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!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
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?
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