Still Learning the Ropes

Wow! I never realised blogging can be so much fun. It is an incredible outlet for the creative juices. I must thank my human friends, namely Doris, avid blogger and cool mum and Tracy, experimental chef for setting me down this path and to Bro Cheong, a man with a heart of gold for doing a spot on me on his blog.

As this is my maiden foray to the world of blogging, I'm still learning the ropes. Setting up the blog is pretty easy. Just follow the step-by-step instructions, pick a template and voila...you've got a blog. Not too bad for a beagle...

Still, I have lots to learn - like how to link to other bloggers, how to customise my blog, how to set up all the cool stuff my cool buddies have on their blogs (hint, hint!) and maybe make some money (kah ching!). My human dad is pretty techie' so I'll have to rope him in to help me when he is not so busy with work. My human mum is the contents expert. So, it's pretty much a family affair.

Hopefully, in time you'll see an evolution of my blog (for the better, I hope) as I experiment and learn the ropes. Meanwhile, all suggestions and comments are most welcomed. Woof!

Back to Nature!

Let's face it. I'm a suburban doggie. So, most days, I walk with my human/s around the housing area. But, I had a real treat last week. I went on a back to nature outing with my humans and their friends. We drove out (Hurray - car ride!) about an hour plus to a river somewhere near Ulu Yam. Towards the end, the ride was a bit bumpy as the road wasn't paved. The ride was a cross between bumper car and dodge that hole! But it was worth it. It was a quiet serene spot which we had all to ourselves. Check it out! (BTW, those are my humans...Will share more about them another time).

My humans and their friends enjoyed the fresh air, cool water and chilling out . Me, I was too busy to chill out...There was so much to sniff! I loved the jungle smells. Sure beats the smell of car fumes. Ooh...I could pick out the scent of the babi hutan (Jungle pig), squirrels and other jungle creatures. Previous visitors also left traces of their visit and I found the remains of la la shells and fish bones. Please, please be considerate. When visiting God's green earth, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints". Also checked out the river for fishes but the rocks were quite challenging for my lil' paws.

All that fresh air sure whets one's appetite. My humans and their friends had a nice picnic lunch of sandwiches and nasi lemak by the river. "Mayor" Stan, the organiser of the outing came super-prepared with a portable stove for making coffee. Naturally, I couldn't have any but Stan did give me some water. Thanks buddy!

After lunch, my human took a nap, so I had to do guard duty. Grrr..

After all that hard work, it was my turn for ..zzzzz.... and a tummy rub by Shank.

What a great "back to nature" day. What can I say, it's a dog's life... Woof!

To "BE"agle or not to "BE"agle

How do you know if my fellow beagles are suitable for you or your family? Well, it helps to understand our characteristic traits. We are hound dogs, bred in the past to hunt in packs. Physique wise, we're medium-sized dogs, with short fur and long-ish ears, although our ears are not as long as the basset hound, more famously known as the "Hush Puppy"dog. You'll probably fall in love with our soulful eyes. We have a fairly deep voice and have a tendency to bay (deep half howl). I personally like to "sing" (bay) along with the call to prayer!

Personality wise, because we're born and bred in packs, we are very sociable dogs. That means, we need lots of companionship. You'll need to be prepared to give us stimulation and affection, especially if we're the sole pet in the household. When left alone for too long, we are persistent and expert escape artists. You could say we're the Houdinis of the doggie world. We'll dig (chain link fences can't keep us in), climb, jump, bite, whatever... Even 6 foot fences can't stop us! (Ask my humans...).

As hunting dogs, we are independent, have lots of energy (translation = LOTS OF WALKS) and are pretty much governed by our nose. Once we catch a scent, that's it...That's why it is important for us to be on the leash when we're outdoors. This is also another reason for us to undergo obedience training, especially to respond to the command "Come". Having said that, if the scent is too tantalizing, and we're in the "sniff zone", that's it... We're not known to be the most obedient dogs due to our strong sense of independence and scent.

We are friendly, gentle creatures and are generally good with children. Still, as with most dogs, we should never be left unsupervised with small children. We should also be properly socialised with children and other dogs.

So, if you are prepared to invest time and love on us, in return, you will get a loyal companion who will love you unconditionally. What better way to come home after a hard day's work to a pet who greets you with a smile and a wagging tail? Woof!

Welcome to my blog!

Hi. My name is Kess. I'm a Beagle (think Snoopy but in tricolour- black, brown & white). In my birth certificate, I was named "Athensi Serenade" but my adoptive humans decided to call me "Kess", after a character in Star Trek Voyager. They wanted a single syllable name for easy calling. I can dig that. Imagine trying to call "Athensi Serenade, come on girl!".

My humans, Jas & Liz adopted me when I was 3 months old. I remember my first car ride. They brought me back in a box, cushioned with newspapers. I slept most of the journey from Subang to PJ, which took longer than usual due to an overturned tanker. Naturally, I pee'd in the box. Hey, puppies have limited bowel control... When you gotta go, you gotta go! Since that eventful first ride, I've developed a love for car rides.

I've been living with my humans for 6 years now. Honestly, it is a dog's life. I am very much loved by my humans and their families, friends and neighbours. I go for walks twice a day, eat, sleep, sleep some more and protect my territory (Watch out squirrels and monkeys!) In my blog, I'll share with you some of my adventures (believe me, in my 42 doggie years, or 6 human years), I've had my share of escapades, much to the chagrin of my humans. I'll also share some tips on doggie care & training, introduce some of my pals and whatever else comes to mind. Woof!