Cool Day for a Walk

Joaqui and I were about to go for our morning walk when I felt a sudden gush of cool air. I needed something to warm me up, so I hooked up Joaqui to the car for a while and I ran inside the house for a light jacket.

I was confident Joaqui would be a behaved dog while I leave him for a while. True enough, he was not moving much when I came back to resume our plan of strolling in the neighborhood on that cool, fine day.

Daily Chore

Jasper, after his daily bath . . .

I place him under the stairs and he stays there until he is able to snooze off. He takes his nap for about 30 minutes. If I don't place him there, he would be playing roughly with Joaqui, so I keep them apart for a while until I finish my chores.

Jasper has to take his daily walk in the morning and in the evening or else he gets bored. He is not fond of toys. He looks forward to his regular exercise, in the form of walking.

Come on jasper, time for your walk . . .

Life With A Dog

I cherish my mornings spent with Joaqui.

We usually walk around the area, about 3 rounds daily in the morning and another set in the evening.

Our morning walk is done before breakfast and the evening walk, after dinner. Kinda healthy routine for both of us.

I try to have him exposed with other animals like birds, cats and other dogs during the walk. It is also good to have him experience walking on grass plus be near the pool. He has not tried a splash into the waters yet, be it a pool or on the beach, though he'snot really afraid of the water.

For me, life is cool with a dog.

Eyes

The eyes are parts of the body that we use for non-verbal communication. As I look at my pet's eyes, am trying to decipher what he wants to convey.



Possibly . . .
"Here we go again, photo shoots, hmmmm. Okay, okay, if that what makes you happy. Go!"

Happy Holloween

Greetings everyone . . . Happy Halloween!

Events Dog

I woke up that morning to find out there was a surprise party for me. Ain't that sweet!

And look who's on top of the event, or practically on top of my party table, together with my cake and lovely flowers?

Hmmm, my ever loyal pet, Joaqui. He's such a doll (or more like a stuff toy).

That made my day!

Cool Host and Guard Dog

I got my mom to visit me last month to relax and have fun at my home a bit. She is a cancer survivor. I just want her to be happy. She's doing fine now.

Seems like our sweet miniature schnauzer over here knows how important our guest is, so our hairy hero joins her on the sofa, as he decided to keep her company. Cool dude!

Get her something to drink, Joaqui.

Nap Time

Seems like dogs get into their own schedules. At midday, Joaqui takes his "siesta", his noontime nap.

After his morning bath, some playtime, and a short walk (to pee as well), he sleeps in the living room while the TV is on.

Me, I end up watching him instead of what's on TV, heheh.

Entertaining Acts

Jasper is recuperating from sickness. He was not his usual up-and-about self about two days ago, that is why we had to bring him immediately to the doctor.

Today, he is just fine. The doctor changed his dog food and gave supplementary medicines to be taken one tablet a day for three months plus a recommended shampoo.

He's back to that ever-curious youthful dog. Always looking-out for something, listening to odd noises, checking-out folks, cats, other dogs, cars, etc.

Just letting him on his own for a while as a breather . . .

It's plain fun for me just observing him and his Jasper actions all his own.

Pets, what an entertainment!

The MS Breed

The Miniature Schnauzer (MS) is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers developed from crosses between the Standard Schnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle or Affenpinscher (a terrier-like toy breed of dog).

Here are my MS pets, Jasper and Joaqui.

Having Dogs Around

Shhhh! No ...

Yup, there are times when my dogs do what they're not suppose to do, well, like humans, they are not perfect, heheh.

But, over-all, I am truly thankful to have them around.

Bonus

There are plus factors when I walk the dogs .

These are birds I am able to watch late afternoons before the sun sets. Sometimes I also see them early in the morning, a little bit after sunrise.



This is a bonus.

Gives me hope to start a great day. Drains out the stress after my hectic day. That's the same when I am with my pets at the start and end of each day.

Eeeek Worm!

Jasper is full of curiosity. He spotted a "singsing pari" (millipede). It was squirming so he was so anxious to catch it.

Joy To Our World

Come here . . . sit . . . fetch . . . down . . . go . . .







Dogs, cats, birds . . . pets are source of joy to a lot of people.











Feeling a little sad? Chase those blues away. Be happy with your pet.

Doggies On The Table

I placed Jasper and Joaqui on their grooming table as I clean their playing area.

Joaqui here was begging to be put down so he can do his tossing with the ball or his wrestling with his favorite stuff toy.

The dogs do need sufficient time and attention, enough exercise and rest too. They are like kids.

Crate or Cage

Initially, a crate for me was synonymous to a cage.I viewed a dog in a crate as a prisoner. I have pictured cute dogs on top of their master's lap, inside limousines or a fuzzy dog, peeping outside the window of a moving shiny red car, the fur on their faces blown by the wind. Cute scenes!

My dogs have been crate-trained at a young age, more because of the need-basis. Crates make it easy for the dogs to tag along when going somewhere, in dog shows or visits to their pretty young veterinarian for vet meds and immunization vaccines.

They are also accustomed to "not-so-short" drives. We go to pet-friendly places like Serendra, Eastwood and Tiendesitas for some dog socializing and exercise. They have gone as far as the provinces of Quezon, Laguna and Batangas.

When they sense everyone has dressed up and with shoes on, the critters get excited. When we open the door of the crate, they go inside on their own.

I also observe that when they want some peaceful time, they go inside the crate. They just stay there a while to rest a little or sleep. One other thing they do? They go hide there when bath time comes.

Training and Corrections

Training
This refers to the process of teaching a dog to perform certain actions in response to certain commands which the dog is trained to understand. It is a general term which does not, by itself, describe what or how the dog is taught. There are many methods and objectives of training. Dogs may be trained to:

• follow obedience commands (part of obedience training)
• perform tricks casually or for circus acts
• be a guide dog to lead the blind
• be a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster
• be a hunting dog to aid in hunting
• aid in herding, tracking, coursing, and retrieving
• follow agility commands
• serve as a guard animal

Basic Concept
Most dogs, no matter what their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people who want them to behave in a way that make them pleasant to be around, keep them safe, and provide for the safety of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; they must be trained.

Dogs as Pack Animals
As pack animals, dogs have natural instincts that favor cooperation with their fellow dogs. Many domestic dogs, either through instinct or breeding, can correctly interpret and respond to signals given by a human handler.

Dogs can be followers or leaders. The owner or handler must act as the leader of the pack, projecting positive energy and confidence.

Basic Pet Obedience Training
This usually consists of (6) six behaviors:

• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Recall ("come", "here" or "in")
• Close (or loose-leash walking)
• Heel

Communicating
The hardest part of training is communicating with the dog in a humane way that he understands. However, the underlying principle of all communication is simple: reward desired behavior while ignoring or correcting undesired behavior.

Corrections
Corrections should never include harmful physical force or violence. Using force while training is controversial and should not be taken lightly, because even if it ends the behavior, when applied inappropriately with some dogs it may lead to a loss of drive (enthusiasm for the given task), stress, and in some cases even aggression. A handler may decide to use force, however, the standard used by most trainers is the minimum amount necessary to inhibit the unwanted behavior.

A simple nudge, poke or a firm "shhh" are included in corrections.

Source: Wikipedia

Crazy Talk

"Joaqui!

Joaqui? Why are you hiding? Did you do something bad?

Ah okay, so you're just looking for your toy ball."

He loves tennis balls.

"Then why are you all dressed up? Are you going somewhere?

Ah okay, so you'll be playing ball with your friends.

Be back before dinner time.

Have fun then."

Lazy Dog

Aha! Joaqui!

Look at this dog, lying on the sofa, watching TV. Is this all you do the whole day? Lie on the couch and have the tube open while you doze around?

Look at all those clutter around you? Shoes, socks, bag, laptop, books, guitar! Can't you tidy the living room? Hmmp.

Hahah, so fun to play make-believe with the doggie. Dogs are really a man's best friend. They stick with you even during your crazy moments.

Know and Learn

I joined an informal meeting with MS (miniature schnauzer) owners. A Singaporean MS expert did a training on the proper grooming of an MS. There are limited MS groomers here.

The props are alive, MS pets needing a great haircut, heheh.

It's fun to meet other pet lovers, on-line or even in person, what more if you get to be with dog lovers who also have dogs of the same breed you have. Terrific!

You get to learn from them and share what you know as well. The exchange of both experiences and knowledge is truly precious.

Know, learn and share!

They're Back

You know what's amazing about these dogs, especially Jasper? He can detect our car when it's approaching, even if it's still far at the corner of the street.

He is always excited to see us come home. But ooh, so noisy, if only he could tone down his barking a little, but what joy to see his tail wag-to-death, heheh.

Do you know that one of the greatest fear of a dog is the thought of his owner not coming back for him?

This is why they get so anxious when left alone for a long period of time. Possibly, this is the reason why Joaqui chews on his paws at times. Hmmp.

Get That Ball

Look at him dive for that blue ball.

This canine loses all senses when he encounters a ball, of any size.

I am careful that he doesn't swallow any of his toys, in part or in whole, that would really really be bad for Joaqui.

I don't give toys that are too small or those that can easily be broken into pieces. For his teddy bears, I take of the button eyes. Final advise, do watch them at play with these things just to make sure they do not do anything harmful to themselves because of the toy.

Vomiting is a sign that they might have swallowed something (like the cotton or the threads of the stuff toy or a big chunk of their chewable bones).

Goldilocks' Bear

Joaqui has a new toy, a little golden bear. He was kinda shy when I took his photo with the new toy or he was telling me, in his own way, that he doesn't want to be disturbed, heheh.

So cool just watching this doggie with all his quirks.

Good Grooming Experience

Gotcha!


"Grooming time, Joaqui. Play later if you behave during grooming".

Yup, I give Joaqui little treats after grooming to make his grooming experience a bit positive.

Happiness with the Family

Happiness is . . . having a fun mom and fun sisters.

It's all about having a great family, including pets!

Enjoy Life

We need to understand that God gives us the grace to live today. He has not yet given us tomorrow's grace, and we should not worry about it. Learn to live one day at a time. By an act of your will, choose to start enjoying your life right now. Learn to enjoy your family, friends, health and work; enjoy everything in your life. Happiness is a decision you make, not an emotion you feel. God gives us His peace on the inside, but it's up to us to tap into God's supernatural peace. To enjoy your best life now is to choose to be happy this morning. Life is too short not to enjoy every single day. Joel Osteen
















As we have been advised, enjoy your family, friends, health and work; enjoy everything in your life. That includes enjoying life with your PETS. Face a new today. Bless you!

My Children At Play

The hairy critters at play . . .

Such a joy to look at them . . . but a big responsibility to take in these doggies, whom I treat as my additional children.

Was not too hot to have them at first, but am hooked to having them as my pets (addition to the family) NOW.

Toys and Decors

I suddenly recalled these schnauzer figurines, so cute, capturing the significant features of the breed, plus they seem to be in motion.

Always in motion? Wait, that would be my mini-schnauzer. Joaqui would surely be "shiveringly" thrilled and in motion when at play with his toys.

He is crazy over this one, a "supposed-to-be" zebra rubber toy which he fights with full energy. He is so out-of-his head with this.

But nothing tops a "ball". Joaqui will definitely do anything to play with a ball, of any size, that is.

Just love, taking his photos playing with a ball. Sometimes, I really wonder how he is able to just toss it in the air like a little child.

Ah, dogs, forever the playful creatures.

One, Chew, Three

Joaqui has been chewing his left foot. Hmmph!

Anti-bacterial shampoo and powder do not work. Putting socks on the foot turned out to be a no-no (and funny, the more he chews). I read about washing it with tea but that would cause it to turn brown. Putting something bitter is not an option I am considering.

I am at a loss on how to handle it. There's a wound. Callouses have formed. My oh my!

I have observed he is into this activity when he's alone doing nothing, kinda bored possibly and after bath.

I changed his shampoo and diluted it. I also try to stop him every time I see him chewing his paw. What else? I wash that particular paw daily for two things: to keep it clean and to avoid stain. The vet says coconut oil or olive oil will soften the lumps.

Finally, I resorted to putting this shield after his bath so that his mouth won't be able to reach his paws.

The fur on his paw started growing again, the callouses reduced in size and the stain is not as dark anymore. However, he still chews so he has to continue wearing this "thingy" after bath.

Bow Wow

Suddenly, it crossed my mind . . .

I turn to the dogs when I'm feeling drained. Poor dogs, heheh. I bathe them, I trim their coat, I comb them to death.

But somehow, they love the attention.

Dogs know how to love you back in their own little way. Bow wow!

On Dogs and Men

Joaqui is such a huggable miniature schnauzer.

I believe that people who loves hugging pets in their own special way are huggable as well.

Some Thoughts

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are. Bernice Johnson Reagan
The right amount of stress can be used to motivate us in positive ways.
Edwin Louis Cole

Happiness and Family

My dogs are part of my family. A great 2011 to all of us.

According to Bo Sanchez, motivational speaker, if we do these simple things, 2011 will be a blast. From 29 items, I picked out 12:

1. Laugh with inspiring friends at least once a week or more
2. Have Mentors in the most important areas of your life
3. Walk 30 minutes a day
4. Read one inspiring book a month
5. Before you sleep, remove all anger by forgiveness
6. Be the kindest person you can be
7. Find your passion and live it fully
8. Give more hugs (and receive as many)
9. Listen to understand, not to reply
10. Celebrate more often
11. Enjoy quiet time and solitude
12. Keep dreaming

To the list, I add, be happy not only with friends, but with family and pets as well.

A Colorful New Year

Let's welcome the new year with sparks in our heart in serving others and glorifying God. Welcome 2011!!!

Have a fruitful, happy new year!