at the Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, both were first for the girls. The most memorable moment though, was interacting with the dolphins at the Dolphin Cay in Atlantis.
We had 3 female dolphins that day to play with us: a young female Dolphin X as our major performer, a dominant Sherry, and a sweet good-humoured Tracey. It was very heartwarming to see 3 of them doing all kinds of tricks from jumping up high and twisting in mid air in perfect in synchronization as a group, to flapping water like joyful kids sort of doing "yeahhhh", to pretending dead in the water to fool the sharks. I was greatly amazed by their perfect patience when they came and stayed still right in front of us for us to pat, kiss and feed them. The way they acted so happily that we liked their show kind of reminded me of my Caitey, who loves to be praised, patted and given treats.
Did you know that it is dolphin's nature to protect people, and if they see a shark attack a human in the sea they will form a circle so the shark can't get thru? They are adorable smart animals and I can't help falling in love with them. When it was my turn to kiss Dolphin X, the trainer yelled "Hey no French Kissing!" :-). I wish I could have their smooth skin which is said to shed every 2 hours, maybe the big pharmas can figure out how we get to have their ageless wrinkle-free skin one day.
When we left the Dolphin Cay around noon time on Dec 16th, a young black trainer brought a bucket of fish to start training half a dozen dolphins right in front of the the Royal Tower, the landmark of the Atlantis. I couldn't help but envy him -- the boy must have the most stress-free job in the world, playing with the dolphins all day long in crystal clear water and 80+ degree tropical weather under the sun with Christmas Carols playing thru the speakers as background music for their entertainment.
Monday, December 7, 2009
A sad day for Caitey, a sadder day for her family
Friday, Dec 4th 2009, my poor girl went thru her spay surgery.
There were a million reasons that we did not want her to go thru this.... but we had no choice because we can't deal with the aftermath of having her in heat, plus we were told that removing her female organs would reduce her chance of getting cancer.
That morning her two human sisters kissed her goodbye, sadly.
My husband and I brought her to the vet's office at 9am, and I felt sick to my stomach. "Please please don't hate Mommy for this Caitey", I kept repeating this to her and myself.
At about 10:30am, the vet's office called to tell us that her surgery was over. It was a successful operation, she was resting with medication, and she could be picked up at 230pm that afternoon.
The wait for 230pm was long and excruciating for me.
The whole family went to pick her up that afternoon. She was weak, she was sleepy, she could barely stand on her own or keep her eyes open .... but she managed to wag her tail for us when she saw us.
Thank you thank you Caitey for not getting mad at Mommy.
They shaved part of her belly. There was a long red line from the cut, which made me tearful again.
She slept all the way till early evening after my husband carefully carried her in from the car. She was almost 50 lbs so he struggled to lift her up, but he did not want her to walk on feeble legs.
At about 8pm, she managed to get up on her own and walked to the patio door before touching the bell with her nose to tell us know that she needed to go out.
Right after she was out of the patio door and on the deck, she started to throw up -- even when she was in great pain and could barely walk, she still did not want to soil my house, I mean HER house.
I called the vet's emergency line, almost panic. They told me that it is normal for dogs to be dopey and throw up due to stomach discomfort from the irritation of the medication. They suggested that we wait till the next day, and bring her in if her situation turned for the worse.
Caitey did not have any food that night, except a little bit water.
The next morning, we were all hugely relieved to see that she was in better shape. She was still weak but at least she stopped throwing up.
I was so worried that her stomach could not handle solid food, so I gave her a banana instead. When I fed her that banana, Caitey kissed me on the back of my hand.... and that kiss made me teary eyed again.
Later that morning, a pack of 6 deers wondered into my backyard. Just as I was going to put on my coat ready to go out there kicking the deers out of my yard to save the plants, out of nowhere Caitey started to bark at the deers fiercely with all her strength.
I was very surprised to see this because 1) I thought she was napping, and 2) Caitey almost never barks.
The deers got scared and disappeared quickly. I hugged my precious canine daughter for a long time after the deers were gone.
We are SO lucky to have found a dog this sweet and considerate, and her human parents and sisters appreciate her kindness wholeheartedly.
I hope you recover soon my dear angel. You will have many happy and healthy years with us -- I promise you this Caitey.
There were a million reasons that we did not want her to go thru this.... but we had no choice because we can't deal with the aftermath of having her in heat, plus we were told that removing her female organs would reduce her chance of getting cancer.
That morning her two human sisters kissed her goodbye, sadly.
My husband and I brought her to the vet's office at 9am, and I felt sick to my stomach. "Please please don't hate Mommy for this Caitey", I kept repeating this to her and myself.
At about 10:30am, the vet's office called to tell us that her surgery was over. It was a successful operation, she was resting with medication, and she could be picked up at 230pm that afternoon.
The wait for 230pm was long and excruciating for me.
The whole family went to pick her up that afternoon. She was weak, she was sleepy, she could barely stand on her own or keep her eyes open .... but she managed to wag her tail for us when she saw us.
Thank you thank you Caitey for not getting mad at Mommy.
They shaved part of her belly. There was a long red line from the cut, which made me tearful again.
She slept all the way till early evening after my husband carefully carried her in from the car. She was almost 50 lbs so he struggled to lift her up, but he did not want her to walk on feeble legs.
At about 8pm, she managed to get up on her own and walked to the patio door before touching the bell with her nose to tell us know that she needed to go out.
Right after she was out of the patio door and on the deck, she started to throw up -- even when she was in great pain and could barely walk, she still did not want to soil my house, I mean HER house.
I called the vet's emergency line, almost panic. They told me that it is normal for dogs to be dopey and throw up due to stomach discomfort from the irritation of the medication. They suggested that we wait till the next day, and bring her in if her situation turned for the worse.
Caitey did not have any food that night, except a little bit water.
The next morning, we were all hugely relieved to see that she was in better shape. She was still weak but at least she stopped throwing up.
I was so worried that her stomach could not handle solid food, so I gave her a banana instead. When I fed her that banana, Caitey kissed me on the back of my hand.... and that kiss made me teary eyed again.
Later that morning, a pack of 6 deers wondered into my backyard. Just as I was going to put on my coat ready to go out there kicking the deers out of my yard to save the plants, out of nowhere Caitey started to bark at the deers fiercely with all her strength.
I was very surprised to see this because 1) I thought she was napping, and 2) Caitey almost never barks.
The deers got scared and disappeared quickly. I hugged my precious canine daughter for a long time after the deers were gone.
We are SO lucky to have found a dog this sweet and considerate, and her human parents and sisters appreciate her kindness wholeheartedly.
I hope you recover soon my dear angel. You will have many happy and healthy years with us -- I promise you this Caitey.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Caitey's 1st Thanksgiving
We had a blast with a family of our friends for Thanksgiving.... great food, fun movie, late night card games, and a trip to the water park together. The other family has 2 sons who loved my Caitey, so she was really spoiled from getting treats to getting attention.
Because we had to travel to the water park which was outside our area, I had to leave Caitey in a dog kennel overnight. I did not want to do this because I knew I would miss her from head to toe, but I had to do it because our family is scheduled to be on two back to back long trips for the holidays so Caitey would have to get used to staying with others.
To my greatest surprise, she took it every well and had no problem staying outside home at all. As a matter of fact, she seemed really happy to follow the lady working at the kennel and never looked back when she went in -- and that, left my husband and I somewhat sad. "She would still be happy even she got sold" my husband gruntled, and I added "she might even count cash for those who sold her" when I talked like a sour grape.
Needless to say she was all over my mind when I was trying to sleep that night. I missed her so much but I was worried about her even more. Is she doing OK? Hope she is not scared of those bigger dogs... they were barking so loud when we were there. Is she eating well? Did they let her out for her break?
The next morning the dog kennel called me and I almost jumped when their numbers showed up on my phone. Something wrong with Caitey? To my greatest relief, it was a call from them telling me that she was doing great.
When we picked her up the following afternoon, she was very happy (more like wild) to see us... but I think that I was the happier one. People working at the kennel told me that Caitey was really sweet and they all loved her.
Caitey my sweetheart, if only you knew how much mommy has missed you.
Because we had to travel to the water park which was outside our area, I had to leave Caitey in a dog kennel overnight. I did not want to do this because I knew I would miss her from head to toe, but I had to do it because our family is scheduled to be on two back to back long trips for the holidays so Caitey would have to get used to staying with others.
To my greatest surprise, she took it every well and had no problem staying outside home at all. As a matter of fact, she seemed really happy to follow the lady working at the kennel and never looked back when she went in -- and that, left my husband and I somewhat sad. "She would still be happy even she got sold" my husband gruntled, and I added "she might even count cash for those who sold her" when I talked like a sour grape.
Needless to say she was all over my mind when I was trying to sleep that night. I missed her so much but I was worried about her even more. Is she doing OK? Hope she is not scared of those bigger dogs... they were barking so loud when we were there. Is she eating well? Did they let her out for her break?
The next morning the dog kennel called me and I almost jumped when their numbers showed up on my phone. Something wrong with Caitey? To my greatest relief, it was a call from them telling me that she was doing great.
When we picked her up the following afternoon, she was very happy (more like wild) to see us... but I think that I was the happier one. People working at the kennel told me that Caitey was really sweet and they all loved her.
Caitey my sweetheart, if only you knew how much mommy has missed you.
Monday, November 23, 2009
George Winston and Thanksgiving
I first got to know George Winston back in 1991 when I was travelling with a group of my Japanese colleagues to Tian Chi (天池) in Xin Jiang (新疆) China. One of them had his December on a cassette (remember what it looked like?) and I was instantly hooked and became a big fan ever since.
My favorite is Winston's Thanksgiving, which I think has soul cleansing effect on me in this chaotic world.
So much has changed since I first heard his music. I remember getting up at dawn looking at the peaceful crystal clear lake while listening to him playing Pachelbel's Canon in D major with SO much hope for my life... now my 10-year old is playing the same piece on our grand Steinway downstairs, perhaps daydreaming about her future.
It is not an ideal world to live in for many now..... with one ailing economy and two senseless wars, three hundred million Americans are going thru roller coaster time. The "Yes-We-Can" has quickly turned into "We-Can-Only-Wish".
They say one is happier not because he has more, but because he fusses less. In that sense we should all be grateful that we have our loved ones with us, or we have a home to return to, or we have enough to live on, or we still have our health, or we have our dogs who faithfully accompany us rain or shine without a bad mood or a nasty attitude ...... OR, at least we get to have someone like Parot Saline who refuses to sit down after her 15 minutes were over a year ago and insists on entertaining us :-).
Wish all my dear friends a VERY happy, safe and peaceful Thanksgiving. It was great knowing you all and thank you for enriching my life so much.
My favorite is Winston's Thanksgiving, which I think has soul cleansing effect on me in this chaotic world.
So much has changed since I first heard his music. I remember getting up at dawn looking at the peaceful crystal clear lake while listening to him playing Pachelbel's Canon in D major with SO much hope for my life... now my 10-year old is playing the same piece on our grand Steinway downstairs, perhaps daydreaming about her future.
It is not an ideal world to live in for many now..... with one ailing economy and two senseless wars, three hundred million Americans are going thru roller coaster time. The "Yes-We-Can" has quickly turned into "We-Can-Only-Wish".
They say one is happier not because he has more, but because he fusses less. In that sense we should all be grateful that we have our loved ones with us, or we have a home to return to, or we have enough to live on, or we still have our health, or we have our dogs who faithfully accompany us rain or shine without a bad mood or a nasty attitude ...... OR, at least we get to have someone like Parot Saline who refuses to sit down after her 15 minutes were over a year ago and insists on entertaining us :-).
Wish all my dear friends a VERY happy, safe and peaceful Thanksgiving. It was great knowing you all and thank you for enriching my life so much.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Akita and Hachiko
Akita (秋田) is a Japanese breed of guard dog. From what I have heard and read, seems like it has the German Shepherd's type of temperament -- extremely loyal and affectionate to its own family members, but can be very protective and aggressive to strangers and other dogs.
I recently had some major landscaping work done in front of the house, and the owner of the landscaping company is a gentleman who used to own an Akita before that poor dog was killed by a car. The gentleman got touchingly emotional when he talked about his Akita affectionately.
Curious, I did some research on this type of breed. The most interesting and impressive story by Wikipedia is Hachikō (ハチ公), one of the most revered Akitas of all time. He was born in 1923 and was owned by Professor Eizaburo Ueno of Tokyo. Professor Ueno lived near the Shibuya Train Station (渋谷駅) in a suburb of the city and commuted to work every day on the train. Hachikō accompanied his master to and from the station each day.
On May 25, 1925, when the dog was 18 months old, he waited for his master's arrival on the four o'clock train. But he waited in vain; Professor Ueno had suffered a fatal stroke at work. Hachikō continued to wait for his master's return. He traveled to and from the station each day for the next nine years till he died. He allowed the professor's relatives to care for him, but he never gave up the vigil at the station for his master. His vigil became world renowned, and shortly after his death, a bronze statue was erected at the train station in his honor.
A book I read mentions that dogs have exceptional therapeutic effect in helping people feel better during illness, depression or other stressful situations. I have seen some big macho guys on TV breakdown hard when they talked about their beloved dogs that had passed away.
While I try not to think of the unavoidable event of my dog, I know that day will eventually come. Hopefully a lot later than sooner the way we take good care of Caitey, but I know that part of me is irreplaceable and will be lost forever.
The common therapy recommended for people to overcome the grief and loss is to get another dog, and eventually time will heal all wounds. What about dogs? When they lose their masters, how do they get over their sorrow? Like Hachiko, who spent the rest of his life walking back and force to/from the train station hoping for the return of the professor, how did he deal with the hollow in his heart? Can we say dogs are a lot more loyal, dependable and consistent than we humans?
"Hachiko: A Dog's Story" is a drama film based on the true story of the above mentioned faithful Japanese dog Hachikō. The movie will be in theatres in the US on December 18th this year. Whether you are a Richard Gere fan or not, I think you will want to watch this movie.
In case you are interested, you can find here the trailers of the new Hachiko movie's English and Japanese version. and the original Japanese movie "Hachiko Monogatari".
Lastly, may all friendship last forever -- be it between humans or between a human and an animal.
I recently had some major landscaping work done in front of the house, and the owner of the landscaping company is a gentleman who used to own an Akita before that poor dog was killed by a car. The gentleman got touchingly emotional when he talked about his Akita affectionately.
Curious, I did some research on this type of breed. The most interesting and impressive story by Wikipedia is Hachikō (ハチ公), one of the most revered Akitas of all time. He was born in 1923 and was owned by Professor Eizaburo Ueno of Tokyo. Professor Ueno lived near the Shibuya Train Station (渋谷駅) in a suburb of the city and commuted to work every day on the train. Hachikō accompanied his master to and from the station each day.
On May 25, 1925, when the dog was 18 months old, he waited for his master's arrival on the four o'clock train. But he waited in vain; Professor Ueno had suffered a fatal stroke at work. Hachikō continued to wait for his master's return. He traveled to and from the station each day for the next nine years till he died. He allowed the professor's relatives to care for him, but he never gave up the vigil at the station for his master. His vigil became world renowned, and shortly after his death, a bronze statue was erected at the train station in his honor.
A book I read mentions that dogs have exceptional therapeutic effect in helping people feel better during illness, depression or other stressful situations. I have seen some big macho guys on TV breakdown hard when they talked about their beloved dogs that had passed away.
While I try not to think of the unavoidable event of my dog, I know that day will eventually come. Hopefully a lot later than sooner the way we take good care of Caitey, but I know that part of me is irreplaceable and will be lost forever.
The common therapy recommended for people to overcome the grief and loss is to get another dog, and eventually time will heal all wounds. What about dogs? When they lose their masters, how do they get over their sorrow? Like Hachiko, who spent the rest of his life walking back and force to/from the train station hoping for the return of the professor, how did he deal with the hollow in his heart? Can we say dogs are a lot more loyal, dependable and consistent than we humans?
"Hachiko: A Dog's Story" is a drama film based on the true story of the above mentioned faithful Japanese dog Hachikō. The movie will be in theatres in the US on December 18th this year. Whether you are a Richard Gere fan or not, I think you will want to watch this movie.
In case you are interested, you can find here the trailers of the new Hachiko movie's English and Japanese version. and the original Japanese movie "Hachiko Monogatari".
Lastly, may all friendship last forever -- be it between humans or between a human and an animal.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
More updates
It is hard to believe that Caitey will be 5 months just 3 days later. My sweetheart has quadrupled her weight during her less than 3-month of stay with us. She has definitely understood us better being a smart little girl. For instance, if I say "let us go for a walk" she'd run to the door and wait for me there, and if I say "go find Daddy" she'd run to the office or to his bedroom to wake the lazy bone up with her wet kisses.
Of course being a mischievous child she sometimes intentionally ignores us (especially Caitlin, the Shortie), like she gets carried away when she is around other dogs or children. It would make me multiple commands to get her sit or stay down, it can be a little annoying but it is nothing compared with her sweet moments.
Like the other day she had indigestion in her stomach and ran out of the door 3 times... till I had to drag her in every time and became really mad at her in the end. While I was wondering why she was behaving in such a strange manner, Caitey threw up on my floor -- that is when I realized that she had been trying to do it outside so not to soil my floor. How considerate of you Caitey.
She also met another friend of hers in our neighbourhood, Freckles, a cute 5-year old male dog who is a mix of Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel. He is a very adventurous dog and said to have roamed around every corner of our town, to the extent that our township's police dept knows him well and sent him back home quite a few times when he was younger, now he has no problem finding his way back home. Freckles' mom says that he is a super sweet dog, but even HE appeared to have an issue with my Caitey -- she might have spooked him a little the way she was overly excited around him.
I thought bigger female dogs have problems with my Caitey due to the same sex, but if a nice male dog acts the same way, hmmm.... then it is definitely Caitey and nobody else.
There goes my hope of Caitey marrying well... oh well, staying happily ever after with mommy then.
Of course being a mischievous child she sometimes intentionally ignores us (especially Caitlin, the Shortie), like she gets carried away when she is around other dogs or children. It would make me multiple commands to get her sit or stay down, it can be a little annoying but it is nothing compared with her sweet moments.
Like the other day she had indigestion in her stomach and ran out of the door 3 times... till I had to drag her in every time and became really mad at her in the end. While I was wondering why she was behaving in such a strange manner, Caitey threw up on my floor -- that is when I realized that she had been trying to do it outside so not to soil my floor. How considerate of you Caitey.
She also met another friend of hers in our neighbourhood, Freckles, a cute 5-year old male dog who is a mix of Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel. He is a very adventurous dog and said to have roamed around every corner of our town, to the extent that our township's police dept knows him well and sent him back home quite a few times when he was younger, now he has no problem finding his way back home. Freckles' mom says that he is a super sweet dog, but even HE appeared to have an issue with my Caitey -- she might have spooked him a little the way she was overly excited around him.
I thought bigger female dogs have problems with my Caitey due to the same sex, but if a nice male dog acts the same way, hmmm.... then it is definitely Caitey and nobody else.
There goes my hope of Caitey marrying well... oh well, staying happily ever after with mommy then.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Updates on Caitey
Caitey is now a near 40-lb big beautiful girl with all her golden curly furry hair from head to tail.
She received her puppy training certificate for passing the required commands a week ago, but then you should know that they basically pass every dog that can stick with the program till the end, including my bad girl. She had a great time learning in class along with a few other dogs (mostly labs). We plan to send her back next January for intermediate class in hope that eventually she can go all the way up to finish advanced training to be a therapy dog. Besides driving us crazy, maybe she can do a few good things to people in need.
She has her problems as a puppy of course, the biggest one is jumping on kids when she gets overly excited around them. Caitey is a people dog which genuinely loves humans. That also means that there is NO way that she can protect our house, unless the intruder hates being greeted with two powerful front paws and licked by sloppy wet kisses.
She had a wonderful time roaming around the neighbourhood meeting our neighbours and other dogs on Halloween. I hate to brag (no not really) but it felt wonderful receiving so many heartfelt compliments for her. One interesting thing that we found out was how a few big grown-up dogs got afraid of this (overly) hyped puppy. At first we thought maybe the other dog was just too timid, but as we see more adult dogs backing off from Caitey, we start to think that maybe it was not the other dog -- it is just Caitey.
Lastly, you know you live in the Internet age when:
1. your two human girls started their own blogs on their canine sister at the ages of 9 and 10;
2. three people living under the same roof chat to each other from 3 devices in different rooms, each is struggling to remember what topic she has been on with whom;
3. your child sends you an email asking when you will be on Gmail chat next time;
Wait a minute, what happened to the old fashioned human interactions -- you know the kind that you do with your lips instead of your fingers?
She received her puppy training certificate for passing the required commands a week ago, but then you should know that they basically pass every dog that can stick with the program till the end, including my bad girl. She had a great time learning in class along with a few other dogs (mostly labs). We plan to send her back next January for intermediate class in hope that eventually she can go all the way up to finish advanced training to be a therapy dog. Besides driving us crazy, maybe she can do a few good things to people in need.
She has her problems as a puppy of course, the biggest one is jumping on kids when she gets overly excited around them. Caitey is a people dog which genuinely loves humans. That also means that there is NO way that she can protect our house, unless the intruder hates being greeted with two powerful front paws and licked by sloppy wet kisses.
She had a wonderful time roaming around the neighbourhood meeting our neighbours and other dogs on Halloween. I hate to brag (no not really) but it felt wonderful receiving so many heartfelt compliments for her. One interesting thing that we found out was how a few big grown-up dogs got afraid of this (overly) hyped puppy. At first we thought maybe the other dog was just too timid, but as we see more adult dogs backing off from Caitey, we start to think that maybe it was not the other dog -- it is just Caitey.
Lastly, you know you live in the Internet age when:
1. your two human girls started their own blogs on their canine sister at the ages of 9 and 10;
2. three people living under the same roof chat to each other from 3 devices in different rooms, each is struggling to remember what topic she has been on with whom;
3. your child sends you an email asking when you will be on Gmail chat next time;
Wait a minute, what happened to the old fashioned human interactions -- you know the kind that you do with your lips instead of your fingers?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
An Ugly Mess (by Claire)
“Caitey, what did you do?” I questioned looking at a big lump of poop she had made. Caitey was my Golden Retriever puppy. Her “innocent” eyes just stared at me, she looked exactly like a witch. I called my family over and heard gasps coming from everybody.
“Gross!” My sister exclaimed. We were all pop-eyed. The smell coming from the tan-brown lump of stool was musty and smelled of something rotting. The red-brown floor which used to be glossy now was a private bathroom. My dad quickly ran to the kitchen and got out the cleaning supplies. He first used a bag to clean up the mess. There were little smudges of the poop here and there. The Brazilian Cherry floor looked terrible. Only what my father did next made it look better. He sprayed the disinfecting spray onto the floor and wiped the floor clean. Finally, it looked better. There was always a loophole with Caitey.
“What if she goes again in the house?” My mom questioned. My father’s face lit up. I could almost see the light bulb above his head. He ran to the basement and took out this Chinese gong. It worked perfectly with Caitey. She soon learned to ring it whenever she needed to go.
“Gross!” My sister exclaimed. We were all pop-eyed. The smell coming from the tan-brown lump of stool was musty and smelled of something rotting. The red-brown floor which used to be glossy now was a private bathroom. My dad quickly ran to the kitchen and got out the cleaning supplies. He first used a bag to clean up the mess. There were little smudges of the poop here and there. The Brazilian Cherry floor looked terrible. Only what my father did next made it look better. He sprayed the disinfecting spray onto the floor and wiped the floor clean. Finally, it looked better. There was always a loophole with Caitey.
“What if she goes again in the house?” My mom questioned. My father’s face lit up. I could almost see the light bulb above his head. He ran to the basement and took out this Chinese gong. It worked perfectly with Caitey. She soon learned to ring it whenever she needed to go.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Can a dog talk?
When my girls were little, I loved playing the trick of "Call-Mommy" (叫妈妈) with them.
I'd hold a snack or a toy in my hand and only give it to them after they called me "Mommy". It was a great way to teach them to start saying their 1st word and give me the satisfaction of being called the sweetest thing in the world.
Out of habit, I did this to Caitey the other day and "accidentally" asked her to call me Mommy. Claire, who was standing right next to me at that time, scorned a "hm" thru her nose and said coldly "if she really did call you Mommy, you'd be screaming and running for the hills!".
Maybe so, but a show on the Animal Planet today proved that she was wrong -- they had dogs that could say things from "hello" to "hamburger".
So ha ha, right in your face Claire!
I'd hold a snack or a toy in my hand and only give it to them after they called me "Mommy". It was a great way to teach them to start saying their 1st word and give me the satisfaction of being called the sweetest thing in the world.
Out of habit, I did this to Caitey the other day and "accidentally" asked her to call me Mommy. Claire, who was standing right next to me at that time, scorned a "hm" thru her nose and said coldly "if she really did call you Mommy, you'd be screaming and running for the hills!".
Maybe so, but a show on the Animal Planet today proved that she was wrong -- they had dogs that could say things from "hello" to "hamburger".
So ha ha, right in your face Claire!
Negotiating with hubby
My husband, a former dog eater who almost sent Caitey away when we first had her, now thoroughly enjoyed walking her daily, sometimes as long as an hour and a half on one route.
Sometimes he would come back with a smirk on his face and tell me some juicy details of gossips in the neighbourhood. As I chased him for the source of such "chitchats", it turned out that he had met quite a few hot moms walking their dogs around the block. Of course chicks who typically dig puppies would also stop and comment to him how cute Caitey is.
Ya think I would let this go easily without making some serious noise? Think again!
I wasted no time to capitalize on this. I negotiated with my husband for the 2nd puppy that I was hoping to adopt -- if one cute puppy can do this, just think how popular he could be among the hot ladies in our neighbourhood when he has two?
Unfortunately hubby isn't a dummy -- he saw me right thru and flatly refused with a "we need to wait a little longer."
How much longer? I want Caitey to have a male companion, NOW. The poor girl needs someone of her own kind to play with... plus imagine how cool it would be to walk down Nassau St with not one but TWO beautiful Goldens?
Sometimes he would come back with a smirk on his face and tell me some juicy details of gossips in the neighbourhood. As I chased him for the source of such "chitchats", it turned out that he had met quite a few hot moms walking their dogs around the block. Of course chicks who typically dig puppies would also stop and comment to him how cute Caitey is.
Ya think I would let this go easily without making some serious noise? Think again!
I wasted no time to capitalize on this. I negotiated with my husband for the 2nd puppy that I was hoping to adopt -- if one cute puppy can do this, just think how popular he could be among the hot ladies in our neighbourhood when he has two?
Unfortunately hubby isn't a dummy -- he saw me right thru and flatly refused with a "we need to wait a little longer."
How much longer? I want Caitey to have a male companion, NOW. The poor girl needs someone of her own kind to play with... plus imagine how cool it would be to walk down Nassau St with not one but TWO beautiful Goldens?
Dry kibble or home wet food?
We have a problem with food for Caitey as she gets older and smarter.
Before I could just throw in a few chunks of meat in her kibble bowl and get her to finish the whole meal. Gradually, she became better at picking out the meat so I had to keep cutting the meat into smaller and smaller cubes. I don't know how she does it, but now even when I chop the meat in very fine pieces, she can still pick them out and leave the commercial food behind.
See on one hand I can't stop feeding her home made food (giving my precious girl boring kibble meal after meal is just plain cold-hearted), but I don't want to give her too much wet food either in fear of teeth problems plus commercial food is supposed to be more balanced in nutrients.
My vet says that he has seen dogs on wet food but have healthy teeth, while some dogs on kibble with bad teeth. He says big dogs tend to have better teeth, and a greenie dental chew a day helps greatly too.
Maybe I should run to Wholefoods and get a few cans of those all natural/organic gravy to pour on her kibble or brown rice, perhaps the delicious smell of gravy could fool her into finishing up everything in the bowl.
Before I could just throw in a few chunks of meat in her kibble bowl and get her to finish the whole meal. Gradually, she became better at picking out the meat so I had to keep cutting the meat into smaller and smaller cubes. I don't know how she does it, but now even when I chop the meat in very fine pieces, she can still pick them out and leave the commercial food behind.
See on one hand I can't stop feeding her home made food (giving my precious girl boring kibble meal after meal is just plain cold-hearted), but I don't want to give her too much wet food either in fear of teeth problems plus commercial food is supposed to be more balanced in nutrients.
My vet says that he has seen dogs on wet food but have healthy teeth, while some dogs on kibble with bad teeth. He says big dogs tend to have better teeth, and a greenie dental chew a day helps greatly too.
Maybe I should run to Wholefoods and get a few cans of those all natural/organic gravy to pour on her kibble or brown rice, perhaps the delicious smell of gravy could fool her into finishing up everything in the bowl.
Caitey is putting on 1 lb a day on average
We weighed Caitey last night and again was shocked to see that she is 35 lbs already! If she keeps going like this, pretty soon I would not be able to lift her up any more.
It is like you blink and her puppy days are over.
Meantime she has become proficient in stealing.
One day after bringing in grocery bags from outside, I heard her excited panting which is usually a sign that she has discovered a treat or a toy. I turned around and saw her running with my bag of wholewheat bread, needless to say that she was really disappointed when I ordered her to drop it.
Another day she stole Caitlin's birth toy Ducky from the shelf and got her sister really mad.
Now she has grown so big that she can easily put her front paws on the counter, and if I am not careful I could lose my food in a snap.
However, just to be fair, she is a good girl and would stop doing things when told not to -- if you can catch her early that is.
She has learnt commands like sit, up, down (flat on the floor), come, wait/stay, off, take it, leave it, watch me, and paw (putting her front paw up to shake hands with you like a friend).
Claire, her professional trainer, is going to teach her to do roll over and high five. I will put the video of her tricks on when she is done.
It is like you blink and her puppy days are over.
Meantime she has become proficient in stealing.
One day after bringing in grocery bags from outside, I heard her excited panting which is usually a sign that she has discovered a treat or a toy. I turned around and saw her running with my bag of wholewheat bread, needless to say that she was really disappointed when I ordered her to drop it.
Another day she stole Caitlin's birth toy Ducky from the shelf and got her sister really mad.
Now she has grown so big that she can easily put her front paws on the counter, and if I am not careful I could lose my food in a snap.
However, just to be fair, she is a good girl and would stop doing things when told not to -- if you can catch her early that is.
She has learnt commands like sit, up, down (flat on the floor), come, wait/stay, off, take it, leave it, watch me, and paw (putting her front paw up to shake hands with you like a friend).
Claire, her professional trainer, is going to teach her to do roll over and high five. I will put the video of her tricks on when she is done.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Unusual barking
Caitey is a great girl that rarely barks, unless when she needs to go outside for her business.
Last night however, she was acting strangely.
After playing in my room with the girls before bed time, her dad put her back in her crate around 9:30pm expecting her to go to sleep quietly as usual.
Only she did not do it this time.
She first started whimpering and then barked loudly.
Not knowing what was wrong, her dad took her out, let her go outside or drink a little water or have a treat, and sent her back to her "room", but then the same drill of whimpering and barking would start all over again.
My husband had no choice but to carry Caitey back upstairs in his arms like a baby, let her visit our rooms and kiss each one of us when we were in bed already, and then brought her back down to her crate one more time.
Finally, Caitey went happily to sleep this time.
Last night however, she was acting strangely.
After playing in my room with the girls before bed time, her dad put her back in her crate around 9:30pm expecting her to go to sleep quietly as usual.
Only she did not do it this time.
She first started whimpering and then barked loudly.
Not knowing what was wrong, her dad took her out, let her go outside or drink a little water or have a treat, and sent her back to her "room", but then the same drill of whimpering and barking would start all over again.
My husband had no choice but to carry Caitey back upstairs in his arms like a baby, let her visit our rooms and kiss each one of us when we were in bed already, and then brought her back down to her crate one more time.
Finally, Caitey went happily to sleep this time.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday afternoon conversation
Continuing where we left off yesterday (you know Claire is relentless and does not give up easily).
Claire: "Mommy, can I have a German Shepherd? Can I can I?"
Me: "What is wrong with another Golden?"
Claire: "Goldens are too friendly and not smart enough, they are like W-e-A-r-e-F-a-m-i-l-y! If we get robbers at our house, your Goldens would hold the flashlights for the intruders!"
Me: ".........."
I had always wanted quick girls, but now as they say "Be careful of what you wish for".
Claire: "Mommy, can I have a German Shepherd? Can I can I?"
Me: "What is wrong with another Golden?"
Claire: "Goldens are too friendly and not smart enough, they are like W-e-A-r-e-F-a-m-i-l-y! If we get robbers at our house, your Goldens would hold the flashlights for the intruders!"
Me: ".........."
I had always wanted quick girls, but now as they say "Be careful of what you wish for".
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Saturday morning conversation
Claire: "Mommy, I've changed my mind. I don't want a Border Collie any more......"
Me: "Oh good, thank heavens!"
Claire: "..... I want a German Shepherd instead."
Me: "..........." The one dog breed that is closest to wolves?
I can just see what is coming up next -- a Rottweiler. She is not going to rest till we get kicked out of the neighbourhood!
UGH!
Me: "Oh good, thank heavens!"
Claire: "..... I want a German Shepherd instead."
Me: "..........." The one dog breed that is closest to wolves?
I can just see what is coming up next -- a Rottweiler. She is not going to rest till we get kicked out of the neighbourhood!
UGH!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Good girls!
I am a person who is rarely sick (knocking on the woods did not quite work this time though) so I have kind of forgotten how uncomfortable it is to be under the weather. Somehow in my family it is always the case that the 1st person gets over the flu/cold in a snap, but people who get it later fall sick the most.
That is what I was last night -- sneezing non stop like a germ spaying gun while trying to breathe in some vital oxygen thru my mouth, and shivering like a winter leaf from the fever. The worst part was actually not what I had to go thru because of the flu but missing the usual noise and actions around me after dinner time. Worried that Caitey and the girls could catch the flu from me (I have no idea how to handle a sick puppy), I forbade them to step into my door. It was so boring sitting in bed by myself without hearing the girls argue endlessly over nothing or me yelling at Caitey to stop chewing stuffs in my room.
Can you believe it, I actually miss things that often annoy me? Guess that is what family is all about.
Looking downstairs, I could see the girls sitting on the hallway floor with Caitey while watching the Animal Planet. When asked why they would not sit on the much more comfortable couch, the girls said that since Caitey was not allowed to step into the family room, they did not want Caitey to feel left out so they decided to be there for her.
I am so glad that Caitey's human sisters are so.... ahh... human.
That is what I was last night -- sneezing non stop like a germ spaying gun while trying to breathe in some vital oxygen thru my mouth, and shivering like a winter leaf from the fever. The worst part was actually not what I had to go thru because of the flu but missing the usual noise and actions around me after dinner time. Worried that Caitey and the girls could catch the flu from me (I have no idea how to handle a sick puppy), I forbade them to step into my door. It was so boring sitting in bed by myself without hearing the girls argue endlessly over nothing or me yelling at Caitey to stop chewing stuffs in my room.
Can you believe it, I actually miss things that often annoy me? Guess that is what family is all about.
Looking downstairs, I could see the girls sitting on the hallway floor with Caitey while watching the Animal Planet. When asked why they would not sit on the much more comfortable couch, the girls said that since Caitey was not allowed to step into the family room, they did not want Caitey to feel left out so they decided to be there for her.
I am so glad that Caitey's human sisters are so.... ahh... human.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Searching for our 2nd puppy
We went back to Puppy Barn where we adopted Caitey today. If we need to get a companion for Caitey, we might as well do it early when they are still young and Caitey hasn't become protective of her territory yet so both puppies can get along well.
Caitlin and I were hoping to find another Golden, although we admire Labs as well but there is no way that we can handle a breed that hyped.
Claire on the other hand, is more interested in something smarter and more active -- like her. After reading dozens of books on dogs and watching Dogs 101 on the Animal Planet for months, she sets her heart on either a Border Collie or a Brittany.
To my husband's greatest relief, Puppy Barn did not have any of these three breeds in stock. They did have a whole litter of Goldendoodle that is a Golden Retriever and Poodle cross. In general, this cross breed is actually healthier, better and lives longer than either parent line.
We went back home empty-handed because we were not too sure what exactly we should get for Caitey, but I did fall for a male Goldendoodle who looked more like a Golden than a poodle. After carrying a close to 30 lbs Caitey for a while, that little puppy felt as light as a feather in my arms. He was as good natured as Caitey when I first held her and thus brought back a lot of sweet memories of Caitey's furball days.
A lady at the puppy barn also told us that since we have a female dog already, it is best that we get a male for the next one. "Two males will fight and get over it but two females will hold grudges like cats".
So although we did not get what we wanted, but at least we now know that our next child will be a son, oh well we need more male hormones in our house any way.
Caitlin and I were hoping to find another Golden, although we admire Labs as well but there is no way that we can handle a breed that hyped.
Claire on the other hand, is more interested in something smarter and more active -- like her. After reading dozens of books on dogs and watching Dogs 101 on the Animal Planet for months, she sets her heart on either a Border Collie or a Brittany.
To my husband's greatest relief, Puppy Barn did not have any of these three breeds in stock. They did have a whole litter of Goldendoodle that is a Golden Retriever and Poodle cross. In general, this cross breed is actually healthier, better and lives longer than either parent line.
We went back home empty-handed because we were not too sure what exactly we should get for Caitey, but I did fall for a male Goldendoodle who looked more like a Golden than a poodle. After carrying a close to 30 lbs Caitey for a while, that little puppy felt as light as a feather in my arms. He was as good natured as Caitey when I first held her and thus brought back a lot of sweet memories of Caitey's furball days.
A lady at the puppy barn also told us that since we have a female dog already, it is best that we get a male for the next one. "Two males will fight and get over it but two females will hold grudges like cats".
So although we did not get what we wanted, but at least we now know that our next child will be a son, oh well we need more male hormones in our house any way.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Only in America
I almost never read about or comment on politics, except when Sarah Palin was running for Vice President and that whole event was like a hilarious drama that would only happen once in a lifetime.
Today something has made my eyes popped out, again.
When I was a college chick back in Beijing over 20 years ago, I used to love reading a column in the Reader's Digest called "Only in America". Occasionally I'd get a good laugh when I could actually understand something with my shabby English.
I had the same feeling earlier today, till I realized that it wasn't a joke -- President Obama ACTUALLY DID win the Nobel Peace Prize!
As someone has wisely pointed out, the deadline to nominate the candidates was Feb 1st, 09 and we all know the the President did not swear in till Jan 20th. If you are interested in his achievements during those glorious 12 days in great detail, well it basically involved partying, going to meetings, skipping church, releasing federal funding to pay for abortions in foreign countries, and then partying some more.
It took Jimmy Carter more than 20 years to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Al Gore, who shared the Prize two years ago with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, had spent years banging the drum on global warming and other environmental dilemmas. How could the Nobel Committee even consider someone who hasn't done anything yet?
Let us see, only in America....
...that the former President could barely talk in public, while the current one basically knocked our socks off by merely "talking";
...that the former President should have been impeached for "inventing" a war that cost hundreds of thousands of casualties and the US tax payers trillions of dollars, while the current one got rewarded for achievements that he has not even accomplished.... yet.
It looks like the President is (and most likely continuous to be) judged not by who he really is and what he has done, but rather by who WE THINK he might be and what he could do out of our wish.
It feels like a bad joke, like the President has been set up sky high for walking high wires with people all over the world staring at him from below to see how he would balance himself and not fall from grace.
I don't know why in the world you'd want to be the President now, or the Fed Governor same time last year.
Today something has made my eyes popped out, again.
When I was a college chick back in Beijing over 20 years ago, I used to love reading a column in the Reader's Digest called "Only in America". Occasionally I'd get a good laugh when I could actually understand something with my shabby English.
I had the same feeling earlier today, till I realized that it wasn't a joke -- President Obama ACTUALLY DID win the Nobel Peace Prize!
As someone has wisely pointed out, the deadline to nominate the candidates was Feb 1st, 09 and we all know the the President did not swear in till Jan 20th. If you are interested in his achievements during those glorious 12 days in great detail, well it basically involved partying, going to meetings, skipping church, releasing federal funding to pay for abortions in foreign countries, and then partying some more.
It took Jimmy Carter more than 20 years to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Al Gore, who shared the Prize two years ago with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, had spent years banging the drum on global warming and other environmental dilemmas. How could the Nobel Committee even consider someone who hasn't done anything yet?
Let us see, only in America....
...that the former President could barely talk in public, while the current one basically knocked our socks off by merely "talking";
...that the former President should have been impeached for "inventing" a war that cost hundreds of thousands of casualties and the US tax payers trillions of dollars, while the current one got rewarded for achievements that he has not even accomplished.... yet.
It looks like the President is (and most likely continuous to be) judged not by who he really is and what he has done, but rather by who WE THINK he might be and what he could do out of our wish.
It feels like a bad joke, like the President has been set up sky high for walking high wires with people all over the world staring at him from below to see how he would balance himself and not fall from grace.
I don't know why in the world you'd want to be the President now, or the Fed Governor same time last year.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Well mannered bus drivers
Our township has two major cities, and all our schools happen to be located in the one that I don't live in.
I drive the two two-legged girls to school every morning so they can sleep a little longer. The drive itself really isn't that long and is just about 7 minutes during off peak hours, but the problem is that there is not even one traffic light on route to the two schools. Therefore, with a stop sign at every turn during morning rush hour, you can literally get stuck forever while trying to make left turns with cars rushing from both sides.
I bet you don't hear this too often, but our bus drivers actually make things a lot easier for us parent drivers.
For example, I noticed that at Lower Middle School it is almost like these bus drivers have a pact -- they will pause and the hold the traffic from behind and let those strangled left turners go first. They offer this courtesy to both their fellow bus drivers and us parent drivers alike. Thanks to these considerate folks, I get to make my turns a lot easier and head back to work faster.
For these kind-hearted bus drivers, it probably will just take them seconds to yield when they have the right to go first, but the nice gesture warms me up like a good cup of morning tea, and starts my day earlier and brighter.
Thank you!
I drive the two two-legged girls to school every morning so they can sleep a little longer. The drive itself really isn't that long and is just about 7 minutes during off peak hours, but the problem is that there is not even one traffic light on route to the two schools. Therefore, with a stop sign at every turn during morning rush hour, you can literally get stuck forever while trying to make left turns with cars rushing from both sides.
I bet you don't hear this too often, but our bus drivers actually make things a lot easier for us parent drivers.
For example, I noticed that at Lower Middle School it is almost like these bus drivers have a pact -- they will pause and the hold the traffic from behind and let those strangled left turners go first. They offer this courtesy to both their fellow bus drivers and us parent drivers alike. Thanks to these considerate folks, I get to make my turns a lot easier and head back to work faster.
For these kind-hearted bus drivers, it probably will just take them seconds to yield when they have the right to go first, but the nice gesture warms me up like a good cup of morning tea, and starts my day earlier and brighter.
Thank you!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Caitey is 27 lbs!
My jaw hit the floor when I saw the scale -- she is a whopping 27 lbs puppy and she is only 3 1/2 months old!
She was barely 10 when she came into our family at the end of Aug! No wonder the vet predicated that she could hit 90 when she is a full grown dog!
WOW! I was wondering when I found it harder and harder to carry her down the stairs.
And speaking of downstairs, we have finally made her do it yesterday. It had always been a one way street -- she could go up on her own but the little Golden Chicken refused to go down on her own and we always had to carry her. Claire used a treat and threw it down the stairs, and Caitey slowly but surely made her careful moves one stair at a time and finally moved herself to the bottom. After that, she never no problem doing it again.
Thanks for Claire's mischievousness, we have finally made it. Yeeaaah!
Her darker longer adult hair is also coming out and replacing her softer shorter baby fur, and it is wavy just the way I like it.
She is going to be one big beautiful Golden!
She was barely 10 when she came into our family at the end of Aug! No wonder the vet predicated that she could hit 90 when she is a full grown dog!
WOW! I was wondering when I found it harder and harder to carry her down the stairs.
And speaking of downstairs, we have finally made her do it yesterday. It had always been a one way street -- she could go up on her own but the little Golden Chicken refused to go down on her own and we always had to carry her. Claire used a treat and threw it down the stairs, and Caitey slowly but surely made her careful moves one stair at a time and finally moved herself to the bottom. After that, she never no problem doing it again.
Thanks for Claire's mischievousness, we have finally made it. Yeeaaah!
Her darker longer adult hair is also coming out and replacing her softer shorter baby fur, and it is wavy just the way I like it.
She is going to be one big beautiful Golden!
Monday, October 5, 2009
In memory of all dogs killed in traffic
"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." -- Andy Rooney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ml0HeTGcbY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwO3FMMEtFc&feature=related
(later the brown dog tried to feed the white one with the food/water given to him)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_v43y8DOb0&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxVvibb7zSE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ml0HeTGcbY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwO3FMMEtFc&feature=related
(later the brown dog tried to feed the white one with the food/water given to him)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_v43y8DOb0&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxVvibb7zSE&feature=related
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Another dog?
If I have to use dogs to describe our family, I would say my older child Claire is a smart quirky leader-type of Border Collie, my younger one Caitlin is a loving caring easy-going Golden Retriever, and my husband is a I-can't-care-less Bulldog.
Claire is a very bright but impatient kid who learns fast but sometimes has issues with anybody or anything that is slow to catch up. She is also very confident (too confident for a girl) -- to use her own exact words, "any more confident I'd be jumping over the bridge!".
She has been begging for a Border Collie for a while, simply because it is the smartest dog by breed (Golden is "only" #4). The day we got Caitey at Puppy Barn, she actually first set her heart on a gray BC and fell in love with that cute face. When we came back 2 days later to pick up Caitey, that BC puppy was bought and gone.
Somehow Claire just could not get over it, she just has to have a Collie and uses every chance possible to bug us.
Like today, I gave Caitey a Chinese pork bun but left it outside of her little play bin with the door open. Caitey's eye glued on the treat, never bothered to check if the door was open or not, and became desperate when she could not get out. We had to lure her out by using the bun eventually. Then after she finished the 1st one outside the play bin, I placed another one inside hoping she could remember to go in thru the door, but that little silly thing again desperately chewed on the iron bars trying to get in.
Of course Claire wasted no time to make a comment of "ha ha, my Collie would have figured that out on her own".
She also argues that a BC makes a great guarding dog which will essentially make our ADT home security system obsolete. She does have a point, I mean with a BC an ant will probably have trouble getting in and out of our house, while on the other hand, the overly friendly Golden just might help the robbers clean up our house!
I am still debating if I should bring her to see a BC. Maybe she will quit when the dog tries to herd her, but then again BCs are so cute and adorable, what should I do if I fall for one myself?
Claire is a very bright but impatient kid who learns fast but sometimes has issues with anybody or anything that is slow to catch up. She is also very confident (too confident for a girl) -- to use her own exact words, "any more confident I'd be jumping over the bridge!".
She has been begging for a Border Collie for a while, simply because it is the smartest dog by breed (Golden is "only" #4). The day we got Caitey at Puppy Barn, she actually first set her heart on a gray BC and fell in love with that cute face. When we came back 2 days later to pick up Caitey, that BC puppy was bought and gone.
Somehow Claire just could not get over it, she just has to have a Collie and uses every chance possible to bug us.
Like today, I gave Caitey a Chinese pork bun but left it outside of her little play bin with the door open. Caitey's eye glued on the treat, never bothered to check if the door was open or not, and became desperate when she could not get out. We had to lure her out by using the bun eventually. Then after she finished the 1st one outside the play bin, I placed another one inside hoping she could remember to go in thru the door, but that little silly thing again desperately chewed on the iron bars trying to get in.
Of course Claire wasted no time to make a comment of "ha ha, my Collie would have figured that out on her own".
She also argues that a BC makes a great guarding dog which will essentially make our ADT home security system obsolete. She does have a point, I mean with a BC an ant will probably have trouble getting in and out of our house, while on the other hand, the overly friendly Golden just might help the robbers clean up our house!
I am still debating if I should bring her to see a BC. Maybe she will quit when the dog tries to herd her, but then again BCs are so cute and adorable, what should I do if I fall for one myself?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
"I love you not because of who you are"
"Mommy you love that dog way too much", said Claire in a non complaining tone while doing her homework and listening to my mumbling to Calitey at the same time.
Once Claire said to me, "Mommy if you love Caitlin and Caitey before me, it is OK I don't mind". It might sound a little cold but I think it is pretty cool for a 10-year old to hold that kind of mature attitude. She reminds me of how I was when I was her age -- mischievous but well behaved (in general), passionate yet realistic, dreamy without being overly delusional.
Her comment got me thinking. I was not a dog person before Caitey. I had never owned a dog before her, I did have a cat for a little while when I was my girls' age but she ran away for reasons that we still don't know....well as they say "Dogs have families, cats have staffs". I AM a very motherly person in general but I have never imaged that I could love a dog this much. I adore Caitey from head to tail.
If only you could see the joy she gives me everytime I come back from outside... putting her front legs on me, wagging her tails, poking her wet nose against my face and licking me all over. Everytime I come down from upstairs, the little darling rushes out of the kitchen downstairs and runs to greet me at the end of the stairs. Mind you she only does this to me in the family, how she distinguishes our footsteps is beyond me. One day it rained after we went out to walk her so I asked Claire to run back with Caitey so they would not get so wet, but Caitey kept stopping to wait for me in the rain and Claire had to drag her all the way back home.
You can say that she is happy with me the most because I am the one who keeps feeding her treats, but it sure feels wonderful that you are appreciated this much. I get the satisfaction from seeing her happy, and my love to her is reinforced by her affection given back to me...thus this "chicken and egg" loop continues and the bonding flourishes.
This reminds me of a poem named "Love" by Roy Croft, but if I may twist it a little and change it to "I love you not because of who you are, but because of how you make me feel when I am with you".
For love to be sustained, be it between us humans or a human and an animal, constant input is forever needed to reap consistent output. It is like a bank, if you stop making deposits and keep making withdraws, eventually your account will be depleted and sooner or later the affection will run out.
So Caitey, keep your smothering kisses coming and I will keep your treats going.
Once Claire said to me, "Mommy if you love Caitlin and Caitey before me, it is OK I don't mind". It might sound a little cold but I think it is pretty cool for a 10-year old to hold that kind of mature attitude. She reminds me of how I was when I was her age -- mischievous but well behaved (in general), passionate yet realistic, dreamy without being overly delusional.
Her comment got me thinking. I was not a dog person before Caitey. I had never owned a dog before her, I did have a cat for a little while when I was my girls' age but she ran away for reasons that we still don't know....well as they say "Dogs have families, cats have staffs". I AM a very motherly person in general but I have never imaged that I could love a dog this much. I adore Caitey from head to tail.
If only you could see the joy she gives me everytime I come back from outside... putting her front legs on me, wagging her tails, poking her wet nose against my face and licking me all over. Everytime I come down from upstairs, the little darling rushes out of the kitchen downstairs and runs to greet me at the end of the stairs. Mind you she only does this to me in the family, how she distinguishes our footsteps is beyond me. One day it rained after we went out to walk her so I asked Claire to run back with Caitey so they would not get so wet, but Caitey kept stopping to wait for me in the rain and Claire had to drag her all the way back home.
You can say that she is happy with me the most because I am the one who keeps feeding her treats, but it sure feels wonderful that you are appreciated this much. I get the satisfaction from seeing her happy, and my love to her is reinforced by her affection given back to me...thus this "chicken and egg" loop continues and the bonding flourishes.
This reminds me of a poem named "Love" by Roy Croft, but if I may twist it a little and change it to "I love you not because of who you are, but because of how you make me feel when I am with you".
For love to be sustained, be it between us humans or a human and an animal, constant input is forever needed to reap consistent output. It is like a bank, if you stop making deposits and keep making withdraws, eventually your account will be depleted and sooner or later the affection will run out.
So Caitey, keep your smothering kisses coming and I will keep your treats going.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Hiding from Caitey in the house
Do you know how it feels like stealing food from your own kitchen and quickly running to hide somewhere in your own house?
That is what I am doing now.
The problem is that I am the one who just can't stop feeding her treats (be it dog treats or human food), so Caitey keeps following me everywhere around the house with that kind of sad puppy look in her eyes begging for more.
How can you refuse and ignore that kind of eyes? I can't. I tried to eat with my back towards Caitey so I did not have to look at her, but that little smart thing went around me and sat at an angle that there is no way that I could avoid seeing her.
She sure knows which button to push.
In the end I gave up. I asked the kids to distract her, grabbed something that I didn't even know what from the stove and fled. I ended up having my lunch in a closet!
That is what I am doing now.
The problem is that I am the one who just can't stop feeding her treats (be it dog treats or human food), so Caitey keeps following me everywhere around the house with that kind of sad puppy look in her eyes begging for more.
How can you refuse and ignore that kind of eyes? I can't. I tried to eat with my back towards Caitey so I did not have to look at her, but that little smart thing went around me and sat at an angle that there is no way that I could avoid seeing her.
She sure knows which button to push.
In the end I gave up. I asked the kids to distract her, grabbed something that I didn't even know what from the stove and fled. I ended up having my lunch in a closet!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Something to amuse you animal lovers
Put your dog and your spouse in the trunk of the car for an hour.
When you open the trunk, which one is REALLY happy to see you?
When you open the trunk, which one is REALLY happy to see you?
Strike Sunday
Caitey is back on hunger strike again.
I felt guilty because I screamed at her yesterday for scratching Caitlin, so after her dinner I gave her a few pieces of pork hoping it'd make her feel better. I figured by next morning she probably would not remember about her treats she had the previous night.
I was dead wrong -- it is almost noon and she is still not eating!
What happened to her 3-second memory?
I felt guilty because I screamed at her yesterday for scratching Caitlin, so after her dinner I gave her a few pieces of pork hoping it'd make her feel better. I figured by next morning she probably would not remember about her treats she had the previous night.
I was dead wrong -- it is almost noon and she is still not eating!
What happened to her 3-second memory?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Sad Saturday
Caitey scratched Caitlin by accident while playing;
Caitlin cried over her bruise;
I screamed at Caitey for hurting Caitlin;
Caitey went under the dinner table, duck there with her chin on the floor, and would not come out;
We are all sad;
The end.
Caitlin cried over her bruise;
I screamed at Caitey for hurting Caitlin;
Caitey went under the dinner table, duck there with her chin on the floor, and would not come out;
We are all sad;
The end.
Friday, September 25, 2009
So you want a Golden puppy
Well I am a new mom so I am still learning how to take care of a golden everyday, but in case you are thinking of getting one, you might want to know these lessons that I learned the hard way.
First and foremost, before anything else get a crate!
I can't repeat this one enough. By statistics, new parents abandon their puppies within a month the most simply because they are too frustrated with the mess left by the dogs. We had the same issue and almost let go of Caitey. I know like me, you wanted to be human and don't want to make the baby go into a crate that looks like a prison cell, but trust me, it is the key if you want to keep your puppy with you over a long period of time.
Dogs don't like to soil their den by nature in general, so a crate can keep your house clean AND at the same time give you the peace of mind knowing that you house is safe from chewing or scratching. Most puppies can hold 2 to 3 hours at a time I heard, but our Caitey once managed to hold 9 long hours straight because I failed to wake up in the middle of the night to let her go potty (bad mommy). I was eventually waken up by her barking downstairs which she rarely does -- she was only 10 weeks old then.
So get a crate, get a crate, and get a crate. Trust me, it saves you a ton of headaches if you use it in a disciplined fashion.
2ndly, find high quality dog food that is full of nutrients and no artificial ingredients.
I strive to eat healthy because I have seen the improvements in the family once we modified our diet for the better. I believe the same thing should benefit our puppies as well. The last thing you want to do is to load them up with man-made ingredients like artificial colors/flavors and preservatives which can easily hurt a puppy's immune system and make them allergic or sick. After all a puppy is like your child, you are happy when they are healthy.
One thing that I do like is the organic "Nature's Best" from Science Diet. For instance, their lamb/brown kibble is made from lamb meat from Australia and New Zealand (note their regular product is made with local lamb organs that is filled with toxins from the body). You'd be happy to know that down in that part of the world, people don't use artificial growth hormones or antibiotics on farm animals; and brown rice not only is a better choice of carb that is richer in nutrients, but it is also easier for puppies to digest. Also Science Diet did a great job making the organic products in smaller pieces than their regular kibble so it is easier for puppies to chew on.
Next, get a good house keeping tool for your house.
Now if you are like me who is very particular about a clean shiny hardwood floor, congratulations you could not possible have picked a breed that is more wrong than golden for yourself!
Diligent brushing does help, but then goldens shed a ton -- that is the way their hair is and there is nothing you can do to stop it from shedding. Sometimes I will have a trail of small balls of golden puffy hair on my spotless hardwood floor after Caitey walks on it. So for a person like me who HAS to bend over and pick up a tiny piece of hair on the floor the moment I see it, and wish I could make my family walk with their feet on their shoulder...hear me say that I am vacuuming around the clock and there is no way that I can get my Polish cleaning lady in every other hour!
But you know love never comes without a price any way.
If you have no choice that like me, I suggest that you get a good dry cleaning tool that is both gentle on the floor but still offers some vacuum power -- the Swiffer SweeperVac.
Trust me I have tested lots of fancier vacuum cleaners on the market, but I have to say that the expensive gadgets did not serve my purpose as conveniently and the heavy duty ones scratch my floor. Now ordinary Swiffers does a great job picking up dust and some hair, but it can't help much if you have dirt or small crumbs on the floor. That is when the Sweeper Vac comes in handy because it sucks in the small pieces and picks up hair and dust at the same time.
Because the Sweeper Vac is a cordless rechargeable device, it adds convenience but does run out of power quickly if you have a sizable house and have to make your floor squeaky clean the way I do. My solution is to get a couple of them, at least one on each floor. The good news is that the Sweeper Vac is very economical and easily available from stores like Target for under $30, although you do have to buy the refills every now and then.
I also like the same manufacturer's Wetjet for wet cleaning and dusters.
Last but not the least, good news -- goldens can be lured.
A man once said hopelessly: "She does not love me, not even my money". Well that is a tough situation to be in, but luckily goldens can be bought with treats so make sure you bribe shamelessly to get it into good habits.
A treat is useful for both training and rewarding good behaviors, but there are treats and then there are treats. I find it most useful to use the ones that a puppy likes the most to do things that she likes the least to create a positive association.
On the flip side, be sure to stick with your plan and discipline your puppy early for things that you don't want it to do. Keep in mind goldens are a loyal breed that is eager to please its parents. In our case we don't want Caitey to chew up our pianos and our leather sofa sets so she is forbidden to get to the piano room and the family room. It was actually not hard to make it happen -- we just said "NO" to her and took her out a few times, and pretty soon she never bothers to go in there again.
Hope this list has been helpful. I will come back with more if I have something else to offer later.
Good luck with your golden and have a golden day!
First and foremost, before anything else get a crate!
I can't repeat this one enough. By statistics, new parents abandon their puppies within a month the most simply because they are too frustrated with the mess left by the dogs. We had the same issue and almost let go of Caitey. I know like me, you wanted to be human and don't want to make the baby go into a crate that looks like a prison cell, but trust me, it is the key if you want to keep your puppy with you over a long period of time.
Dogs don't like to soil their den by nature in general, so a crate can keep your house clean AND at the same time give you the peace of mind knowing that you house is safe from chewing or scratching. Most puppies can hold 2 to 3 hours at a time I heard, but our Caitey once managed to hold 9 long hours straight because I failed to wake up in the middle of the night to let her go potty (bad mommy). I was eventually waken up by her barking downstairs which she rarely does -- she was only 10 weeks old then.
So get a crate, get a crate, and get a crate. Trust me, it saves you a ton of headaches if you use it in a disciplined fashion.
2ndly, find high quality dog food that is full of nutrients and no artificial ingredients.
I strive to eat healthy because I have seen the improvements in the family once we modified our diet for the better. I believe the same thing should benefit our puppies as well. The last thing you want to do is to load them up with man-made ingredients like artificial colors/flavors and preservatives which can easily hurt a puppy's immune system and make them allergic or sick. After all a puppy is like your child, you are happy when they are healthy.
One thing that I do like is the organic "Nature's Best" from Science Diet. For instance, their lamb/brown kibble is made from lamb meat from Australia and New Zealand (note their regular product is made with local lamb organs that is filled with toxins from the body). You'd be happy to know that down in that part of the world, people don't use artificial growth hormones or antibiotics on farm animals; and brown rice not only is a better choice of carb that is richer in nutrients, but it is also easier for puppies to digest. Also Science Diet did a great job making the organic products in smaller pieces than their regular kibble so it is easier for puppies to chew on.
Next, get a good house keeping tool for your house.
Now if you are like me who is very particular about a clean shiny hardwood floor, congratulations you could not possible have picked a breed that is more wrong than golden for yourself!
Diligent brushing does help, but then goldens shed a ton -- that is the way their hair is and there is nothing you can do to stop it from shedding. Sometimes I will have a trail of small balls of golden puffy hair on my spotless hardwood floor after Caitey walks on it. So for a person like me who HAS to bend over and pick up a tiny piece of hair on the floor the moment I see it, and wish I could make my family walk with their feet on their shoulder...hear me say that I am vacuuming around the clock and there is no way that I can get my Polish cleaning lady in every other hour!
But you know love never comes without a price any way.
If you have no choice that like me, I suggest that you get a good dry cleaning tool that is both gentle on the floor but still offers some vacuum power -- the Swiffer SweeperVac.
Trust me I have tested lots of fancier vacuum cleaners on the market, but I have to say that the expensive gadgets did not serve my purpose as conveniently and the heavy duty ones scratch my floor. Now ordinary Swiffers does a great job picking up dust and some hair, but it can't help much if you have dirt or small crumbs on the floor. That is when the Sweeper Vac comes in handy because it sucks in the small pieces and picks up hair and dust at the same time.
Because the Sweeper Vac is a cordless rechargeable device, it adds convenience but does run out of power quickly if you have a sizable house and have to make your floor squeaky clean the way I do. My solution is to get a couple of them, at least one on each floor. The good news is that the Sweeper Vac is very economical and easily available from stores like Target for under $30, although you do have to buy the refills every now and then.
I also like the same manufacturer's Wetjet for wet cleaning and dusters.
Last but not the least, good news -- goldens can be lured.
A man once said hopelessly: "She does not love me, not even my money". Well that is a tough situation to be in, but luckily goldens can be bought with treats so make sure you bribe shamelessly to get it into good habits.
A treat is useful for both training and rewarding good behaviors, but there are treats and then there are treats. I find it most useful to use the ones that a puppy likes the most to do things that she likes the least to create a positive association.
On the flip side, be sure to stick with your plan and discipline your puppy early for things that you don't want it to do. Keep in mind goldens are a loyal breed that is eager to please its parents. In our case we don't want Caitey to chew up our pianos and our leather sofa sets so she is forbidden to get to the piano room and the family room. It was actually not hard to make it happen -- we just said "NO" to her and took her out a few times, and pretty soon she never bothers to go in there again.
Hope this list has been helpful. I will come back with more if I have something else to offer later.
Good luck with your golden and have a golden day!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chinese Mom and "Story of The Fox"
You probably know "Chinese Mom" isn't a very positive phrase. It has been widely used by other races to describe how over parenting we are in general.
Not only the Chinese moms, I see the same thing with Indian parents as well.
Every morning, there is always someone who would inconsiderately block the single lane during kids drop-off at school. Trust me I see it over and over again, the worst offenders are either Indian or Chinese parents.
Like this morning, an Indian dad riding in a Lexus arrived at the drop-off entrance of my older one's school, got off his car, opened up the door for his daughter, left it wide open, put the backpack on her back, zipped up her jacket, tied her shoelaces, and then walked her all the way to the door while still repeating things that perhaps he had talked about 10 times the previous night.
Meantime, the little girl was busy saying hello to her friends and turned a deaf ear to whatever the dad was saying, and the dad turned a blind eye to the mile long line of cars behind him.
Again, at my younger one's school, another Indian dad stopped at the drop off line, and this time walked his son into the entrance and did not even return. He was completely oblivious of the cars behind, but how can you blame him? The guy does not have eyes at the back of his head.
I know what you are thinking, yes we Asian parents are too protective that we end up being irresponsible to both other people and our own children. You do have to give us credits for trying our best though.
In our area, there is a very large Asian community, predominately the Chinese and the Indians. It is very common for grandparents of these two groups to spend their golden years here helping the 2nd generation raise the 3rd generation. The devotion to their youngsters typically does not end even after the cubs grow up and leave the den. It is great the we have such strong family ties, unfortunately, it keeps our children remain latched on... and on... like babies.
When I was at my girls' age, I once watched a Japanese documentary film called the "Story of the Fox". It was reported that the Japanese camera crew followed a family of 7 foxes many years to shoot the movie.
The story was about a male fox Philip and a female one Lena fell in love when they were young and had 5 kids together. But life had been everything but easy for mom and dad.
The youngest one, born blind, died prematurely.
Then mommy got caught during food hunting for her babies while getting chased by dogs. I still remember her sad eyes when she looked at her cubs right before her died.
After losing Lena, Philip hunted and raised 4 kids alone. He trained the young cubs hunting skills, then chased and drove each of them away from home so they could be on their own in the wild.
The end was pretty sad, with 3 out of the 4 remaining cubs dead from hunger, the hunters or the predators. The last cub, after carefully learning from its sibling's losses, survived the longest. He later met his daddy right before getting chased by the hunters, and both fell off the cliff in the end.
We typical Asian parents probably will never be able to kick our children out of the home like what the daddy fox did. We will sacrifice a lot more just to make our children suffer a little less, unfortunately at the same time, lengthen the time needed for them to become mentally strong and physically independent.
I really shouldn't criticize others as I myself am in similar boat. I drive my girls to school every morning just so they can sleep an extra 30 minutes, but I am a little more cold-hearted -- at least I don't carry them off the car and to the door on my back so drivers behind don't have to curse me out.
There is a well known saying in Chinese "可怜天下父母心" which literally means "poor parental love".
Not only the Chinese moms, I see the same thing with Indian parents as well.
Every morning, there is always someone who would inconsiderately block the single lane during kids drop-off at school. Trust me I see it over and over again, the worst offenders are either Indian or Chinese parents.
Like this morning, an Indian dad riding in a Lexus arrived at the drop-off entrance of my older one's school, got off his car, opened up the door for his daughter, left it wide open, put the backpack on her back, zipped up her jacket, tied her shoelaces, and then walked her all the way to the door while still repeating things that perhaps he had talked about 10 times the previous night.
Meantime, the little girl was busy saying hello to her friends and turned a deaf ear to whatever the dad was saying, and the dad turned a blind eye to the mile long line of cars behind him.
Again, at my younger one's school, another Indian dad stopped at the drop off line, and this time walked his son into the entrance and did not even return. He was completely oblivious of the cars behind, but how can you blame him? The guy does not have eyes at the back of his head.
I know what you are thinking, yes we Asian parents are too protective that we end up being irresponsible to both other people and our own children. You do have to give us credits for trying our best though.
In our area, there is a very large Asian community, predominately the Chinese and the Indians. It is very common for grandparents of these two groups to spend their golden years here helping the 2nd generation raise the 3rd generation. The devotion to their youngsters typically does not end even after the cubs grow up and leave the den. It is great the we have such strong family ties, unfortunately, it keeps our children remain latched on... and on... like babies.
When I was at my girls' age, I once watched a Japanese documentary film called the "Story of the Fox". It was reported that the Japanese camera crew followed a family of 7 foxes many years to shoot the movie.
The story was about a male fox Philip and a female one Lena fell in love when they were young and had 5 kids together. But life had been everything but easy for mom and dad.
The youngest one, born blind, died prematurely.
Then mommy got caught during food hunting for her babies while getting chased by dogs. I still remember her sad eyes when she looked at her cubs right before her died.
After losing Lena, Philip hunted and raised 4 kids alone. He trained the young cubs hunting skills, then chased and drove each of them away from home so they could be on their own in the wild.
The end was pretty sad, with 3 out of the 4 remaining cubs dead from hunger, the hunters or the predators. The last cub, after carefully learning from its sibling's losses, survived the longest. He later met his daddy right before getting chased by the hunters, and both fell off the cliff in the end.
We typical Asian parents probably will never be able to kick our children out of the home like what the daddy fox did. We will sacrifice a lot more just to make our children suffer a little less, unfortunately at the same time, lengthen the time needed for them to become mentally strong and physically independent.
I really shouldn't criticize others as I myself am in similar boat. I drive my girls to school every morning just so they can sleep an extra 30 minutes, but I am a little more cold-hearted -- at least I don't carry them off the car and to the door on my back so drivers behind don't have to curse me out.
There is a well known saying in Chinese "可怜天下父母心" which literally means "poor parental love".
Caitey's vocabulary
Caitey is one smart little girl.
It has only been a month and she has learned to understand commands like "sit", "come", "home", "watch me", "leave it" and "take it". Being a puppy, sometimes she will turn a deaf ear to us and insists on going her way but not when she begs for food.
Her favorite spot is right under the stove in the kitchen because that is where the good smell comes from. She knows who to beg from and how to do it. For example, when I am making dinner, without me saying the "sit" word, she will automatically sit on her little cute butt, put her two front paws on the floor, raise her head and stare at me attentively in a "mommy I am good now can I have a little bite?" kind of look. That is when she has the greatest patience and pretends to be a puppy angle.
I think she now knows the word "food" or "eat" as well.
Today was Claire's "Back to School" night so Caitey needed to eat earlier than usual. Seeing she was not interested in her food in the afternoon, I talked half to myself and half to her "Caitey please eat your food, mommy has things to do later". To me greatest surprise, she walked to her bowl and ate some of kibble. I wasn't sure if it was a pure coincidence, so I repeated what I just said, again she ate a little. I know she did it reluctantly because she wasn't too hungry but I appreciated her trying for me very much.
I think pretty soon Caitey will know more English words than her mommy does!
It has only been a month and she has learned to understand commands like "sit", "come", "home", "watch me", "leave it" and "take it". Being a puppy, sometimes she will turn a deaf ear to us and insists on going her way but not when she begs for food.
Her favorite spot is right under the stove in the kitchen because that is where the good smell comes from. She knows who to beg from and how to do it. For example, when I am making dinner, without me saying the "sit" word, she will automatically sit on her little cute butt, put her two front paws on the floor, raise her head and stare at me attentively in a "mommy I am good now can I have a little bite?" kind of look. That is when she has the greatest patience and pretends to be a puppy angle.
I think she now knows the word "food" or "eat" as well.
Today was Claire's "Back to School" night so Caitey needed to eat earlier than usual. Seeing she was not interested in her food in the afternoon, I talked half to myself and half to her "Caitey please eat your food, mommy has things to do later". To me greatest surprise, she walked to her bowl and ate some of kibble. I wasn't sure if it was a pure coincidence, so I repeated what I just said, again she ate a little. I know she did it reluctantly because she wasn't too hungry but I appreciated her trying for me very much.
I think pretty soon Caitey will know more English words than her mommy does!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Caitey's frends in the neighbourhood
There are 12 houses on our cul-de-sec street. If I have counted it right, there are 5 Chinese (2 just moved in), 3 Indian, and 4 Caucasian families. Well if you are yellow like me, you would not be color-blind to such things. It is interesting that by statistics, the racial makeup of our township is 85% white, 2% African American, and 12% Asian American. Somehow it seems like half of the Asian population in our town flocked to live on my street.
It is understandable because Asian families value education highly and our township happens to be one of the best school districts in the state. There are two things that people are not tired of mentioning here: 1) The Fed Governor Ben Bernanke lived in our town when he was teaching at Princeton University before he headed to Washington; 2) Our new state of the art high school cost us local tax payers mountains of property taxes while making our wallets as flat as pancakes. Since most of the district's education budget has gone to the high school, no wonder our elementary and middle schools are still using computers that look like the 1st generation IBM PCs.
Now back to merrier topic: dogs.
Perhaps because of the higher percentage of Asian (especially the Chinese) residents here in my block, we "only" have 4 dogs and a cat in our neighbourhood. No, I didn't mean that the Chinese have eaten all the other dogs, it is just in general we Chinese are more into kids than pets with our busy lives.
Right next to my house, there is a 6-year old white male Bichon Frise named Samoi. This little guy is very cute with a furry snow ball head that looks way too big for his small body. He might appear to be a little girlie at first, but once he starts barking you'd know how fierce he can be. No wonder this breed is used as watch dogs, I mean I doubt if an ant would be able to sneak out of his house. Not only that, Samoi seems to think that he is a lot bigger and taller than he really is, so he likes to challenge people as well as other bigger animals like deers. A brave little guy, he often wonders around fearlessly and gets himself lost often when he is not chained. One winter his parents had a tough time finding him in the snow with his white hair, thanks to his little dark nose he was finally spotted in the white blanket.
The first time he saw Caitey, the little guy jumped up and down, waved his tail fervently, and barked so loud that people in California could hear him. "Yeeeaaah, finally a girl friend of my size!". He wasted no time to sniff Caitey's private part and tried to mount her. My girls were watching this scene with their mouths wide open, and I ran out of hands trying to drag Caitey back and cover the girls' eyes at the same time -- after all at this age, they are only allowed to see things that are G-rated.
Caitey of course fell for Samoi as well. Once Samoi started barking just when she finished her business on the lawn. This naughty girl jumped up, ran to Samoi like a straight arrow and dragged my husband along with her. "Boyfriend, here I come!".
Another dog is Shadow, a black Labrador Retriever who is also 6-year old. She is very tall and elegant, just like her sporty and beautiful parents. She has this most gorgeous black coat that I have ever seen -- so shiny that a blind person could still see it in dark. Don't be fooled by her lean mean looks though, Shadow is a great lady -- calm, courteous, soft, and super tolerant to Caitey. The 1st time they met, Caitey ran straight to Shadow and jumped as high as she could to kiss her. Caitey probably thought Shadow was her doggie mom. As Caitey gets more hyped however, Shadow simply can't take it any more. Once after Caitey harassed her too much, she just turned around and ran straight back to the garage. Wow, a little puppy scared a big lab back home!
You would think Shadow has always been a tame dog, but her mom Lisa told me that during Shadow's puppy years, they almost gave her away because she was too much for them. Somehow I find it very hard to associate the super well-behaved Shadow with an annoying dog.
They say dogs get a lot calmer when they get older, well in that case I have hope for Caitey.
The only cat we have here around the block is a black one, who roams around the street like a ghost, especially when it gets dark. Her human sister, a 4th grader, is a sweet little girl who likes to crawl up on the trees a lot. At first I thought it was the cat's influence, but later she told me that she was mostly hiding from Shadow. "I need a dog like Caitey" she said, "Shadow scares me and drives me up on the trees!".
I guess dogs are like us humans, taking great pleasure in bullying the weak.
It is understandable because Asian families value education highly and our township happens to be one of the best school districts in the state. There are two things that people are not tired of mentioning here: 1) The Fed Governor Ben Bernanke lived in our town when he was teaching at Princeton University before he headed to Washington; 2) Our new state of the art high school cost us local tax payers mountains of property taxes while making our wallets as flat as pancakes. Since most of the district's education budget has gone to the high school, no wonder our elementary and middle schools are still using computers that look like the 1st generation IBM PCs.
Now back to merrier topic: dogs.
Perhaps because of the higher percentage of Asian (especially the Chinese) residents here in my block, we "only" have 4 dogs and a cat in our neighbourhood. No, I didn't mean that the Chinese have eaten all the other dogs, it is just in general we Chinese are more into kids than pets with our busy lives.
Right next to my house, there is a 6-year old white male Bichon Frise named Samoi. This little guy is very cute with a furry snow ball head that looks way too big for his small body. He might appear to be a little girlie at first, but once he starts barking you'd know how fierce he can be. No wonder this breed is used as watch dogs, I mean I doubt if an ant would be able to sneak out of his house. Not only that, Samoi seems to think that he is a lot bigger and taller than he really is, so he likes to challenge people as well as other bigger animals like deers. A brave little guy, he often wonders around fearlessly and gets himself lost often when he is not chained. One winter his parents had a tough time finding him in the snow with his white hair, thanks to his little dark nose he was finally spotted in the white blanket.
The first time he saw Caitey, the little guy jumped up and down, waved his tail fervently, and barked so loud that people in California could hear him. "Yeeeaaah, finally a girl friend of my size!". He wasted no time to sniff Caitey's private part and tried to mount her. My girls were watching this scene with their mouths wide open, and I ran out of hands trying to drag Caitey back and cover the girls' eyes at the same time -- after all at this age, they are only allowed to see things that are G-rated.
Caitey of course fell for Samoi as well. Once Samoi started barking just when she finished her business on the lawn. This naughty girl jumped up, ran to Samoi like a straight arrow and dragged my husband along with her. "Boyfriend, here I come!".
Another dog is Shadow, a black Labrador Retriever who is also 6-year old. She is very tall and elegant, just like her sporty and beautiful parents. She has this most gorgeous black coat that I have ever seen -- so shiny that a blind person could still see it in dark. Don't be fooled by her lean mean looks though, Shadow is a great lady -- calm, courteous, soft, and super tolerant to Caitey. The 1st time they met, Caitey ran straight to Shadow and jumped as high as she could to kiss her. Caitey probably thought Shadow was her doggie mom. As Caitey gets more hyped however, Shadow simply can't take it any more. Once after Caitey harassed her too much, she just turned around and ran straight back to the garage. Wow, a little puppy scared a big lab back home!
You would think Shadow has always been a tame dog, but her mom Lisa told me that during Shadow's puppy years, they almost gave her away because she was too much for them. Somehow I find it very hard to associate the super well-behaved Shadow with an annoying dog.
They say dogs get a lot calmer when they get older, well in that case I have hope for Caitey.
The only cat we have here around the block is a black one, who roams around the street like a ghost, especially when it gets dark. Her human sister, a 4th grader, is a sweet little girl who likes to crawl up on the trees a lot. At first I thought it was the cat's influence, but later she told me that she was mostly hiding from Shadow. "I need a dog like Caitey" she said, "Shadow scares me and drives me up on the trees!".
I guess dogs are like us humans, taking great pleasure in bullying the weak.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Training class for Caitey
Experts recommend training a dog before the 16th week, so things get registered in their little brains early and properly. We signed her up for puppy training at PetsMart. The trainer recommends using a clicker which you should use to click every time a puppy does something good as a positive reinforcement, so you don't have to give it a treat every time.
There are 6 puppies in the class, and 3 of them are yellow Labrador Retrievers. I always thought with golden's beautiful furry hair and cute looks, it should be more popular than the lab but apparently it is not the case. I mean you see goldens in the magazines and on TV all the time. A mom of a yellow lab also commented how Caitey looked like one of those commercial dogs, which I hear quite often from people walking by Caitey. One thing that I did notice is how much more active labs are. They also bark more, while Caitey barely makes a sound.
The 1st time a male lab tried to bully her and she did not like it, so there was a little fight going on in the room and got us all nervous.
The 2nd session went OK with more trainings on sitting and heeling.
Today is her 3rd class for commands like "leave it" and "take it".
Here we have a little problem. Caitey is ALWAYS food/treats hungry. Once she sees something, I mean ANYTHING, from a tree leaf to a tissue, she has to get that in her mouth. Needless to say that we are having quite a bit of challenge for the "leave it" part.
The next problem we have with her is jumping on people. You see we live in a neighbourhood that has a lot of kids around, I mean for adults you can explain that the puppy is in training and they will cooperate with you to work your puppy not to get overly excited, but what can you do with the kids? They will jump up and down more exuberantly than the dog does and get Caitey hyped at the same time.
The 3rd one is something that I have a hard time to comprehend. I mean goldens are active dogs, they are supposed to like playing outside, but not Caitey. Every time I have to drag the leash and pull her away from the house. I got so tired of dragging her and at the same time worried about choking her, so I changed the collar leash to a chest harness which worked a little better but not that much.
The funny thing is that no matter how many turns I have made on the road to confuse Caitey, once I utter the word "home", she will jump up and drag me all the way back with the leash like I was a dog!
Why she prefers coming back than going out? Maybe she is a little timid as a female puppy? It does not make sense because she is not afraid of bigger dogs. Our neighbour has a big 6-year old black lab Shadow, but Caitey chased and scared Shadow back home quite a few times.
I also noticed that at the end of the training session when the trainer asks every dog to be released for them to socialize with each other, other dogs would busily play with each other but Caitey will quietly grab a toy and run back to the side to play with the toy herself, but not with other dogs.
Incidentally, we named Caitey after her 2nd sister Caitlin, who was a very shy girl at younger age and preferred not to socialize with other kids as well.
I sure hope Caitey does not grow up to be a solitaire golden wolf.
There are 6 puppies in the class, and 3 of them are yellow Labrador Retrievers. I always thought with golden's beautiful furry hair and cute looks, it should be more popular than the lab but apparently it is not the case. I mean you see goldens in the magazines and on TV all the time. A mom of a yellow lab also commented how Caitey looked like one of those commercial dogs, which I hear quite often from people walking by Caitey. One thing that I did notice is how much more active labs are. They also bark more, while Caitey barely makes a sound.
The 1st time a male lab tried to bully her and she did not like it, so there was a little fight going on in the room and got us all nervous.
The 2nd session went OK with more trainings on sitting and heeling.
Today is her 3rd class for commands like "leave it" and "take it".
Here we have a little problem. Caitey is ALWAYS food/treats hungry. Once she sees something, I mean ANYTHING, from a tree leaf to a tissue, she has to get that in her mouth. Needless to say that we are having quite a bit of challenge for the "leave it" part.
The next problem we have with her is jumping on people. You see we live in a neighbourhood that has a lot of kids around, I mean for adults you can explain that the puppy is in training and they will cooperate with you to work your puppy not to get overly excited, but what can you do with the kids? They will jump up and down more exuberantly than the dog does and get Caitey hyped at the same time.
The 3rd one is something that I have a hard time to comprehend. I mean goldens are active dogs, they are supposed to like playing outside, but not Caitey. Every time I have to drag the leash and pull her away from the house. I got so tired of dragging her and at the same time worried about choking her, so I changed the collar leash to a chest harness which worked a little better but not that much.
The funny thing is that no matter how many turns I have made on the road to confuse Caitey, once I utter the word "home", she will jump up and drag me all the way back with the leash like I was a dog!
Why she prefers coming back than going out? Maybe she is a little timid as a female puppy? It does not make sense because she is not afraid of bigger dogs. Our neighbour has a big 6-year old black lab Shadow, but Caitey chased and scared Shadow back home quite a few times.
I also noticed that at the end of the training session when the trainer asks every dog to be released for them to socialize with each other, other dogs would busily play with each other but Caitey will quietly grab a toy and run back to the side to play with the toy herself, but not with other dogs.
Incidentally, we named Caitey after her 2nd sister Caitlin, who was a very shy girl at younger age and preferred not to socialize with other kids as well.
I sure hope Caitey does not grow up to be a solitaire golden wolf.
What can dogs teach us about relationships?
In the book "Marley & Me", John Grogan said "A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his."
Why is it a lot easier for a dog to bond well with someone in his whole lifetime with only basic care while a human struggles in his/her relationship on regular basis even with high maintenance?
We are the most advanced "animals" right?
We have the smartest brains, yet our talents are wasted in busily calculating how much we should put in and get back.
We are ultra sensitive with our well developed nerves, which are often utilized to detect things that we THINK can hurt us.
We are supposed to be the best communicators in the world, yet even with modern technology we either don't communicate enough or miscommunicate to people we care about.
We are the most driven species on earth. We constantly seek things better than what we already possess and never seem to be happy for too long about the grass in our side of the fence. Our satisfaction and excitement get worn out easily, and then we are left with disappointments and boredom fairly quickly.
So we humans fail to maintain meaningful relationships over a long period of time just because we are blessed with the best brains, sensitivity, communication skills and motivations?
Why we lack the willpower to remain committed or disciplined despite our religion and education?
There is a word in Chinese 恸 that means extreme sadness or crying one's heart out. Like 90% of the Chinese words, it is a typical phono-semantic compound character (形聲字) that one side offers hint for the meaning of the word while the other side shows its pronunciation. In 恸's case, the left side means "heart", the right side means "touch" or "move" which also gives clue to the sound of the word.
One Chinese scholar once explained this word from a philosophical standpoint. He says in a relationship, a person is like standing in a thorny field -- he is safe if he stands still and does not make a bold move, but once he changes his "heart" position and falls for someone, he is bound to get pinched all over and feel the pain of getting hurt.
This reminds me of Taoism that preaches the values of being neutral, indifferent and inactive. Positive attributes in the western world like persistence and devotion are viewed as drawbacks of character because they make a person harder to get detached from this materialistic and chaotic world that is overflowing with desires, which are often the very source of sin, evil, dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
In a practical way, this philosophy also emphasizes on the importance of self-protection and satisfaction for a person to live with minimal desires. When one does not hold his hopes too high, he is not disappointed by the outcome and thus can stay easily satisfied and happy.
Similarly, a Chinese "chicken soup for the soul" I read the other day also concludes that "one is happy not because he possesses much, but because he cares less".
How our dogs get excited to greet us every time we come back home, jump up and down, wag their tails fervently, and never get tired of following us like shadows from room to room day in and day out?
Why dogs can consistently offer so much to humans without hoping to get adequate love, care and attention back?
It is said that in our human world of "give-and-take", our one year is equal to 7 dog years. So could it be the combination of their ignorance, insensitivity, single vocabulary of "arf", and 3-second memory makes dogs appreciate 7x more and demand 7x less, and thus happier than us humans?
Kyra Sedgwick once said this about her Golden Retriever: "He taught me about commitment and showing up for someone even if you are not feeling in the mood. I think that having a pet can really do that for you and can teach you about being in a relationship and giving and receiving love."
Perhaps we should try a bowl of kibble everyday, maybe that can help improve our attitude.
Lastly, I have a friend who has an unusually long but profound Chinese I/M name: "记住该记住的，忘记该忘记的" ("Remember what you should remember, forget what you should forget").
Perhaps we should also learn from our dogs to " 改变能改变的，接受不能改变的" ("Change what you can change, accept what you can not").
Why is it a lot easier for a dog to bond well with someone in his whole lifetime with only basic care while a human struggles in his/her relationship on regular basis even with high maintenance?
We are the most advanced "animals" right?
We have the smartest brains, yet our talents are wasted in busily calculating how much we should put in and get back.
We are ultra sensitive with our well developed nerves, which are often utilized to detect things that we THINK can hurt us.
We are supposed to be the best communicators in the world, yet even with modern technology we either don't communicate enough or miscommunicate to people we care about.
We are the most driven species on earth. We constantly seek things better than what we already possess and never seem to be happy for too long about the grass in our side of the fence. Our satisfaction and excitement get worn out easily, and then we are left with disappointments and boredom fairly quickly.
So we humans fail to maintain meaningful relationships over a long period of time just because we are blessed with the best brains, sensitivity, communication skills and motivations?
Why we lack the willpower to remain committed or disciplined despite our religion and education?
There is a word in Chinese 恸 that means extreme sadness or crying one's heart out. Like 90% of the Chinese words, it is a typical phono-semantic compound character (形聲字) that one side offers hint for the meaning of the word while the other side shows its pronunciation. In 恸's case, the left side means "heart", the right side means "touch" or "move" which also gives clue to the sound of the word.
One Chinese scholar once explained this word from a philosophical standpoint. He says in a relationship, a person is like standing in a thorny field -- he is safe if he stands still and does not make a bold move, but once he changes his "heart" position and falls for someone, he is bound to get pinched all over and feel the pain of getting hurt.
This reminds me of Taoism that preaches the values of being neutral, indifferent and inactive. Positive attributes in the western world like persistence and devotion are viewed as drawbacks of character because they make a person harder to get detached from this materialistic and chaotic world that is overflowing with desires, which are often the very source of sin, evil, dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
In a practical way, this philosophy also emphasizes on the importance of self-protection and satisfaction for a person to live with minimal desires. When one does not hold his hopes too high, he is not disappointed by the outcome and thus can stay easily satisfied and happy.
Similarly, a Chinese "chicken soup for the soul" I read the other day also concludes that "one is happy not because he possesses much, but because he cares less".
How our dogs get excited to greet us every time we come back home, jump up and down, wag their tails fervently, and never get tired of following us like shadows from room to room day in and day out?
Why dogs can consistently offer so much to humans without hoping to get adequate love, care and attention back?
It is said that in our human world of "give-and-take", our one year is equal to 7 dog years. So could it be the combination of their ignorance, insensitivity, single vocabulary of "arf", and 3-second memory makes dogs appreciate 7x more and demand 7x less, and thus happier than us humans?
Kyra Sedgwick once said this about her Golden Retriever: "He taught me about commitment and showing up for someone even if you are not feeling in the mood. I think that having a pet can really do that for you and can teach you about being in a relationship and giving and receiving love."
Perhaps we should try a bowl of kibble everyday, maybe that can help improve our attitude.
Lastly, I have a friend who has an unusually long but profound Chinese I/M name: "记住该记住的，忘记该忘记的" ("Remember what you should remember, forget what you should forget").
Perhaps we should also learn from our dogs to " 改变能改变的，接受不能改变的" ("Change what you can change, accept what you can not").
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