Saturday, January 27, 2007

Pa is not really a big fan of buying on impulse. But when it has to do with pictures like this....he's knees go soft and his hand automatically reaches for his wallet.
Thanks for all the concerned messages. I am MUCH better now. I have my yummy bones again!
My Pa's Ma bought this for Pa in Hong Kong! But actually it was just some very special iron ons...

Pa brought it to the shirt printers at Novena Square and had it made to look like that on a White polo.

Check out the detail on the Paw Print!!
Ok...this is just a one and only Polo T... So dun ask me where you can buy this... You can probably buy the iron on somewhere in Hong Kong...some small street stall...but the quality is excellent!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Check it out.

Pa was reading that in the business of Dogs, no two people will agree with each other. Pa is fine as he is trained as an economist. And apprently according to him, economists are placed on earth to make fortune tellers look good.

Choke Collars is what I have grown up with, and Pa is confident that I no longer need to wear one ALL the time anymore. I have proven that I can behave myself in general and returns to him when called.

There have been cases of Choke Collars damaging a Doggie's neck if left on all the time and some have theirs accidentally caught and that strangles them. Hence, Pa is going to use less of the choke collar unles during training.

So Pa saw this uber cool Harness from Big Dogs... Not the cheapest thing around, but CHECK IT OUT. I look like a combat-ready NSMan. If you add a sword behind, my name will be Sir Bear! Or Sir Bebert! hee hee hee.

I showed Pa my different poses in the New Combat Harness.... This is my Ear-back 100% attention pose.

Now....My ears are slightly forward as something catches my attention. Note that I only move my ears. All my body weight is still on my backside.
Now... Next is my Ears-Forward and ready to move. Note that I have shifted slightly as I wait the "on guard" command.
Now I am in Ready Position... Weight has been distributed to all for legs as I prepare to up and go at the slightest notice! I have shifted about 35% of my body weight to my fore legs.
This is the back view of my Harness. I have my double tags (I'll show you whats the other tag other from my AVA one later) and an uber cool handle. I always told Pa My right profile is better than my left profile.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Helmut the Rottweiler is an original piece of work by Canadian cartoonist Ron Leishman.Order a Rottweiler t-shirt with Helmut in full color. Check it out.

Wow...I just found an article that everyone should read....

THE TRUTH ABOUT:
THE ROTTWEILER

Laughing Dog once had a close Rottweiler friend. This lovely gal was a full time employee in an infant childcare center. Her job description (created by herself) included pointing out every baby who needed changing (with a slightly pained expression that questioned the human caretaker's competence), trying to clean the babies herself during diapering, greeting parents who came and went, and generally riding gentle herd over the whole operation. She was as sweet, intelligent, and kind as any dog Laughing Dog has ever known….to say nothing of her work ethic.

More recently, Laughing Dog was introduced to a young Rottie who participates in the sport of agility whose best pal is a Papillon, a toy breed smaller than the big dog's head. The Papillon leaps on his friend's back and uses him as a practice jump. When the Rottie gets tired of being buzzed, he holds the Pap between his front feet with a giant grin that says "Gotcha." I have heard that the Rottweiler can walk while holding the annoyed Papillon, but I did not see this first hand.

Having had these experiences, it has been very difficult for Laughing Dog to reconcile that the Rottweiler has been branded as a "dangerous dog" in recent years. In this article, we will explore the journey that led to this designation and the remarkable efforts to return the Rottweiler to its role as a gentle guardian who knows when it is appropriate to say, "That's far enough."

Way Back When
Historically, Rottweiler is the Brink's truck of the dog world. It is not difficult to imagine this substantial canine with a bag of money tied around his neck accompanying his owner home from the market in Rottwil, Germany somewhere around 200 AD.

From the time that the ancestors of the Rottie arrived in Germany with the Roman army in around 75 AD, this dog was a hit with the locals. He found the best fit with the town's butchers for whom he performed many chores including driving cattle, pulling carts, and carrying the profits home. Potential robbers took one look at this dog with a head bigger than a cannon ball, the neck of a football lineman, and the body of a young Arnold Schwartenegger and said, "Hey, just kidding." Between work assignments, the dogs interbred with nearby Swiss dogs to create the breed we now recognize as the modern Rottweiler. Things were good.

Then in the mid-1800s, with the advent of the railroad to transport cattle, the Rottie was called in by his boss, told that he had been replaced and that he needed to clean out his desk by the end of the day. Historians say that by 1905 there was only one weepy Rottweiler left in Rottweil. Things were not good.

The same historians also report that in 1907, the first Rottweiler club formed. Hmmm… clearly, the remaining specimen had found a partner somewhere. Back from the brink of extinction, the breed was discovered by the German Police Dog
Association. Once again they excelled at their job. Things were good. The breed gradually found its way to the United States with German immigrants. The Rottweiler was not bored during this time. He was learning to speak English, earning recognition from the American Kennel Club, and entering the sports of obedience and tracking. However, the breed remained relatively unknown for many years. Things were good.


Things Change Drastically
By the 1990's things had changed drastically. The Rottweiler had been branded with a "bad boy" reputation. While striving to understand the transition from a lovely breed flying largely under the radar to a popular, high profile breeds with a scary reputation, it has become clear to me that the story of the Rottweiler and the newly popular story of comic book and movie superhero The Hulk are remarkably similar. Both stories are about a narrow line between superhero and monster, a delicate journey between heroic and terrifying acts. Both stories have all the elements of a blockbuster including love and romance, heroic acts and terrible tragedy.

The Story of The Hulk
For those of you who have not followed the comics, here is a quickie history:Bruce Banner was a mild-mannered scientist. His work was to develop a Gamma Ray bomb. Things were good for Bruce. During his work on the bomb, Bruce was exposed to Gamma Rays. As a result, when he was subjected to extreme stress and had a rush of adrenalin, he turned into a huge green goliath, a "walking engine of destruction." (www.hulklibrary.com).

However, even in his monster persona, the Hulk is capable of both good and evil. The Hulk is opposed by an even scarier dude, the 980 pound Abomination, the Ravager of Worlds. While the Hulk is capable of both bad and good, the Abomination is single dimension evil. Although the Hulk is not a particularly social dude, he does have a few friends.

The Parallel Story of the Rottweiler
The Rottweiler was an intelligent, healthy, trustworthy canine with lots of working ability. However, in the 1970's and 1980's, the Rottie was exposed to Gamma Rays. The Gamma Rays took the form of "…cultural factors converged that led to a perception of a more dangerous world in which macho dogs were a good looking accessory." (Blackmore) The hulking Rottweiler clearly met the bill as a macho dude. Demand for Rottweilers soared.

Abomination #1 emerged. Irresponsible breeders interested only in profit responded to the demand by pumping out litters of dogs with chips on their shoulders. By the 1990's, the Rottweiler had soared to the second most popular breed according to American Kennel Club registrations. These pups were then sold to Abomination #2. Ill prepared owners who did not understand socialization or training for this type of dog allowed individuals to become "walking engines of destruction." In the hands of these owners who did not know how to control a strong-willed dog whose genes scream that he should protect what is his and his master's, the courageous breed ran into trouble.

Fortunately, like the Hulk, the breed had a few friends and a bit of good fortune. The passing of the fad and a core group of strong-willed, responsible Rottweiler breeders showed themselves to be as stubborn as their beloved breed. Many discontinued breeding to short circuit the popularity. By the year 2000, registrations had dropped more than fifty percent from just a few years before. Although it may take years for this breed to get entirely back in the right hands and lose the effect of aggression run amok, the situation is definitely headed in the right direction. Each night, in their prayers, breed devotees plead, "And please let the Rottie become less popular."


In the Right Hands
By any standards, the Rottie is a big dog that screams power. If he were a person, this dog would be a weight lifter or center on a professional football team. While the German version is more imposing, intense, and standoffish than the American version, either type is impressive to the casual bystander. While it is clear that the Rottie has sometimes fallen into the wrong hands, the question is, "What are the right hands?" There are four criteria:

1. The bottom line is that this is an intelligent, self-confident working breed in need of an owner who is willing to be master, in a positive way.While this does not require knee high riding boots and heel clicking, it does mean clear, consistent messages to the Rottie about what behavior is appropriate and what is not.


2. Rottie owners must not be prone to panic. Rotties have strong opinions
and will grumble when faced with activities they have not chosen such as nail trimming or ear cleaning. Running from the room screaming in the face of this vocalization only encourages this behavior.


3. They require an owner who is able to channel their minds and strength into positive work. The best Rottie owners find their pups a task or game to keep them busy. A few of these possible activities will be discussed in a moment.


4. Lastly, one must be able to learn German. Here are a few key terms in literature about training the Rottie: Begleithunde, Ausdauerpruefung, and Rettungshundtauglichkeitspruefung. I kid you not. Laughing Dog did not make up that last word. For the curious, that longest word translates as "rescue dog suitability test."

Keeping the Rottweiler Gainfully Employed
Busy Rottweilers are happy Rottweilers. Consider all of the following
possibilities:
Agility

The Rottweiler is a powerful competitor in the sport of agility, a high speed obstacle course. Although not the fastest breed, they can cover ground efficiently. Laughing Dog was once in an agility class with a young Rottie, and the ground shook when he hit the A-frame to begin his climb. The other dogs nicknamed this pup Earthquake. ObedienceThis breed's Germanic roots make it a perfect candidate for the precise (and some would say anal) sport of obedience. There is nothing more lovely that a well-oiled obedience team in which the Rottweiler is gazing up at his owner's face saying, "Isn't it swell that we are on the same team?"


Herding

With its history as a cattle driving dog, the Rottie may find herding a positive outlet. Sheep, on the other hand, who are aware of the breed's propensity for physical intimidation, disagree. The National Council of Sheep have put out the following message: Start your Rottweiler on ducks. Duck herding will build your dog's confidence more quickly than bigger, more recalcitrant livestock such as sheep or cattle.

Carting and Driving

Again, its heritage serves the Rottie well here. In Germany, this pup frequently was recruited to pull carts with supplies or deliveries for his owner. Modern pups can pull small vehicles with or without passengers. Some dogs can even be driven in the style of a horse with a person in the cart directing the action via a head halter and reins. Driving a Rottie eliminates the need to purchase a pony. FlyballThis is a team sport in which four dogs run a lightening fast relay race over jumps while carrying a tennis ball. Rottweilers that love to run and jump, and have no tendencies to grab small dogs for a snack, are candidates to learn this game.

Schutzhund

This is a sport that involves dogs in many levels of challenging tests that include tracking, obedience and protection. Although there is a dedicated group of participants in the U.S., participation pales in comparison to Germany in which people spend so much time at their Schutzhund clubs that they "…have their own chef and restaurant." (Walker)

In the U.S., Schutzhund is sometimes criticized because dogs must bite a padded sleeve being worn by a person who acts threatening during one phase of the training. This is quite amazing since, on the whole, Americans adore mock violence of every sort - football, wresting, and shooting each other with paint ball guns.


There are three key reasons that Schutzhund is a worthy dog sport. First, Schutzhund dogs go through more temperament testing than school children and never make it to the bite phase of the sport if they are likely to be excessively aggressive. Secondly, the dog sees the padded sleeve as a toy and the event as a game. Lastly, Schutzhund takes a huge amount of training. Consider how unlikely it is that a dog with this kind of training would ever be allowed to run loose and scare people. Besides, how many people are running around the streets with a sleeve the size of a Sealy mattress?


In addition to these activities, Rottie's thrive in therapy work, tracking, endurance tests, search and rescue, freestyle, a routine in which dog and owner do a variety of exercises to music, or just going hiking.


In Conclusion
A few years ago, Laughing Dog was on a dog parade team that marched in the local events. One year, there was a Santa Claus parade and all the pups and owners were wearing holiday attire. The team's Rottweiler, a kind but fairly serious dog named Scaper was dressed as a big package. The parade stopped for a few moments as they are wont to do. All of the people on the parade team were chatting, and the dogs were gazing around looking for a good place to pee. When the time came to move forward again, we all noticed that Scaper was missing. It took a moment of scanning to find a woman sitting on the curb with a seventy pound package on her lap with a massive Rottweiler head on the top. The woman's eyes were big, and the people around her were clearly unsure if they should be laughing or calling for help. A man called out, "Hey, isn't that one of those dangerous Rockwilers?' Scaper's owner gave
her a call, and she strolled quietly back to the team. A round of laughter swept through the crowd.

There have been no gamma rays for Scaper and other lucky Rottweilers like her. While she may be a bit friendlier than some breeders with a traditional mindset prefer, she was certainly a good will ambassador for a breed that has seen some tough times and appears to be on track for better times ahead.

References
During the writing of this article, I used several of the articles in Fancy Dog Magazine about Rottweilers. These include those by D. Caroline Coile, Audrey Pavia, Kim Campbell Thornton, September B. Morn, and Joan Hustace Walker.


In addition, I drew from Joan Blackmore's classic book, Dog Owners Guide to the Rottweiler.

I also recommend the http://www.amrottclub.org/ website with many items of interest.


WOW!!!!

Please help spread the message...we aren't dangerous. We're not bad. There is no such thing as a Bad Dog. Just Bad Owners.

How bad can a dog like me be??

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Car Seat Cover!!!
check.this.out!
After I complained to Pa about the indignity of squeezing in the front seat floor with anyone else... when it was becoming very obvious I am TOO BIG for the space... Pa went out there to buy a $50 (ouch! that's when he knocked my head after he told me how much it costs... I am thinking that means its expensive...) Car Seat Cover!!
And now... I have the WHOLE back seat all to myself.
And its driving Pa crazy. I will be walking from the left window...to the right window and back again throughout the drive.
Pa would be screaming at me to seat down or I'll hurt myself. He even jerked the car a few times to make me sit! How unsafe is that?
So at times when he least expect it, I will get up and lick/nibble at his ear...causing him curse and swear again. But I think he's getting used to it. I'm going to see if biting his ample lobes would have what sort of reaction!!!

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Just read about Jake on Jaffe's blog...and my Pa was in turn reminded of another dog of mine... a long time ago.
A long time ago, when Pa was in pre-school, his brother and him found a cross-breed dog. Pa called him Dan X.

This was way before Dan X and Deb B which you might have read before... Dan X of Pa's childhood was the first one.

Pa says he remembers him clearly... he was a trusty dog with unbelievable intelligence. He was always regarded as a mutt for the kids until one day, he threw his entire weight onto my Grandmother's door, waking her up in the middle of the night.

When she opened her door, he grabbed her by her hand with his mouth and pulled her to a fire that was beginning to take place. With that one act, he saved the Farm thousands and thousands of dollars. Flammable materials were then all moved outside into the open. He was then fed the best food Pa's Grandma would cook for him.

Back then, kibble and doggie nutrition was at best a guessing game.

Like all farm dogs, he usually get into fights with other dogs and one day came back with a wound on his hind leg. It didn't seem to get better as usual and the fur was falling off.

Pa's father simply thought that it was just time for him. I guess back then Vet's weren't that great either. The Vet advised Pa's father to put him to sleep as he might worsen in the near future. Dan X according to Pa's father...seem to know that it was the end for him. My father held his paw as the Vet injected Dan X in the vein...and Dan X cried.

None of us knew what happened of course.

It was only when Pa's father found a bottle of kerosene that he remembered the old timer's remedy of pouring kerosene onto wounds to help heal it. Pa's Grandma who was trying to help Dan X, unwittingly caused his death. The kerosene most likely had created the hairloss as well.

Pa's daddy never forgave himself after that. He killed a perfectly healthy dog with a skin problem. Pa never had another dog until Dan X & Deb B...


I guess, life is incredibly short. We should all cherish whatever time we have together. Cause that is something we do not get back again. I'm 26.5kgs now...

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Let you guys in on a little secret....
This is the door gift Pa intends to give to everyone for my birthday... I have risked life and limb... and with the help of my buddy Far (which he insisted on being in the picture...stuff rotties are strange) I have manage to sneak a couple of pictures of the uber fantastic door gift that would outshine Bailey's birthday gift!!!


Check it out! The handle is the HEAD! and there is a little breed wordings with little paw marks across the plate.

I think I'm going to earn a little extra income by distributing these interesting doggie things... Do you think it will sell? There is all sorts of Doggie Breeds available!

Friday, January 12, 2007

SKC Picnic Picture update!!!
This is Bailey's family. How lucky he is. There were so many games and Pa manage to convince everyone that day to join in!!!

This is Bailey's pretty Mummy. She's always so well-dressed, prim and proper. One day I will jump on her!Pa didn't bring all the yummy blue berry etc. It was Bailey's mummy! Pa tells himself that he will outshine Bailey's mom in my coming birthday!!!

I cannot wait!!


This is Jaffe's mom....Jaffe's mum is sensitive about showing her dace in public... Even though there was a close up picture in the straits times before.

She shy meh? so I decided to replace her head at one of mine...a black bat across the eyes hardly works.


Waiting for the word GO!!!

Kaylie was also in the eating contest...but that day she decided to chew her food!


From Kingsley's Blog!!!

There was a fancy dress portion of the picnic and my Pa decided to recycle out DogBee suit.


The Judge called out for Innovative and fresh design and ideas. By as you can see, the rest of the constestants were all wearing off the shelf stuff!!


I was the only one in an innovative design! And when I didn't win anything... the crowd growned with sympathy for me...

I will be a strong boy. I am beautiful!!

Meet my new rabbit friend Panda Bear. He's mine. I dun care. I want him. PLEASEee???

Thursday, January 11, 2007




Just wanted to show you guys that we've just hit 500 visitors ever since I got a counter since the 30th of December... that's an average of 45 people a day...


THANK YOU SO MUCH! Bear is simply so happy about it.



But he said he would be happier if there is more space for him in the Car.... Sigh....

Bella's up for adoption!

Bella, a beautiful cross is currently up for adoption.

She is female, neutered and has been retrained for the last 5 months, making her generally suitable to most homes. She's about 3 years old

She is also extremely affectionate, though a tad shy. She has the most amazing eyes and light brown nose...

Please do consider her...

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

HASH Aftermath....

Here are some pictures that were taken during the HASH I mentioned in my previous posts...After kingley's comment...I felt I needed to clarify a couple of things...

This is when we just started off. Everyone was walking and talking...


This is Jose's mom and her two teacher frens. Dun tell me I also know they're teachers!


This is just to give you guys an idea what sort of terrain we had to go over... complete wilderness!


Check this babe out...here were are going up and down slopes...and she wears a short skirt.
In fact... All women on Hashes should wear very short skirts.
Better mobility my Pa says.


See? go river and drains and water...ermm... notice there isn't anyone behind me liao...I was bring up the rear....making sure no one gets left behind!

We walked on and on and on
I was constantly keep watch of course!
These two girls at the back we need to take care of!
OK...so I do look a little tired... But i'm not really really.
Where's everyone??


Over here, Pa was singing a piece from La Traviata on the part of Gastone

Finally, a little private time with Pa.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Check.This.Out.

I've been Featured!!!

I am so tired today...

Pa brought me to something called a HASH and it was quite an "thrill." We ran through trails marked by toilet paper and chalk. We had to cross mighty rivers (edit: it was a small drain) and climbed up and down hills. (edit: I wouldn't call it a HILL)

After everything, the Angmos forced Pa to drink plenty of beer. Pa was not happy about that... But i noticed he still drank the beer. (edit: It would have been rude of me to refuse.)

Tomorrow we'll be going to SKC's picnic at Fort Canning. Kevin's right. We do have great weather...until it rains.

Weathermen in Singapore reports weather like..."Weather today in Singapore... It may or may not rain."

At least they're right half the time. Today it didn't rain. I will post up pictures later. Too lazy now.

So darn busy nowadays...

Saturday, January 06, 2007

A shout out to Kevin the Collie from London.

Very nice of you to tag me on my new year's resolution...grrrr...

I've visited your blog and BOY!! did it have a lot of stuff all over the place!! Even investment tips??

I've also read that another site have stolen some of your articles... that's terrible.

Anyone here stole any of my articles to reprint yet?? ANYONE?? I'm obviously not famous yet.

Sigh.....






Please leave a comment and a link or an email address... I'm planning the biggest birthday bash and all of you guys are invited... But I need to know how to contact you!!!

I'm going to make Baileys jealous! Talking about which I hope he has recovered from his sprained shoulder.


These are just some pictures taken during Bailey's 1st Birthday Party (October 2006). HE's just SO lucky.
Can You see me?? I'm inspecting the site.

Maybe I should make sure its all edible.

Bailey's loving parents with Daddy famous for losing handphones!!

I'm on patrol here....

Family Photo

I was at the age where I could almost get away with anything...

As for my New Year Resolutions, Pa told me to keep it very simple, so that I wouldn't break any of it...

  1. I will take my time to grow up.
  2. I will try to break every rule once.
  3. I will be patient to everyone. Even the stupid ones that shy away from me!
  4. I will educate as many people about how good Rotties are!
  5. I will not fall sick.

What are your resolutions?

Friday, January 05, 2007

How i sometimes feel about my Pa.
its not about the food and treats
its not about the hugs and kisses.
it is about the way we feel
Sometimes i wonder if its for real.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

I have a NEW BIRTHDAY counter!!! from www.tickercentral.com You can go get one too!

Now you guys will have no excuse not to remember my birthday!



Unwittingly I am being dragged into the dark and shady world of Dogfather.
Can Bear ever see the light again?