MAD is Barking about: DOGS UNDER THE COVERS WITH YOU

So we've seen STARK's and RAVING's take on dogs sleeping with their owners and it makes you think - Is it right or wrong for a dog to be sharing a bed with you?

There are some who think it is ok for a dog to share your bed as it is family after all and yet there are others who think that dogs cause allergy attacks or disrupt your sleep if they shared your bed.  I think this concept of sleeping with an animal is something that is cultivated from young via cartoons, movies etc. You know the scene where the little girl is tucked into bed with her loyal dog either at her feet or right beside her? If you don't know that scene then you've had a very sad childhood...so help you God!

Anyways I came across this pic which totally put things in perspective for me:




At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answer as to whether your pooch should be on or off your bed. We just have to apply some common sense. If you are prone to allergy attacks then there should be NO PETS in your bed. If you have OCD and you can't stand dog hair on your bed, pillows or up your nose then DON'T sleep with your dog. If your dog has separation anxiety, it is not advisable for your dog to sleep with you as it is going to make it more dependent on you and more anxious and stressed when you are away from it. If you don't have a well balanced dog where it has a bit of an attitude problem or if it doesn't respect you or see you as a pack leader then absolutely do not let it on your bed as it can get very territorial. It will see YOUR bed as its own territory and if you encroach on its space then you could be in for a nasty bite! If your other half doesn't like the dog in bed and you don't want to wreck your marriage or relationship, then DON'T SLEEP WITH YOUR DOG!

On the other hand, if you suffer from high blood pressure then the answer to your problem may be to cuddle up with your pooch! Many studies have shown that stroking dogs or even being close to them has a calming effect on humans which successfully lowers blood pressure. If you are single and sometimes feel lonely, your dog can take those blues away! If you let your dog sleep with your children then you can rest assured that your kids are safe and sound and you can have a peaceful night's sleep. If you have a well balanced dog then cuddling up with your pet is only going to strengthen the bond further!

So as you can see, there are pros and cons to cuddling up with your dog but those PROs and CONs are dependent on you! You should know your dog best so you get to decide where it sleeps. It is never the BED that causes problems in dogs, it is the lack of awareness on the part of the owner that manifests undesirable behaviour in dogs.

With that said, we can put this matter to rest... To sleep or not to sleep with your dog, it's a question only YOU can answer truthfully!

STARK is Barking about: To sleep or not to sleep... with your dogs

Hellooo again, I'm sure all of you read Raving's blog about how sleeping with your dogs could affect your love life/ relationship. Today I'll be talking about whether it's a good idea to sleep with your dogs especially if it comes with the possibility of causing allergies for you, your famiy and even your dog.

Yup, the allergies can go both ways. Just as your cute little doggie can cause you to cough, sneeze and wheeze; any innate health issues you have (big or small), can also be passed on to your dog and cause them to do the same. Many people think that the allergies are caused by being exposed to the dog's fur but that's not true, what you are allergic to is what's on their fur.

Therefore the flakes from their skin, saliva and even urine all contain allergens which can easily spread from place to place in your home. So when your dog is licking your face or your fingers, try and imagine where else that saliva has been or what else that tongue might have licked. (It's quite an icky thought!) When walking your dog, as everyone should do, their fur also collects pollens, spores or any outdoor allergens which can become airborne and cause their human owners to develop allergies.

Here are some top tips to keeping the allergies at bay which everyone should adopt:

1. Avoid hugging and kissing pets if you are allergic to them.

2. Remove litter boxes from direct contact with allergy sufferers. Look for "low-dust" or "dust free" brands of litter.

3. Wash hands after handling or touching a pet.

4. Consider placing plastic covers on the couch or other upholstered furniture (which may harbor pet allergens) where the pet sleeps or rests.

5. Wash your pet weekly. Recent studies have indicated that some significant reduction in the amount of pet allergens occurs with weekly washing of dogs and cats. A number of shampoo products are available in pet stores that may neutralize or inactivate allergens present on the skin of cats and dogs.

6. A non-allergic individual should brush the pet regularly, outside of the home.

7. Speak with your pet's veterinarian to get a well balanced diet for your pet. This change in diet may help to minimize hair loss for the pet and this can reduce dander indoors.

8. Use a double or micro-filter bag in the vacuum to augment the filtration of the vacuum cleaner and, in turn, reduce the amount of pet allergen present in carpeting that leaks back into the room air.

9. A number of chemical solutions, like tanic acid, are available that may remove allergens present in carpeting. However, removing carpeting and rugs is the best way to reduce exposure.

10. Finally, look into allergy shots (immunotherapy) from your allergist/immunologist to reduce the unnecessary suffering associated with having a pet in the home.

RAVING is Barking about: sleeping with your pets and how it destroys relationships

How many of you out there can put your hands up and say:" I do not sleep with my pet at night?" 


I can't. 


Have you ever wondered what are the effects it will have on you and your partner? You health? Your well being? - This week, we will be exploring all the various problems sleeping with your dog can cause you. 


Surely, as a pet lover / owner, you have heard of, or read reports and articles on the topic. Couples sleeping with your dog - Good or bad for you? 


I sleep with Trevor most of the time. But admittedly, I started to wonder if this is the best solution for my partner and I. 


Trevor is small so he does not really take up too much space on the bed, but he loves to sleep on the covers which turns out to be quite the problem for us. My partner and I often quarrel over who is taking more space on the bed and how that is affecting our sleep at night, who is taking most of the covers at night, complaining of backaches when we wake up because we had a bad night sleeping with the dog between us; neither of us wanting to admit it is the dog that's causing all this trouble. 

Not to mention the issues of intimacy, which could be an issue for some couples if the dog is in the room, let alone on the BED! I'm sorry, it just weird to have sex knowing you are being watched. Dog or not. 

All you have to do is just a simple google search and you will find a million and one articles and forum comments on couples who are sleeping with their dogs. The good the bad and the ugly. 

For some people, it can really help to cement the bond between couples- its as if its your child, naturally you would like it to be with you all the time. At the same time, just like children should learn to be independent of their parents, dogs also need their own space to grow and not be too dependent on their owners. When do you draw the line and say enough is enough? Heard of Separation Anxiety in Dogs? Do you think your choice to sleep with him on the bed is breeding his behavior? 

For others, one owner could have more love and involvement in the dog's day to day that its relationship could be better with one owner than the other. Perfect breeding grounds for this emotion, which is a reputable relationship killer - Jealousy. If you have been in a relationship before, you would know what the effects are. Imagine you are in that situation. And to add fuel to the fire, you invite your dog to the bed that you share in matrimony with your partner. Brilliant recipe for disaster.  

I guess, does the dog want to sleep with you, or do you want to sleep with your dog beside you. Are you dependent on your dog? For comfort? For company? Or is your dog dependent on you? 

The conclusion is from most marriage consultants and professionals is, DON'T sleep with your dog on your bed. 

Even till today, Trevor still sleeps with us on the bed, but not too frequently any more. 
He's grown up and we need our sleep too. 

MAD is Barking about: DOGGY FASHIONISTAS!!

We've seen dogs in ridiculously cute Halloween costumes and pampered pooches decked out in bling bling and strollers!! Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse....

Along comes the "Dye-me-Crazy" fad!!!

Check out these pics and try not to fall of your chair!

Psychedelic Poodle

Flamingo Husky anyone??

The "I've-got-coloured-fungi-growing-out-of-my-coat" look

The latest craze in China:

Golden Retrievers made to look like Tigers

Chow Chows made to look like Pandas

 

Yep that really is a Chow Chow!! The blue black tongue gives it away!

For those who like the 1 or 2 tone look:

 Just in time for this post, I managed to snap a pic of an adorable Bichon Frise with dyed paws at Pet Lovers Centre at Nex Mall!!!

If this post had spawned any thoughts or ideas then make sure you go to a groomer who has experience in coloring dogs. Don't try to be a genius and use Human dye on a dog as your pooch would be standing at the gates of heaven before you can even say "Woah...what happened there?)

Those of you who are up in arms after seeing the above pics and are lamenting as to how this is cruelty to animals and what not...relax.. Put the guns down and take a chill pill! The dyes used on the dogs are non-toxic and they wash out after a few washes. It's no biggy...in fact you don't see people around you causing a ruckus when you get a fugly haircut or a botched dye job right??

So live and let live peeps..

STARK is Barking about: Bling Bling dogs & their ultra posh mode of transportation

So, are you one of those who go "ga-ga" over the variety of bling-bling that is available for your dogs? The dog and dog owner evolution has resulted in both these trends being embraced by dog lovers the world over... I'm waiting to see more and more dogs decked out like those below here in Singapore.

Or you could be one of those who absolutely love "baby-ing" your pooch? I've seen a few doggie prams here in Singapore and they all look sooooo adorable.

Whatever floats your boat but I can't wait to see what people are going to come up with next... but I'm sure it'll astound me! :)

RAVING is barking about: Unbelievable costumes...

A friend had sent me a collage of such cute and adorable pictures and I thought I would share them. When Halloween comes around, these could be good ideas to use. Better start preparing them now! 


Enjoy! 

 Horse dog? 

 Giraffe dog..

 Bison!

Spider!

 Spider dog..

 Pitcock!

 Ghost dogsters! 

The fish ate the dog who is drinking water... 

Only one word to describe this picture! - HOT!

Think he belongs in MIB..

I am inside the iPhone. I am outside the iPhone. I am the iPhone. 

Dress like your dog day..

 When the Lion Roars, it goes "woof!" 

 Cross breed? 

Yoda I am..

Breakfast at Tiffany's

MAD is Barking about: SKC Championship Show March 2012

Before I start giving my 2 cents worth on the recently held Dog show in Singapore, I thought I'd show you what my dream dog looks like. Since Stark and Raving showed you their good looking dogs, here's a picture of the breed that I'm obsessed with:

I'm absolutely MAD about the BOXER.. A big dog that is animated, goofy, energetic, loving and intelligent! It has a dignified air about it and yet can be an absolute clown. If I had my way, I'd be the proud owner of 2 Boxers but this is Singapore and there are HDB rules to follow so I'm going to have to put my dream dog on the back burner for now.....😠


Back to the SKC Championship Show held in March at Joo Chiat Community Centre. It was judged by Mrs Carmen Haller from Canada and Mr Paul Wilkes from Australia. The venue was tiny..it was literally the size of 2 badminton courts! There were about 70 dogs that signed up for  the show and I was really looking forward to seeing some interesting breeds.


There were the usual breeds - Golden retrievers, Beagles, Huskies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Schnauzers

One thing that was quite obvious was that it seemed like the entire Shetland Sheepdog population in Singapore turned up for the show!! There were only about 10 million of them there and it's almost as if the Sheltie was the mascot for the show! Here's a pic if you want to know what a Sheltie looks like:

There was one dog that stole the show in my opinion. Just when I thought the Sheltie madness was never going to end, along comes this BLACK BEAUTY in all it's glory...with a dignified strut and a long flowing coat that was lovingly sprayed with mink oil just minutes before it entered the arena. It was none other than the incredible AFGHAN HOUND!! No picture can do justice to this beautiful breed but here is a pic showcasing the dog and its confident and well dressed handler!

On the whole the show was interesting but a little disappointing due to the small venue. Apart from that, it was good to see many different breeds in all shapes and sizes. Dog shows as a whole help to bring dog lovers together and it was evident that everyone there were passionate about dogs. It was a nice atmosphere and it felt somewhat satisfying to be amongst people who shared the same passion as you. Everyone was friendly and approachable EXCEPT FOR ONE WOMAN.....


This woman came to watch the show and she brought along her 2 dogs - a pair of Italian Greyhounds. Here's what an Italian Greyhound looks like:

As you can see from the pic, the Italian Greyhound is a slender, fine-boned little dog. It is a gentle dog and is sensitive to the tone of one's voice so it needs to reside in a peaceful environment in order for it to be in a calm submissive state. It is a playful, affectionate and well mannered dog and it generally has a stereotype that it is timid.


Here's what the woman's IGs looked like:

The pair of Italian Greyhounds at the SKC show was anything but timid! It had the gumption and spunk to be sniffing the butts of dogs that were 5 times as big as them, and it was very friendly with strangers. I was at the show with my Better Half who is also a dog lover and upon seeing the Greyhounds he approached the owner to ask if he could pet them. The owner seemed to not hear him so he asked her again and this time instead of answering him she purposely turns around to ensure that her butt is facing us! It's the Greyhounds misfortune that their owner is an uncouth idiotic woman who is not able to display basic courtesy and respect. Clearly she was holed up in a cave when our government was going on and on about the Courtesy Campaign!


Dog shows are meant to be a conducive environment for dog lovers to meet and interact and more importantly get up close and personal with different breeds. They are normally more than happy to share stories about their dogs, characteristics of the breed and also where they got the breed from. The woman at the SKC show was such a let down because she had a pair of beautiful IGs but because of her rotten attitude, she did absolutely NOTHING to raise awareness about Italian Greyhounds!

Shame on you Italian Greyhound Woman!! YOU'VE BEEN BARKED AT!!!!

STARK is Barking about: Cesar Millan.... who else?!?

Well for all you dog-lurrveerrsss out there in Singapore, the name Cesar Millan should be as familiar as chicken rice, laksa and of course The Barking Ladies. Jokes aside, that is one amazing man whom I believe is really part-dog. For those of you who were lucky enough to catch him live last weekend at MBS as he shared his tips and tricks, I am sure your relationship with your dog will forever be changed. What that man is able to achieve with any dog is truly amazing, especially when he visited the animal shelter and actually got Mango to leave his kennel for the first time in 7 years!!!! I can't imagine what an experience it must have been for Mango, to finally be out and about, taking in new sights, sounds, air and people; that dog's life has been completely transformed.


It is interesting to note that the things Cesar talks about isn't rocket science, it all boils down to behaviours - our behaviour and our dog's behaviour. In everything that he does, it is about staying calm and being assertive (remember the good ol' Pack Leader concept). Sounds simple enough, but is it really that simple? Me thinks not! Let me cite an example: as MAD pointed out, I am the proud co-owner of 2 extremely cute tri-breed dogs who have "benefitted" from my family's in-depth study and careful observation of everything the Dog Whisperer has taught them on his shows, in his interviews and also last weekend. All I can say is.... there is something non-dog about us. I will always remember one of the first lessons learnt from Cesar was to go "Shhh..." when your dog barks in excitement upon seeing you; we tried that on our dogs and it only resulted in them barking more and being more hyper-active than usual. I told my parents that our dogs are gifted in other ways; so let's accept them for who they are and let's not deny them their right to express their delight at seeing us.


However, before I let my negative self get carried away as I am working on staying positive; I wanted a share something meaningful that Cesar said: "World transformation begins with self-transformation". That is something I believe can be applied to everything and anything that we do in life. Which means that we should all take small steps towards what we would like to achieve and the universe will follow. 


On that note, since RAVING posted the photo of her handsome lil pup, I'm going to share my beauties to the world... and the person who can correctly guess all 3 breeds, well.. good for you then!!! :)

RAVING is Barking about: 2 newspaper articles from Straits Times today

Funny that just as MAD was talking about the issues HDB has with dogs, one of these articles had to do with that. 
On the Straits Times today, there were 2 articles.


One was about HDB rules, and how many willing owners, who have a love for big dogs like MAD, cannot own them because of HDB rules. The fear of losing their homes because of their pets, scare these potential owners from adopting and saving a life.
In the same article, there was a point that was raised: Are the HDB rules an unreasonable blanket that disregard the breed and nature of the dog, and focus only on size? Why is size more important than anything else? Shouldn't it be by breed instead? I mean seriously? Golden Retriever vs Chi-huahua? 
If the concern were to be taking into consideration the benefits and welfare of neighbors; as someone's neighbor, would you prefer a good natured, gentle, well-trained dog or a spoilt, noisy, destroyer-of-all-things-reachable dog? The behavior of the dog can be nurtured, and as a neighbor, what would be your preference? I use the terms "well-trained" and "nurtured" for a reason. The question here is: Is it really the size or the breed of the dog that matters, or is it the way that the dog owners are training them that is important? 
I am sure, if MAD were to be given the opportunity to own a Boxer, it will be super well trained. Guess she would just have to not live in an HDB then. 




Second article was a bit more on the lighter side. There is a group out there, started by 3 dog-loving ladies (Oh the coincidence!) called Three Legs Good. 
A group of friends who have taken in dogs who are "imperfect" - most of the dogs they have adopted are 3 legged. 
However, its the reason why the dogs are left 3 legged that is appalling. Both strays and even pedigree dogs, left out to fend for themselves. These dogs eventually get themselves knocked down by cars and had to have one of their limbs amputated. I mean seriously? Seriously? Question I have always asked, HOW can you do this? Would you abandon your family? Your friends? HOW can you do this to Man's Best Friend? It who would never abandon you? 

I think this is one of the reasons we are doing this. 
To learn and educate people about dogs, to understand the different breeds and nature. To help others find the dog that would suit them. 


When I bought my Trevor, I had no idea about breeders and dog mills.  He was in one of those small boxes with bright lights shining on it all day until he was bought. He was a tiny dude when I got him; on hindsight, I doubt he was even 3 months old. I never asked where he was from, or what lineage. I did not even seek to understand what is the nature of a Schnauzer; if he was active, noisy, needed attention. All I had in mind was, I liked Schnauzers because they were cute and they had poise. It never crossed my mind - Dogs don't live like that! 
Thank God he is well trained now and is the least of my problems. It scares me to think what would I be doing, or what I would have done, if things had turned out otherwise.