The Matriarch

Ivy is the Matriarch of Braveheart. Warm and caring to all puppies and new students, but tough as nails when she has to be. She is a dear friend of mine and I have great respect for her. So, it is my pleasure to be able to congratulate her on newly attained Field Championship at the grand age of 13 years old! Last weekend, Ivy, Grand Lady Red, went out into the field to track rabbits with dogs 1/2 her age and younger. We always knew she could do it, it wasn't a matter of whether or not she "could" it was a matter of whether or not she felt like. You see, Ivy doesn't always feel like hunting and when she doesn't feel like doing it, well, then she's just not going to do it. Last weekend, however, she felt like it. She won her third first placement (only one is required for her championship) and best of winners. She narrowly lost Absolute but an amazing runs all through the day nonetheless. Congratulations my dear friend, you have made Sensei proud....

Tails and Turkey

You have not heard from me lately, for I have had quite a difficult week actually. I developed quite an itch on the base of my tail. I couldn't help myself and chewed and scratched until my tail was raw. Undignified I know, but I had no choice. It was very uncomfortable. My dear student realized the problem and wrapped my tail so that I couldn't get to it to further upset it but it was too late. The following day she completely clipped and cleaned the area down and removed the scab and dried coat. She then applied a healing ointment and wrapped my tail up. In addition, I was given medication for the pain and itching. My gorgeous plume is back to it's perfect self and Sensei can get on with my life.

Thanksgiving was quite nice except for the fact that my student slipped and fell on black ice and had to be taken to the emergency room. I encouraged her to go as head injuries can be quite serious, and thankfully she complied. She was checked out and sent back home to cook us a delicious Thanksgiving turkey dinner. I was offered only the turkey and that was just fine with Sensei.

The Bed

This morning Sensei was quite lonely, whining and pitifully looking for some one on one attention. My student was in bed but heard me and came to see if I was okay. Then, much to my surprise, she picked me up and carried me to bed with her! For reasons I do not know, they do not take me into bed with them. They take others, but not Sensei. It could be that they do not feel that they are worthy of sleeping beside me. Or, it could be that they are afraid I shall create rules with the others concerning the bed, either way, I have not yet been invited.....until this morning. It was quite nice! It was still dark and everyone was asleep. They have many soft covers on the bed for Sensei to roll around in. I rolled and rubbed and snuggled into them. Unfortunately, I sneezed on them quite a bit as well. It was a nice morning indeed.

Dalai Lama

She went! My student went and saw the Dalai Lama speak, without Sensei much to my dismay. She reported that the experience was overwhelming and profound. The message was that kindness and compassion for others makes us healthier, stronger and more happy. Do what you can, no matter how small it seems. Every little bit matters. Money and possesions don't make us happy or content, that comes from peace within. Powerful stuff. So say Sensei....

Clean

She gave me a bath. Dreadful. There is nothing I hate more. As usual the towel drying felt quite good, and it is a warm day. Perhaps not so bad. She said I have to be prepared to accompany her to a lecture she is giving tomorrow. I wonder why Sensei is being dragged to her lecture instead of the Dalai Lama talk on Thursday that I really want to attend. But, I digress....

His Holiness....

My student will be attending a public talk of the Dalai Lama. As you may have noticed from Sensei's Pearls of Wisdom, I am quite a fan of His Holiness. I am a bit hurt that I was not invited to attend with my student and her friends. I am sure that no other Pekingese has spread the word of the Dalai Lama as much as Sensei. I am sure His Holiness would be happy to have Sensei in attendance, but alas, it is not meant to be. So, I will not attend, but Sensei shall be there in spirit....

Pearls of Wisdom

"The kind of behavior that really is spiritual practice consists of refraining from falsehood and abiding by the truth, neither humiliating nor mocking others, being humble, and having a good heart and helping others."
~Dalai Lama

A Basset? Seriously?

Wait until you hear what she has done now. My adoring student can make some downright stupid decisions for such an intelligent human. This time her heart has completely disregarded her head when she brought home a 3 1/2 month old puppy. A Basset Hound mix puppy no less! The animal in question is Jenny, a young puppy who has had a rough start in life. Her mother, a purebred Basset Hound wandered into someone's yard and gave birth to a litter of puppies. Two days later she and her littermates were taken to the local animal shelter. Shortly after that they went to their first foster home. Jenny's mother was not particularly interested in her puppies or caring for them which was too much for the foster home so off they went to their second foster home where they were to stay until they were old enough to go to suitable permanent homes. This poor pup had a pretty rough start, but was so desirable looking that she was quickly chosen by a family looking for their first dog. Despite the fact that Jenny was cowering and afraid, they chose her. By the second day after she had began growling at the family and friends and had a frightening episode at the vet they realized that she wasn't the puppy for them. Enter my student.... She was contacted to evaluate the puppy and Jenny came here and is here to stay, at least for a while. She is doing much better, but it still a very fragile and fearful little thing. Sensei is trying to be patient and compassionate, but puppies...ggrrrrrrrrr. She has a lot to learn about Sensei's space and boundaries! That will come with time and lessons from Sensei I suppose.

Lionlike

If you school yourself on the topic, which all of you should by the way, you will find that in China, the Lion is a symbol of greatness. 2000 years ago, the people of China had never seen a Lion, only heard about them from travelers. Through these reports and through their own experience seeing wolves, they began to depict the lion in what became known as Fu Lions which is basically a creature with both dog and lion features. The Fu Lion became a symbol for pride, strength and prosperity and statues of Fu Lions could be found outside of palaces, temples and tombs. It became realized that they could create dogs that looked like lions as well, so became the Fu Dog, the first Pekingese also called "little lion dogs of Peking". Pekingese were owned only by the wealthy and royalty. It was very prestigious to live with a Pekingese, or lion dog.

So, when my student decided to trim my gorgeous coat into a lion clip I wasn't at all offended. For I understand that she only wanted to help me to remember my ancestors and to remind people of what Sensei is, a little lion dog of Peking who represents strength, pride and prosperity.

Caliente

In general, Sensei tries not to "hate" it's bad Karma. That being said, I can't think of a word that better describes my feeling for the current weather conditions, hot hot hot! The dreaded heat. Too hot even to go out for a toilet break or to enjoy some fresh air. Too hot for Sensei indeed. I shall patiently wait for Fall to arrive which I will welcome with open paws.....

Farewell, my sweet Pearl

Pearl was adopted today. The poor old soul was dropped off at the animal shelter in a cardboard box, completely matted and unhealthy two months ago. Since coming her (via Muttville) she was groomed, spayed, had a dental and was put on medication to help her eyes and ears. Now, Pearl looks and feels wonderful, so much so that today she found her forever home and for that, Sensei is grateful.

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. I am grateful for my freedom and to those who have fought for it. Today Sensei will relax with my family, perhaps lie in the sun for a bit and enjoy some barbecue later on. I'm quite looking forward to it actually.

Pearls of Wisdom

"I am not responsible for the behavior of others. They are responsible for their actions, words and belief systems."

~Lisa Clifton Bumpass

Photography

I was photographed yesterday. I deplore being posed for photographs and believe me she does it quite often. As if the photo shoot wasn't enough I had to endure a horrendous car ride nearly 2 hours away for the "perfect location". It ended up raining, my student got us lost, it made for an awful morning. Oh, and to make matters so much worse, she groomed me prior to the shoot. I am sure the photographs will be stunning as I am quite photogenic, but really, I could have done without the rest.....

Pearl

We have a new rescue dog here. After making the decision to take some time from doing rescue, my student has already caved and brought home another poor soul looking for a home. How can I complain, her story is so heartbreaking that even I couldn't have turned her away.

Pearl is probably 10 years old at least. She was left outside the animal shelter in the middle of the night in a cardboard box. Her coat was matted and filthy. She has obviously had many litters of puppies. Imagine using her that way and then simply throwing her away as if she were garbage. Heinous. Oh, and did I mention? She is a Pekingese.

My student went to Muttville, who rescues and rehomes senior dogs to pick up a foster to bring home. Pearl had just arrived that morning. Of course, she took one look at her and brought her home. She will go in next week to have a full vet check up and if she is healthy enough, she will be spayed.

It can be difficult having an extra body in the house, but who could turn away such a pitiful little dog? A Peke no less. Imagine treating any living thing like that. So, Pearl shall stay here with us until the perfect forever home comes along that can take care of her for the rest of her life like she deserves.

Pearls of Wisdom

"If it's very painful for you to criticize your friends - you're safe in doing it. But if you take the slightest pleasure in it, that's the time to hold your tongue."

~Alice Duer Miller

Pearls of Wisdom

"It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them."

~Dalai Lama

Champions

Carrot completed her championship today. I am glad for her, however, I am opposed to dog shows and beauty contests in general. I don't believe a dog should be judged on his looks alone, but rather his character, heart and loyalty. A good dog can be homely and a bad dog can be striking. It is what is inside the dog that truly matters. Who he is and what he stands for, not simply how he looks.

Sensei for instance would not be permitted to enter a dog show. For I do not "conform" to their blueprint of what a Pekingese should look like. However, no dog possesses more of what a Peke is meant to be or stands for than Sensei. You may show me a "prettier" dog but you will not show me a Peke stronger in character, heart or loyalty than Sensei. True beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

Pearls of Wisdom

"Unbidden guests are often welcomest when they are gone.

~William Shakespeare

Flat Faced Visitors

We have house guests visiting and I am not quite sure how I feel about it. MuShu, the young, wild peke who lived here for four months being schooled by Sensei is back! And, he is not alone..... oh dear. He brought his housemate with him! They will be here for a full week while their human is in Miami.

To be honest, I have always been fond of MuShu. True that he is a young, foolish peke with little self control and common sense, but I still quite like him. And, he continues to improve as he grows up. I speak lower than I think of MuShu actually.

Now, Jolie, his housemate, is a lovely, mature pug. She is rather a joy to have around frankly, and Sensei doesn't say such things lightly.

My week shall be filled with lessons I am sure....

Time marches on....

I just realized it has been quite a while since I have written. I have been quite busy. There has been much going on here with my student now offering board and train services through a kennel I have had to adjust to her being away more which I quite dislike. I prefer constant doting to her being gone for hours on end. Of course, she is rarely gone for more than a few hours and she always comes home to tend to Sensei, however, ALL of her time would be nice....

My student was also busy with some dog shows and lectures and such. I frankly don't mind that as she typically takes one of the others, or perhaps two along with her, which gives me some peace and more attention from my other student while she is away.

I haven't been bathed for a while which always makes me suspicious that she may be plotting to do it again soon. We'll have to see.

I am quite enjoying the weather when it's nice out. While not quite as nice as Fall, Spring is a close second with sunny days that are not too hot.

Well, I believe that is about it for now. I shall not wait nearly as long to post the next time....

Pearls of Wisdom

"Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress."
~Bruce Barton

Pearls of Wisdom

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."

~Charles Dickens

The Dickens you say!

If I am not mistaken, Dickens, the foolish young Cavalier who has been visiting for a month or so, is not leaving! Has my student lost her mind? Sensei was quite happy with his family just the way it was, I do not need yet another young buffoon here to educate. Does she think I have nothing better or more important to do than school her charges?

On the other, the little dolt is quite charming in his own way. Honestly, you have never met a more respectful young man. Always groveling and begging and licking. I have even consented to play with him on several occasions. He plays quite nicely actually. Ribbon clearly adores him. Despite my not really wanting to, I actually quite like him.

Enforcement

My students have decided that Sensei shall not be permitted to "snark" at the others when they annoy me. Isn't that just delightful? Can you imagine? The new "plan" is that when one of the thoughtless clods that I live with walk past me and I warn them to move away, I - me - Sensei will be escorted into the other room to sit alone. Am I at fault for wanting my own space? I'll admit that some might feel that a 3 foot radius is unreasonable, I, however find it quite acceptable given my failing eyesight and general superior existence. Perhaps they should work harder to accommodate Sensei? Perhaps they should move away at my slightest glance. Perhaps they should simply stay out of the room when I am not feeling my best. We shall see if they continue to enforce this nonsense. For getting up and removing is a quite expensive behavior physically when one would prefer to continue relaxing, we will see if they are willing to continue to remove me. I suppose if they DO stick with this new plan, Sensei may have to consider relaxing my boundaries just a bit to keep the peace. We shall see.....

Pearls of Wisdom

"It is good and healthy to go on a negativity fast once in a while and clean life from selfish, unkind and disrespectful people. Just because their level is there, it does not mean that one has to stoop down to it by acknowledging, responding or allowing those individuals the privacy and serenity of your time and energy. "

~John Contoupe

Winnie

As you well know, Sensei lives with many others and while I get along fine with everyone here, I am particularly quite fond of Winnie.  She is nearly 10 years old and has a very big heart.  She is a good friend and besides her and Ivy's distaste for one another (which I will never understand) she is a close and trusted friend to everyone here. 

It was recently discovered that Winnie appeared to be urinating more often so she was taken to the hospital for a senior screen which is a package of lab tests for older dogs.  It was thought that she had a bladder infection and so she was prescribed antibiotics to clear it up.  After several days the antibiotics appeared not to be working and in fact her frequent urination seemed to be getting worse.  Two days ago she was taken in for x-rays and many large stones were found in her bladder.  Yesterday she was taken back to have a pain patch put on and today she has been taken in to have a major surgery done to remove the stones.  My poor dear Winnie.  She has been in pain and very uncomfortable.  It's quite sad for Sensei to see such a kind and gentle soul in pain.

Sensei wishes for Winnie's surgery to go well and is sending healing thoughts to his dear friend for a safe surgery and a comfortable recovery.

Pearls of Wisdom

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."

~Mohandas Gandhi

Temperament

From the official Pekingese written standard regarding temperament:

A combination of regal dignity, intelligence and self-importance make for a good natured, opinionated and affectionate companion to those who have earned its respect.

That is accurate.  So say Sensei....

Clean

Full comb out, nail trim, feet trimmed, shampoo, condition, towel dry.......dreadful, abominable, loathesome.......

but, clean

Goodbye

This morning Slater passed away.  He was nearly 15 years old.  He was a fine dog and a good friend. 

Goodbye my friend....

Visitor

You may have noticed I have been fairly quiet recently.  I do apologize, but I have been quite busy and have had my hands full.

A few weeks ago my student decided to accept a "visitor".  Dickens, a young Cavalier pup has been here since for training.  He has been quite a lot of work for Sensei.  Young and active with little self control.  However, he IS black and tan, so I decided there was hope.

Actually, he has been doing quite well.  Initially, he would bark a lot, which we all found quite obnoxious.  Now, he is relatively quiet.  He lies down and waits to be released to eat.  He can leave it even when food is tossed.  In fact, I quite like him now.  Sensei has even been playing with him a bit.  He is hardly threatening and plays really nicely, so I allow him some play with Sensei now and again which he seems to love. 

Dickens will be leaving this week and his sister will be coming for 7 days.  Let's hope Sensei doesn't have as much work to do with Lilah Mae....

Pearls of Wisdom

"A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. "

~John Muir

Photo Shoots

My student has been speaking about taking Sensei on a photo shoot in the near future.  It seems one of her clients has offered to photograph Sensei and possibly Chico, one of the others.  I am quite dreading this event. 

First, I absolutely detest car rides.  I cannot imagine spending the morning driving to some distant location for this "shoot".  Surely, I appear quite as striking regardless of the background so I can't see any reason for all this fuss about the location.  Second, I abhor being pressured into posing for photographs.  I wish not to be portrayed in an unrealistic light.  I loathe posed pictures of animals and I will not agree to be photographed in this way.  They must allow Sensei to be photographed naturally and comfortably.  If they are willing to do this, I may allow a few candid shots.  Perhaps the only positive thing is that another photo session will mean that she will have even more photographs of Sensei hanging around our home, which I quite like. 

Thankfully, the photo shoot was planned for today but cancelled due to the rain.  Ah, how I love Mother Nature......

Rain Rain Come Again Today

Apparently, it will rain today.  I hope this is true.  Sensei loves the rain.  It is much more desirable than the warm weather which I despise.  I adore rainy days requiring me to stay inside all day making only brief visits outside.  When it's raining outside it is more likely to be cold, which will be mean we will have a fire and all stay inside together.  We have not had enough rain this year in my estimation.  Much more rain would be very welcome.  I am further pleased it's raining today as it has forced my student to cancel the dreaded photo session she was planning to drag me to today.  Ha!  We shall NOT be going out to take pictures today!  The only downside to the rain is that it means that all the others will be inside with me all day today as well.  I quite prefer when they spend more time outside while Sensei spends his time lounging inside.

Resolutions....

New Years.  Resolutions. Every January 1st brings the idea of New Years Resolutions when one promises to make changes or do things differently.  Sensei has never bothered himself with New Years Resolutions.  Not because I am being obstinate, I simply don't understand the need to wait for a certain date or time of year to make necessary changes to ones lifestyle or character.  If there is something that may be done better or more effectively, why not make the change immediately?  If one is behaving in a way that is detrimental, unkind, unhealthy or otherwise unproductive we should resolve to change our behavior immediately, not in one or six  or twelve months from now.  Every day is new, why should we wait any time at all when we can resolve to be better now?  I propose that each one of us strives to make New Days Resolutions.  Why not examine ourselves and see what we can do better each day?  Our goals would be smaller and more attainable.  We would be more successful and less overwhelmed.  What can you resolve for today?

Pearls of Wisdom

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

~Seneca