Mellow but Jealous

Mommy forgot to post this incident up a few weeks ago. This happened during my vacation with mommy. She asked her sister to dog sit me for the day while mommy was at the dealership getting the chewed up seat belt fixed. It was so early in the morning, I didn't want to get out of bed, mommy had to (translated literally from Chinese) "scoop" me out of bed, which was more like a rolling me out of my bed. Once we got to her sister/her god mother's house, her sister took me and *whispers* let me upstairs. Mommy usually doesn't let me upstairs, but ever since the shaking incident, she has let me up there as long as I'm good. The minute I do something bad (like regurgitate water under daddy's computer table) I have to go back downstairs. Anyways, mommy's sister let me sleep in her bed! Because I was so thankful, I slept next to her head and did not move one bit. Mommy's god mother came in to check on us every once in a while (because she thought that I would be bored) and saw that we were both asleep and when I wasn't asleep, I would just lay there calm as a toad in the sun (what a weird idiom I found online). When mommy's sister woke up, we went down stairs to watch TV. Because mommy's god mother was still recovering from surgery, she was laying on the couch. Mommy's god mom invited me up on the couch so I gingerly go up and curled up next to her. I made sure to not move too much so I don't make her booboo hurt more. Mommy's god mom was so surprised! Here is me on their arm chair napping while god mommy went upstairs. Throughout the day, she would ask her daughter: "he just lays there? He doesn't move?" And mommy's sister said "Yeah, mom. He just lays there. He's not like L. (name was cut to save the other dog she was living with for a couple of months)." When mommy came home, her god mom said that I was really calm and I just laid there with her.

Later on, uncle came by to see how god mom was doing and we found a stuff animal dog. I was so calm at god mom's house that when I was laying there, they put the stuffed dog on me and I didn't try to move it. I'm keeping watch with the "stuffed dog." This went on for a long time until the humans got bored. Then uncle started petting the stuffed dog and asked me "Mika, are you jealous?" What kind of question is that? You're petting a stuffed dog over petting me? Of course!! So I walked over to the stuffed dog and proceeded to lay right on top of it, forcing uncle to have no other choice than to pet me. =)

When we were getting ready to leave, god mom said "you're welcome back anytime, Mika." =) Mommy was so happy that I was on my best behavior and I comforted her god mom, she forgave me for chewing up her seat belt.

What a day! I got to go upstairs, sleep in bed (at the head of the bed), go on the couch, cuddle with someone on the couch, and I'm welcomed back anytime at this house. Wow! Can't get any better than this! I can't wait until I can go back again.. I hear that god mom cooks real yummy food and she likes to sneak some to the 4 legged friends (despite what mommy and mommy's sister say).

Ohh.. speaking of sneaking food. Mommy's mom (we'll call her mom, my mommy is mommy because mommy's mom doesn't want to sound like she's old.)kept asking mommy if I could get some human food. Mommy kept saying no. Then one day mommy said that if she made extra rice, she would sometimes give me a little. Mom picked up on that and took some rice and fed it to me. Uncle was so proud of mom. Mom was bitten by a dog when she was a little kid so she does not like dogs very much. Mom feeding me was a biiiiiiiiiig deal. She let me eat out of her hand too! (Also, the reason why mommy took so long to bring me to meet her mom and dad was because she wanted to make sure I was trained real well so if mom gets uncomfortable, mommy can trust that I will come back.. which I do have good, not great, recall in the house. I visited last year, but she had me for a year and a half before that, at least, working on my training.) Anyways, every time mom made rice, she would give me a little bit. One day, everyone was eating Peking duck ('cept for me) and I was sitting there watching mommy and mom eat. Mom started feeling bad that I couldn't eat any duck, so mom asked mommy if I can have a little bit on the buns with nothing on it. Mommy said no, but mom looked at mommy grabbed a bun and ripped a piece off and all while looking at mommy gave me the piece of bread. The look on mommy's face while watching her mom do that was hilarious!! I would have laughed but I really wanted that bread. Then, guess what? Mom did it again!! OMdog, I looooooooove mommy's mom. But that was the last of it because mommy took that bun and ate it (it was the last bun).

Anyways, I can't wait until my next trip up to see mommy's family again!!!! So much good stuff awaits me!

Proctor & Gamble bought Natura (Innova EVO)

I have just found out of some bad news today. On 1 June 2010, Proctor & Gamble and Natura finalized their deal. P&G now owns Natura. If you haven't noticed in the past, P&G + dog food = recalls. I hope this doesn't happen to Natura foods, but it's a risk I'm not willing to take. As soon as Mika gets this bag finished, he's being moved to another brand food. I'm thinking Orijen, but we'll see how his tummy handles it in their red meat formula. Just when I thought I found the perfect food, this happens: http://www.naturapet.com/news/letter.asp

Good bye Innova EVO. I had a wonderful time with you, but I'm not taking any risks.

This makes finding dog food with a red meat formula without chicken meal difficult. Canidae has outsourced to Diamond (know for a long list of recalls). Wellness Core doesn't have a red meat formula. Taste of the Wild has chicken meal in their prarie formula. I really hope Mika's tummy is ok with Orijen. We'll cross our paws and fingers that everything works out with Orijen, the only company I can think of that has a red meat formula that is still independently owned.

Dog Food Recall by Proctor & Gamble

Hello everypaws!

We just want to warn everyone that there is another recall happening right now. We got this email from our Vet:

"We want you to be aware of the following expanded product recall from P&G:

P&G Expands Voluntary Limited Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk

CINCINNATI, July 30, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE: PG) is voluntarily expanding its recall to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet food as a precautionary measure because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported.
Product Name Version "Best-By"
Dates UPC Code
Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas All dry sizes
and varieties 01Jul10 - 01Dec11 All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Naturally Wild All dry sizes
and varieties 01Jul10 - 01Dec11 All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Pure All dry sizes
and varieties 01Jul10 - 01Dec11 All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin All dry sizes 01Jul10 - 01Dec11 All UPC Codes

View full recall alert from P&G.

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause illness in people and pets. If your pet has eaten the product(s) mentioned above and is experiencing diarrhea, fever, or vomiting, please make an appointment for an exam as soon as possible. If you or one of your family members has handled any of these products and is experiencing any symptoms, please contact your physician immediately.

Remember, washing your hands before and after handling any food products is a great way to reduce your risk of contracting infection."

Here is the link to their Press Release: http://www.pginvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=104574&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1454785&highlight=

When mommy read this email, the first thing she thought was "phew! Thank goodness I feed Mika Innova Evo". In fact, she just bought me a new bag of dog cereal today. =)

Anywoos, we hope, if you are munching on those kibble, that you stay safe and gnaw at the humans until they bring your kibble back to the store. We would much rather you get yelled at for gnawing on your humans than you get real sick and have to visit the V-E-T where they stick you with pointy stuff.

-Mika

Confused...

Uh oh... Mommy isn't too happy with me today.. We all went out to get some food for lunch (in what I thought was a stranger's car) and I got a little bored on the way so I chewed on the seat belt... When mommy found out she was very unhappy, I can tell by the look on her face (no smile and her eyes were shooting icicles at me..). I heard her call the dealership, where she got her car at the beginning of the month (it's mommy's new car.. less than a month old..), to schedule an appointment for a new seat belt install. She was on speaker phone and I heard something like two hundred something dollars? for labor and parts for one seat belt. Man, humans really treasure this seat belt thing. Anyways, I know I did something wrong, I've been on my best behavior since we got home. I even grounded myself in my make shift cave (mommy draped a heavy sheet over a folded foldable chair leaning against her desk to make a cave for me) for a while.

I was confused about mommy's car because it didn't smell like me.. and her old car is still here too, but she doesn't drive it. A guy, I call my uncle? drives it now and doesn't take me around in it. I'm sorry mommy, I don't know what got over me. I had a sudden urge to chew the seat belt, I think I was posessed because I never had that urge before.. and I'm 7 years old as of last month. I hope I don't get posessed again because mommy might get really mad at me... I know she already made a call to cancel my order of treats from her aunt because she is taking the seat belt charge out of my treats fund. =( I need to make sure I'm on my best behavior for a while so I can get back on mommy's good list.

-Mika

Shaking at Night

For the last month, I had been on vacation (without Mika). Daddy had been home with Mika and noticed that at night, he was shaking really bad. It was as if the apocolypse was coming. Daddy took Mika to the vet and they did xrays on him, ran urine tests, and blood tests. Everything came back normal. It didn't occur to us that Mika was having anxiety attacks. Everytime I've gone on vacation for a few weeks at a time, Mika was fine. He didn't shake at night, he ate just fine, and he was his happy self. For some reason, this time, he was a nervous wreck at night. I decided to bring this up to a few of my friends who have had dogs for their current life and their past gazillion lives. Many of them asked if he was cold and if he wasn't, it was probably anxiety.

When I went home for the week and a half, I did see him shake the first night I was home, then nothing. So, I decided to test out the anxiety theory by taking him on vacation with me. As of today, Mika has not shaken once after coming with me on vacation. I guess he's a mama's boy.

I'm just glad that we figured out what the shaking was. My worst nightmare was that it was a nerve problem. Now, I just need to work on him being ok with me leaving for long periods of time (which doesn't happen very often).

-Mika's mommy

Yikes!

(Mika and I are on vacation right now. Mika is doing very good right now. He's comfortable and calm. He does what he usually does when I'm home: be my second shadow.)

Yesterday, I took Mika to meet the neighbors. Bad idea. Their daughter is too young and hyper to be around dogs. Now, Mika usually doesn't get phased by a hyper kid running around and laughing and talking loudly, but something about this little girl scares him, which is a first. I've never met a (as young as 2 years old) kid, until now, that Mika did not like. Now, I need to make sure that no one in this house takes Mika out to "see" the little girl when I'm not around. There is no telling what Mika will do when he's nervous and I'm not there to read his body language to get him out of the situation on time. He hasn't snapped at her yet, but he's jumped (from being spooked) a few times and sticks to me like glue when she's around.

I took Mika and the little girl walking up and down the block (actually less than a block) for a little bit (within eyesight of the little girl's parents so they can stress less) and Mika was relaxed when he was walking, but every time the girl needed to stop, I could tell he was uncomfortable. I think he just didn't know what the little girl would do next. I cut the interaction time early with the excuse that it was getting dark and late and Mika needed to go to sleep. When I walked into the garage to the house, the little girl followed me and spooked Mika so much, when I opened the door into the house, he bolted right in. If it weren't for me being attached to the leash, he probably would have ran right into my room and hid under my desk that I made into a cave for him.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what I can say to the little girl to let her know that she needs to calm down? Or that Mika is uncomfortable around her? I've already tried asking her to calm down and to be more quiet, but it's not working. Right now, I'm just going to keep Mika away from her with the excuse that he's tired. I would really appreciate any advice on this matter since I've had no experience with a kid that Mika did not like.

-Mika's mommy

Pictures Updated!

Mommy finally got off of her fat lazy butt and uploaded the pictures.

P.S. I think mommy needs to play with me more... She needs to tend my needs 29/8 400days a year.

10 Rats or 1 Gopher

Mommy and daddy were doing yard work on Sunday, 2 May 2010. Mommy was taking a rest so she looked into the pool and there was a dead rat that Mo (our Hayward pool cleaner.. named after the cleaner robot from Disney's Wall-e movie) tried to suck up. The rat was too fat, so it just got stuck. Mommy called daddy and let him know that there was a dead rat in the pool so daddy got the rat out and double bagged it and tossed it into the trash can. Then mommy went onto mowing the flat area of my lawn (the hill needs to be weed whacked and mommy isn't doing that, daddy will hire someone to weed whack on the hill and help us redo the hill part so it looks nice.. not a terrain that only us fuzzy critters can run up and down on). Mommy mowed half of my lawn when she saw another dead rat. Again, she called daddy to remove it for her so she can continue. Our electric lawn mower cut 3/4 of my back lawn (some doofus humans decided the front lawn should be cut first, then a week later my back lawn.. what were they thinking? They should have cut the back first, then waited a week so the power discharged some, then cut part of the front. I think the back is more important than the front.) Since the battery ran out, mommy had to bring the battery back inside of the house to charge and not cut it until Friday.

Anyways, since mommy saw two dead rats in my yard on Sunday, she made me a deal. If I killed 10 rats (including the two that were already found dead) or killed 1 gopher (since we have a gopher problem in the neighborhood) she would give me real cooked chicken (since that's the only chicken I'm not allergic to). She also said she promised. So on Friday, after she mowed the lawn and took a little nap and then went outside to play with me again, she found a gopher. I am very human food motivated. If you give me a choice, between 8 or 1... I'm going to go for 1. Mommy took pictures of the gopher and send it to her friends to help her identify the rodent.. they all said GOPHER! So mommy turned to me and said "I guess you get chicken this weekend."

This is my "I'm getting real chicken soon" face.

Saturday comes around and mommy and daddy come home from lunch with a white box. I thought it was my chicken, so I followed mommy around until she told me that it wasn't my chicken. I was going to get my chicken for dinner. I was disappointed, so I followed mommy around like another shadow until she got annoyed enough to go out and buy my chicken. They came home from the super market with raw chicken and barbecued it for me. (Although they got yummy hot dogs and hamburgers with the chicken.. boo) Mommy tried to take a picture of the biggest grin I had on my face after I finished the half of the chicken breast that mommy gave me, but she didn't succeed.

This is the other half of the chicken breast then grilled for me. Mommy forgot to take a picture of the half she gave me, so she took a picture of the other half.

After I ate the yummy chicken, mommy changed the deal. 10 rats or 5 gophers. 2 rats down, 8 more to go and 5 more gophers to go.

I am finally honing in on my hunting skills.

Shiba 3, Rodents 0.

mommy been sad part 2

This week mommy has been extremely buzy, even daddy was home for a few days. Seems as though grandpa will not be coming over anymore, i have heard mommy and daddy talk about how grandpa has now gone to people heaven(there is a people heaven??) Daddy has been proud of mommy of how she has handled her self in dealing with grandpa now being gone. Mommy has been trying to spend time with me when she can and i have been licking/cleaning up her tears when she cries at times even though they taste yucky.

namichan

mommys been sad

I dont understand why mommy has been so sad lately. She has been leaving the house very early in the morning which is unusal becuz usually she sleeps until 8:30-9:00 and not come home until like 5-6 or sometimes not until late in the eve.

I have heard them sometimes talke about grandpa not feeling so good and that he is a people hospital and he may not be around to throw me my balls and toys anymore. :( Mommy has been doing alot of crying, so all i have been doing is trying to lick her tears away, but the water tastes like salt,, ick! Daddy too has been coming home very late. I guess all i can do is be there for mommy when she gets upset this week.

namichan