Posts filed under ‘Birthday’
It’s good to be home; Meeting Miki Saito in Tokyo
I was away from Boogie for almost 3 weeks and it’s so good to be home! I missed my boy!
[photos taken at the vet today. Staph infection all cleared up! :)]
While I was away visiting family and friends in Malaysia and Japan, Boogie stayed with my friend Christa in her new house, which has a huge backyard. Christa reported that Boogie LOVED running around in the backyard, and I’m sure the squirrels made things a lot more fun. At first, we were a little worried about the cranky German Shepherd next door, left outside to patrol the fence throughout the day (It sucks when people leave their dogs outside all day!) but then Christa came up with the brilliant idea to cover the entire fence with tarpaulin so that the dogs wouldn’t be able to see each other… and thankfully, there were no issues.
Christa and Butch also celebrated Boogie’s birthday (December 11th) with a Pumpkin Sesame Birthday Cake. What a lucky boy.
When I was in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of meeting dog trainer Miki Saito, who specializes in training blind dogs because her own dog Nono, is blind. I first met Miki online when she translated several of my illustrations to Japanese. (for example – How Not To Greet A Dog in Japanese)
Miki is such a lovely person and we had a great time having lunch, chatting, and walking around Daikanyama and Shibuya. I learned from her that in Japan, Positive Reinforcement training (which is what Miki does) is still extremely rare. Almost all trainers still believe in Dominance methods using force and intimidation, and most owners of blind dogs feel pity for their dogs and think of themselves as being trapped in a tragic situation, when in reality, blind dogs are HAPPY DOGS and have the ability to live, learn and communicate as confidently as sighted dogs.
I remember my foster boston terrier Rocky (RIP). He came to me completely blind and he was the sweetest, smiliest, happiest and smartest boy! He learned to “shake hands” in about TWO MINUTES! (It took Boogie much longer, something like 20 minutes to learn this)
After weeks of staying with me, even though Rocky still had the habit of bumping into furniture, he could locate squeaky tennis balls and treats from ANYWHERE.
According to Miki, in Japan, most dog owners regard their tiny pups (most popular breeds: toy poodles, chihuhuas, mini doxies) as accessories rather than as intelligent members of the family. People will gladly spend more money on dog clothing and bling than on training. Well, I think the same thing happens in Hollywood. I suppose most people think of “training” as something you are forced to do when your dog has a problem, rather than as something you would invest in for fun, for bonding, or effective communication…
Well, no post on Japan would be complete without pictures of cool and crazy dog-related stuff.
Princess and Jack Sparrow outfits, anyone? (!)
And then there were these amazingly cute dog treats from the Green Dog pet store.
These treats are a gift for Boogie and me…
Thank you, Miki !!! – Lili & Boogie xox
If you are in Japan or know any dog owners in Japan, you can get in touch with Miki Saito via her websites:
Boogie’s Birthday Wishlist
That’s December 11th, everybody! If you have a Boogie On Scooters calendar, you would know this 🙂 In actual fact, nobody knows Boogie’s real date of birth (nor his real age), so his birthday is really his adoption day from Boston Buddies Rescue . Boogie will be turning either 7, 8, or 9 years old.
Sadly, I won’t be here for Boogie’s birthday this year. I will be in Malaysia and Boogs will be staying with Christa and Butch.
BOOGIE’s WISHLIST:
1. Dog Bed.
You can never have too many dog beds. I usually buy beds from ROSS, Target, Walgreens etc. because we know what happened to the $100 fancy bed from 2 years ago. LOVE this B.Pet Bubble Bed… and it can’t be chewed up!
We also love MollyMutt duvet and pillow covers and are disappointed that Sleepypod carrier-beds aren’t made for dogs over 12.5 pounds.
2. Dog Car Seat.
Boogie LOVES car rides and looking out the window. Unfortunately he is only a small dog so he has to stand on his two back legs to reach the window and he will in fact suffer this position for long car rides (with seat belt attached to his harness), which can’t be good for his back joints and is also potentially dangerous. Some sort of secure booster seat for the passenger side (that is easily detachable from the actual car seat) would be ideal. Does anyone know where I can find more attractive versions of THIS SEAT or THIS SEAT ? Preferably in red or black so that it matches my car interior. (Hello, Dogmilk? 😉 )
3. Nylabone Corn Cob chew toys.
Always. Boogie enjoys toys with either lots of outer texture or inner stuffing.
4. A Blanket ID tag.
I have never liked having lots of jingly jangly tags on Boogie’s collar, so the concept of wearing ONE tag that covers a whole bunch of information that is accessible online really appeals to me. Because I am an “online” kinda dog owner. Check out blanketID.com
Boogie says THANK YOU in advance! xox
Boogie’s best Xmas ever
On Christmas eve, two UPS guys showed up at my door with five boxes addressed to BOOGIE.
The amazing PetProjeckt store had sent me toys for drawing reference and some for Boogie to play with.
Just take a look at these! Squeeki Tikis, Chewbies, pizza frisbees… a dazzling range of squeaky chew toys that look like fish, drumsticks, steaks and sea shells. I am giving most of these away as gifts. Check out the collection at www.otomik.com
Here is Boogie with his Squeeki Tiki:
That’s not all. Boogie has also been enjoying some carob-coated bully sticks from www.bestbullysticks.com ( Pretty disgusting to find one of these in your bed when it’s half-chewed, wet and sludgy)
…and a giant plush Santa dog that he unstuffed with glee.
Last but not least, one of Boogie’s birthday presents has arrived – The Nina Ottoson “Dog Fighter” toy, which I think may be too difficult for Boogie. He seems unable to (or doesn’t know how to) grab and lift up the wooden cups. The big ones could be too big for his mouth and he tries to knock them over with his nose instead. When this doesn’t work, he lays down next to the toy, looks at it, then stares up at me as if to say “I give up. YOU do it, mom”.
Happy Birthday Boogie!
December 11th., three years ago, was Boogie’s adoption day.
Video: This was how we met.
One kiss from that little dog and I was signing away a $350 donation check to Boston Buddies. Rachel said to me: “If it doesn’t work out, it’s ok. Bring him back and we will refund your money. There are many others who are interested in this little guy.” They all said that he was so unusually calm for a boston terrier… dog-friendly, cat-friendly… which made him a popular choice.
In those first few weeks, Boogie’s dad often exclaimed: “This dog is so perfect and well-behaved. There is nothing wrong with him! “
How ironic that this perfect dog would turn out to be so complicated and expensive. 🙂 And of course, VERY LOVED…as he still is today.
Here is an old favorite photo of Boogie sleeping with his beloved tennis balls.
This year Boogie is getting a Nina Ottoson DOG FIGHTER interactive toy. ($50!!??!!) Like all other Nina Ottosons, this toy is designed to “really make your dog think”. Ha – I can’t wait to see what happens…
Recently I received this book – 101 Dog Tricks – as a christmas present. Last week I took advantage of the Tawzer Dog Videos Black Friday Sale and ordered The Magic Of Shaping (DVD). Am I getting carried away here? Will I ever have enough time to do all these training/gaming challenges with Boogie?
A special week for little dogs
I don’t have heart-shaped cookie cutters so my version doesn’t look very Valentine-y.
In fact my version doesn’t even look pretty! 😛
I used quick oats instead of quinoa flakes. And only a few dried cranberries because I know Boogie isn’t crazy about them.
This is the first time I have baked anything for Boogie (or for any dog). It was quite a surreal experience seeing pureed chicken livers in the same blender that I use for frozen desserts. (eek) And then the weird aroma of chicken liver wafting out from my oven and filling the apartment. We weren’t thrilled but Boogie was. I gave him a small piece and he loved it.
Anyway, there is another reason to celebrate because Feb 14th is also the start of the Chinese/Lunar New Year. And the very next day – Feb 15th – is the Birthday Of All Dogs! (See this page or this Wikipedia entry)
Some of Boogie’s birthday presents
1. You saw the squirrel. It was de-squeaked on Day One and is also missing his white fluffy innards. Boogie still loves chewing on the skin and ripping pieces off.
2. The big blue plush Octopus, which has now become a Septopus. Boogie loves this octopus. Loves it, loves it, loves it. It has also lost its voice and some innards, and who knows… may turn into a Sextopus in a couple of days.
3. Rib Eye steak. Ok, not really an exotic treat because Boogie’s dad spoils him with pieces of steak after our dinner. And we eat rib eye steak several times a week.
4. A new Mr. Roboto doggie duvet from Mollymutt . The duvet is really cute and you stuff it yourself with old garments. No fluff! Easily laundered! The only problem is that I don’t have enough old garments to stuff it with so I am using an old cushion for now which isn’t flat enough to be comfortable. Donations of old clothing, blankets, towels etc. (otherwise destined for Goodwill) accepted!
5. A handmade “gingerbread man” collar.THANK YOU for sending this, Lindsey! (I drew Lindsey’s boston girl – Kylie.)
5. TreatKeep. I found this treat pouch when searching for something hands-free and portable that I could keep slimey (sausage/cheese) treats in without having to stink-up my pockets or resort to a fanny pack. This pouch is small, lightweight and clips onto my waist. Bit hard to squeeze open with one hand though, as the rubber is really stiff. The order came with free toys! (that red ball)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOOGIE!
Two years ago on December 11th, we adopted Boogie from Boston Buddies. We think Boogie is now either 6 or 7 years old though it wouldn’t be hard to believe if I told you he was 2. He is a big sensitive baby with boundless energy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Boogie Monster! We love him very much and even though he has given us a lot of stress and cost us a lot of money with his behavioral issues, I wouldn’t exchange Boogie for anything in the world. He is the best naughty dog in the world and my favorite little friend.
Here’s Boogie when he was presented with his birthday squirrel (There is an octopus to come later, and maybe a rib-eye steak courtesy of Dad). See how well our daily obedience practice has paid off? He did a DOWN + STAY even though he was bursting with excitement. 🙂
Boogie's blog 