Dog and Pony Show

What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you hear the word "Dog and Pony Show"?

Perhaps it's the clever poodle jumping through a series of hoops...


Or a pony ride that all kids love to go on...


Note: Photos taken at the Chok Chai Farm, Bangkok, Thailand

Well, you wouldn't be wrong. The slang "Dog and Pony Show" is a colloquial term used in the United States to refer to the small travelling circuses that toured the small towns. The name was derived from the performing dogs and ponies that were the main attractions of the circus.

Today, the slang "Dog and Pony Show" refers to "An elaborate presentation orchestrated to gain approval for a policy or product" [From the razzle-dazzle of the trained animal acts.] I guess we see a lot of "Dog and Pony Shows" in politics! In fact, some of these acts are so well orchestrated that they beat the real animal shows hands down.

Clever ChokChai Farm Dogs

When my humans lived in Bangkok, they paid a visit to ChokChai Farm. It is located at Khao Yai, a national park around 1.5 hours drive from Bangkok. ChokChai is a working farm which produces beef and milk for local consumption. The farm is also open to the public as an agro tour spot to give tourists an opportunity to experience farm life. I will introduce the Chok Chai doggies to you. If you are interested to read about the rest of Chok Chai farm animals and tour, drop by my mama's blog "Life is A Journey. Enjoy It."

First off, the working farm dog. Every farmer appreciates the role the dog plays to keep the farm going smoothly. In ChokChai, they showcased the dog (I'll call him Lassie for simplicity") herding the sheep into the truck. It started off smoothly as Lassie expertly herded the sheep towards the pen. Then, disaster! Lassie fell off the plank in the chaos of the sheep rushing up. You could hear the visitors gasping (No, I don't think it was part of the performance) as Lassie yelped in pain. Lassie had injured his paw. But, a sheep dog being a sheep dog, he got up and with a limp continued to instruct the sheep to get into the truck. Brave Lassie. (Dad didn't take a picture of the fall as he was so concerned for Lassie).

The start of the plank walk

Sheep chaos

Brave Lassie finishing the herding

Next, mama Golden Retriever feeds a bottle of milk to orphan calf...

Last, but not least, the hoops and skipping rope poodles

Bravo to the clever ChokChai Farm Dogs!

Cool beagle stuff from Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand - Asia's shopping paradise! So, when my humans were relocated there 2 years back, they went mad shopping. They are heaps of cool doggie stuff in Bangkok. Thais love dogs. So you can find mugs with dog handles, cool retro dog prints, original dog paintings, big and small dog figurines, and tons of dog accessories for various breeds, large and small. It is a shopping haven for dog lovers!

Check out some of the stuff in our collection.






Guess which is my favourite?

Do also check out my new-found beagle friends, Jazz & Dixie's beagle shrine. Jazz & Dixie live in Japan and their humans have a cool collection of beagle stuff.

Dogs and Condos - Never the twain shall meet?

This post is inspired by my new-found friend, Dora. Dora loves dogs but can't keep any as she lives in a condo. In Malaysia apparently, most, if not all condos do not allow dogs. While it hasn't stopped some dog lovers from keeping them illegally, clandestine living is tricky. How do you sneak a 30kg labrador pass the guards? Ok, while you could sneak a 3kg toy poodle in a bag, can you really stop a dog from barking?

In the US and Canada, you would probably find more dog-friendly condos. Closer to home, in Singapore, some condos allow dogs. Even so, dog owners there sometimes face uphill battles with neighbours who don't share the same love for dogs. The fact is not everyone loves dogs, not all dog owners are responsible owners and not all dogs are well behaved (most times, it's probably due to the owners behaviour). When you have to live in close proximity in a condo and share common areas, the combination of these factors can be explosive.

Assuming we live in a perfect world, what type of dogs are appropriate for condo living? Most people assume that small dogs would be appropriate for condo living since they are...small and would probably require less space to run about. That's not entirely true because some small dogs (e.g. Jack Russells) are actually quite loud, active and require lots of exercise and attention. The key is to examine your lifestyle and to research the characteristics of the breed you are interested in to evaluate suitability for condo-living with you. Dog ownership requires time and commitment, even more so, if you live in a condo because you don't have a garden for the dog to romp around.

Of course, once you already have found the perfect dog for you, be a responsible dog owner. Go for obedience training, take time to reinforce the training, pick up the dog's poop, keep the dog on a leash when walking the dog in the condo compound and exercise the dog adequately. Come to think of it, all these tips apply to dog owners who live on landed properties as well!

P.S. My humans came to a difficult decision not to bring me to Bangkok when they relocated there 2 years back. Condo living was one of the factors. Fortunately, my dad's parents were willing to look after me whilst they were away. (And when they had to go away, mum's parents dog-sat me.) I made lots of new friends, canine and humans whilst living with them. Now that my humans are back, I am home with them again! Grandpa misses me though. Now that I'm not around the cats have been sleeping on the roof of his car and leaving scratch marks...