You are browsing the Front Page. Date of issue: Saturday, December 15, 2007

I know I have mentioned too much about dogs recently. Truth is, dogs are really a lovely bunch of creatures. If you can look past their occasional silly and at other times crazy affectations (not to mention random dumping of excreta), they can be exceedingly adorable.

Above: Meet ‘Forest’. Ain’t he endearing?

Forest is an infantile Dobermann whose wobbly frame makes for good laughing matter anytime. Bought for RM1000, he is timid but still explores the exterior of our house with abundant vigor.

Once, father nearly knocked him over as he was maneuvering his truck into the driveway. He shrieked and cried so loud I thought that must have been his last breath. He walked away with a mere sprained hind leg. Lucky dog.

Above: This is ‘Chester’.

Chester on the other hand is a mongrel puppy capable of the most devious mischiefs. He is the master of chaos and terror. Once unleashed, Chester goes about plotting the collapse of shoe racks and flower pots.

Above: My name is ‘Carbon’, and I am a purebred German Shepherd!

Carbon is a little more refined in terms of his behavior. But, he is slow in picking up clues, stimuli and signs. We apply the usual Pavlovian tricks to get him to follow simple commands like ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘go’. The result is more often than not, disappointing. Dog training is not easy.

But having dogs around does give us a sense of security, especially with Carbon’s imposing presence. Despite his shortcomings, he was able to, and at a surprisingly accurate consistency, deliver a deafening series of barks at complete strangers at first sight. This may in part be due to his territory preservation instinct or his German Shepherd pedigree whose breeds are known for its sentry and guarding roles.

Also, like I said: they make perfect companions at all times. Looking at the constantly waggling tails of the dogs, I’m sure they feel the same way too.