Sir Clifford McNaughty 2004 - 2017

A day in living memory...

IT was a dreadful moment when I had to make the call to euthanize my 13-year-old male Siberian Husky.
We had Sir Naughty in our home since 2004 and I will never forget that fateful day when I picked him up as a pup from my mom in-law's home in Petaling Jaya.
Naughty lived with us for a year before we welcomed another Siberian Husky Dame Queenie. Both as been partners for as long as I can recall. 

Sir Naughty and his faithful partner Dame Queenie

My boy's health has deteriorated through the years and lately, he lost a lot of weight. We introduced two more dogs to the house and that's where things went South for our old boy. Two weeks ago, he was injured in the face after fighting with Bandit, our new dog. Naughty went into a recluse and develope maggot wound infection. 
His condition worsened and it came to a point where he couldn't walk anymore. It was a devastating sight to see a healthy dog deteriorate right before your eyes...

The mischievous pup

Sir Naughty, as I would remember him the best

Towards the end of his lifespan, Naughty was in constant pain. He peed and pooped all over himself. I knew I had to make a decision to ease his suffering with a trip to the vet today.
I put him on the inspection table, the veterinarian gave her prognosis. I told her that I don't want him to suffer anymore.
While giving him a pat on the head, I said: "Thank you boy, for all the great years, you don't have to suffer anymore. Goodbye boy..."
I can sense that he was calm before going to sleep. I have even prepared to bury him at my neighbor's orchard. I asked Mr. Huang if I could lay him to rest near his fruit trees. The man agreed. 
I signed a consent form for the euthanization and picked up his body from the consultation room. We headed back to one last ride home. I placed his body respectfully into his grave, buried him and said a prayer.
Sir Naughty is one-of-a-kind. I don't think I could find another pooch that has his feistiness, on top of being a loving and faithful companion. After his passing, all I have with me are the good memories. Travel well my beloved pooch, and thank you for being such a loyal companion. Love you always...

Old Dawgs..

A clean bill of health...

We missed our Vet appointment last year and the kids has been holding out well.
So, after a yearly-screening, our dogs: Sir Naughty (aged 9) and Dame Queenie (aged 8) were declared healthy.
The Vet suggested that we put our dogs on a Senior dog's diet.

Our kidz are Senior citizens now..

The rising cost of dog food..

So, there I was, at a pet store in SS2, Petaling Jaya. I asked the store dude about the choice for dog food - especially for Senior dogs.
I was told that there's no need to do so.
All I need to do, is to add supplementary products such as glucosamine for the dog's joints.
And what's available for Senior dogs are pretty costly.
Also, it didn't help at all when Blackwood dog food is going to increase by 11%.
I kept hearing the same excuse every year like freight charges, currency exchange and bla-bla-bla.

Dame Queenie

The kidz at our gate

Sir Naughty, the older dog

 A cheaper alternative

I went to my regular dog food supplier in SS15, Subang Jaya.
They ran out of Blackwood and recommended Pro Pac for Seniors.
This is roughly about RM20 cheaper. And if we collect the proof of purchase barcodes, we are entitled to a free bag of 15kg feed with 10 bags.

Huskies: Loyal and friendly

We are moving into our ninth-year with Sir Naughty, the oldest dog in the pack. Queenie came a year later and was raised from a pup.
Other than a mild hip dysplasia, she's pretty healthy.
Sir Naughty, on the other hand, is the one that protects our home. 
Contrary to Sibes being lousy guard dogs, our boy is different. He's constantly alert and will bark when a stranger walks by.
As far as loyalty is concerned, the kids are always there keeping vigil and waiting for us to get home from work.
So, with whatever time we have with the dogs, we are looking forward to be with them until the end of their lives.

Living with Siberian Huskies part 1

Sir Naughty when he was 6-months-old

A phone call from Pat, my mother-in-law changed everything.
She told me that there was a Siberian Husky puppy for adoption.
I did some research on this breed and came to a conclusion that it would be suitable as a pet as Michelle and I are outdoors people.
We needed a dog as a companion and to keep a lookout especially in our quiet neighbourhood in USJ, Subang Jaya.
Earlier, we had Michelle's mums dog, Chubbles to stay with us. 
Since I am a dog person (having lived with three since the mid-80s), I knew what it takes to maintain them


The early years...
Sibes are not your average 'run of the mill' dog.
They are naturally stubborn, harder to housebreak and train.
But, once you've overcome that, and tell your dog who's the boss, they will be there for you for the rest of their lives.
To be frank, apart from ear mites and some skin problems, I've had very little health issues with my dogs.
I feed them once a day, and they require very little maintenance as long as you take care of their eyes, ears, skin and maintain their weight.
My first Sibe is Sir Naughty. 
His real name was 'Clifford', but we changed it to 'Naughty Boy' and pretty much settled with it.
He responds to the call of 'Boy' and became our faithful watchdog.
Its rare for Sibes to bark at strangers and alert you when there are people at the gate, Naughty proved many people wrong.

Dame Queenie, our second Siberian Husky

Myths and legends
Each time I show photos of my dogs to people, the first question posed was: "Eh, they don't need an ice room ah?"
For the record, the Sibes here in Malaysia are smaller. 
They've adjusted to the weather conditions and constantly shed and even their body and bone mass are reduced to acclimatize to our hot and humid environment.
A year after we accepted Sir Naughty, I spoke to my wife about getting another pooch.
I scouted around and found a breeder in Pusat Bandar Puchong.
Queenie came to our home in late October, 2006 after she received her vaccination.
She fitted into the scene without much hassles and was quickly accepted by Sir Naughty.
Later, we found out that she suffered from Hip Dysplasia, a condition that made her hind leg weak due a bad hip joint.
I fed her with Glucausamine supplement to ease her pain, especially on the hip joints.
Other than that, my girl is one happy pup..

Naughty, aged 1 and Queenie

Outdoor companions
We take our dogs hiking and have traveled around the country whenever possible.
The Sibes have been to Penang where boarding was possible.
They've even walked on the beaches along the South China Seas.
In short, there's never a dull moment with the pooches, as long as we planned and managed our time.

Our dogs at an event in Universiti Putra Malaysia

Things you have to bear with..
Sibes shed constantly.
If you are allergic to dog fur, this breed is not for you.
You will need to rake their fur every week to get rid of dead hair on their top and undercoat.
Yes, these pooches have two layers of coat.
And best of all, they don't smell. You need to bathe them once every fortnightly.
There are no issues with picking up poop as our lawn provides plenty of space for them to ease themselves.
And once the shit hits the ground, underground critters go to work by breaking down their nutrient rich waste.
Sibes are high-energy pooches, so, walking them helps to expand their energy.
They need space, so, if you live in a confined space, forget about it.