Furry Mischiefs

Deeexxxttteeeeerrr!!!!

Dexter, resident hooligan of the Dog Woods pack have developed a rather worrying after dinner habit. Most dogs would take the dump after a meal, but not Dexter.  That young dog simply has to slip out through his secret exit, go sniffing about outside and chase the occasional car that drives by.  By then, the rest of the pack are alerted by Dexter's 'extra-curricullar' mischief and are wailing away in protest.  And almost always, an annoyed, very concern human voice can be heard above their barks.

'Deeeeeeexxxxxxttttteeeeeerrrrr! You come back RIGHT NOoooW!!!' 

And as if following a script, he'd come to a screeching halt, turn around, head hung low, tail drooping, with a rather sheepish expression comes trotting back to the main gates to be let back in.  

I suppose I ought to be glad Dexter clearly understands that he should stop whatever he's doing and comes right back.  Am also somewhat relieved that the drivers of cars that Dexter's been chasing have been kind enough to slow down and let him have his 'fun' (without him getting run over).  What am most concerned about are the random cyclists or joggers that out of whim decide to take the short cut by Dog Woods with Dexter lurking outside.   

Knowing Dexter, he'd be having a field day giving chase (thankfully without sinking any teeth)... and that's enough to traumatize anyone!

So far (touch wood), that's not yet happened.  However, at the rate the same scene takes place daily, it's trauma waiting to happen!  Must double my efforts to locate his secret escape route ... I have a suspicion that Dexter's developed climbing skills ... 

Tuffy's new friends ...

I've always been wary introducing Tuffy to small people ... he may be furry cute and short but he could easily knock someone over with his sheer bulk.  

So when some Penan children came to visit Dog Woods a few weeks ago, I had the entire pack confined - for their safety.   But Tuffy being Dog Woods Top Dog simply had to make sure the young visitors were warmly welcome.  Needless to say, they were immediately won over.

Here are some of my favourite shots of Tuffy and his new friend.

'Helloooo ...'

Tuffy's signature 'How do you do?' paw greeting

This be ...

My first attempt to grow my own herb garden ...

dill

... the green fence to keep the dogs out ...

...what Tuffy thought of my ambitious gardening project (considering am not known to have green fingers...)

*bleah*

... Snoopy trying to be helpful ...

... the volunteering natural pest control canines

chasing down a scent 

... the guilty pups that got under the fence that dug it all up

'Uh-oh ...'

... the pup banished to their 'naughty corner' (like that helped ..)

*sniff*

...the pup looking most contrite!

'I'm so sow-weeee....'

That partying in the distance ...

The city has been playing host to the World Interhash Run  2010 over the last few days and there's been much evening revelry in the distance.  

Hash runs, so I'm made to understand, is a trail run through remote and exotic terrains (around the world) while enjoying copious amount 'liquid refreshment'.  In other words it's a drinking club with a running problem where the 'Hare' sets a trail run and the 'Hounds' follow with the ultimate goal of reaching refreshments at the end.  Naturally, being 'hounds' there's bound to be much baying ....

It so happen that the venue of 2010 World Interhash Run is but a stone throw away from Dog Woods (my bad, I've not actually seen the hash runners in real life) ... and so, we've been listening to World Inter-hash runners's evening revelry in the near distance. The 'Hounds' indulging themselves in the human version of baying i.e. loud singing, band playing and people gleeful cheering. Mostly, I find it quite entertaining - the band and singers are really quite good!  And I find my feet tapping to the beat ... which the dogs find quite curious. 

The Furkids however, does not seem to appreciate all that human baying in the near distance.  They've been howling and barking angrily whenever the singer in his/her rendition of some drinking song hits a certain pitch.  I suppose their super hearing, all that loud singing and music in the distance nothing but a gawd awful racket and admittedly, on some occasions I can't help but agree (you call that singing?!??!) 

As I write, someone's singing Abba's version of the 'Dancing Queen'!  :) She's  really good! The dogs are strangely quiet. Perhaps for once they have the same music appreciation as I do!  

A lull in between ....

Hello!

We've been really busy at Dog woods lately.  Renovation works.  Which explained the silence.  It's been one project after another ... with yours truly coping and cleaning up messes that's off any charts!

I've since come to the conclusion that men (esp. them workmen) have higher mess tolerance than women per se. They seem to take it in their stride leaving heaps and trails of what-nots in their paths.   And while they throw things into an unsightly rubble waiting for pigs to fly before it gets all carted away,  I on the other hand am of the opinion that daily messes ought to be cleaned up before it gets ahead of you.

Which explains my daily state of conflict and increasing blood pressure whenever I encounter that ever growing mother of messes .... which, obviously leaves me in no state to write.  If it weren't for the dogs who are such a lovely distraction those workmen would have frozen over many times over with my scorn!

So, to keep you up to date with the happenings of Dog Woods.  The Dogs are still on a diet with me watching their food and proportion while they happily gobble it all down.  Tuffy and Snoopy are the same ol' basset hound-y self.  Joe can never get enough of his game of fetch. Anna adores being adored and the pups ... are up and about their usual mischevious furry selves.  Tubby Jr had a minor spot of tick fever which has since cleared.  Wally and Brandi being very well behaved even with the main gates wide open.  The pups would still occassionally do a quick run outside and return back just quickly. I think they finally understand that the grounds outside are somewhat 'off limits'

Dexter however has a secret escape hatch somewhere along the chain-link fences which I've not yet uncovered (no matter how hard I've been looking).  The young pup's been taking liberty of venturing outside with the rest of the pack usually barking loudly to let me know some pup's up to no good beyond the territorial boundaries of Dog Woods.

I no longer worry quite as much as I used to when it comes to escaped pups since they don't disappear for hours as they used to. Dexter being the main culprit, would come scampering back the minute the others howl their protests.  I suppose there's no fun in venturing outside on your own ...

As I write, the lawn is strewn with heaps of tree branches and scattered leaves. We've had a team to trim the trees the last few days and the usual leafy Dog Woods is looking a bit bare, not forgetting messy.  Am hoping when the trees grow out, we'd have more shady foliage rather than lanky tall trees

Someday, when the renovation's and landscaping done - Dog woods shall look like this (assuming the dogs don't chew off the bench and flatten them ferns first)!