I wonder if it is possible to train a Lab to fetch groceries. About 300 meters from the house.

I was on petfinder, and there is a section on lost and found dogs. Many lost (stolen?) Labs, but no lost GSDs. I wonder if their docile temperament makes them easy to abduct.

This past Sunday I drove over to G-Pet, a pet boarding house in Bukit Rimau, to adopt a Portuguese Water Dog. I had initially wanted a Labrador, and am supposed to drive down to Ipoh this weekend to pick up a 8-week old Labrador pup, but a Portuguese made so much more sense. It is medium sized. It doesn't shed. It kept fishermen company on small boats, so functions well in confined areas. Obama has one.

But when I got there and talked to the proprietor, a Spaniard, he recommended I adopt a Golden Retriever there instead. I thought about it for a bit and went with the Goldie. He took him out, and his instant friendliness sealed the deal. He jumped all over me and covered me in saliva, tail wagging non-stop.

It's about one year old. Intact/unneutered. It's previous owner, "an elderly lady" put him up for adoption because he is hyperactive.

It has been two days now that I've spent with my Goldie, whose name from the previous owner is Brownee. (I find the name undignified, but the dog responds to his name, so I am keeping it.)

He learns very quickly. He was afraid to climb stairs on the first day, but mastered it within a few hours of coaxing. Though he would ascend stairs on his own, he was absolutely terrified of descending them. I would have to carry his 15kg down stairs. I tried tempting him to come down steps with treats (cat kibbles). I worked on it for hours (in sum; there were lots of breaks between sessions) but he refuses to go down stairs even when pulled on a choke collar. When I carry him down, he would be terrified, with his legs stiffly holding on to me as if his life depended on it.

Until today. All of a sudden, he started going down stairs. He would need some coaxing, but once he goes down one flight of stairs, the rest is automatic.

I pass by this waterfall several times a week but never had any reason to wade in it. Now with a dog, I have a reason to explore it, and the nature around where I live (I live in the country).







This post has been edited by kotmj: Jun 17 2014, 11:16 PM

One of the first things I checked with Brownee was his retrieving instinct. I threw a stick/twig. He trotted to it half-heartedly, sniffed it, and lost interest. Duh.

Then today I bought some tennis balls. It was like crack to him. Just the sight of the bright neon colour fascinated him, and when I bounced it off the floor he went wild.

I threw the ball and he chased after it, pounced on it, secured it in his jaws, and trotted back to me with it. We played fetch like this about 20 times today on the lawn. The perfect retriever.

It appears retrievers only retrieve objects of value, not any random sticks.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jun 20 2014, 01:05 AM

I fed a whole mango to my GR today. Skin on, cut into chunks. He loved it.

My Golden


This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 7 2014, 11:58 AM

Bought a new lens yesterday. Tested it by shooting my dog.




This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 13 2014, 06:00 PM

My dog

1 year-old. Was given up for adoption by an elderly lady who found him too much to handle.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 23 2014, 11:14 PM

Eating out of a Kong. I had just bathed him.

Yes. Supplements have been known to cure hip dysplasia. Reverse it. Magic pills, all of them. Remember to keep giving them the supplements their whole life.

On the beach