TheWongDogs

Chinese New Year 2015 - Let's Celebrate!

Family gatherings are only made right when all members are present. Yes, Cory and Cole joins me every time! Here are some pictures from Day One!

With four days of celebrations, The Wong Dogs wishes all fellow pet owners a Happy Chinese New Year!

Labels: chinese new year, dogs, dogsofinstasg, gathering, miniature schnauzer, mixed breed, mongrel, pets, the wong dogs

❤ "Chinese New Year 2015 - Let's Celebrate!" was Posted On: Thursday, 19 February 2015 @03:16 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Toys… Accessories…With A Difference – Tiny Krew

Setting up blog shops is nothing new in Singapore. But when Tiny Krew popped up late last year, it got The Wong Dogs excited. Me and the founders, Charmaine and April go way back in 2010 and it is exciting to see them take this route today.

Currently, they stock toys and accessories from Jax & Bones, Growler Goods and Ohpopdog! “There are other brands we plan to introduce to the local market, but all in good time,” says Charmaine.

With that, The Wong Dogs were more than glad to rummage through their store – I have a feeling Cory and Cole already have their mental wish list all drawn up. Well, here are some items which caught their eyes:

1. CANVAS GROLWR GOODS SAGUARO TIPI

It is hard to miss the Tipi and can you blame me? Hand-crafted in California, USA, it is easy to set up and forms into a little den for your canines to hide from the sun when out for long periods of time.

Even when posing to get the right shots with Cory and Cole, the boys and I did not feel stuffy – an important aspect in hot and humid Singapore. Even Jäger wanted his time under the Tipi.

A little research showed that Growler Goods replaced the use of plastics and used traditional metals, cotton and wood in their products. Something pet owners who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint to consider.

2. JAX & BONES TOYS

There are two types of toys under the Jax & Bones umbrella – Rope and Woolie. Cory’s picks, the Frog Woolie Squeaky and Platypus Woolie Dog Squeak appeal to him more due to their soft textures.

Cole on the other hand went immediately for Louie the Lobster which has been classified as suitable for heavy chewers. Hand-tied, its frays acts as dental floss and can be dipped in cold water to soothe teething pups. Louie the Lobster is also a bestseller at Tiny Krew and with that many ways to utilise this attractive chew toy, I can see why.

Conscious furparents will appreciate that these toys have been made of boiled wool, these toys have been dyed using non-toxic vegetable dyes.

3. JAX & BONES BUSINESS BUDDY

Made of recycled fabric, the Business Buddy is such a nice change to the typical plastic poop bag holder. Each item also comes with one roll of bags which are fragranced to ensure that Buddy’s stink bombs are masked for a couple of hours before you throw them away.

Before leaving, Tiny Krew insisted I take back a Navy-coloured Jax & Bones Business Buddy! Yay! Now, not only can their poo bag holder look stylish, I won’t need to worry about the smell!

Other than just being introduced to their wares, the precious time was spent catching up with Charmaine and April while Cory and Cory hung out with Jäger who they have not seen in ages. Before we knew it, two hours went past like that!

From just an online presene a couple of months back, Tiny Krew is now stocked in 11 select Pet Lovers Centre outlets around Singapore. “We are looking at stocking at other lifestyle shops, pet cafes and other pet stores,” reveals Charmaine. For more information, do visit their website at www.tinykrew.com.sg

The Wong Dogs cannot wait to see how Tiny Krew grows! Good luck, ladies!

Labels: alaskan malamute, blog shop, buddy business, dog toys, growler goods, jax and bones, miniature schnauzer, mixed breed, pets, singapore special, toys

❤ "Toys… Accessories…With A Difference – Tiny Krew" was Posted On: Friday, 6 February 2015 @01:25 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Merry Christmas From The Wong Dogs

It has been a crazy two months and this Christmas, I am blessed to be able to spend quality time with family and the boys on Christmas Eve. Initially, the plan was to head to Gardens By The Bay and take in the festive lights and festivities. But when I heard that there was an event due to happen in the evening, I scrapped the idea (no way am I going to jostle with the crowd and risk being stuck in traffic on the expressway!) and headed to Paw Pet-radise Café for dinner and wait for midnight.

Such quiet moments as the time ticked down to midnight, it was a time of reflection and mulling. Am I perfect as a person? Far from it! Do I want to achieve more? Definitely! There have been bumps along the way, some I would call road hazards. There have been disappointments, there are some which have been met with indifference. Whatever it is, I cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of the year and the start of 2015!

The best part, Cory and Cole are accompanying me! Woots!

XOXO MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

Labels: cafe, christmas, dogs, dogsofinstasg, miniature schnauzer, mixed breed, paw petradise, pet cafe, pets, singapore special, the wong dogs

❤ "Merry Christmas From The Wong Dogs" was Posted On: Wednesday, 24 December 2014 @09:34 | 0 Wong comments ✿

5 Reasons Dogs Should Eat Papaya

Yes, The Wong Dogs took a break because their dear daddy needed to work long hours. However, no worries! It is the Christmas season and I am back with a truckload of blog posts so do keep a look out on some festive ideas you don’t want your pet to miss out!

But as it is a lazy day, I decided the boys can do with some fruity treats and got down to slice some papaya cubes for them. We all know they can consume this nutritious fruit that is low in calories and high in vitamins. But what does all that mean? Here are five loaded reasons why your canine should be considering papaya as one of their treats.

1.SUPER SOURCE OF FIBRE, VITAMINS, FOLATE AND POTASSIUM

Besides not needing to worry about constipation problems, your canine will get vitamin A, C, E along with carotenoids folate and potassium! Also, Papaya is known to be beneficial in aiding against indigestion, especially if someone has been having too many huge meals recently! Just remember that excess can lead to watery stools!

2.PREVENTING HEART PROBLEMS AND OBESITY

It is definitely not a cure. But due to Papaya thickening the artery walls, it can aid good heart health. Also, it has been proven to strengthen their immune system. Preliminary studies have also shown that certain allergies (and even Colon and Prostate Cancer) can be treated or prevented while muscle injuries (age-related degeneration) have shown improvement due to the consumption of Papapya. Due to the fruit being relatively low in calories, it can help with managing our pet’s weight. After all, what is better than giving our furkids a guilt-free treat, right?

3.A PARASITE REMEDY!

If you have seen videos of worms from a dog’s gut, you would totally get what I mean! However, Papaya has been known to irritate and destroy worms within the Gastrointestinal Tract!

4.ICY TREATS

There are many ways to give it to your pet. But I love freezing them overnight and giving it to Cory and Cole. I realise they tend to relish this version the best. Also, all the nutrients are still intact unlike Papaya soup where some nutrients could have been destroyed in the boiling process.

5.IN DAILY DIETS!

If you look closely at the ingredient list on the packaging, some kibble brands such as Timberwolf Organics (which Cory and Cole are currently on), Holistic Select and Canine Caviar are just some of the brands that contain Papaine, an naturally occurring extract derived from Papaya.

I am sure there are many more reasons why this super fruit should be given to our precious dogs. Now, start dishing out those treats! Fido is waiting... In our case, Cory and Cole are waiting... Impatiently!

Labels: canine caviar, dog food, dogs, dogsofinstasg, health, holistic select, miniature schnauzer, mixed breed, papaya, pet treats, pets, singapore special, timberwolf organics, top 5 reasons

❤ "5 Reasons Dogs Should Eat Papaya" was Posted On: Wednesday, 17 December 2014 @00:11 | 0 Wong comments ✿

New Open Space – Dog Run At Sembawang Park

The weekend is finally here. So, the question today is… Have you visited the Dog Run at Sembawang Park? If you haven’t, here are what The Wong Dogs thought about our first visit.

Officially opened in mid-September this year, there was much fanfare (the opening coincided with a pet carnival )when quiet Sembawang Park was set to be the location of Singapore’s sixth dog park (there are so many?!).

However, the Dog Run at Sembawang Park did not come easy. When The Wong Dogs visited, I was told that nearby residents have been appealing for a dedicated space for quite a while now. “We kept pestering our Member of Parliament (MP) since there was so much open space at Sembawang Park. After so many years, this dream has finally become reality,” said a regular park visitor.

Unlike most dog runs, Sembawang Park’s is interestingly different. Instead of facing a flat piece of land, dog owners will quickly realise that the fenced-up area is located along a slope – making for quite the workout for our pets.

Did you know that Singapore currently has five other dog parks located at Bishan-AMK Park, Clementi Woods Park, Jalan Pari Burong Playground, Katong Park and West Coast Park. I certainly did not know that there were any at Clementi Woods Park and Jalan Pari Burong Playground!

While we start planning our visits to some of these rarely mentioned Dog Runs, here is what The Wong Dogs thought about the dog run at Sembawang Park.

THE WONG DOGS REVIEW

My first thought was, "Like that only?". But hey, let's give Cory and Cole a chance first.

As mentioned, the slope allows for our furkids to expand more energy as compared to other places. Cory and Cole would accompany me to the bottom of the hill before we made a dash to the top. Hey, a dog run does not mean pet owners should just be standing around, right? Though unique, furkids with limb disorders would be advised against too much physical activity here. Dogs with hip dysplasia and luxating patella are advised not to do too much leg work on such a gradient.

Drivers will definitely love that there is ample parking. With two huge car parks (Car Park 1 and Car Park 2) on either entrances, I would recommend you park at the entrance further up as it is closer to the Dog Run.

However, there are some major flaws that we noticed on our first visit to the Dog Run at Sembawang Park. Hopefully these will be rectified soon.

- The lack of a water point. Unlike the dog run at Bishan-AMK Park and West Coast Park, there was no water supply! The nearest is outside the fenced-up area 200 metres away at the park’s toilet.

- A gaping hole at the side of the fence which leads to a construction site. An extremely dangerous flaw, especially for canines with poor recall. I personally saw a dog disappear underneath to retrieve his catch toy and even though he returned in five seconds, not every furkid is so fortunate.

- No lighting. By 7pm, the Dog Run was pitch dark. Other dog parks are well-lit with Bishan-AMK Park conducting Agility classes in the evenings.

In a nutshell, it is commendable that more open spaces are being converted into dog runs for our furkids to play their hearts out. However, as I do not live in the vicinity, (25 minutes by car), visits here will be rare. But The Wongs Dogs are more than willing to meet friends if they ask! :)

The Dog Run aside, this is my first visit and it made me realise what a serene and huge place Sembawang Park is. With plans to do a mini hike along its coastal Park Connector. Now, I am really excited!