I had a good normal middle class childhood - was loved, scolded, locked in store rooms. I remember having 5 or so toys in total - most of my memories are playing and eating mud. They were happy times!
So I decided Polka could do with the same. Her 5 toys were an old sock, a slipper, a platic bottle, a pillow case and a worn out tennis ball. And she could roll and play in the mud as a special treat.
Hubby was horrified at the abuse! Soon Polka had squeaky toys, biting toys, soft toys, coloured toys, toys for teeth development, brain development, agility -you name it! She was tearing apart the soft toys like nobody's business. I was busy stitching her torn toys (yes I actually tried this with no success) and hubby was busy buying new toys and treats by the dozen!
I started becoming aware of mint bones, doggie toothpaste, pet massages, pet spas, doggie clothes ( I swear Polka will never be seen in those), doggie bakery .... Pet Utopia!
Puppyhood seems wonderful. That got me thinking - was my childhood really happy ? 5 toys and mud !! Time to get on Oprah's couch :)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Riding in Cars with Dogs
It was time for Polka's first vaccination and as you might have guessed hubby was on a business trip. It was my first time traveling with Polka so pet taxi was the natural choice. I looked into it but cheapo that I am - I didn't like the pricing and decide to turn this into an adventure.
What motivated me to venture out by cab was a cab driver himself. This was a few days ago in a cab sans Polka. I asked the cab driver about the rules. His response in true singaporean style was "Can Can . Dogs are human too". I love Singapore taxi drivers!!
On D-day, I decided Polka should smell nice and fresh and not get an inferiority complex at the vet's. So after a nice bath and after forcing Polka to pee multiple times, I packed her stuff ( poo bags, treats, water, blanket, toys, cash in the back pocket of my trouser for easy access....)and we set out in search of a cab. There were couple of taxis waiting at the taxi stand across the road. I carried her half way but realized she was too heavy and she too scared. By the time I reached the taxi stand I was panting, hassled and full of Polka's hair on my black tshirt. Polka was shedding after her bath!
A hassled owner with a t-shirt full of dog hair and a startled puppy in tow was not a pretty sight. I got turned down by the first and the second and the third and the fourth cab ..
Eventually I took control of my clumsy self. I brushed off the hair from my tshirt, bundled her in a blanket, held her in my arms to make her look small and approached a new cab that had just arrived. Magic! it worked :) The cab driver obliged. I forced Polka and me into the car before he could change his mind and the journey began.
Within 30 secs, thanks to the A/C fan, polka's hair was whirling in the car. I tried hard to ignore the driver's annoyance and did my best to cover her with the blanket. It wasn't working. Eventually, I asked the driver to shut off the A/C and put the windows down to prove how considerate dog owners are. I didn't want to give him any reason to go to the darker anti-dog side.
Polka did fine and all of us(Polka, me, driver, cab) reached the vet's office intact.
The jouney back home was very smooth. After all I was now experienced at riding in cars with dogs;)
What motivated me to venture out by cab was a cab driver himself. This was a few days ago in a cab sans Polka. I asked the cab driver about the rules. His response in true singaporean style was "Can Can . Dogs are human too". I love Singapore taxi drivers!!
On D-day, I decided Polka should smell nice and fresh and not get an inferiority complex at the vet's. So after a nice bath and after forcing Polka to pee multiple times, I packed her stuff ( poo bags, treats, water, blanket, toys, cash in the back pocket of my trouser for easy access....)and we set out in search of a cab. There were couple of taxis waiting at the taxi stand across the road. I carried her half way but realized she was too heavy and she too scared. By the time I reached the taxi stand I was panting, hassled and full of Polka's hair on my black tshirt. Polka was shedding after her bath!
A hassled owner with a t-shirt full of dog hair and a startled puppy in tow was not a pretty sight. I got turned down by the first and the second and the third and the fourth cab ..
Eventually I took control of my clumsy self. I brushed off the hair from my tshirt, bundled her in a blanket, held her in my arms to make her look small and approached a new cab that had just arrived. Magic! it worked :) The cab driver obliged. I forced Polka and me into the car before he could change his mind and the journey began.
Within 30 secs, thanks to the A/C fan, polka's hair was whirling in the car. I tried hard to ignore the driver's annoyance and did my best to cover her with the blanket. It wasn't working. Eventually, I asked the driver to shut off the A/C and put the windows down to prove how considerate dog owners are. I didn't want to give him any reason to go to the darker anti-dog side.
Polka did fine and all of us(Polka, me, driver, cab) reached the vet's office intact.
The jouney back home was very smooth. After all I was now experienced at riding in cars with dogs;)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Dog tired !
This is how my day(s) goes :
2 -2.30am - Take Polka out for pee. Put her back in the play pen after a lot of struggle.
6am - Take Polka out for pee and poo. Clean up after her. Try putting her back in the play pen so I can go back to sleep.
6.30am - Give up on putting the little brat in the play pen. Decide to sleep on the sofa instead.
10.00 - Wake up, brush and get some breakfast while Polka continues to follow me around. Awww that's cute :)
10.30am - Notice the kitchen rug is missing. Grab it back from Polka and hide it.
11.00 am - Time for Polka's lunch. Mix her dog food with some grated carrot. Gourmet food :) the spoilt kid decides to sit on the floor and wants to be fed. Feed her one piece at a time. Patience !
11.30am - Time for poo again. This time Polka skillfully avoids the paper. Pick up poo and clean up once more. Pour water in the patio.
11.45am - Polka wants to play. Play ball. She is a natural retriever so I can sit on my a** while she fetches.
12.30 pm - Make some lunch.
1 pm - Eat lunch
1.30 pm to 3pm - Sleep on the sofa fitfully. Ensure Polka has not brought the house down.
3 pm - Get up and cuddle Polka to discover she has fleas.
3pm to 4pm - Frantically search on Internet on how to get rid of fleas from puppies. Very scary, confusing information !!! (Ex - Burn the house down to get rid of fleas from the entire house)
4pm - Use tweezers to remove fleas till Polka gets annoyed and starts biting.
4.45 pm - Sweep and mop the house as an attempt to get rid of the source of fleas.
6pm - Take a shower at last !
6.15pm - Time for Polka's meal. Give her just the basic puppy food. No time to grate carrots. Polka eats halfway and gets distracted. Add yogurt and she gulps it down.
7pm - Polka wants to play. Throw some toys for her to retrieve while watching TV.
8pm - Realize Polka has peed inside the house. Clean up for the nth time .. Arghhh. Note to self - do not sweep/mop unless under excruciating circumstances. Clean with Clorox, then use pet deodorizer and then room freshener.
8.45 pm - Time for my dinner. Look for something in the frozen section. Microwave. Eat.
9.15pm - Polka wants to go out. False alarm. Nudge Polka back into the house 'Girl ur vaccination is not complete - u need to be inside'. Pull at the leash and get her in.
10pm - Call from SO - I miss Polka. Do you miss me ? Oh yeah. A LOT !!!
10pm -11.30pm - Watch an absurdly silly movie on TV while simultaneously keeping a watch on Polka.
11.30pm - Just remembered to remove Polka's water so she does not pee in the middle of the night again. Too late :(
12am - Take Polka out and force her to pee. aah succeeded ! Note to self - Look into pee trays and poo sucking machines..
12.30 am - sleep .. am counting Z..s
12.40am - Oops forgot to set up the alarm - maybe for 3am today.
12.45am - Zsss .. Poo, Pee, Fleas .. Zsss
I am dog tired !!!!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Polka Top Six
What would I do without google ? I have no idea how we survived BG (Before google) From the inane to the serious, everything is googled.
Since Polka's arrival our google searches have increased crazily.
Here is a sample with best answers I found online and some I learnt from Polka:)
1.Buy or adopt a puppy?
Adopt ofcourse. Every time you purchase a puppy from a pet Store, a perfectly adoptable dog loses a home.
No matter what they say, ALL pet store puppies come from puppy mills or irresponsible breeders.
Most puppies for adoption are mongrels. They will love you more than the pedigree dogs and are always full of enthusiasm.
2. What to do if puppy runs into a glass door?
Same thing that you would if you ran into a glass door. Been there. Done that! This happens all the time. It's not as rare as it sounds. Your puppy is probably ok unless (s)he is whimpering in pain. Keep a close watch, check for bumps. If anything is out of the way call the vet. Common sense but I had to google this to feel better :)
3. Can a dog be brought up vegetarian?
Dogs are carnivorous. They need meat but some of the animal food available in stores might not be as good. A well balanced diet, high in protein vegetarian food is better for dogs than Grade K meat.
For Polka we give her doggie food and some of my cooking (I know its dangerous but I give my cooking only in small quantities)
Some of the veggie options I like:
1. Carrots
2. Leafy vegetables
3. Lentils
4. a little bit of yogurt
5. Rice
6. Bread
7. Potatoes in small quantity
8. Bananas
4. What not to give a dog ?
1. Garlic
2. Onion
3. Raisins
4. Peanuts
5. How to stop a dog barking?
It depends. Is he barking for no apparent reason? When you leave him/her alone ? Or when (s)he is scared ?
If it is unreasonable barking or when left alone - IGNORE that should work.
Another thing that a friend of mine tried was shaking a jar of coins to startle the dog and that seems to have worked. The dog associates the barking with the startling noise of coins in a jar and does not like the association.
For Polka, she barks when she is scared. Every time she does that I tell her it is OK and that there is nothing to worry. That soothes her and when she stops barking I praise her. So far it has worked well. She no longer behaves like a scaredy-cat but she still barks if scared.
6. Dog or Baby?
This deserves a full post by itself. Hold on to that thought ;)
Since Polka's arrival our google searches have increased crazily.
Here is a sample with best answers I found online and some I learnt from Polka:)
1.Buy or adopt a puppy?
Adopt ofcourse. Every time you purchase a puppy from a pet Store, a perfectly adoptable dog loses a home.
No matter what they say, ALL pet store puppies come from puppy mills or irresponsible breeders.
Most puppies for adoption are mongrels. They will love you more than the pedigree dogs and are always full of enthusiasm.
2. What to do if puppy runs into a glass door?
Same thing that you would if you ran into a glass door. Been there. Done that! This happens all the time. It's not as rare as it sounds. Your puppy is probably ok unless (s)he is whimpering in pain. Keep a close watch, check for bumps. If anything is out of the way call the vet. Common sense but I had to google this to feel better :)
3. Can a dog be brought up vegetarian?
Dogs are carnivorous. They need meat but some of the animal food available in stores might not be as good. A well balanced diet, high in protein vegetarian food is better for dogs than Grade K meat.
For Polka we give her doggie food and some of my cooking (I know its dangerous but I give my cooking only in small quantities)
Some of the veggie options I like:
1. Carrots
2. Leafy vegetables
3. Lentils
4. a little bit of yogurt
5. Rice
6. Bread
7. Potatoes in small quantity
8. Bananas
4. What not to give a dog ?
1. Garlic
2. Onion
3. Raisins
4. Peanuts
5. How to stop a dog barking?
It depends. Is he barking for no apparent reason? When you leave him/her alone ? Or when (s)he is scared ?
If it is unreasonable barking or when left alone - IGNORE that should work.
Another thing that a friend of mine tried was shaking a jar of coins to startle the dog and that seems to have worked. The dog associates the barking with the startling noise of coins in a jar and does not like the association.
For Polka, she barks when she is scared. Every time she does that I tell her it is OK and that there is nothing to worry. That soothes her and when she stops barking I praise her. So far it has worked well. She no longer behaves like a scaredy-cat but she still barks if scared.
6. Dog or Baby?
This deserves a full post by itself. Hold on to that thought ;)
Friday, April 2, 2010
First day with Polka - All fools day !
1st April 2010, Polka arrived home.
She was unbelieveably hyper active once she was let out of the van. The peaceful puppy that we saw at the farm was nowhere in sight.
Well, have you seen the movie Marley & me ? - she is Marley! Polka is an excited 3 month old puppy who barks, is full of ticks, is partially toilet trained and can follow some commands somewhat.
I signed the adoption papers and I looked at her - a confused puppy and an even more confused owner. Did I do the right thing, did I actually sign the papers or was it just an april fool's trick ?
She ran in and out of the living room into the patio and back. She was going crazy and suddenly hit the transparent glass door with a thud and whimpered ! Oh no the first hour with Polka and tragedy strikes! I was not sure if Polka was ok - she looked quiet and sad. Did she damage her head ? Is her brain intact ? Can she see properly ? Will she be able to run again ? What have I done? I should have kept the door open. I should have put her on the leash. I should have puppy proofed the house. I should have made hubby sign the adoption papers ;) My head was buzzing with bizarre thoughts.
After some google search and basic examination, I realized she was fine. She was soon back on her feet, exploring the new environment. She was calm, cautious and well behaved after the incident. I hope it lasts! Or do we have to repeat the performance ? (Ouch! did i say that aloud ?)
That night hubby and I decided to sleep in the living room with her. She slept fitfully but was happy to know we were around. We survived the first day and so did Polka !
She was unbelieveably hyper active once she was let out of the van. The peaceful puppy that we saw at the farm was nowhere in sight.
Well, have you seen the movie Marley & me ? - she is Marley! Polka is an excited 3 month old puppy who barks, is full of ticks, is partially toilet trained and can follow some commands somewhat.
I signed the adoption papers and I looked at her - a confused puppy and an even more confused owner. Did I do the right thing, did I actually sign the papers or was it just an april fool's trick ?
She ran in and out of the living room into the patio and back. She was going crazy and suddenly hit the transparent glass door with a thud and whimpered ! Oh no the first hour with Polka and tragedy strikes! I was not sure if Polka was ok - she looked quiet and sad. Did she damage her head ? Is her brain intact ? Can she see properly ? Will she be able to run again ? What have I done? I should have kept the door open. I should have put her on the leash. I should have puppy proofed the house. I should have made hubby sign the adoption papers ;) My head was buzzing with bizarre thoughts.
After some google search and basic examination, I realized she was fine. She was soon back on her feet, exploring the new environment. She was calm, cautious and well behaved after the incident. I hope it lasts! Or do we have to repeat the performance ? (Ouch! did i say that aloud ?)
That night hubby and I decided to sleep in the living room with her. She slept fitfully but was happy to know we were around. We survived the first day and so did Polka !
And That's How Polka Happened
I was never a dog person. Actually worse. I was a pseudo dog lover - you know the one who says how cute and pets a dog from a distance but can never really hug a dog - yes that was me. Keeping a dog in my own house was unthinkable.
Few months ago, my sister adopted a little 'local' pup and I flew from Singapore to take care of him. The lucky dog! He gets a dog sitter from Singapore, toys from Dubai and my mom's food!! I fell in love with the silly thing and was ready to give in to my SO's long time wishes for a pup.
After coming back, things moved quickly. We did some research over the internet and decided to take the plunge and adopt from the local shelter. We called a couple of numbers and reached a farm that was the first to return our call. And there she was - my Polka, wagging her tail at everyone. Just happy to be among people and dogs and cats. Actually just happy to be. My beautiful adorable Polka !
And thats how Polka happened to us :-)
Few months ago, my sister adopted a little 'local' pup and I flew from Singapore to take care of him. The lucky dog! He gets a dog sitter from Singapore, toys from Dubai and my mom's food!! I fell in love with the silly thing and was ready to give in to my SO's long time wishes for a pup.
After coming back, things moved quickly. We did some research over the internet and decided to take the plunge and adopt from the local shelter. We called a couple of numbers and reached a farm that was the first to return our call. And there she was - my Polka, wagging her tail at everyone. Just happy to be among people and dogs and cats. Actually just happy to be. My beautiful adorable Polka !
And thats how Polka happened to us :-)
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