It was NEARLY a sad day for Dog Woods ...

...when the Dog Woods proud Pack of TEN nearly became EIGHT!

That was when the mischevious Fur Kids Tubby Jr. and Brandi found a weakness in the fence and disappeared into the bushes across the road.




The Chief and other Dog Woods human inhabitants trudged and drove up and down the neighbourhood hollering (well, that's what it sounded to us canine of super hearing!) for Tubby and Brandi to return. It was dinner time anyway, and surely, they MUST be hungry.




But obviously they were too caught up in the excitment of their escape they forgot about their hunger - for at least a few hours.


As the twilight of the evening fell into darkness, the humans began to worry ...


Chief fretted that they may have wandered too far and have lost scent of home. Or unwittingly annoy some venomous reptile - the occassional cobras and monitor lizards have been found to slither /scuttle across the road. Or worst, eaten! The Chief once chanced upon a huge long python warming itself across the tarred road just outside of Dog Woods!


It is a jungle out there, after all!


Not being very street smart, the Chief also worried how the FurKids would react when they stumbled upon the main roads of zooming cars.

Inspite of the Chief's increasing fears, she stood calling where they were last seen with huge torch light flashing into the darkness ... hoping, just hoping that they would see the light and follow the light home.

And sure enough, after what it seemed like the longest while, indisputable puppy panting could be heard in the distance (we heard them even before the humans did!). The Kids were making their way back - the undergrowth was very thick and trudging back was hard going. Eventually out poked a very hot and tired pup. The Chief had to pull them out of the tangling undergrowth of vines, brambles and bushes.

Anywoos. We're (both humans and canine) are simply relieved they are found. We're glad (esp. the Chief) they had the good sense to come home ... that running off to have adventures in the great out there is really not that fun after all!

Slowly but surely

Hello there!

Today I surprise the Chief with my amazing retrieving skills ... no, no those upside down ball shots are merely a ploy of frustrating the Chief. Just to show her that this Basset TOP DOG has a mind of his own and will decide as and when to retrieve - not stupid just stubborn ;)

But, I have to admit that once upon a time ago, my idea of 'retrieve' was to scoot off as quickly as I can to reach ball and protect toy with me Lordy Life! Can't help it, I am TOP DOG after all and what is Mine is Mine and what is Yours is ALSO MINE! And what is No One's is ALSO MINE!!

The Chief calls me a 'Spoil Sport'. But am not perturbed. My hide can handle alot more jeering (from other pups) and name calling. I would have never became TOP DOG had I cared for what the Chief or the other Dog WOods pooches thought! :P

However, it finally dawn upon me, after almost an age of watching Joe and Trixie play their favourite daily game of 'retrive' with the Chief, that maybe it would be a nice change to share instead of hog toy for Basset-ly self.

I have to admit, it's barkingly more fun to share me toys!

So I admit, am a little slow in learning to the finer points of 'playing together'.

Human-basset interactions were usually motivated by the stomach ...

(yes yes, I am 'Tubular' for a reason!)

But at least I got there, finally!

Making efforts to impress to earn praise is just as rewarding as yummy treats!

Wordless Wednesday: Puppies or Monkeys?

Monday's Homebaked Thrills!

Arrrooo rooo there good furry and fur-less readers,

Just when we thought - while savouring all those yummy smells emanating from the kitchen all day, wishing we could have some morsel share in human food. Yes, we did put on our saddest 'poor-me-expression with hopes wrangling ourselves some tasteful treats'... the Chief went on to surprise us with carob star cookies, made with the carob Suzuki's mommy so kindly sent from Australia.

Carob Star cookies ready to be baked

The end result

Wooo! We'll let the pictures tell you what we thought about our carob star cookies.

BIG SMILES... & ...

...Paws up for cookies!

Like all good things, the Chief says must be shared (though this TOP DOG here would rather have all the cookies for himself!)!

So here be the very simple recipe of our yummy cookies.

1. 340g flour (can be mixed with wholemeal for more wholesome-ness)

2. 210g butter

3. a table spoon of lemon juice

4. some cold water to combine

5. carob buttons (which can be substituted with either bacon, liver, sausage - anything of pup's choice!)

Method :

Rub in butter (#2) into flour until resemble bread crumbs. Add in lemon juice and cold water until form dough. Leave to stand for 20 mins

Roll out dough and use cookie cutter to cut into shape (The Chief only had 'Star' cookie cutter). And stick carob buttons in middle of star. Bake at 150-180 C for 20 minutes.

Happy Father's Day!

Wooof Woof there furry and fur-less readers,

It's TOP DOG Tuffy pawing this blog!

This be what me Fur Kids made fur me today. Aren't they the sweetest .... inspite of being sometimes unmanageable and unruly!

They sure make me one proud Dad!

I would also like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the entire Dog Woods Pack to wish all blog readers - furry and fur-less a very 'Happy Father's Day' ! With many affectionate slobbery kisses and waggedly tails ...

Dog Woods Baseball team : Play Ball!!

Let's Play ...BALL!

(Invented by swishes and wags of Dexter's tail and ears!)

That's canine sign language - made up Dog Woods version, of course!

And Woof! Woof! Woof! *pant*pant*pant* That's what we've been doing all day today ...

Three not so little Fur Kids sitting in a row ...

Technically we were suppose to be standing around in a diamond shaped field - but since we didn't have that kind of field we planted ourselves ever we felt comfortable.

Baseball Dog Woods style includes loads of jostling, shoving and many many excited licks and wags in between! We had so much fun we felt we all won! Awwwooooo!!

We couldn't really decide who'd be the first to pitch or bat ...

TOP DOG Tuffy : "I bat, you pitch ..."

Wally : "You pitch, I bat ..."

Anywoos, the Chief stepped in and 'pitched'. So we all got to play ball!

... and bat ...

Joe running off to chew on 'bat'

Wally striking out ...

We've discovered that for a dog, batting is almost impossible. :p So we ditched the bat and

And here are some 'base' actions ...

Snoopy showing off her 'slides'

Anna and Dexter - sniffing down yet another scent, not exactly very base-ball-y!


Dexter sniffing up a tree stump ...

While the rest of us were getting loads of ball action ...

Donny proves a natural catch!

While this TOP DOG has to TOP Donny one up ...

Look Chief! I got the ball balanced on me nose!

And where pray tell is our mischevious Trixie the Pixie? Well! If she wasn't running circles around us lot trying to herd us into a 'center, she was trying to snatch our ball and bury it!

Dog Woods Baseball team : Getting organized...

Arrooo rooo there good furry and fur-less readers!

Responding to Sue's challenge we've at Dog Woods have excitedly formed a baseball team ... however, since the only thing we know about baseball is that it includes a bat, a ball and players all over the field.

We simply had to get ourselves organized! To help us focus, the Chief (from the recent 'Blue Bandanna' experience) decided that we Dog Woods Baseball Pack do without the iconic baseball caps

'Whaattt? No chewing caps!'

So first, we had to find ourselves a 'bat' ...

We came back with this after barking up many a trees .

BATS!

But sadly it got away ...

Much disappointed with our get-away bat(s) we all looked to the Chief for direction.

Chief said to look for a bat less complicated preferably one without wings.

She said to keep a sniff out for something simpler - preferably one that looks more like a 'stick'

Happily we scrambled off in search of a stick - what a fun game this already is !

Wally hauling back the Bamboo Stick

Wally & TOP DOG Tuffy posing with bamboo 'bat'

Snoopy proudly showing her 'stick' : The Garden Rake!

Brandi : "Does this count?"

Next came the 'Ball' ... we had no problems with that at all.

We had a :-

1. Sniffy Ball : We've got to chase down that scent!

2. A rolling-about-on-the-Grass-Ball!

3. A Wrestling Ball

4. Joe even had a Ball all by himself !




The Chief cut our 'Balls' short (no puns intended!) and got us to look for a ball - something small, round and that can be tossed and carried ...

"Now how are we going to carry this?!"

"Okay kid, I push you pull"

Then Wally, being the Fur Kid Smarts went rummaging about the Dog WOods Pack Toy Box and came up with this ball!

We're all set! Now let's play ball!