Danny's New Year dinner

Hello! Hello! It's New Year's Eve and I'm sure a whole bunch of you have wild party plans tonight. As for me, my plan is to sleep my way into the new year.

The year has been filled with a number of firsts - first (and last) sibling's wedding, first time in a recording studio, first time singing solo at a wedding (needed 2 beers and a wine before I could get on stage), and of course, Danny's my first schnauzer. Along with him came the first grooming session and the first visit to a pet cafe.

Yes, I don't know about you, but Danny's ending his year quite pleased and round. He's now a not-so-mini schnauzer, tipping the scales at 9.5kg. It really didn't help that I brought him to Bark Angel for a post-Christmas-early-New-Year dinner.

Danny recognised Bryan straight away and was straining on the leash to get to him. Hubby held on to him while I headed to the counter to check out the doggie menu:

I actually turned to hubby and asked, "So what do you think he will like?" Hubby's face said it all. I was asking about a dog that happily eats tissue paper right out of the box.

I ended up ordering a grilled boneless chicken with honey. It came with a choice of two sides. The chef recommended the mashed potatoes and egg, but I took one look at Danny's round furry butt and picked a double helping of vegetables instead.

Then came the wait. We had to keep Danny entertained cos he kept wanting to explore. One of the staff came over and said it was okay to let him off the leash. I told him that if I did that, there wouldn't be much of a shop left. You see, they have a section where they sell shampoos and other doggie items, and Danny was showing a lot of interest in the smaller items that would fit between his teeth.

After a bit, the scent of Danny's dinner came wafting through the kitchen door. It smelt really good even by human standards!

And whenever there's food, Danny will suddenly turn into the world's best dog. He sat and waited patiently, never once taking his eyes off the bowl.

And then when I placed the bowl down...

He polished off the chicken first and then went on to the veg. The carrots and tomatoes didn't bother him, but it was his first encounter with broccoli and he seemed a little fazed by it. He initially picked up a piece and then after mouthing it for a bit, he dropped it on the floor. Only when everything else was gone did he give it another go.

I guess if you've never had it before, broccoli is a strange vegetable.

Have a wonderful new year all!

Problem solved!

Danny is a good boy on walks, thanks to Lance from Shiloh Dog School. Danny will sit immediately and wait when you offer him food or a toy, thanks to Angela from PuppyLove. He does not mind having his food taken away from him while he is eating (heck, you can shove your whole hand in there and he will step away). And you can wiggle his toes as much as you please.

But despite having two trainers (who have both seperately labelled him as a naughty, stubborn dog) with two very different training methods, Danny still loves grabbing and chewing on things.

Angela's solution was to ignore him when he grabs something. The idea is that Danny wants attention so when he doesn't get it by being naughty, he'll stop. Problem: When he doesn't get attention, he's more than happy to entertain himself by ripping up whatever he grabbed.

Lance's solution was to say "leave" in a firm tone and smack him upside the chin if he still goes for it. Problem: Danny's a masochist. Plus, it only works when he is put on a leash and watched like a hawk. Once he's loose, you'll have to catch him to smack him, and he relishes the chase.

We were really at out wits' ends. Then, suddenly, in the middle of the night, I hit on the solution. You see, with both trainers, it was about giving him the option of being naughty or good. However, Danny kept opting for naughty.

So I decided to forget about options. Having a mouth is a privilege...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The first time it went on, it worked like a charm. He shot about the living and dining areas heading for his usual favourites. He tried to grab cushions, floor cloths, dad's shoes, but to no avail. He eventually lay down on the floor and glared up at us.

One frustrated dog? Totally. One happy owner? You bet!

The muzzle fixed 95% of the problem. Why 95%? Well, when he realised that he couldn't bite anything, he shot upstairs, jumped on my bed and sat there waiting for me. When I appeared, he immediately jumped off and headed back down. I think that was the doggy version of "You ain't the boss of me".

The muzzle is only reserved for times when he is acting up. I also hope that he'll eventually find other avenues of fun and it'll break his habit. I chose the cage muzzle so that he can still pant, bark and even drink water. It's also only on him when we're around and even then for a max of 30 minutes.

Hopefully it works cos I'm all out of ideas!

Termite

Recently, it became quite appearant to the family that we have a major termite problem. We started finding damage to wooden parts of the house, such as doors....

... and door frames

The good news is that we've found the source of the problem. It turns out that one single termite, albeit a rather large, hairy one, is responsible for the destruction. Here he is trying to get into the house.

Don't be fooled. That happy, friendly face is just a trick.

"I will chew your house from under you!"

Footnote: This species is that it doesn't just go for wood; it also attacks, cushions, socks, shoes, rugs and all types of food.

A different dog every month

Danny is our very first schnauzer ever. While we are still grappling with his hyperactivity and high doggie IQ (after chasing him around for the umpteened time this morning, Dad declared that next time we pick a stupid dog), look-wise, it's been like have a different dog every couple of months or so.

Don't believe me?

April: When he first came back from the pet shop.

May: The naughty was already kicking in...

June: On the way back from his first puppy class

July: On his way back from his last puppy class

August: Looking for something to grab

September: Danny's usual spot when we are not around to watch him.

October: Hairy little bugger

November: One freshly groomed puppy!

Maybe after the next grooming, I'll come back with a poodle.