Woof: What to buy before your puppy arrives

One of the most stressful but fun parts of getting a new puppy is getting everything before he/she arrives home. Before I got Lea, I made sure I bought everything I needed before bringing her home for the first time. For some, this may be the most stressful part because this is where the $$$ comes in handy. For those of you who don't know, I live in Malaysia and most pet shops are quite pricey and can cost a lot. However, I am so excited I get to share with you my tips on where I get some of my dog supplies that might actually save you some cash.

The first thing you need when you get a puppy is a cage or playpen. If you are very house conscious (which you should be because no puppy is perfect at the potty,  especially the first few weeks), a playpen would be the perfect option. In comparison to a cage, the playpen would give your four-legged fluffball some space to move, sleep, play and eliminate. However, you would need a cage if you would want to crate train or allow your puppy to have a good rest when he/she is tired. When introduced correctly, a cage will not be as scary as people make it out to be and trust me, they love being in it. When getting a cage, there are a few things to remember.

1)  Do not get a cage that is too big!  This is because the more room we give our puppies,  the bigger chance you have your puppy eliminating in the same place they sleep

2) Try and get a cage that is foldable, it will make it much easier for you if you need to disassemble or reassemble it again! 

I live in a house with not much room outdoors for my puppy to eliminate, so we needed an inside solution that is easy to handle and clean. Because of this, i made sure I got my puppy a pee tray. Depending on the size of your dog, there are different sizes available (S, M, L, XL). Initially, when I got my puppy, I bought her an 'S' size grass potty tray, just to realize she had never been on grass before and mistook it for her bed. Eventually, I realized that I should just invest in a big potty pad that she will never grow out of. For my miniature poodle, I  got her an 'L'  and it does the job perfectly!

On to the next item, Just like humans, dogs need food and snacks too! For Lea, I knew I wanted to give her the best. To be honest, I'm still researching what "BEST" is. Could it be raw food, home cooked food, vegetarian food?  But for a start, I remember buying her Iskhan puppy food which cost me around RM40-45? If you're interested to get it, I'll link it right here! Over the past few months of having her, I would occasionally switch up her food and recently she's been eating Merrick Grain Free Chicken Puppy Food (RM 123) which you can buy right here!

As for treats, I started off with commercialized treats that you can get in any pet shop. It ranges in price but it did the job to make my fur baby happy. Some treats that I've tried are as listed below! Just FYI, I am just sharing what I did with Lea. Every dog has different diet requirements so do check with your vet if you suspect your dog might be sensitive to certain food/snacks.

Happi Bone (RM17.90)

Alps Cod Supreme Cod Finger (RM18.90)

However, lately, Lea only has natural snacks/ homebaked goods. Maybe I will make another post on homemade dog snacks you can get in Malaysia. That'll be fun!

Once you get your dog food and snacks, you must buy something to put it in! First, i bought plastic bowls but Lea learned to topple it over whenever she wanted to be cheeky. So I got these for her food and water bowls. It's not very pretty but it does its job! The rubber at the bottom helps keep the bowl from moving and its low, which helps with the toppling over problem :) 

Moving on, a collar and leash are important when you first get your puppy to let the world know that she is YOURS (just in case she decides to go for a stroll). You can find pretty affordable ones around that can range as low as RM5! If you are thinking of taking your dog for walks or runs, you might want to invest in a harness. A harness is a better choice for walks because it does not cause strain to your dog's neck if he/she pulls. I actually got my first collar, harness, and leash at Daiso for RM5.90 each! Unfortunately, I can't find the pictures of exact ones i bought but it was pretty darn cute! 

Remember your puppy is going to find it strange to have things hooked and clipped on him/her so you might have to ease it with treats and patience! Here are some examples of a collar, leash, and harness! There are also different types of harnesses. Depending  on the breed of  your dog, you can research  on which fits its body type the best!

If you're planning to groom your dog, there are a few products you will need to start! 

• Shampoo! When I first got Lea, I was scared my budget was going out of hand, so I decided to opt for a cheaper shampoo which actually worked and smelt great! annnnnd... It cost me less than RM20. 

• Ear Cleaner! I cannot stress how important ear cleaner fluids are. Since Lea's ears cover the ear canal, often enough there is wax buildup. When you do not clean that wax build up, it may turn into an irritable and painful infection. I will link the one I bought here. This is priced at RM37 but is a very reliable brand with many good reviews. 

• Eye Solution! Dogs often get tear stains. Tear stains are hard and very hard to get of. With an eye solution, it softens it and makes it easier to remove. It also helps with discoloration!You can get it here! I can't seem to get a picture but you can click on the link.

• Toothpaste and Toothbrush! If you didn't know, your puppy's teeth will start falling out at 5-6 months. Most dogs may ingest it while eating but for some, you will find small teeth all around your house. Once the adult teeth start forming, it is advisable to start brushing your dog's teeth. It's not available in some pet shops so I won't be able to link this one but you can get an alternative. This too was below RM20! What's cool about this brand is the fact they have dental chew toys that you can squeeze the toothpaste in. Lea absolutely loves brushing her teeth because of the flavor of the toothpaste.

• Combs! Combing your pet is very important if you want to prevent matting. The one's I am still using are both from Daiso. One is a fine tooth comb and one is with wider spaced bristles. You can consult the pet shop advisor depending on your dog breed to find the best suitable comb. 

Last but not least, TOYS, TOYSS, TOYSSS! I made sure I bought her a variety of toys from chewing toys to balls to soft toys. (This is still ongoing, the number of toys I have) 

I always told myself that the initial buys are the most expensive, some of these will last you for the next few months! So don't beat yourself up too much. Enjoy it, it's actually a very exciting part of getting your new puppy. 

Hugs and Kisses,

Woof: Meet Lea!

It's been a long time since I've had some time to sit and write. My sincere apologies for my lack of discipline and utter busy schedule.

During this festive season, I can't help but thank God for one of the biggest blessings I received this year. As stated in my title, I have started a new segment on my blog called Woof. Woof is a place where I will write everything and anything to do with my all-time favorite, four-legged animal... DOGGIES. Yes, dogs (If you did not get what I was trying to say).

But before I write about any other subject, I need to introduce my now 7-month-old angel-  Lea. I wanted to take my time in introducing this very special addition so that I could really grasp and know-what-i-am-writing-about instead of aimlessly writing just for the heck of it.

Lea was semi-adopted. I know I know, all the haters would probably want to shoot me just about now but wait, let me explain. You see when I was looking for a dog (it was initially a secret from my parents which led me to  research on the web. Out of all the dogs I saw, Lea called out to me. I decided to give her previous owner a text to further meet while trying to reel my mother into the plan (I will make a post about my experience in reeling them in haha).  Lea was three months old back then. Father (pure black) is a miniature poodle while the mother (pure white) is a toy poodle. The owner was left with all the puppied including the parents and wanted to find a good home for the new puppies. Hence the reason, I got lea from a semi-adoption. I paid a  small fee (which initially covered the vaccines and deworming done). When I visited the owner, I was brought into an area with the cutest little puppies (3 pure black, 1 dark brown and 1 apricot). To be honest, when I saw the other puppies, I decided to give them a fair chance and play with them before setting my eye on just Lea. However, they were all too noisy and active for my lifestyle. As I carried Lea, she immediately put her head on my shoulders and gave me a snuggle. At that moment, I knew that she was the one. It wasn't long after  (2 days to be exact) until I brought her home.

 Lea at 3 months old

I was on holiday the first two weeks-which really helped Lea and I bond. I took this opportunity to potty train her, create a routine and just show her that she is loved. The first night was absolute torture (I'm not gonna lie). Since she was my first big pet, I really questioned myself and my capabilities after the first night. She woke up every 10 minutes crying and howling and eliminated all over my bedroom every 15 minutes. However, from the second night onwards- she was perfect. 

She was sooooo tiny. This is nostalgia right here :(

Instead of writing what I prepared before getting her, I will do that in my next post. Most of my initial sleeping plans for her changed and she just decided to sleep on the floor next to my bed or in the cage which I bought her 2 weeks late-which she did for the next 3 months. 

Fast forward a month after.. This is how Lea looked at 4 months!

She celebrated  her first birthday with her first ever pupcake (made by yours truly)

And soon, in a blink of  an eye, Lea turned 5 months

She hit different milestones and learned different tricks and was still determined to keep growing! So here She is at 6 months! 

Week back after her Spaying

But no matter how much she keeps growing, how big she gets or how heavy she becomes- this big girl will always be my 1st baby. This is Lea now, at 7 months!

My little christmas miracle 

I really hoped you enjoyed reading this post- I really enjoyed writing about it. Can't wait for the Woof series to unfold and I hope to share my experiences and knowledge to help others. 

Disclaimer: Not in any way a professional, just a girl who loves her baby a lot 

Hugs & Kisses, 

FOOD REVIEW (BBQ TOWN: EAT ALL YOU CAN BBQ & SHABU SHABU)

The number of do-it-yourself BBQ restaurants are significantly increasing in Malaysia, most of which started off being Korean restaurants and branching into Thailand/Japanese restaurants too. It is a great choice if you are feeling hungry and a simple one plate dish is not going to cut it. If you are also a meat lover and love red meat as much as I do, you would love restaurants like this. Honestly, I have not tried that many BBQ places around the Klang Valley but I thought I would review my experiences so that you would have an easier time with food hunting without fighting!

A disclaimer, I am in no way a professional food critique. This is simply based on personal experience.

BBQ TOWN : EAT ALL YOU CAN BBQ & SHABU SHABU  *HALAL

BBQTOWN MIDVALLEY (03-22011236) / BBQTOWN EMPIRE SUBANG (03-58798818)

Click here if you would like to visit their Facebook page

(Subject to charge 20% if food is wasted)

For the price of RM32.80++ (Lunch)  / RM39.80++ (Dinner) , it is considered cheaper in comparison to other BBQ restaurants I have been to. Do note that there is an extra charge of RM2 per person on weekends and you will get a buffet time of two hours only. 

As for the setting of the restaurant, it was very clean, spaced out and well ventilated (which matters quite a lot if every table has smoke filling the air). A good tip for you is to pick a place with two extra seats to allow easy movement and a bigger area for your meats and dishes. You have two hours - I am pretty sure you won't like being sandwiched in between all the different items on the table.

If you're new there, there are easy instructions for you to follow and friendly staff that would be more than happy to assist you! Trust me, at one point - the soup was practically boiling and bubbling like some witch potion and thank goodness a kind-hearted soul decided to lend us a helping hand. 

As you sit down, the waiter/waitress will ask you to choose your soup base. There are two soup bases to choose from - One being chicken soup and the other Miso spicy soup. You will also be asked to choose your preferred drink - green tea or iced tea. This is free flow throughout the two hours. Unfortunately, both teas to me seemed too diluted.

Besides the basics, there is an area filled with fresh vegetables and sushi for you to choose from. 

The selection looks quite good, doesn't it? From cherry tomatoes to beef meatballs. Dip it in your soup and enjoy with white rice (WHICH IS ALSO FREE). The selection was fresh and bright coloured. So, if you're more healthy and hearty - this will be your favourite area to be. I was not there much except for shiitake mushrooms and sausages. tsk tsk. I was pretty sad that the sushi choices were so limited! There were only 4-5 types of sushi and if you love sushi as much as I do, you know that ain't gonna cut it. 

This however speaks on its own, 

The cube is chicken fat (oil) which you use to grease the grill

If you enjoy soup, you would love the spicy miso soup. It was not too spicy and tasted even better when mushrooms/chicken were added in. It is a clear base soup, which means it is watery. There was enough soup to last us a lifetime and we still had leftovers by the end of the two hours.

The meat was so good. No complaints there! Very simply seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic - allowing you to season it according to your preference. Meats looked fresh and were always served in fairly good portion. We (2 pax) had about 2 plates of each (chicken, beef, lamb)  and added an extra 2 plates of lamb and that was the most we could go. We were stuffed.  The choices of sauces that were available were only three but all very tasty. There is garlic and chilli padi to add in if you wanted it a little spicier. My personal favourite was the chilli with garlic. Yums.

To end the meal, i grabbed myself a bowl of chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles. The ice cream did not impress me - it was more icy than creamy. You can already see it from the picture. It melts way faster when it's icy compared to if it is more cream-based. 

Overall, I would give this restaurant a 6/10.  They could improve on their drinks, ice cream and work on giving a larger variety of meats and sushi. I am not too sure whether I would be paying them another visit but it is a restaurant worth trying if you are in the area. In that way, you can judge yourself!

Hugs & Kisses,