The Airport Beagle

My humans saw this beagle sign at the Taoyuan airport in Taipei and naturally could not resist taking a photograph. The beagle says "Declare or be fined! You must declare all animals, plants or their products on arrival in Taiwan..."

Beagles sniff - which is why we walk with our nose to the ground...


or in the air sniffing something 90% of the time!


More importantly, beagles are very good at sniffing out food, which is why we make such good airport sniffer dogs!

Busy, busy, busy

As the move date draws closer, life in our household is chaotic, to say the least. My humans have been busy spring-cleaning, deciding what to bring over to Hong Kong, what to leave at home, what to recycle/give away and what to throw. Not surprisingly, our home is pretty messy at the moment, with boxes and bags scattered all over.

At the same time, my humans have been busy trying to sell the car, close accounts and the 101 things in their "when we have to move overseas to-do-list". To top it off, they also have been busy catching up with all their friends before they go, which equals quite a fair bit of farewell lunches and dinners. Me, I am quite happy to go over to our neighbour, Aunty C's home when my humans are out. I will definitely miss our awesome neighbours!

My humans have decided to send for me 1 week after they leave. In the meantime, I will stay with gramps. They figured that the 1 week will give them time to run their errands and sort out all the stuff they need to do in their "when we arrive overseas to-do-list". Then, when this beagle finally joins them, my humans, or at least mum, will be able to spend some quality time at home with me to help me settle to condo living in a new country.

Mum continues to worry how I will cope with the travel and being in a crate for long periods. Although the flight to HK is only 4 hours, pick-up to the airport, will take place 6 hours before flight time. I will spend a couple of hours at the KLIA Animal Hotel where mum has requested for me to be let out of the crate until preparation for departure takes place, approximately 2 hours before. Upon arrival at HK Airport, it will be another 4-6 hours before I can be reunited with my humans as I would have to clear Customs Inspections, get my 2nd rabies jab and get a HK microchip, which is of a different standard from my existing chip.

So, as you can see, we are really quite busy. So, this would be it for now. My next post will be from HK. Until then, take care.

P.S. The mess below was created by a beagle who didn't like to be left home alone and has nothing to do with the move...

The Big Move

My humans travel very often, for work and pleasure. More often than not...actually it's all the time...this beagle stays behind when my humans go away. A few years ago, my humans moved to Bangkok for 1.5 years. I stayed back in Malaysia with gramps due to rabies concern in Thailand. Well, my humans are relocating to another country for a few years and I am finally going to join them on our "Big Move". Where are we going?

It's a busy city with a population of around 7 million people in approximately 1,000 sq kilometres. It has lots of skyscrapers, yet despite the many buildings, it does have quite a lot of parks and greenery in the fringes of the city.

From KL...


To...Take a look at this picture and guess where this beagle is moving to.


More on my big move later.

Fence - 0; Kess -1

A few weeks back, my humans went away for a short break at Cameron Highlands. This beagle also had my own getaway at Puppy Cottage. Now, if you recall, last month, I wrote a post about being "Fenced Down" at home. Well, my humans are not the only ones who use the dog fences to keep doggies in or down. Puppy Cottage also uses the dog fences to cordon off an area at the front of the shop for their canine guests to roam freely. This was a picture taken last year during my stay there:


Did you notice the fence at the front, to keep us canines safe within the roaming area? This is the picture of me at Puppy Cottage this recent trip.


Notice the difference? This beagle is actually being walked down the corridor. Why? Well, a certain wily beagle (no names named), have figured out how to jump/climb over the fence. That's right...1 point to the beagle! Anyway, as a result, R from Puppy Cottage had to put me in one of the back rooms with another Goldie...I must say though I did miss the excitement about being in the front of the shop as there is lots of entertainment with people walking by the shop and customers coming in to buy stuff. So, maybe the fence won this round after all...

And what were my humans doing at Cameron Highlands while this beagle was busy outwitting the fence? Apart from their usual stuffing their faces, they also went on a hiking tour to see the giant Rafflesia flower. They endured a bone-jarring jeep ride into the jungle, followed by a hike through some fairly steep muddy terrain - all to see this giant flower. Once, it has bloomed, the flower only lasts for 7 days. This Rafflesia was already 4 days old and had started to wilt.


The domed centre of the Rafflesia is made up a spongy material. The Rafflesia, which is also called a corpse flower because it emits a foul smell of dead animal, attracts flies and flesh eating beetles. The pollen which is in the centre, then gets stuck to these insects, which will then carry on the pollenation of this flower. Surprisingly though, this species of Rafflesia which was in Cameron Highlands did not have any noticeable smell to my humans. However, there were flies around the flower, so it must emit some kind of odour.


No one really knows for sure, but it is estimated that the Rafflesia takes 10 months to grow from this ball of cabbage to a full grown flower, which can be up to 1 metre wide.


After 7 days or so, the Rafflesia turns black and wilts, a shadow of its former glory. Sadly, due to the delicate nature of this flower, and the the length of time it takes to grow, the Rafflesia is becoming extremely rare. In Cameron Highlands, the loss of its natural habitat and use of pesticides due to increased farming has resulted in much smaller numbers of the Rafflesia. Who knows if this unique flower will be around in the next few years...

A treat for a beagle from Japan

My fellow bloggers will know that my humans have a travelling bug. Apart from this beagle, travelling the world is one of their passions in life. Luckily for me, they come home with treats for me, well, most of the time anyway. They recently came back from Japan with a suitcase full of delicious treats...of which only, two packets are for me. The rest, they say are for human consumption. Such piggies!

In the midst of the souvenier and delectable food stores, my humans stumbled across this lovely pet store at the Nakamise Market in Tokyo. I reckon, I've trained them well to spot pet stores. The pet store is the one on the right.



They also have lovely dog figurines. Did you see the beagle? Sure looks like me.


Anyway, this beagle was able to sniff that the packages contains treats that this beagle loves. So, in my excitement...


My humans said that that jumping on the treat was unacceptable behaviour for a lady beagle. Who wants to be a lady? I just want the food! Still, house rules are house rules...


Finally, after one suspenseful minute of sitting, I was rewarded for good behaviour. It took me less than 2 seconds to tear the wrapping apart.


My humans got me tasty pig ear treat, at least that's what they think they bought. My humans don't speak Japanese, and the Japanese shop owner doesn't speak English...Still, from the packaging it sure looks like a treat for a beagle, don't you think?


Gotta go, got myself a pig ear to chew on for a while...


P.S. My humans say due to my recent weight gain from my stay at the Puppy Cottage, they're rationing my treats. Not only do I get one pig ear today, I only get to open the second package at a time to be determined later. Sigh!

A beagle's weekend at Puppy Cottage

Last weekend, my humans went away for a short break. Now usually, I get to stay at one of my two gramps' homes but this time, my humans were going away with both sets of gramps. Mum had done lots of research on canine boarding before deciding on Puppy Cottage. The major plus factor is that the dogs get to roam around freely in a secured area, instead of being kept in a cage the entire time. The only time the dogs are caged is at night during bedtime.

It really was quite a fun experience. I've never been let off-leash with so many other dogs before. Most of my fellow canine boarders were small dogs, mainly terriers. When there is a pack of dogs, you can be assured of lots of excited barking dogs zooming around. Dad's camera can't cope with the speed of canine movements. Hence, you get an almost surreal effect.


R, from Puppy Cottage commented that I was one of the most well-behaved beagles they've boarded. When my humans related that comment to gramps and the rest of the family, they laughed. I guess they were surprised given the mischief I get into when I stay at gramps place.

Did I enjoy my stay at the Puppy Cottage? The smile on my face says it all.


Despite the fun time I had at Puppy Cottage, I was ready to go home with my humans.


See ya fella boarders. Be good!


Hop on to the car to go back home. Woohoo!


Followed by a nice long walk


All in all, this beagle had a pretty fun weekend. Despite being away from my humans, I made lots of new friends at Puppy Cottage. My humans are glad to have found a safe place where I can be boarded without being caged up whenever they travel. So, it's a solution that works out well for all of us. Humans and beagle are happy!

The Taj Mahal - A Dog's Dinner

"A Dog's Dinner" is another one of those dog phrases that has nothing to do with the words that make up the phrase. I'm a simple beagle. I think that phrases should mean what they say. If it's a dog's dinner, then it really should be what a dog eats for dinner.


But, as we've discovered through the entire "Dog Series" this year, dog phrases aren't as simple as it seems. In this case, "A Dog's Dinner" means "Dressed or displayed in an ostentatiously smart manner". Since mum was in India recently, we thought that a good example of this phrase is the Taj Mahal.




The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. Located in Agra, India, the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took 22 years to complete. Mum says the Taj is more that just a smart display, it is a magnificent architecture showcasing Persian, Indian and Islamic elements. I'll have to take her word for it since I wasn't there in India with her. As always, I get left behind when my humans travel. My only consolation is that dad was left behind this time too...

Anyway, if you're interested in reading a bit more about the Taj and viewing some more photos, pop by mum's blog and read her post on "The Taj Mahal - Seven Wonders of the World"

It's a dog's life in Delhi

I had started off my blog this year with a post on "It's a dog's life". There are 2 schools of thought as to the meaning of this phrase. The older definition which dates back to the 16th century- "a miserable, unhappy existence" refers to the terrible life of working dogs during this era. The second meaning, which seems to have evolved over time is in direct contrast to the first -"A life of indolence where the individual may do as he or she pleases, just like a pampered dog."

Well, mum is in India at the moment, her first trip to this country and she says that for the strays in Delhi, the first definition seems to apply. During her 5-hour car journey to Agra to visit the majestic Taj Mahal, she had her first encounter with one aspect of Indian rural life. Her heart broke when she saw the strays rummaging through rubbish, some with limps from being hit by a vehicle. It's not just the dogs that have a 16th century dog's life. The cows and horses do too. Admittedly, the humans themselves are poor, some of them living on the sidewalks. Of course, when she saw the strays, she can't help thinking about one very lucky Indian dog - Oorvi. It only takes one human to make a difference to a dog's life!

It's in the ear!

Remember the doggie quiz on Tuesday? Good try everyone!

Q: What does a dog have to do with a book?
A: They both have ears!

Yes, it's in the ear, or to be more specific, dog-eared. Dog ear on a beagle, or any other dog is exactly what it is - an organ used for hearing and balance.

But, on a book, or to be more specific, a well-read book, "dog-eared" refers to the book corners worn or battered with use.


I do apologize I couldn't post a picture of a more "worn" book. My human is a book worm (no, she's not a worm - she just loves to read) and takes good care of her books. Her New York State Frommer's travel guide is the closest book with dog-eared corners. I suppose after travelling with my humans for 9400 miles on the plane from KL to New York City, followed by a 1000-mile road trip from NYC to Finger Lakes, Niagara and Adirondacks last summer, the book can be considered to be in pretty good shape. My humans definitely used the book extensively - referring to it for places to stay, eat and visit!

I must confess though that I couldn't see the resemblance between my beagle ears and the ears on the corner of the book. However, I suppose that whoever coined the word "dog-eared" must be referring to the more pointy ears of a dog like Benjy, my mixed pedigree buddy.

There is definitely some resemblance there! I hope you enjoyed that little quiz.

Ginger and Beef

Mum's Chinese Stir Fried Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion

No, I'm not doing a post on the Chinese stir-fried beef with ginger (although we have the recipe on Mum's blog if you are interested).

This is Part 2 of my post on my humans' trip to New York. When they were in the Adirondacks, they hired mountain bikes and hit the trails there. After 18 miles of cycling, they took a break at a park before returning the bikes. That's where they met Ginger (the first part of the heading), a Chinese Shar Pei dog. My humans have never seen a Shar Pei before and were intrigued by Ginger's deep wrinkly feature. They struck a conversation with Gingers' humans, the Furinas, who were most gracious and allowed Ginger to be photographed.

With its origins as a guard dog, the Shar Pei a loving, devoted family dog. Ginger had no problem when her human carried her like a baby. In fact, she looked like she enjoyed it! Besides pictures and stories of new friends, mum & dad also brought me back some treats - Beef Jerky (which is the second part of my heading) and Doggie Bacon. Woo Hoo! I mean, it's nice to meet new friends but hey, I'm a beagle. Nothing beats food!

I check out the Beef Jerky first. It's made with American beef and smells soooo yummy.

Then, I sniff the Doggie Bacon. Oh man, I'm salivating....

Can't resist...Gotta get this package open...

Mum, can I have some help please???Typical mum. She tortures me with the "Sit down" command with the oh so tempting beef jerky treat in my "Feed Me" bowl! How much more can a beagle take???Finally, she relents when she sees my mournful look and gives me the long awaited "OK"It tasted just as good as it looked!

Thanks mum & dad for the new friends and doggielicious treats from New York!

Napoleon, King of the Hills of Skaneateles

My humans suffer from "doggie deprivation" (aka they miss me heaps!) whenever they travel. So, after close to 2 weeks of admiring other people's dogs from afar in New York, they were delighted to discover that the bed and breakfast they were staying in at Elbridge, a quaint village in the hills of Skaneteales (Pronounced "Skinny Atlas") has a dog. Joy! Happiness!

Napoleon, named after Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous French leader, is a Great Dane (think Scooby Doo). The breed is commonly referred to as the "Gentle giant" and the "Apollo of all breeds", which is so true. I think that if I met him face to face (OK, I may not be able to see his face if we're both standing coz I'm SHORT and he's well...BIG...), I may not be afraid of him coz mum assures me he is very, very calm and friendly).

Check out the smile on his face and his beautiful blue eyes!

Scooby Dooby Do...Where are you?

Marge and Bob, the owners of Fox Ridge Bed and Breakfast adopted him from a friend who could no longer take care of him.

We think he couldn't have a better home than Fox Ridge Farm. The tree farm is set on 120 acres of woodland. He has the pick of gardens, open meadows, forested hills, and brooks to roam on the property.

Strength and grace in motion

Then when he's done enough exploring for the day, he goes home to his comfy bed. And of course, when there are dog-loving visitors at the bed and breakfast, he gets an extra dose of hugs and pats. Mum & dad really enjoyed their stay at Fox Ridge. Marge and Bob are gracious hosts. Breakfast - Baked french toast with apples was yummy! Mum said it felt like home away from home, right down to the dog!

P.S. Marge, thanks for the carrot and apple. Mum said you asked her to give it to me on your behalf. You know I just love carrots and apples!

Welcome home mum & dad!

Mum & dad were so pleased to see the Welcome sign on our door. They've been away to New York for 3 whole weeks! As usual, I couldn't go with them. They said New York is really far far away from Malaysia. It's about a 20-hour flight and a 12 hour time difference (which explains why mum is up at 4am Malaysian time blogging away... In NY, it's 4pm EST). I went on a lil' hol myself - to gramps' home. They treated me so well that I probably came home a few pounds heavier!

As a result of being away, we've missed visiting our friends' blogs. Thanks so much for your comments, awards and tags. We'll try to catch up with all of you soon.

In case you're wondering how we managed to post on our blog whilst being away. Here's another blogging tip. Blogger has a post option (at the bottom left of the page) which allows you to choose the date and time for publishing your post. So, before we went away, we worked on 3 extra blogs which we scheduled to post each week. Isn't that cool?

Mum's feeling sleepy again so we're going to sign off for now. We have lots to share with you. They met some really cool dogs in NY. We should be back blogging again soon, in a more earthly hour (Mum hopes... It's no fun suffering from jet lag!)

Dogs Not Allowed in Bali

My humans came across this sign at at Made's Warung in Bali. They thought it was funny. I didn't!

Bali is an island in Indonesia. Bali is the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music. For more information on the island, check out Wikepedia.

My mum has also posted on her recent holiday there. So, if you are interested in what to do and where to eat in Bali, check out her posts on Bali.

Dogs on Travels

My humans are travel crazy and dog mad. So, during their travels they would take photographs of dogs - street dogs, other people's dogs, performing dogs, friend's dogs, etc, etc. I would like to think that they miss me, hence, their dog photography. Anyway, I would like to share some of these photographs with you. Enjoy!

What a view! Santorini, Greece

Dalmatian shopkeeper- Santorini, Greece

Doggie golfer - Glenorchy, New Zealand

Please feed me... Akaroa, New Zealand

Hey buddy, want to go for a car ride? Akaroa, New Zealand

Check out the biscuit on the dog's nose - Incredible self control (I would have eaten it!) - Christchurch, New Zealand

Chow time - Portabello Market, London

2 gorgeous Alsatians on a lunch-time walk - St James Park, London