I LOVE BALLS!

You may not want to proclaim that so loudly, Juliet.

Mumsy makes ball chasing fun! She fills the ball with treats and when I catch it and bring it back, I GETS ‘EM.

Yes. Mother, in her bid to distract me and get us to be more toy oriented, has been dissecting little tennis balls and putting food in the hole.

Then she draws eyes above the opening so it looks like a smiley face! So cute! I love balls! WHEEEEE!

These are the balls Mother is using. They are small and cost her less than S$10 for a pack of 3! (There is one missing from the picture, yes. How observant.)

Mother wants to put this picture in her hand-modelling portfolio

Poke scissor into ball and make a small cut

Tadah! Looks like a mouth right? You can draw two eyes above it!

Put food in the opening! Use small treats that are fairly firm. Squishy ones (including those that turn squishy with saliva) can be hard to get out.

Haha! You missed the ball that last time Juliet!

And again! HAHA!

You were distracting me! Well at least I caught it in the end! Hmpf!

Well we kinda did!

No we were only outside! By the giant logo globe thing!

Close enough!

We were at (the outside of) Universal Studios!

Mother took us to Sentosa for a swim then decided to explore parts of Sentosa by foot.

And of course she took lotsa pictures of meeeee!

Of us you mean.

You just happen to be there.

Uh huh.

Lotsa people stopped Mumsy to play with me and take my photo too!

Of US!

Yea whatever. *sticks tongue out*

Should we be concerned that our photos might be on the Facebook pages of some random tourist out there?

Some water feature thingy made with mosaic tiles. Pretty!

The fish are taking revenge

Romeo: HAHA There are 4 piggies, including Juliet!

I can just about hear your mums going “What great invention is this and where can I get it?!?” It’s called the Dog Pyramid because it is sort of triangular with a wider base which is weighted, making it much much harder to get the treats out than those other toys which you just roll and everything comes out. It was created by Nina Ottoson. I have a love-hate relationship with that woman. She makes great toys that always involve treats but I have to really use my brain! When she makes out that just dispense treats every second she will top my list of favourite people. 

Mother: *AHEM*

Er.. after Mother of course.

The downside to this brilliant invention is that it is made of plastic. And is heavy by dog toy standards. These 2 combined with the force of my muzzle smacking it across the room can break things. Like glass cabinets. And Mother’s toe. Ok I didn’t break her toe but she’s yelped in pain several times when that slowpoke didn’t manage to get out of the way in time. I slam it against walls, doors, etc. It can get quite noisy if played on wooden floors but should be much quieter on carpet.

Mother got it from Haute Hound but here’s a listing of other places you can find it online.

Here’s me on a night Mother had something else to do than to pander to my every need.

Over the weekend, my pals Ruthie, Reyla, Enzo & Wally celebrated their first birthday at K9 Kulture! We had a fabulous time of course. Me especially so! I was like a moth to Ruthie’s flame. Mother kept slapping her hand to her forehead when I chased her down and tried to show her my moves. She mumbled something about it being a good thing Ruthie wore some pants but not that I knew how to do it anyway. It? What’s It? 

Here are pictures from that day!

Mother decided to buy a whole duck from the market on Sunday. She got a big bag of hearts, livers and gizzards from 8 ducks for free! She says she’s so going back to this butcher. Instead of having to pay for 

livers and other “spare parts”, she can get it for free! Here was my dinner that night. Not for the faint hearted. I’ve decided I don’t like duck as much as other meats tho’. It doesn’t seem to have any smell! 

Mother told me that after she had chopped off the duck’s head, neck and a wing, it quacked. She and Auntie M, our helper stopped and Auntie M asked “Did you hear that?” And Mother was like.. “YEA! FREAKY!” So apparently this duck’s soul is still flying around. Either that or Mother has gone a little quacky!

Mother and Father took half the day off on Monday to run some errands then took me to the Botanical Gardens! I prefer the place when it’s not so crowded. We usually go on a

 Sunday when there are alot of people and dogs all around! Mother put my on a long leash and let me run around. I showed her tho’! I followed wherever she went and listened to her directions and she rewarded me by running through the fields! I love running! I don’t think Mother does tho’. She says she’s allergic to running – her thighs itch and all that.

Teehee. She can forget about a new rug too – I love digging at that as well!

Today we went to the pool again and met another West Coast dog run regular. I forget his name, we never play together. He looks like a german shepherd doberman pinscher cross. He came to the pool today with his dad and his human siblings wearing a choke chain and a leash. They never took the leash off. Instead his father dragged the pup unceremoniously into the pool (cue choking gagging sounds – when I say drag I really mean drag). Of course the pup moved his ass when he felt the pressure closing off his throat and windpipe. His lovely family then proceeded to DRAG the pup by the leash across the length of the pool. The pup is no Michael Phelps. He didn’t like and didn’t really know how to swim (like me before, just hitting the water with his paws struggling to keep his head above the water). Mother stood shocked and speechless. She knew if she said something she’d get yelled at, and her aggro day was Friday, and it had passed so we left the pool. She didn’t want to watch this dangerous method of “training” any more.

In the car, she ranted about how she didn’t understand how people can continue to argue the point that choke chains are perfectly fine if the user knows how to use it, when it’s so widely available without so much as a small “how-to” tag. Fact of the matter is, the vast majority of the people don’t know how to use it and it should not be a tool used for training by the masses. It should not be sold over the counter at all. Out of 10 random people using choke chains 9 will pull the dog to compliance by the chain, effectively strangulating the poor dog, instead of giving it a quick tug as pro-choke chain people will say is the correct method of using the chain. I don’t know why these people can’t be a little more patient. It took Mother only 4 sessions at the pool to get me swimming ON MY OWN. By the 4 session, I was moving off into the deeper end and pushing myself into the water without any hands on me, without any leash. All it took was lotsa smelly treats and Mother’s “Yay! Go Romeo! You’re the next Michael Phelps!” and her singing the Finding Nemo “Just Keep Swimming” song. I don’t even need treats now – I just get into the water by myself and swim to the other end without even getting a whiff of liver. Never once did I have to worry about being strangled while being surrounded by what I had feared.

I was thiiiiiis close to hating swimming all over again last Saturday. All because of a boisterous young pup and his parents. When I’m learning how to swim, please can you NOT jump on my head, thank you very much! I don’t need help in drowning. Don’t come and splash water and paw my face when I’m chilling on the steps of the pool either. Not appreciated! As it is, I don’t really like dogs and I most certainly don’t like dogs in my face when I’m in a situation I don’t quite enjoy and have trouble running away from! Still, you are just a little pup, and you don’t know any better. Your parents however, inexcusable! They should have been more considerate and tried to teach you some manners and should have made some attempt to control you from ruining others’ swimming experience!

Mother, as she was being jumped on by the labrador pup and as she swatted him off me, being her usual self,  turned to the pup’s mum and said “Can you please stop your dog from jumping on mine?” To which pup’s mum replied “This is a public pool ok!” What exactly is the relevance of that? Did we say “please leave the pool?” No. We asked that you control your damn dog woman. “How to control! It’s a dog! How am I supposed to control it?” Well firstly, you could put a collar on your dog. Why can Mother control me and you can’t control your own pup? Mother and I put up with the pup’s nonsense since the week before last when they were also there. Mother made such amazing progress with me but when the pup came and jumped on me in the pool, I refused to swim across by myself again. She wanted to strangle someone. I was amazed she didn’t yell or call the woman stupid and ignorant. Must be because she didn’t want Kayla’s mum to think her nuts. She’s got too much balls this one.

The father of the pup clearly knew his pup was being a nuisance. He tried to stop the dog (badly) but at least he did. Mother (and I) don’t mind if the pup jumps on mum coz she’s prepared to get wet but NOT ON ME PLEASE. I’m freaked out enough as it is. I really don’t need any more help in that department. It was only when the pup jumped on another pup having its first swim, dunking the poor tot’s head under the water (with an “OEI!” yelled out by the new swimming baby’s folks) that the lab’s parents headed off. All the better. Everyone had a pleasant swimming experience after that. And I could resume chasing Kayla in the pool.

Can’t wait to swim again next week! More of that disgustingly smelly and super yummy baked chicken gizzard!!

I am so handsome, I really don’t know what to say. Look at that manly profile. WOW.

Mother decided to stop at Coastes so I can rest but I think that’s just an excuse for her to guzzle down a margarita. At least she thought of me and ordered bbq chicken wings and some ice cubes! Yum. Their chicken wings and thin crust pizza ROCK!

Again, we were not short of stupid people making “woof woof” sounds. Really. I bark because I’m a dog. You bark because you’re a retarded moron?

We walked the whole length of the beach from Tanjong beach at the Sentosa Resort and Spa all the way to Siloso beach at Rasa Sentosa Resort.

Then Mother thought it would be fun (her idea of fun not mine) to go to the Underwater World. There was a pond of turtles there and I must admit, those creatures fascinate me! Mother was afraid I was going to jump in because I actually put my 2 paws on the rocks to get a closer look. She brought me down the steps to see them in the underwater enclosure. Wooo. I want to be a fish! They looked so carefree drifting through the water!

There was a guy carrying a snake near the pond. Mother asked if I wanted to take a picture of a snake draped around my neck for $6! No. Thank. You.  I’d rather not die today.

“Maybe I should set up a table and charge people to take pictures with YOU, boy. You’re gathering alot of attention!” said Mother. And I was. I was like a celebrity. Everyone flocked towards me and asked to pet me. If I could I would lift my paw and do the Queen’s wave. Careful now, don’t mess the fur.

“Ooh! Look! A shark!” A shark?? WHERE?!

Sigh. The humiliation. At least she didn’t make me sit on it or something. Or pretend to bite it or whatever tourists do to shark models.

We stayed in Sentosa till about 8pm, doing equally stupid things of course, while we waited for Father to pick us up. I wished Father could have come earlier!! Sigh.

Here’s a nice shot of ME. And the beach at night.

I quite like frolicking in the water! The bubbly surf moves! So enticingly! Out into the sea, then back onto the shore, out again, then back. I was hoping I could grab me some of that but all I got was a mouthful of salt water. Tasty!

Mother was so not prepared to go to a beach. She didn’t bring towels or anything, so I had to air dry my butt. We walked through crowds dripping! So unglam Mother. 

There was this one boy who was walking behind us that kept making stupid irritating “woof woof” noises like it’s a rabid dog. *rolls eyes* Mother got quite annoyed so she sat me down on the side of the path and as they walked by, she made me bark loudly! ROAWWRRRRR (or something like that *ahem*) The boy jumped and his father quickly turned to him and said “hurry up, walk faster”. TEE HEE HEE. Mother and I had a good chuckle. Don’t think just because I look like Lassie you can make fun of ME. 

 This is my stylo shot. I told Mother to take it. She couldn’t stop rolling her eyes at my vanity. I looked hot! And I was wearing a new collar and leash! Of course I want to capture my astounding handsomeness against a backdrop of blue sky, turquoise sea and sandy beach!

Ma! Look! Pretty girlies over there! Sentosa is great. All these young teenage girls come up to me and coo and say how cute and handsome I look and they pat me and make such a big fuss! While Mother stands there hands on her hips, rolling her eyes trying hard to not make it obvious that she is jealous she doesn’t have teenage boys fawning over her. I can’t help it if I’m gorgeous, Mother.

Minutes later tho’, a small black shadow came hurtling down the pavement towards me. It was a french bulldog. The kids’ dog, Frankie. Frankie the Frenchie. I like French bulldogs. They can look quite cute (a little more so than their English cousins), but this one, Frankie, had little life or intelligence (to me) behind his beady black eyes. The kids got him in November and haven’t been able to toilet train him. DOH. C’mon Frankie, how hard is it to pee and poop in just one place? Frankie also lacked social skills. That one chased me around trying to get his head under my belly to sniff my sausage and eggs. What the?? Lay off buddy! We just met! Go easy! I didn’t want to scare the dude so I just ran around Mother in circles causing us to get entangled (oh yes, the girl went to get his halter and leash sometime during our meeting). It really amazes me when I know “Drop It” better than a human child. Mother kept telling the boy who was holding on to the leash to let go because we were so entangled and I was clearly not enjoying the face to face tango Frankie and I were doing. Except, that vapid boy just held on! When Mother says Drop It, YOU DROP THE LEASH you stupid child! Also, did I mention that the father of the children was standing there the whole time talking on his mobile?

I think Mother is too tolerant of kids because after that episode she continued to stand there and wait while the girl ran home to get Frankie’s treats to show Mother what Frankie eats (or actually doesn’t eat, according to her). Well, I sure helped him. I took everything she had! Then she asked about the clicker Mother was holding and asked if she could try clicking too. I wanted to scream “NO MOTHER! NOOooooo!!” but it was too late. She handed the thing to her and explained how to use it. Thankfully, the girl isn’t too daft. She clicked once as I sat and got my treat, but then clicked again and Mother scrambled to stuff something in my mouth. I really should have seen this coming. No, MOTHER should have seen this coming – the BOY now wants to click too! “Ooh! Can I click? Can I click? Can I click?” OVER AND OVER while Mother tries to calm me down (coz you’d expect that when I heard that I went abit nuts). Such an annoying child. I also don’t know what was going through Mother’s mind when she HANDED THE CLICKER TO HIM. Oh my dog, kill me now. No prizes for guessing that the peabrain boy happily clicked away while Mother hurried to pop treats into my mouth. I could see Mother got a bit annoyed with him (it was about time!) and she took the clicker back. Except, again, should have seen this coming, the boy kept saying “can I try again? can I try again?” NO YOU MAY NOT YOU CRAZY KID! Wait, what? Mother no! You hold it while he clicks? Are you sure? Ok ok. Fine”. One final click from the jumping screaming monkey while Mother held the clicker and she said “We’ll let you know if we see your cat. BYE NOW.” and left. 

We went home, me slightly flustered, Mother slight guilty (for putting me through kinder-hell). So we trained and she played games with me, like this one in the video where I have to use my super nose to find which hand holds the treats!