Christmas greetings from our home to yours!!!

I want to wish all my readers and followers a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!! May the Lord bless you this Christmas and always!

The three of us are heading to the Catskills in a few hours. I will blog about about our trip when we get back on the 27th!!

Happy Holidays!!

Christmas in Catskills!!!!

The three of us are gearing up for Christmas which is just around the corner!!! New York City looks spectacular during the Holiday Season with the huge and brightly lit Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, decorated stores and their window displays! We see people singing Christmas carols here and there! The first snow fell on our city this week and it was so lovely!! The first snow is always the loveliest! It's surely the most wonderful time of the year. We've been busy this week doing our Christmas shopping and is there anything more exciting than buying Christmas presents for your loved ones?? We can't wait for Christmas day to open up our nicely wrapped 'surprise presents'! Walley has a christmas present too; waiting to be opened up on Christmas morning!

So, for Christmas this year, the three of us are going to be celebrating the merry occasion in the Catskill mountains. Elwyn and I had celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary (3 years ago) in the Catskills and it surely feels lovely and exciting to be re-visiting the same lodge we stayed at back then!! We'll be staying at this very comfy and homely place called Cold Spring Lodge in Big Indian, New York. The Catskill mountains are amazingly gorgeous and this time of year with all the snow, it looks a lot like paradise on earth!! Walley loves to run and play in the snow, Elwyn loves to ski and I love to snowshoe and we totally love each other so we're really looking forward to an exciting, adventurous and old fashioned Christmas this year!! We'll be driving to the Catskills on the 23rd afternoon and will be driving back home on the 27th afternoon. It's only a 3 hour drive each way. One of those days that we're at the Catskills, we plan on visiting Woodstock (if you remember from my older posts, the three of us had been to Woodstock last year for just a day to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary). Woodstock is not too far from where we'll be staying in the Catskills so we're also excited about Candlestock and Woofstock (stores in Woodstock) for some candle-shopping and doggie-toys/treats-shopping as well!

The three of us can't wait to celebrate this Christmas in a quaint little town, the traditional way!! The last time Elwyn and I were at that lodge in Catskills (3 years ago), we just loved sitting and warming up by the fireplace because that is something we never get to do in the city! And this time, we have Walley joining us so we're going to enjoy our stay there all the more!! The three of us are eagerly waiting for a 'Merry Little Christmas in Catskills'!!

Walley enjoys the 'Belly Rub'!!!

I have not heard of a single dog that doesn't enjoy a belly rub! They all love it!! Our Walley has enjoyed getting a belly rub since he was a little pup!! On most days, he actually demands for one by laying on his back with belly on top so Elwyn or I can give him a nice and long 'belly rub'!!


Here is a short clip of Walley enjoying a belly rub ( from Elwyn) when he was 3 months old:

3-month old Walley mastered sit, stay, lay down and to place his nose on the ground!

Walley mastered sit, stay and lay down when he was 3 months old!!!

2-month old Walley slips and rolls away while attempting to drag his bed!

2-month old Walley playing with his toy and tail:)

2- month old Walley playing with his elephant toy and first bed:)

I am back on my Blog!!

I know!!! It's been quite a while since I last blogged: a month to be exact!!! Let me tell you, it wasn't a planned absence. In fact, it was a rather circumstantial one and you will see 'why' as you read along.

I will be combining two articles in this post just to make it easy for me and my readers. Please note that the first blog-post has no relevance or significance with the second one. Like I said, I am merely combining two posts to make the writing and reading easier.

Read along below-


To Neuter or Not: that was the BIG question!!!

It was a really tough call to make. I was debating in my mind for several months if I should or shouldn't neuter Walley. The "ifs" and "buts" were so overwhelming that I just couldn't come to a firm decision easily. Elwyn said he trusted any decision I would make with regards to this matter and left it completely up to me to make the final call!!

After much perplexity, Cesar Milan came to my mental rescue. Yes, Cesar Milan- the famous "Dog Whisperer". It was after reading this particular article written by him that I was able to come to a firm decision without any regrets ever after. Here is the link to Cesar's article which I really urge everyone to read:

http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/spay-and-neuter-myths

So, you can now very well guess what I must have finally decided. Yes, we got Walley neutered on the 8th of November. It was a 'day' surgery. Walley went in to the clinic at 9 am for the surgery and came back home at 6 pm that same evening. Dr. Tufaro conducted the 'neuter' surgery on Walley. Both Elwyn and I are so grateful to God that we have Dr. Tufaro as Walley's Vet. He's the best animal doctor I've ever met. Walley adores him and loves to see him and his assistants every single time we go the clinic!! Can you even imagine that? Most dogs hate going to a Vet but our munchkin loves Dr. Tufaro's clinic. The people there are so warm and friendly!!

The stitches from the surgery were removed exactly 10 days later. Walley wore the Elizabethian Collar only for two or three days after the surgery. The surgical wound healed very nicely before the stitches were removed. And, Walley did perfectly fine after the stitches were removed as well.

One piece of advice I'd like to give people who are confused about neutering their dogs. If you are hesitating to neuter your dog just because you have heard that dogs become inactive or less playful after neutering; you will surprise yourselves that it's only a myth. Walley is just as playful after the "neuter" surgery as he was before it. Of course, on the day of surgery he was groggy and lethargic but that was the very obvious effect of the anesthesia and some of the routine vaccines which he had received that day. The very next day of the surgery, Walley was so cheerful and playful like he was never neutered at all.

Elwyn and I are so relieved that we overcame our fears and myths about neutering and did just the right thing for our munchkin.

Thank you Cesar Milan and Dr. Tufaro!!



Hot Spots: I didn't even know such a thing existed!!

Last Sunday, only a few hours after we brought Walley home from a 5-day stay at the New York Dog Hotel which he thoroughly enjoyed, we noticed our munchkin was bleeding slightly from the left side of his face. I tried to clean the area with some water but Walley felt a lot of pain just to mild touch. Because the hair on his face was covering the actual site of the bleeding, I wasn't able to see what was going on there.


Elwyn and I immediately took Walley to the Animal Medical Center ( the Emergency Hospital where Walley was treated for Seizure in January). The attending emergency doctor told us that Walley has a Hot Spot. A Hot Spot? I didn't even know what that was until the doctor explained it to us. 'Hot Spot' is a term used for moist dermatitis and the causes for it are many including 'idiopathic'. In Walley's case, the hot spot was an idiopathic one which means the reason for it is not known. Golden Retrievers are, however, naturally very susceptible to skin infections owing to their type of skin coat. The doctor at the Emergency Center shaved and scrubed the affected area on Walley's face ( which is part of the treatment for Hot Spots).


We brought Walley home from the hospital the same night and put him on Antibiotics ( to treat the secondary infection) and Bendaryl ( to prevent itching) as prescribed by the doctor at the Emergency Center. Two days later, I could see that the lesion on Walley's face was healing but there was still some pus oozing out. So, I decided to take him to Dr. Tufaro ( Walley's regular Vet). Dr. Tufaro cleaned the affected area on Walley's face more thoroughly and also gave me a cleaning solution ( Chlorhexadine) to use at home for Walley. Dr. Tufaro said that this type of skin infection is very common in Golden Retrievers and that there is nothing to worry about. He said the wound will heal very well and Walley may never even get a Hot Spot again! That's a relief!!


Here are a few pictures of Walley's healing Hot Spot:

Here are a two pictures of Walley getting cozy while taking a nap on the couch. The Elizabethian collar he is wearing is just to prevent him from scratching his face.

Well, Walley is doing much better now and he is still on the antibiotic Clavamox 375 mg which he will need to take for another week. Walley's face is definitely healing very well. We are certain that in two weeks time, Walley will look and feel just great and he will be ready for a wonderful Christmas celebration with us! Oh and just so you know, he is still very cheerful and playful (as always) despite the Hot Spot!


That's all from us for now. I am glad I finally blogged despite being very busy taking caring of my munchkin. Please look forward to some really cute videos of Walley that I will be posting shortly. These videos were taken when Walley was 2-3 months old. I am sure you will enjoy watching them.


Have a lovely weekend!!

Walley's relaxing day at Unleashed Spa!!

Last Friday, I took Walley to Unleashed Spa for a full groom. Walley thoroughly enjoys the affection and relaxing treatment he gets at this Spa. He's been going to Unleashed Spa since he was a 3-month old puppy!! The groomers at the Spa simply adore Walley and our little boy enjoys every trip to this fascinating place. It was already a little over two months since he had been professionally groomed and he definitely needed a thorough de-shed treatment as he has been shedding quite a bit this Autumn. From what I have noticed over the past year, I think Spring and Autumn are the two seasons when Golden Retrievers shed a considerable amount of their hair. It is a very normal phenomena but it also needs being taken care of at home by regular brushing and at the Professional grooming place with de-shed treatments as and when needed. The really nice thing about Unleashed Spa is that the professional groomers out there know exactly how to give a dog the best bath and relaxation treatment he/she so needs!! Here are a few pictures of Walley after coming home from a 4-hour relaxation Spa treatment that included oatmeal bath, blueberry facial, de-shedding, hair trimming and nail clipping. Our boy surely looked incredibly handsome and completely relaxed after his Spa treatment. In fact, he was so relaxed when he came home that he took a nice and long nap! And my oh my, he looked so cute! The pictures say it all!! He chewed on his favorite bone and played with his tennis ball for a few minutes before he fell into deep sleep only awaking to Elwyn's arrival that evening. You will also see that Walley is wearing a smart and colorful Bandana that the groomer tied around his neck before he came home. Take a look:

Our "moody" Retriever!!

For a very long time, months in a row actually, I wondered if our Golden Retriever is or isn't the retrieving type. I mean, generally, he retrieves all sorts of things on his own without being asked to; be it a tennis ball or a chew toy or sometimes even random stuff like say a crushed tissue paper that accidentally happened to be hidden underneath the couch. But, he was never really persistent on playing the "fetch" game that all retrievers so love! Usually, he would retrieve a thrown tennis ball once or twice and then just sit and stare at the ball when thrown. Sometimes, much to our pleasant surprise, he would retrieve a thrown tennis ball several times in a row without getting bored. And then there were instances when he wouldn't retrieve at all. I would fret about it very often. I mean, this a pure bred Golden retriever we are talking about; the breed that was originally bred to hunt and retrieve dead birds. I tried various different things like hiding all his toys for a few days and then suddenly one morning surprise and excite him with one toy at a time, throw it at a distance so he would be really enthusiastic to retrieve. It worked for a while but then even that did us no good! Rewarding him with treats wasn't working too well in this one case because he would get so obsessed with the treats that he would conveniently forget he has to fetch something to get the yum treats. It was a bit frustrating but then I eventually realized that Walley is just moody when it comes to playing "fetch". If he was in the mood to play the "fetch" game, he would be really into it and do whatever it takes to fetch a tennis ball or toy no matter how far or deep the "fetch item" went and if he wasn't in the mood to play the "fetch" game, then it didn't matter to him where the tennis ball or the toy went. Neither Elwyn or I wanted to push Walley too much into being an ace retriever. Maybe, in due course of time, he just might like playing the "fetch" game more persistently. I have to say though, he definitely prefers fetching indoors than outdoors. I really expected the opposite considering how tiny our apartment is and the space to run around isn't much. But, he does fetch thrown tennis balls pretty well in a small-sized Manhattan apartment whenever the mood suits him, that is. Well, that's our moody retriever; not to mention; who is also in his teenage/adolescent phase. We love him immensely though. Retrieving may not be his favorite game but who cares? So what if he prefers the "chase" game to the "fetch" game? He's the best companion Elwyn and I could ever ask for. He just never leaves our side come what may. He is the most loyal friend Elwyn and I have ever known. Isn't that why we really wished we had a dog, in the first place? It certainly was!!

Walley and Us: Enjoying the beautiful Autumn in New York!!

Autumn is here with all of it's colorful awesomeness!!! Over the past few weeks, leaves on the trees have been slowly changing colors from green to red, yellow, brown and orange. Leaves have also begun falling off the trees onto the ground. It's such a pretty sight!!! The three of us are thoroughly enjoying the beautiful Autumn in our "home sweet home" of New York!! The weather has been lovely most of the time. It does rain once in a while but that's the true beauty of Autumn!! Over one weekend this month, the three of us set out to relax in one of the parks located in our very own neighborhood and took some beautiful "Autumn pictures". Walley is a really photogenic dog and that shouldn't come as a surprise if you have read any of my earlier posts with pictures. But, this one time when we clicked pictures, it was really wonderful to see Walley pose in different ways of his own choice. As you will see, he is also beautifully smiling ear to ear in some of the pictures! Of course, after a while he got bored but that was probably after clicking 50-60 pictures!!!! So yeah, Walley has got some incredible "dog" patience!! Well, without wasting anymore time, I want to share some of the really beautiful and vintage-looking Autumn pictures of the three of us!! Elwyn and I feel so proud to see how handsome our Walley has grown to be!! God has surely been good to us!! Keep scrolling down to view our Autumn greeting card that I specially made for family, friends, dog-lovers and readers/ followers of my blog. Wish you all a fantastic Autumn!!! Enjoy:-)

It's been one year since Walley joined our family!!!!

Wow!!! How time flies??!! Our little munchkin came home and joined our family exactly a year ago from today! Elwyn and I can't even believe it's already one year year since Walley made us a family of three!! It's been such an eventful year and the readers of my blog will surely agree with me on that. Walley was such a tiny munchkin when we just brought him home one year ago and today he's a big and handsome boy! He has brought so much joy into our lives from the day he walked into our home. He is the only one we know who makes us laugh out loud even on our worst days! All in all, he has completely changed our lives, only for the better! Elwyn and I bought Walley a new toy to celebrate this really special milestone. That is the least we could do to show Walley how much we love him and that he has now become an inevitable part of our family!! Below are two pictures of Walley taken exactly one year ago when he joined his new home and made us a family of three!!

Awe!!! Walley was such a cute and cuddly little puppy!! He was only two months old back then!! Now, he is a one year old intelligent and handsome dog!! Below are some pictures of Walley with his new toy that we gifted him today.

Wish you all a great weekend!! A big 'thank you' goes to all the readers and followers of my blog for your constant well-wishes towards our adorable Walley!!

Walley got yummy dog-treats from Germany!!!!

Yeah!! Our really special family-friends from Germany have come to visit New York! Elwyn and I met them for dinner on Sunday night and guess what?? They were so kind to get so many different types of dog-treats from Germany just for Walley!! When we got home after dinner that night, we gave Walley the special treats our friends brought for him from Germany and he just loved them!! Pictures speak a thousand words and here are some pictures to show you how much Walley enjoyed his new treats!! Thank you so much Marie and Jens for those delicious dog-treats you got for Walley! You can see how much he loved them!!