Pekingese Puppy Page
9/9/00A day that shall live in infamy. At approximately 5:30 this afternoon, my grandmother picked my sister, Mom and I up, and we traveled the 20-some miles to our bring our new puppy home. Perhaps I should explain a few things:
Earlier this year, I expressed a wish to get a dog. Our last dog, a whippet (kind of like a small greyhound) died five years ago, at 17. So we talked to my grandmother, who raised and showed Dachshunds and Poodles for many, many years, knows the Vice President of the AKC, and is still connected to many reputable breeders. I wanted a small toy-type dog, so she called around, and found a lovely woman named Mrs. Engstrom, who has bred and shown Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Pekingese for 30 years. I did a lot of research online, and decided on a Peke. I put a 3-day old male on hold, bought several books, and visited my selection a couple of times. And today we picked him up.
His name is Tai, and he is so smart! He's already paper-trained (at almost 10 weeks), and is learning "come". Also, since he is a show-quality puppy, I will be taking him to local dog shows and entering him in a puppy match on Saturday. Since he's going to be shown, I can't teach him "sit", as it's very bad manners for a dog to sit in the ring. He is very fond of a small yellow hedgehog squeaky toy, and carries it around with him. I'll be lead-training him on Tuesday (gonna give him a few days to settle down before training), and I expect he will take to it beautifully; he's already a very well-behaved little man. He had a nice quiet ride home, and didn't get sick once.
He's the most elegant color: a deep red, with shades of dark grey along his tail. Also, he has a little white patch on his chin that will make him very distinctive in the ring, four white paws, and a fluffy white chest. As soon as I have access to a scanner, I'll put up pictures. His whole coat is like soft wool, so thick when you part it you can't see the skin. And his little tail curls over his back, with the cutest little black tuft on it. He has a habit of lying flat out, with his legs stretched out behind him. He also gives kisses. :)
Ok, I think that's enough sickening prattle for one day. Tune in tomorrow (or next week, or whenever I feel like it) for more obnoxious bragging.
9/11/00Tai's second days here. I had him out a bunch of times today, and he did his business quite a bit. I put a lead on his neck, and let him drag it around...he was quite good about it, only chewed on it for a little while, then got the idea and settled right down...such a nice calm steady puppy, very dignified. A friend of Mom's came over, and he seemed to like her (even though she's more of a cat person), then Gramma came over with a few new brushes and some puppy shampoo, and he was groomed thoroughly.
He is without a doubt, unquestionably the cutest puppy in the history of the world, and he's going to be a stunning adult. He has the lovely rectangular Pekingese head, flat on top, and this beautiful black tail, with cream on the underside, so that when his coat grows it's going to drape over his back. I'll be taking him outside on the lead tomorrow (well, technically today...it's 3:30 AM as I type), so we'll see how that goes.
9/11/00Tai had a busy night. I got up at 5:30 AM to use the loo, and he was happily cavorting on the newspaper. I noticed he had done his business right in the middle of the newspaper, and congratulated him on it, when I noticed the dark streaks covering his trousers (Peke-speak for the fluffy part of his back end) and side. He'd been rolling in dog shit. It took me well over an hour to clean it up--it was just crusted on him--and by the time I was done it was past dawn. I went to work on four hours of sleep.
Aside from that little escapade, he's been doing very well. We had a massive thunderstorm later that evening, and he barely noticed it. Didn't even yip, just got up, ate his kibble, and slept like a rock for three hours. Also, a friend of my sister's came over, and he behaved beautifully, so much she asked how much, and if the breeder had any more. We said yes, a female, and $400. She quickly discarded the idea--hey, she's a college student in a dorm!
9/12/00First trip to the vet. We took him to a vet a few miles away, and she gave him a complete exam, along with a microchipping and some drops to protect against kennel cough. The chip was the most traumatic. She took out this needle that was, I kid you not, one-quarter inch thick, and asked Mom and me to leave the room so we wouldn't get upset. So we left, and the door was shut, when we heard the most distressing cries from the room. I mean, just awful screams and yowls, heartrending yips. Just terrible. I was in the middle of biting my nails, when the yips stopped and we went back in. The vet was holding him, and he looked quite shaken, but she passed him to Mom and he was asleep in under two minutes.
The vet also took his picture, and we got a little photo magnet to go with it, so now his picture's on the fridge. Later that day, he had his first time outside, on the leash, and I feel quite bad about it, because the moment we got outside, a plane flew overhead and a siren went off and a big beetle flew right in his face. He was too scared to move. So I picked him up, and he went in to play with his little squeaky mouse. He loves that toy, carries it around with him. Anywho, I'll be taking him in to show the girls at work tomorrow--they'll love him. Everyone does.
9/13/00Took Tai into work today. The girls (well, I can't really call them girls cause they both have kids) loved him, Diane especially made a fuss over him (she just got a collie/hound mix puppy of her own). But who wouldn't love that face? Other than that, a fairly uneventful day. We took him home, and he did his business on a newspaper with a picture of George Bush on it; now we KNOW he's our dog (my family is liberal democrats)!
9/14/00He stayed home today and met the cat. We have a Siamese named Sasha, who hates other cats. I mean, hates them. We used to have an old fat calico, who never hurt anything in her life (and hardly even moved), and whenever Katie got anywheres near Sasha, the latter would hiss and spit and scream bloody murder. But we weren't sure how she'd behave around a dog.
He's been in the kitchen in an X-pen the whole time, and the kitchen is shut off by a baby gate, plus Sasha'd been pretty sick earlier (due to an unfortunte misplacement of chocolate chip cookies--I swear, that cat is like a second dog, she'll eat anything you put in front of her, and throw it all up later), so they hadn't gotten acquainted earlier. My sister sat on the sofa holding Tai, and I held Sasha, and brushed her, and told her what a nice kitty she was. Nothing doing, she just growled and jumped out of my lap. Ah well. "Tomorrow is another day".
9/16/00Skipped a day, cause nothing happened yesterday. But today was a VERY busy day indeed; Tai went to his first show!
My mom, grandmother and aunt went with me, and Tai slept most of the way. He was scared stiff when we got to the park it was being held at, because he'd never been on grass before. It took quite awhile before he stopped shaking from fear and cold, and the bigger dogs put quite a damper on his enthusiasm (especially the litter of Huskies). And I am sincerely embarassed to report that circumstances did not change once he got into the ring. He planted his furry little butt down and refused to move. It's amazing how heavy a 3-lb puppy can seem. I threw his squeaky mouse, rattled leaves, and snapped my fingers, but nothing doing; he wouldn't budge. Fortunately, Mrs. Engstrom (his breeder) was there showing her dogs, and she had a Maltese walk in front of him as bait (he'd grown up with that dog). That helped a little, and he actually made Best of Breed, which was a bit of a feat considering there was another male Peke there. He also won first place in his age group (2-4 months). But when it came time for the group showing, he wouldn't walk around the ring with the other dogs (although of course moments earlier he had been eagerly greeting a Manchester terrier of recent acquaintence). I had to pick him up and carry him. Still, he got two little ribbons, and of course I made a fuss over him about them.
It was a good learning experience for him. He saw his first big dogs (although I didn't let him within sniffing distance), and got to see Mrs. Engstrom again. He was obviously thrilled to see her, and wagged his little tail like no tomorrow. He became well acquainted with the Manchester terrier and a Pug, and was exposed to the show atmosphere, which is the most important thing. And right after the show, I went shopping, and Tai slept for I believe four or five hours, which he was fully entitled to.
Oh, and Justice did quite well too. Her pointer, Stosh, won Best Dog for his group. Of course, he was also the ONLY male German Shorthair to show up, but he did very well nonetheless.
9/17/00I put in a couple hours of heavy-duty leash training today. Tai did quite well, wandering around sniffing grass, chewing leaves, eating flowers, and he did his business a few times outside like a good boy. He also learned that crickets jump if you try to eat them, cars make loud noises and smell bad, and if you try to eat flowers, you will be picked up, carried into the house and put in your pen. So it was an educational day.
9/19/00Well, he finally did it. Tai has learned to come. *much general fanfare* It took awhile, but with patience, consistency, and lots of salami, he now rushes to greet the whole family (that consisting of my mother, sister, and myself). He's also been getting a lot bigger and more coordinated; he now can stand up on his hind legs for a few nanoseconds (hey, Pekes are top-heavy), and bounces around all over the place.
9/20/00'Nother vet trip. This one wasn't nearly so bad. He got his Fort Dodge puppy shot (sort of an all-purpose vaccine), and since he's been coughing a bit lately, she put him on some Amoxycillin in case he has kennel cough (yes, he got a shot for that too. Sometimes the vaccine is too strong, and they contract the virus from it). Not much to worry about though; kennel cough is equivalent to maybe a mild cold.
9/21/00Ugh...sick...*cough*...I hate the flu.
9/22/00Took him out to the mailbox, and he spent some quality time with the cat, who has given every indication she is loathe to his presence. Ah well.
9/23/00Tai went into work today (I work at a drycleaners), and met my cousin. He liked her, but he wasn't too fond of the work environment. Since there are big hot metal pressers, and deadly poison chemicals, and open safety pins strewn all over the floor, he spent the vast majority of his stay there in his X-pen.
9/25/00We (as in my sister and I) gave Tai a bath today, which he was none too fond of. He didn't mind the rinsing part, but when we lathered him with puppy shampoo, he let out the most heart-rending little cries, it was pathetic. Then came the blow-dryer. We don't have a big industrial one that you're supposed to use on dogs, so we had to make do with a tiny handheld dryer, which of course took twice as long, and the whole time he emitted these awful little squeals. But he was nice and clean by the time it was all over, and smelled terrific; like a combonation of flowers and dog.
9/30/00Sorry for the lack of updates. I took him to my grandparents house today, and he got his nails trimmed (dewclaws too). He didn't enjoy that too much, but he loved my grandparents. Gramma's always been very fond of dogs (although they currently just have a cat), and she was all over Tai like white on rice. He played out in their yard a bit too; they have this lovely hill down the front of their yard that's perfect for rolling (many's the time I've rolled down that hill), and he had a grand old time running down it.
10/2/00My sister brought another of her community theater people to visit Tai, and he behaved beautifully. He's picked up the unfortunate habit of chewing on everything in sight (he especially loves hair), so we're going to have to break him of that. Of course, that's probably because he's teething. His coat's coming along beautifully, and it's so thick you can lose your fingers in it. He's also about a third more the size he was when I began this log, and has gained approximately two more pounds.
10/3/00Tai and I went for a bit of a walk today, down to the corner drugstore, where I bought him a muffin (turns out he's quite fond of New York almond cheesecake) to use as bait while teaching "come" (still doesn't have that quite down yet), until we were kicked out of the store because of the health department rules for sanitation in public places. Hey, how was I to know a 5-lb Peke isn't allowed to frolic around the doughnuts? Anyway, when we got home (which took quite awhile, as it was hot and I had to set him down every few minutes) we ran into a lady walking a small black dog that barked at Tai nonstop, and Tai didn't blink an eye, just sat and watched it.
10/4/00Woke up this morning to let Tai out of his X-pen, to discover he had completely soiled his trousers as a result of sitting in his own feces all night long. It took about an hour to clean it all up. The good news though, is he finally got used to the blowdrier...even likes it, especially on his face. He kept barking and doing little play bows, which made it hell to dry, but was really cute. Later that night, I had him in my lap, and was watching the 1999 Westminster Dog Show (the one where Loteki Supernatural Being the Papillon won Best In Show), and he was of course jumping around my face trying to chew my glasses. He finally got ahold of them, but in the process the hinge was caught accidentally in his whiskers, and two of them were plucked out. I still feel terrible, and plan on getting contacts so this won't happen again. I hope they grow back so he can be shown properly.
10/10/00Tai went to the vet again, this time for a distemper booster and his rabies shot. The first wasn't so bad, but the latter he got in his neck. Apparently rabies shots are very painful for awhile, and he was screaming his head off after the vet gave it to him, after which he expressed himself on her nice shiny floor. I apologized, but she says it happens a lot. The vaccine made him very sleepy, and he slept during the ride home, and for the rest of the day as well. He might run a slight fever within the next few days, but she said that's a side effect of the vaccine. She also told us he has bronchial arrhythmia, which basically means his heartbeat quickens whenever he breathes in. She said it's common for brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds to get this, and is perfectly normal. He also weighs 4.3 lbs. After the shots Tai seemed quite equinanimous towards the vet (even in pain), but I'd like to take him down there just to play a few times, so he knows it's not all scary needles when he sees the vet.
10/19/00Sorry about the lack of updates. Nothing major has occured in the past week or so...just growing a bit, and getting fluffier. Tai met a friend of mine on Sunday, and seemed to like him. He also has learned the joys of being off-leash in the backyard. I run, and he's right on my heels--it's hilarious to see a Peke go at top speed. Then he sort of bounces around my ankles, and thoroughly enjoys belly rubs. He's currently sleeping on my bed while I type, snorfling. He sort of snores and snuffles a bit, and it's really cute.
10/22/00Tai met my friend Blue today, and really liked her. Before that, we spent some quality time with the leash and a bag of chopped turkey. I've been training him to come and stand at attention, using food bait like judges do, and let me tell you it works like a charm. After the first few times I just had to show him the turkey and he came running. In fact he runs everywhere now, no hesitation at all. My fluffy, bouncy puppy. :)
10/24/00After rolling in leaves for awhile, Tai met Justice for the second time. The difference was, the first time they met he was outside on grass for the first time in his life, around large boisterous dogs, and I'd only had him for a week. Now he just bounced everywhere, and she spent 15 minutes cooing over him (as did I). Apparently he resembles a Beanie Baby. *g* Anyway, he really, really liked Justice, and she really, really likes him too. He has also apparently grown a great deal since she last saw him (two whole pounds!), and gotten so much coat you can't see his body shape. He's a little hairball, and rivals the cat (who by the way still hates him) for size. Sasha has been swiping at him lately, but she's declawed; otherwise I'd be REALLY worried. Besides, she sleeps half the day anyway.
10/28/00Met Justice again. Is there a Beanie Baby theme here, or is it just me? *g* Apparently he's still the cutest small dog under the sun (like we didn't know that already), has grown even in the four days since she last saw him, and his coat is longer (gods know I brush it enough). Oh, and I finally broke down and bought him a Halloween costume. I always knew if I got a small dog I'd do stupid crap like getting costumes and sweaters and little hats with elastic bands. Well, Tai is going to be a witch (yes, I KNOW I'm cross-dressing him...I don't care. Besides, it could have been worse; I saw a cute little fairy princess costume on petopia.com). He's got a little black cape and teeny black hat. I've got a witch cossie too, so we'll match. :) I have truly sunk to the depths.
10/31/00Gramma came over today and took a few pictures of Tai, in all his adorable glory. I also took him in full costume to meet the various trick-or-treaters at our house, and he was a qualified smash. Everyone asked about the "cute puppy". In fact he was such a hit, we got so many visitors one little boy commented, "Boy, you're getting a lot of traffic."
11/6/00Sorry about the lack of updates. But good news! I'll be attending the Grand Rapids Kennel Club Dog show on either Friday or Saturday (depending on when Gramma and I can get off work...it runs for three days, and she's definately not free Sunday). That way I'll see Peke handlers in action, and get a taste of what it's like to show my little treasure.
11/10/00Mom’s friend John came over today, to evaluate the status of the back room (it’s really cool! I’ve got a closet!), and saw Tai. He commented several times on Tai’s...odor. It seems Tai has gotten rather...rank, and desperately needs a bath. Of course, I maintain he smells like roses, but since he’s offending company I’ll take him over to Gramma’s on Sunday for a bath and nail trimming.
11/11/00Gramma and I went to the Kalamazoo Kennel Club today in Grand Rapids (no, I don't know why it's held in G.R. if it's the Kalamazoo show). I saw a Peke groomed, and the judging. The funny thing was, there were only three Pekes shown at the breed competition, and they were all in distinct stages of developement--a puppy coming into its junior coat, a young dog coming into its adult coat, and an adult in full coat. It was like watching a documentary on "The stages of Pekingese developement". Any road, the Peke that won was the adult, and it made it to third place in the Toy Group. I bought about $50 worth of brushes, leashes and shampoo, and a Pekingese T-shirt. Apparently Justice was there the whole time, and I never saw her. She told me she'd be there, I was actively looking for her, and I never came across her. Huh. Another thing that happened was, my sister was watching a Buster Keaton movie (she's a huge Damfino), and there was a lady in it carrying a Pekingese! It was one of the old-style Pekingese, with the slighter build, more protuding face, longer legs and thinner coat, but it was definately a Peke. Old-style Pekes tended to resemble Tibetan Spaniels more than the current breed standard.
11/12/00I brought Tai to Gramma and Grampa's house today, to give him his bath. First came the nail clipping, which he did not enjoy--what dog does?--then we bathed him. Or should I say, Gramma bathed him, and I watched. It was really funny, he looked like a drowned rat, with those big pathetic eyes gazing mournfully up at you. 15 mintues and a half-cup of shampoo later (like I've said, he has a LOT of fur), he was towelled and placed in front of the two industrial-sized blowdryers Gramma bought especially for her poodles 25 years ago. It took quite a bit longer than normal, because (as she pointed out constantly), he really, really hates to be flipped onto his back to be brushed, and needs to be taught to roll over for that purpose. He also relieved himself all over my shirt right after being lifted out of the tub. Oh well, I wore an old shirt on purpose. Afterwards his coat was so soft and fluffy, and he smelled terrific (now John would offend him!). I also figured out he has a cowlick right fair smack in the middle of his back, and if you didn't know about it, it feels like a huge mat. My sister kept commenting on how matted his coat was before, and it turned out that it's just the cowlick.
He is still beautiful. His coat has lightened quite a bit...it's now this lovely strawberry blonde color, with striking black streaks around his ruff and the base of his tail, and light markings right around his eyes that give him a wide-eyed, inquisitive look. He also has black rims right around his eyelashes, that make him look like he's wearing mascara or something. It's very flattering, and quite distinctive. At first appearance he's just a fluffy little brown dog...until you get to That Face. One of Mom's friends actually burst out laughing, because he's so cute. I bought an issue of the AKC Gazette with a picture of a Pekingese on the cover, and I looked at that dog and thought, "Tai's prettier." I know it sounds like bragging, but it's true! That dog had tiny little eyes, almost like it was squinting, and the head was quite domed for a Peke. I know there are different "types" in the breed, and the look can vary from kennel to kennel, but...well, just take my word for it. Tai's prettier!
11/22/00Tai went in for his final distemper booster today, and it did not go well. The moment I let him out of the carrier he was shaking, and didn't stop until the vet got there. He made a half-hearted attempt to lick her face (such a sweet-natured little dog, always trying to please), and he squeaked a bit at the physical exam; but it wasn't til she pulled out that needle when he really came to life. At first it wasn't so bad, but then the pain set in, and he just screamed his little head off. It was horribly distressing. Then he displayed a burst of temper right on her nice shiny exam table! I don't know why he lets it out whenever he's stressed...I guess he's still just a puppy. Although it is most embarassing.
Any road, he also got another heartworm pill (cleverly disguised in treat form), and it was over with fairly quickly. Except that when I got home and picked him out of his X-pen, he started screaming again! Then he was quiet, so I had him out for a while, but promptly screamed again when I put him back. I hope he doesn't do this tomorrow; I'll be taking him to my grandparents' for Thanksgiving. A good portion of the family is going to be there, and it'll be good to expose him to a busy environment.
11/23/00Tai went to Gramma and Grampa's for Thanksgiving today, and he enjoyed it very much. He met Jessica, Gramma's cat (much to Jessica's discomfiture), and spent many happy minutes barking at her before I told him to shut up. He also met my aunts, uncle and cousin, who all just adored him of course (Aunt Kathy said he was the cutest puppy she had ever seen), and he got a miniature Thanksgiving dinner of his own--tiny amounts of stuffing, squash, potatoes with gravy, peas and carrots, and of course, turkey (both white and dark meat). This dog eats better than most of his native country.
11/26/00 Tai saw Justice again today when she went over to help me with the Furry Dragons sheet, and he went nuts over her. He also had his first encounter with a golden hamster that I bought. He seemed to take it pretty well. The hamster fared slightly worse, but no harm done.
On a positive note, he seems to be getting along better with the cat. Sasha jumped onto my lap when I was holding Tai (I guess she didn't realize he was there), and she simply jumped quickly back off again, then watched him calmly with nary a single growl. Ah, progress. Of course, she followed that up 15 minutes later with a hiss and a swipe (thank the gods she's declawed), so we shall see.
12/6/00 Tai saw his first snow today, and he loved it. Ran around everywhere, and ended up very cold and wet. Did you know that the coldest object on earth is a snow-covered Pekingese? I about froze my hands off carrying him into the house. But he ran around and got a lot of energy out, so that’s what counts. Also, he has a very loose canine...almost ready to come out. I’ll be following him around with a pair of tweezers and a plastic bag til then...I want to keep his first puppy tooth!
12/7/00 Rats. Tai lost not only the canine I mentioned yesterday, he also lost the other top canine, and his bottom ones as well! How depressing...On the bright side, it doesn’t hurt when he chews on me anymore; no more vampire puppy! It’s kinda funny...instead of sharp little needles lacerating my skin, he just sort of gums on me. I’ve been freezing his Kong Jr. so he can chew on that, to ease the pain of teething.
12/12/00Mom's friend Brenda came over, and held Tai for a little while. It was unbelievable. He held utterly still in her lap, and comported himself with the utmost dignity; he was a little gentleman. Mom was completely blown away. Later on we read that Pekes have a "natural dignity" around guests, and only act like wild devils around family members. And since he hadn't seen Brenda in a long time, he considered her a guest. Huh.
12/17/00Tai took another trip to Gramma and Grampa's, for Grampa's birthday. He enjoyed a hearty dinner of sausage, mashed potatoes and squash, along with some icing from the cake. However, when it came time for his nails to be clipped (as the visit had a twofold purpose), he hated it. Just yelled his head off, and wriggled and bit and screamed bloody murder. You'd think we were butchering him. It finally took Gramma, Mom and Sally to hold a 6-lb puppy down and clip its nails. Afterwards he reverted back to his usual sparkling personality (if a bit more subdued than before), but Gramma insists we handle his feet regularly from now on; if he acts this way when family members touch his feet, god knows how he'd act around a judge!
12/19/00We were lounging around watching Sally play Zelda, and Mom got up to get coffee. She noticed a small brown thing on the coffee table, and asked which of us left chocolate on it. Turns out it was a string of multiple poops, left by either Tai or Sasha (probably Tai; Sashie has the sense to use the litterbox). It was actually fairly impressive; I didn't know Tai could poop that much...it was like half his weight! Almost like a weird superhero power: "Can poop half its own weight in one sitting!" Not to mention that it was practically hanging off the table; he pooped vertically! I finally have a pet I can be proud of!
12/24/00Tai went to Gramma and Grampa's today, and had a lovely big dinner of sausage, mashed potatoes, squash, and carrot cake for dessert...no wonder he likes Gramma so much.
12/25/00Merry Christmas! I got a bunch of dog-related stuff, including a lovely coffee-table style book on dogs (it's British too, so it has a few breeds that aren't recognized by the AKC...I didn't even know the German Long-Haired Pointer existed, let alone the Swedish Vallhund), and a sweatshirt with Tai's picture on it. Tai got a shitload of toys from me, and a gold bone-shaped deelie to hang his leashes on from Gramma. All in all, a most gratifying day.
1/1/01First post of the new (and REAL) Millenium. And to celebrate, I've got something new that I've been promising for months--pictures of Tai (dah-DUM!)! Ok, they're not exactly NEW pictures (one's from him at 4 weeks old, and the other at twelve weeks), but they're pictures nonetheless. The ever-lovely and talented GINA (thanks so much Pumpkin!) allowed me the use of her kick-ass scanner, and I now have pictures of a rather hamsterish-looking Tai posing with me for the first time, during a bad skin day, and the pic taken at the vet's, looking quizzical. I apologize, as neither are of the best quality, but they were taken with Polaroids. You will please note that the well-manicured hand in the first photo is my mom's; she couldn't keep her hands off of him.
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1/2/01Erm...the pictures don't work. Don't know why, but I can't figure out how to put pictures online. Yes, I am an idiot. If you want pictures of my little gem, you can e-mail me, and I'll send them directly to your cyber-doorstep.
1/11/01Took Tai to his first puppy class today. At first he seemed a tad nervous (he was shaking like a leaf when he saw the big dogs), but he soon got the idea and relaxed. He is with three Anatolian Shepherds, a collie, a bunch of Shelties, a German Shorthaired Pointer, an Australian Shepherd, a Tibetan Spaniel, and a couple of Pomeranians. So it’s a rather mixed class. The bigger dogs seemed to put a damper on his enthusiasm (especially the Aussie pup, which growled at him), but overall he seemed to enjoy himself. Also he apparently got into too close of a sniffing distance with one of the Pomeranians, since it snapped at him. Other than that, it was a good time had by all. He walked nicely on his leash, and didn’t leap to his death on the table. At least, not successfully; we still need a little work on that. He completely captivated the guy holding the class (who by coincidence is my co-worker’s father; he and his wife breed Shelties and Schipperkes), and everyone thought he was just the most adorable puppy ever (well
DUH). He was a bit messy though, and will be going to Gramma’s for a bath on Sunday.
1/14/01Tai had a bath today. He was much better behaved than when Gramma bathed him the first time; at least he didn’t pee on me. Also, Mom was there to assist, so that helped. Mom’s been brushing him a lot lately, and he lays down all nice for her. He had a good thorough brushing, then came the bath. There is nothing cuter or more pathetic than a wet Pekingese; he lost a good portion of his bulk and looked like a drowned rat. Several dozen gallons of water and two cups of shampoo later (like I’ve said, he has a LOT of coat, even for a puppy), he was rinsed and towel-dried, then it was time for the blowdrier. Again, a lot better behaved than before; he’s starting to become a little pro at this. He put up a screaming fight, however, when we attempted to clip the pads of his feet (lest you think me cruel, his feet were so hairy he could hardly walk, and there was almost no traction there. Whenever he ran on linoleum, he slid several feet). We got more hair from his feet alone than we’ve ever taken from our whippet Liz in her lifetime (and she outweighed him by at least 20 lbs). It was unreal. Then came the nailclipping, which he duly gave most vocal protest to, but by the time it was all over, he literally shone. He was fluffy, and clean, and his little ruff around his collar stood out like a lion’s mane...in other words, like it’s supposed to. He was the picture of Pekedom. He also smelled terrific, flowers and dog all over again.
1/18/01Puppy class again. This time I took warm chicken livers in a Ziplock bag, to insure Tai’s rapt attention. Worked like a charm; he pranced and strutted and generally performed like a real show dog. He completely won Jerry’s (the guy holding the class) heart, and his wife (who was assisting him) actually insisted on walking Tai up and down the green walkway a few times, to show me his expression, so I could get an idea of what a little born showman I had on my hands. Unfortunately, I had misplaced the show lead (a thin green piece), so I had to use his everyday leash. Wasn’t as impressive, but Tai didn’t seem to know the difference, and performed to within an inch of his life. Right before the class ended, Jerry wanted us to all walk around the ring together, to judge how well we were handling our dogs, and Tai got third place (I believe two of the Anatolians were higher, and the couple breeding them had been in the business for years). Then after class I talked to the Pomeranian lady, and interacted with her dog (who was black, a fairly rare color for Poms). He seemed very nice, and she mentioned he lived with
another intact male, and four unneutered females. Right in the middle of the conversation, her dog went up to her shoe, and lifted his leg. All over the shoe. I hope to gods Tai didn’t take note of this behaviour; then again, we don’t have any other dogs!
1/25/01‘Nother class. This time, Gramma and Grampa came too. Apparently Tai is improving with his standing on the table, and is 110% improved in his lead work. I eased up on the amount of chicken liver bait, and got some information on a puppy match down in Kalamazoo on February 18th. So I’ll need to get a nice show outfit for that...like a business suit or something. Plus I need to find his show lead (the green one).
1/31/01Went shopping for a show suit today, and ended up with a very nice black 2-pc suit from JC Penney’s, with a green 3/4 sleeve blouse to wear with it. Very Scullywear. I already have the black flats, and a little tiny pearl necklace to go with it. Some make-up and a neat, clean hairstyle, and I’m all set for any shows! Also, I did a bit of table work with Tai today, and took him around the kitchen on his lead. Unfortunately, we have a very small kitchen, and he’s not allowed on the living room carpet, so it was a bit difficult. The cat seems to be improving around him; in fact, she likes to bait him. She’ll jump up next to me while he’s on my lap, then get right in his face and hiss at him. Then she jumps down on the floor, and looks at him for minutes on end
while he barks furiously. Today this little routine ended up with him being so excited, he lost his balance and accidently fell to the floor with a loud thud. Sasha was very pleased with herself (as cats generally are).
Another bit of news today: Mom talked to Mrs. Engstrom on the phone. She was extraordinarily happy that Tai has finally learned to walk properly (no doubt recalling his first puppy match), and mentioned that she will be at the Kalamazoo show with some of her own dogs.
2/2/01Well, doubtless the first thing you will notice is...TAI! Yep, that's right...I FINALLY figured out how to put the furkin' pictures online. And no, I don't know how to reduce them. He shall just have to stay in his enormous glory. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tai also had another puppy class yesterday, and did fairly well. There was a boxer puppy there that evening, and true to boxer nature, it was very gregarious. Tai seemed to like it (her, rather) at first, and immediately went into a little play bow, to which the boxer responded with the loudest, deepest bark ever, and lunged. I picked up Tai in a heartbeat, and soothed his rather frazzled and befuddled nerves. The lady with the boxer kept saying, "No Kayla, it's not a squirrel", and looked kinda embarassed.
Lately I've been working on Tai's "table manners" (so to speak), and he's been rather improving, I believe. I just hope it's good enough to win for his breed (and, possibly group...I'm not holding any false hopes of Best In Show here).
2/16/01Took Tai to another class today. It was fairly mundane, except for a larger than usual class size; three Anatolians, two German Shorthaired Pointers, two Australian Shepherds, two Pomeranians, a Boxer, a Shetland Sheepdog, and of course Tai. We ran out of bait at the last minute, so we used feta cheese. He seemed to like it very much. He's also getting much better about standing, and doesn't tend to plant his butt down as much anymore. Jerry reminded us all about the AKC match in Kalamazoo again, and the class ended. I had my suit pressed just for that occasion, and Tai will be getting a bath at Gramma's on Saturday. Whoop-dee-doo.
2/17/01Tai had a bath and nail clipping today. He was very good about the back nails--not a murmur--but when we touched his front paws he started growling and whimpering. We had to hold him down. Still, it's an improvement! Also, we got some talcum powder for his coat. Apparently with Pekes, you brush them, spritz them with water, brush again, dust with powder, and brush into place. This makes the coat stand up. Then the bath, with Tai doing the drowned rat routine again, and blowdried. Unfortunately, it turned out that he had enormous mats right behind his ears, which took us a solid hour to even partially remove. Eventually, thank god, he was all done. Flowers and dog all over again!
2/18/01Showtime! He went to the Kalamazoo Kennel Club puppy match today, starting with us getting up at the crack of dawn (six am) to get all his stuff ready, and we were on the road before seven. We didn't even have time to eat, so Tai had a tasty Egg McMuffin in the van (Gramma drove). He was also a ticking time bomb all the while, having not peed since the previous night, and we didn't have time to wait. He whimpered so much in his crate, about halfway there (50 miles) we thought he had to go, and stopped at a gas station, but he sniffed around for five minutes before Gramma decided, the hell with it, he can pee at the show. We got there, unloaded all his stuff, and set up the grooming table. It was held indoors, thank god, although I did spend at least five minutes out in the snow waiting for Tai to make up his mind about doing his business (and with a small dog in February, five minutes goes by very very slowly).
We arrived about an hour before he was due to actually go in the ring, so Mom and Gramma sprayed and powdered him to within an inch of his life, while I stayed back so as to not get powder on my new black suit. I got powder on me anyway, not to mention dog hair (Tai's and other breeds), but ah well. The important thing is that he looks good, right? That's all that matters, is his appearance, and how he is presented to the judges, right?
Yeah, right. My number (315) was called, and I marched confidently into the ring, expecting Tai to follow without hesitation. Instead, he plunked his butt down, and refused to budge. I used three (count 'em!) different kinds of bait (Mc Muffin, dog biscuits, and cheesy peanut butter crackers, and he did NOT move. And when I tried to get him to move (quick tugs on the lead), he wriggled and squirmed and fought me like the dickens. The really embarassing part was, Mrs. Engstrom was there. She had brought a bunch of Maltese and one of her own Pekes (Tai's half-sister, actually), and she stood on the sidelines, attempting to give helpful tips like, "If he won't move, drag him." I pulled Tai a couple feet, him acting like a whirling dervish, then gave up for fear of choking the life out of him, and carried him the rest of the way. Mom had called Mrs. Engstrom a few weeks ago, you may recall, and had been boasting of how well he walked, no hesitation at all, just bounced along wagging his tail. Aiiee. And the thing was, we had witnesses. A few of the people from the puppy class were there (like the Anatolian breeders, and a lady with a couple Australian Shepherds), and they had seen how well Tai walks in class. I still don't get it. He was just a brat!
Anyway, he still won best of breed over two other Pekes (including Mrs. Engstrom's female), despite the canine-from-hell attitude. I don't think I've ever been so humiliated in my life. He was perfectly fine before going in the ring--watched the other dogs calmly, no shaking at all, even doing play bows at a Landseer puppy--and he walked outside beautifully. I just don't get it. Argh. The irony was, he stood for me. He normally is terrible at standing on the table, or on the ground, but he planted his feet square and stood. And stood. And stood. Til the judge came up, and he fought the judge. He acted like he was getting a vaccination, and he tried to squirm out of the judge's hands. Oy.
When we got home Gramma whipped out her camera, and took maybe seven or eight shots of Tai, using up the rest of her film. She also told me it's a very good thing that he didn't take the show, because he needs the experience. Apparently one of her Dachshunds, Capt'n Crunch, won his very first puppy match at six months of age, and couldn't be taken to matches anymore, because he had a major point. So there was no way of acclimating him to the show environment without actually competing. Then Crunch won all his championships by the time he was nine months old. So here she had this young puppy, completely finished, and there wasn't much she could do with him anymore, except let him be a pet. I'm glad that's not happening with Tai. Of course, it would have been nice if he'd won his group...ah well. I'm sure the Papillon deserved it. Ai.
Also, this lady with a bunch of Tibetan Spaniels came up, and Mom asked her what she thought of Tai. She started pulling him to pieces! "Well, his face could be a little flatter, and his coat's awfully thin." Grr. The irony is, she only has a PET Peke, and probably wouldn't know a good example of the breed if it bit her in the ass. Thin coat, my eye. Reds are SUPPOSED to carry less coat. Mrs. Engstrom looked pretty darn pleased with his appearance, and noted he would stay quite small, which is apparently a good thing. Don't want an oversized dog in the ring! The third Peke there was about Tai's size, maybe a little bigger, and was rather shy. It didn't even put its tail up! Mom asked the owner its age, and he said four months. That dog's younger than Tai, and bigger than him! Man, I hope they're not too disappointed when it tips 16 lbs or more, cause the cutoff's 14 lbs.
2/22/01Puppy class again, and he acted like a brat. Repeat performance of the Kalamazoo match, in front of the whole class. He just wouldn’t budge! Finally, Jerry had me drag him around on the leash (me wincing the whole time, afraid I was going to hurt him), and Tai at last got up on his own steam and walked. He knows what to do know, it’s not a question of that. He’s just being a stubborn adolescent Peke.
2/25/01Tai saw his Aunt Justice again today, and she cooed over him for awhile. He hasn’t been feeling too well lately (sneezing and coughing, and acting lethargic), so we’ll be taking him into the vet tomorrow.
2/26/01Big day today, some good events, some bad. The good was, my co-worker Kay finally got to see Tai. She’s nuts over all animals, and had been rather hurt that I had taken him into work before on the one day that she was off. She loved Tai (who doesn’t?), and fussed over him for quite awhile, then we had to go to the vet. He had the requisite physical exam, during which the assistant vet took his temperature (normal, despite our concerns over a fever), and weighed him. Apparently our digital scale at home is 12-or-so lbs overweight (we thought it was 10 lbs), and he actually
weighs 6.9 lbs, up a pound-and-a-half from his last checkup. Then the vet examined him, and we explained about the flu-like symptoms, the lethargy, loss of appetite, and apparent weight loss. She told us he has a strain of kennel cough. Yes, he had it before, and had the vaccine for it. It’s a completely different strain. Kennel cough is sort of like flu,
where they can get vaccines for most, but not all of the strains, and Tai just happened to catch a strain he hadn’t been vaccinated against. Just our luck. We received a packet of little tablets, to be taken twice a day for the next 10 days, after which the kennel cough should disappear. If that isn’t the case, we are to come back so that the vet can (oh joy) x-ray Tai’s chest, to see if there aren’t any respiratory problems (an actual physical cause for the cough, as opposed to a mere chest cold). Apparently during the procedure they have to put them under slightly, so I’m hoping the little tablets clear things up, because Pekes are very dicey under anesthesia.
3/1/01Final puppy class tonight (not that it matters, since I'll be signing him up for the next batch of classes right away). Tai graduated with flying colors, much to my delight (and I need hardly add surprise...he is being a BRAT lately). He tried some more of that pulling crap, but I doggedly dragged him along on the leash (we found his little green show lead again, thank the gods), and he got the idea after awhile, and he reluctantly followed suit.
Also, one of the other--what would you call them, students? They were all older than me!--brought in her six-week old Pomeranian puppy. I naturally couldn't get anywheres near it (since a) Tai was getting over kennel cough and b) the puppy hasn't had its full course of vaccinations), but Mom petted it, and I cooed over it (her, rather) from a distance. The pom lady gave us her card and said she had a five-week old male she wanted to sell to a nice show family, hint hint. Mom looked kinda thoughtful, and I reminded her that once I move out with Tai, she'll be kinda lonely. She gave me the don't even think about it look, but kept the card in her purse. Hee hee.
Personally, however, I think it would be a bad idea to have two show dogs in the family. An unneutered male would be constantly gunning for dominance, and possible territorial fights might break out (not to mention Mom's brand new carpet and nice furniture), and an unneutered female would of course go into heat, eventually making Tai nuts a few times a year. Nah, if I ever get another dog, it'll be pet quality, and I'll have it neutered. After all, the point is to stress Tai out as little as possible. He's my show baby. :)
3/15/01Well, Tai got to go for a bit of a car ride today...I had to go drop a book off, so Mom drove and Tai rode in my lap. He appeared to quite enjoy it.
3/17/01Beginning of the new "semester" (I guess you would call them that) of puppy class. Lots of new dogs there...a 12-week old Basejni, and an adult Basenji, as well as a brindle miniature dachshund, the boxer and her "it's not a squirrel" owner (she said that again, by the way), a bunch of Aussies, and the Anatolian people again. Tai was quite excited to be back after two-week's absence, and performed beautifully.
3/22/01'Nother class. This time, I didn't bring bait, which Tai seemed most displeased with, and just used a little squeaker and lots of praise. The squeaker turned out to more distraction than training aid, and it was quickly abandoned in favor of praise (which worked well). He placed third in class by the end of the day, and "made friends" (sort of) with the mini dachshund.
3/25/01Small emergency today...I had gone to Gina's the previous night for a sleepover. Tai had seemed perfectly fine, but the next morning, on returning home, he had had a mild attack of diarrhea, and messed his trousers. He was also very lethargic, and cried in pain when I picked him up (which I unfortunately had to do, because he needed his trousers cleaned). Directly after the bath, when I was drying him off, he hunched over and vomited three times in succession, in increments the size of dinner plates. I didn't know a little dog could hold that much food; I do believe he vomited the entire contents of his stomach. Anyway, I called the emergency vet's, and she said to not give him any food or water for six hours, then to give him only water. If he vomited again, we were to take him straight into the vet tomorrow. Well, it's one o'clock in the morning (technically Monday, but ah well), and he hasn't vomited since. A tiny bit of diarrhea, yes (he pooped on my pajamas, that I put in his pen for warmth, along with two towels and an extra fleecy pad), and he peed a bit, but other than the continuing lethargy, he seems all right. I'm still taking him into the vet's tomorrow, of course. I'm actually quite worried about him...he has a match on Saturday, and I hope he's well enough for it. If not, we'll just have to miss it, of course...but for his sake, I hope he gets well soon.3/26/01Mom and I took Tai into the vet today. He felt so awful, he could hardly manage to wag his tail for her (he usually just loves the vet). She examined him, and commented that his belly felt awfully sore. She recommended that he be kept overnight for testing, so we gave her his little fleecy pad (we'd forgotten to bring any toys), and hugged Tai good-bye. He barely even noticed when we left, he was feeling that bad. I hope he feels better, and that whatever he has isn't too serious.
3/27/01The vet called us this morning, to tell us that Tai managed to keep down some water, and that if he didn't vomit anymore, and ate solid food, we could bring him home. She also told us he has pancreatitis. It's basically caused by an excess of fats in the system, and is something normally only older dogs get. He also has an overly high white blood cell count. The treatment is basically, he is to be kept on low-residue dog food--and nothing else--for the rest of his life. No treats, no biscuits, nothing. Not a single Milkbone. It's going to make baiting and pilling hell. I read up on pancreatitis a bit today, and it's apparently related to diabetes. I might as well be giving him insulin for the rest of his life. :(
Same day, about 9 pmTai came home! He still isn't quite up to snuff, but he wiggled quite a bit when we finally saw him (Sally came too). The vet handed us all some liquid medicine (that we are to give him three times a day), the lovely low-residue dog food (in both dry kibble and canned forms), and the bill (which was nearly $300--eep. Ah well, he's worth every penny). He was still quite filthy, especially around the trousers (I guess $300 doesn't get you a clean dog), but I can clean him up tomorrow. Sashie was quite annoyed when we brought him home; like, “Oh no! I thought you finally got rid of it!” Heh heh. I don’t think so, Sashie.
3/31/01Tai went to the match in Cadillac today. We got up bright and early, loaded him into Gramma’s van, and set off for a 50-mile trip. It was a very eventful ride: I saw eight deer, a half-dozen wild turkeys (yes, that’s right, TURKEYS), three swans, three Canada geese, and a hawk (not sure of what kind, but I think it might have been a red-tailed hawk; it was sitting in a tree). For some reason I’m very, very good at spotting wild animals...when Sally and I went up north (meaning the Upper Peninsula) with our grandparents, I saw two black bears. But anywho...
We got to the show. It was indoors (thank god), and it was very, very small. I mean, absurdly small. Gramma remarked several times that she was surprised at how few people showed up. I mean, the Toy group started at 11 o’clock, and people weren’t showing up til 10:30! And most of the Toys require extensive grooming. It was just us, some Golden Retrievers and a bunch of miniature poodles for most of the morning. Huh. Anyway, we put Tai on the grooming table, and began applying liberal amounts of powder to his coat (Mom brought baking powder this time), and then we went to get coffee. We also got Tai some bottled water. Then it was time to show. And I bombed. Majorly. I got Tai on the table, and the judge started to look in his mouth. I reminded her that you don’t look in the mouth of his breed (which I would have thought she knew anyway; she’s the judge!), and she got very cold towards me, and signaled the Pug (which was the ONLY other toy dog in the whole show; I told you it was a small match!) to come into the ring. Right after I stepped out, Mom asked, “You didn’t tell her not to look in the mouth, did you?” real apprehensive-like. I responded in the affirmative. She looked very pained, and Gramma explained that, short of beating your dog, judges can do anything they like. If they want your dog to stand on its EAR, you find a way to make that happen. If they don’t like your behaviour, they can force you out of the ring. THEN, the Pug lady came up and gave me a nice long lecture about show etiquette. She asked my age, I told her,
and she gave me a kind of pitying look, and said since I’m an amateur, my behaviour might be excuseable. The thing is, I had read in a British book that if the judge tries to look in your Peke’s mouth, you inform them that it’s not in the standard. Grr. To make a long story short, Tai got second place in a group of only two dogs. Although my “amateur” behaviour might have saved me...after I was taking Tai around the ring, I tried to lead him out. Mom said the judge’s face softened towards me, and she said, “Come here, hon,” after realizing I was so inexperienced. So I may yet be able to show my face in the show world. Ai-ya.
4/5/01Vet appointment. Nothing much done...just some blood drawn, and a combonation heartworm/flea/tick/earmite guard. It came in the form of a little tube of some liquid that you squeeze onto his skin, and it cost $120. Aiiee. But he was VERY happy to see the vet techs, and he got to see a miniature dachshund and a Scottish terrier, along with a three-legged cat that lives at the office. So it was a most gratifying day.
Except for one small thing. Tai was running around my room late at night, while I was IMing my friend Joe, who unfortunately lives across the state (hi, Joe!). I was JUST ABOUT to reply to him, when Tai pulled the plug. Literally. He got ahold of the cord to
the computer, and pulled it out of the wall. And I was about to save some Missy Good fan fic on my Word program too (not to MENTION my Labyrinth analysis!). I wasn’t mad at Tai, of course (well ok, maybe the teensiest bit miffed, but I certainly didn’t take it out on him...he couldn’t help it), but I was about frantic for a half-hour, trying to get back on, and since it closed down without saving documents, the puter had to scan for gods know how long, and when it WAS completely turned on, Mom took my phone cord away, with the excuse that I wasn’t properly supervising Tai and he could have electrocuted himself. So it was not a good day after all. :(
4/7/01Gramma and Grampa came over to drop off some pictures from the previous week’s match, including a shot of the Infamous Moment, right as I’m telling the judge not to look in his mouth. Talk about insult to inury, salt-in-wound kinda stuff. 4/8/01Tai got to see his Auntie Justice today, and he was THRILLED to see her again. She was on him like white on rice...it’s a mutual admiration society. And we all wouldn’t have it any other way. On the downside, he went off his leash (again), and I had to chase him down a bit. Justice said it could have been worse...Stosh escaped a few days ago, and made it all the way down to the lake (which is a couple miles from her house). They go him home safe and sound, thank goodness, but her family was not very happy about his little adventure.
4/15/01Happy Easter! Tai went to Gramma and Grampa's, and spent several happy minutes chasing their cat (who made it very clear his attentions were not appreciated), and ran on their carpet until we finally managed to catch him (it's harder to do that you think...he's quite slippery, and corners well) and plop him in the X-pen, which we had forgotten to bring and had to go home for right before dinner was served. And on top of it all, he couldn't even have Easter dinner, because of his pancreatitis. Poor Tai.
4/18/01Tai got a bit of socialization today...I had him in the yard, and there were the next-door neighbor's three kids out staring at him, so I carried him across the street to meet them. Unfortunately, they were actually afraid of him! Little, tiny Tai! Granted, none of them were over six (I think...I'm not too good at estimating kids's ages), but still. There was a lady babysitting them that morning, and she explained that they hadn't been around dogs much, and a family member had a mean Sheltie. I told them he was very friendly and liked kids (although I wasn't actually sure HOW he'd behave around them, I figured he'd be ok). He was his usual adorable bouncy puppy self, acting playful and nonthreatening, but still only the oldest was brave enough to give him the lightest of pats. Ah well. Better luck next time.
4/19/01Puppy class, and he was a brat...again. He just completely fought me around the ring, and even peed on the mat. Jerry told me he is the stubbornest dog he's ever seen, of all his years of teaching classes. I told him, I know...it's a breed trait. It says right in the standard that they have an "exasperating stubbornness", that is supposed to be endearing. While is IS, it's also very frustrating. Who'd figure that I, possessed of a limited amount of patience, would end up with the most difficult dog in the class (even at 8.2 lbs)? Ai-ya. At least he spent a sizeable amount of time outdoors.
5/11/01Sorry about the lack of updates...I missed the last two puppy classes, so there really hasn't been much to write about. However, today was an...interesting day for Tai. I was walking him along the road (as I have been doing quite frequently lately), and we had barely gotten a few doors down, when this terribly cute five-year old girl came up to me, at the edge of her driveway, and asked to see "the furball". I said, Ok, sure. This somehow led to me being invited into her backyard, and Tai stayed over there for approximately an hour. He quite enjoyed it...actually, it was very interesting for me as well.
Forgive me for digressing here for a personal note, but I have to explain something. I don't particularly like small children. I have nothing against them, you understand...I just don't like them very much. I don't enjoy their company. I find them irritating, noisy, and frequently bothersome, with no respect for personal bounderies (I have a BIG problem with touching, as a friendly acquaintance knows when he attempted to put a hand on my shoulder one day...I literally turned around to punch him). But I will make acceptions for some small children. I like girls more than boys (they're less active and hyper), and I prefer the ages from about three to eleven...post-infant and pre-adolescence stages. So I would not make a good parent. I've pretty much decided to not have kids. I know you can't just have your kids around when you feel like it, and I doubt I have the mental or emotional energy to keep up with them. I have enough problems with Tai. But anyway. Back to the kid.
This particular small child (whose name was McKenzie...another issue I have, with the naming of small children nowadays, with their modern unisex names, but that's for another rant), was very very interesting. She was creative. She was agreeable. She was (fairly) eloquent. She knew what a "canine" was (she proudly demonstrated her knowledge to me, and I informed her that a cat was called a "feline". She seemed to like that). She WAS a bit rough with Tai (although I supervised them carefully), and accidently toppled him over once, but he leapt to his feet none the worse for wear. And she had the most interesting theories on life. For instance, she informed me that the far back part of her backyard was "haunted", and in order to go back there, she had to take some "magic" dirt from her sandbox, which would apparently protect her. We solemnly performed this ritual several times, Tai capering at my heels. It was quite entertaining. We even taught Tai to jump over the rungs of a fallen ladder, like a good little obedience-trained dog (although he is far from such). She introduced Tai to her parents as a "Chinese furball", and they seem like nice people. She invited me to visit again, and I think I just may do that.
