Friday, January 28, 2011

Sunny Day, Sun Tanning!

Toto: "Hmmmm, mommy sneaking up on me again with her SPY camera!"
A Great day for basking out in the SUN!
*Streeeeetcccccch* *Yawwwwnnnn*
Toto: "OKOK, one pose for YOU ok, Mommieeeeeeeeeeee!?"
Tired dog + Good weather = Sun tanning and watching the World goes by downstairs!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Cost of a westie?

Sometime I wonder does TOto knows that he really has a good life!
Posting the Poodle's case has attracted alot of unwarranted attention to this blog. I didn't do it on purpose, I just hope it can get the attention it needed and get the Dog abuser soon. 

Anyway to 'EN', Toto aka my westie is not cheap. If one cannot afford to pay good money for a dog, it also meant they cannot afford to get a dog. And Pure Breed Westie are by no mean cheap, the price we paid for is already consider the 'cheaper' end because TOto parent are not AKC champion.

Price we paid for Toto - USD900+
First Puppy Consultation - USD200.00+
Initialy Buys (all necessities) - USD 400.00+

NO $$$ NO DOG
Initial layout is about USD1500.00++. This is still not including the Neutering operation fee that we paid. If money is an issue, PLEASE DO NOT get a dog. And not forgeting the injuries dogs always get, a visit to the Vet can easily cost USD70-USD$$$. Will you let your dog die if you cannot pay the Vet? And getting a 'cheap' dog, you might easily get a sickly one which will COST a BOMB to bring them to the vet for the frequent coughs and the cold!

Plus West Highland Terrier is one breed famous for their ALLERGY, so TOto eat the best kibbles and all his shampoo and treats are 'All Natural' which also mean more expensive.

West Highland terrier are one High maintenance dog because of their famous allergy. If you skimp on the food and treats, in the end you pay by going to the VET to cure the allergy!

NO TIME NO DOG
Please DO NOT get a dog because you see other People dogs are so cute, we give TOto alot of TIME and ATTENTION too! When the weather is good, we bring TOto to the Dogpark about 3-4times a week. During Winter time, Toto get to go to a Doggy Daycamp 2-3x a week (USD18.00 each session)! At home, Toto has to be walk twice a day, once in the morning and once at night for his potty session.

When you don't have the time and attention for you dog, your dog will get depress and it WON'T be so CUTE when you get home. You just get ALOT Of mess at home (poop and pee everywhere) with a grouchy depress dog!

The cost of a West Highland Terrier, alot of $$$ and alot more of Time, Love and Energy!

There are alot of other lower maintenance dog to consider, but westie generally are high maintenance lot but if you can afford to maintain them, you can recoup the investment back by alot more times of what you have invested on them!!
TOto, mommy loves you!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Malaysia Man tortured helpless poodle

I am so angry, it is so heartwrenching to see this clip. Erm, the thing is I cannot even watch past the first 5minutes, and he is torturing the dog for a FULL15minutes!! The dog, named Sushi, was so frightened and weak, Sushi doesn't even have the strenght to move or fight back! When he falls off the hair stool a few time, Sushi just drop dead, and cannot even have the strenght to run away.

I really don't understand why they are doing this to the dog. Sushi belongs to the lady filming the clip, although she 'pitied' the dog but didn't make ANY move to HELP AT ALL; even though Sushi falls off right infront of her.

I just don't understand at all, I even forbid Hubs to teach TOto this trick because to me this pose is very unnatural, and bad for their hind legs!

The rumour is 'SUshi has pass away', RIP.

Hope the Malaysia Authority can do something about this to prevent other such abuse from happening ever again.



Power of Facebook unite and within a day they have trackdown the 2 evil-doers!

Photos of Doreen (Owner) and Sushi and the man who alledgedly tortured the dog but it seems like they have broken up.
Doreen and Sushi
This is the reason Sushi is being, spitted on, whacked and flung around.
Since Sushi is gone, she has gotten another puppy to torture!
I don't understand, each time I see this news; I just want to hug TOto and kiss him!


Sunday, January 23, 2011

Toto @ 11 months 3 weeks

TOto has learnt alot of manners ..

  • He used to keep scratching our feet and trying to jump up the table when we have dinner. But now TOto knows he have to lie down at the black mat to wait for treats when we have dinner. Now Toto will just lie down on the floor ...
  • When we open the door, he won't just rush downstairs, either he will wait for us at the door. If not he will walk out but when we call for him, he will come in again.
  • Now when TOto goes downstairs with Hubs, I just have to whistle from the patio Toto will be running madly and bring Hubs right back home.
  • When Toto reach home after his walk, he will walked directly into the Kitchen and wait for his wipes!
  • When we tell him, "Daddy mommy go out, 一下子回来." He knows he will not be going out and he will either rest on the sofa or be crated. This can also be used if YQ is going out alone, and he knows he won't be following, he will jump on the sofa with me.
  • When we mention the word,"Walk walk, he will JUMP up to attention from whatever he is doing!" Hahaha the best reaction is when he is sleeping, and he jump up looking blur blur!
  • We also teach him to go downstairs to 'Pee Pee ONLY' and after Pee-ing, he will run right upstairs. Unless he got to poop, he will refused to come up!
  • At night, he will sleep at our bed but when me and Hubs are sleeping soon, TOto will automatically goes down to his own bed, but will sneakily jump up again in the middle of the night when we both are sleeping ...
  • He will whine and look at the kitchen countertop for biscuit, whine and look into the kitchen for Kibbles, whine and either look at the bedroom or where we keep the leash to tell us that he want to go walk walk.
  • When TOto play fetch with us, he run halfway and stop; means he is 'Urgent' and need to Pee!
  • TOto will only come for me to whine for urgent stuffs; especially when he wants to Pee. I wonder why!?
In another one week, TOto is ONE YEAR OLD!!

P/S: I will update when I can remember more.

Love is ...

It doesn't matter how expensive, how branded, how well-made; the best gift is always discards from us.
A pillow that I doesn't use anymore ...

Met friend from Dogpark!

We wonder how did TOto get regconised!?
Hahaha TOto is famous for his playing style?

Friday, January 21, 2011

Bad Grooming Experience

This is the 2nd time we went to the Groomer in Frisco, Texas and our first experience is a pleasant one. He look nicely handstripped, and he was trimmed proper. But this time round, once I was at the shop I find that there is something very wrong. There wasn't alot of handstripped being done; he still look messy, and his cuts were very off but I cannot tell what is wrong. But the initial findings were already very bad, alot of basic stuffs like the nail is not filed properly, the privates are not trimmed, the tail also not trimmed nicely, when I collected him there are still cut fur everywhere and even ear ear's fur are not shaved properly.

By the time I was at home, I was very pissed because TOto was not stripped MUCH and there was still lots of hardcoat that needed to be stripped but was not done. And worst of all, it only took the Groomer 70minutes in total. That shouldn't be, a thorough Handstripping in most places would that a good 2 hours because it still includes bath and nail cutting. In the evening, Hubs still have to waste time to do what the GROOMER should have done! FED UP, waste of $$$ and time.

See the Bald patch ...
When we called the shop, the 'Groomer' insist that there is nothing wrong and the lenght of the coat is uneven and that is natural and we have to wait for the fur to grow out. Forget it, even if they want us to bring TOto in to REDO, I won't do that. They might just TORTURE TOto!

In the end, I have to stripped Toto at home because it seems that TOto is still in a mess, and this is what I saw underneath the coat that I pluck out. Their soft coat is so thick, they shouldn't have such Bald patch!
The Groomer must have used the lazy way by use the shedding knife which will 'strip of the Soft coat and CUT off the Coarse coat'. This kind of method, you just have to COMB through the fur and it will pulls out the undercoat and the knife is so sharp, that is why the hard coat is being CUT off instead of being Pull off.

For WEST HIGHLAND TERRIER, we want to maintain the SOFT coat and PULL out the hard coat. Initially I still cannot figure out what happen because if TOto hard coat is removed, he should be white and fluffly. But what I saw are all his SKIN and alot of short beigey coarse short fur.
If the coat is handstripped properly, the fur should blend nicely in and not have such discrepancy as shown.
Anyway we are not sending Toto in anymore. We be getting a Grooming table soon, and do the weekly maintenance ourselves. TOto must have a tough time because if the Groomer is pulling out the soft coat, it must be very painful for him!

Heart pain ...
He is so traumatized today, he took out his turtle and use Turtle as his security pillow!
It has been so long since I see Toto doing that to TUrtle!
When we get TUrtle for TOto, they are almost the same size.
Hahaha now he is about 4x TUrtle size!!
My heart so pain, TOto is really so tired the next day!
Really cannot trust other people!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Bark Bark Bark, Mom door not Lock!

Yesterday night, TOto is barking at our main door.
Some night when he is tired, he bark because he is being grouchy. And we always have to crate him to stop his grouchiness, and usually he will bark at our Patio door wanting to be let out.

But yesterday night, he should be very tired from Daycamp. He was sleeping in the room when he suddenly walked out and he started barking. I walked out to check it out, and he is barking at the MAIN DOOR which he seldom do UNLESS there are noises outside.

BUT GUESS what TOto is barking at the door because the dog is ajar and unlock.
Just Coincidence?
Right after I close the door and locked it he stop barking, sauntered into the bedroom and continue sleeping ...
TOto the 'Guard Dog', now he is taking over Dad's job of making sure the door is LOCK!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Our westie TOto first Snow in Texas

I believe it snowed in Kansas when TOto is just a puppy with his Breeded but I doubt TOto is allowed to run or walk in the snow!! Toto is very curious and very careful when treading on snow. Unlike what we see on TV, TOto seems to be rejecting SNOW, hahaha . He dare not PEE on Snow somemore ...

Toto very curious about the white white ground,'Where is the grass!?'

Serious what stupid face is that, give MOM a smile!
Naughty boy!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Toto in our community

One day after TOto's weekend morning walk, hubs came home very chatty. He was telling me, Toto round up 3 other neighbours dogs and played together!

Hahaha Hubs mentioned that all the other owner gather around and was chatting all about TOto; how their dog only play with Toto, and how their dog only play this way with Toto etc etc.

Every remember Toto ONLY, haha because he is the only Westie around here!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Food and Poop - Anal Sacs / glands problem! Pt II

2013 AUGUST 08 - We decide to CONVERT TOto to RAW DIET, and as of now for about 3 months, we hasn't had any ANAL GLAND leaking issue (touchwood).

After months of experimenting when we start having this problem, we find out that the BEST solution to ANAL Gland or Sac problem.

  • Identify the problem.
  • Do not try to help your dog in expressing the anal gland. But hubby sometime did try to help by massaging externally hoping it would help it release the anal gland/sac fluid.
  • Remind your dog groomers, 'DO NOT help express anal gland!'
  • Get better quality food, low quality food that are not digested well, will only caused soft poop, ultimately leading to the problem.
  • Reduce food intake, overeating also caused undigested food so ...
  • Toto pooped twice a day, sometimes we just let him Poop once to have harder poop.
This few days we try to cheat TOto by giving him 1/4 cup of kibbles in the morning, and he actually accept it! If not, usually if he realised that he did not have enough food, he will sit at the kitchen floor whining!! (Now he accept it and is eating 1/4 in the morning and 2/4 at night.)

Haha and in the evening, he will give us HARD HARD POOP!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Look back Toto, 2010!

From April to December ...
From April 4lbs to December18 lbs!








Why he still isn't Westie Westie!? His fur is growing so slow ....

Monday, January 3, 2011

Sleeping but flipping alot ...

I am just seated beside TOto on the bed with my Laptop and TOto sleep so violently. He is twitching everywhere; his eye, feet, paw, nose and sometimes even ear!! He is having so MUCH FUN in his dream ....
Like children; You know Toto has a great day in Daycamp when he is DREAMING and kicking alot when he sleep in the evening! Sometimes he has very bad dream and keep whining and whining away. And like children, if you are nearby to stroke and pet them, it will soothe their fear away, and goes back to sleep peacefully ...

TOto is so happy that we are sleeping earlier today, he can snuggle on our bed and sleep the night away ...

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Toto with his Kuranda lookalike bed!

He is highly skeptical about this new bed of his, it seems that he don't really like it. Sometime we think, Toto feels that the bed is not his, and keep looking at us for acknowledgement. Hopefully Toto grows to love it. Small steps, Step by step ...