Hello Faithful Followers!

It has been a while since I’ve been able to post just about me. Seems I’ve been ‘no-thumbs’ in getting my Caretaker, Food, away from the keyboard long enough that I can write to you all.

The past year here in Shanghai is quite a bit different than my life in the states. Yes, I still remember those times. We didn’t get any snow here last winter, and I’m told that’s very common. Have to admit, I miss those deep cold drifts.

But on the upside, it has allowed me to venture out almost everyday, multiple times a day, throughout the ‘cold’ season. And with all that, I’ve gotten some new gear to flesh out my wardrobe.

[slideshow_deploy id=’593′]

 

There are many dogs around my new neighborhood, not all are very nice or well behaved. My caretakers have been extra cautious (probably too much so) in introducing me to new friends. Still, I’ve managed to make a few, right here in the building even.

The Great Dane is called ‘Chocolate’ and the other three I just refer to to as the ‘Puglies’, as I can’t recall their names. Their caretakers are nice and we get along fairly well, although nobody seems to like it much when I jump all over them trying to get them to play. There’s a Boarder Collie in the area too, but my Caretakers have not got a good photo of him yet.

Then there is all the ‘stuff’ I’ve gotten for my new home as well as some of the indoor activities I enjoy.

[slideshow_deploy id=’613′]

 

Every once in a while, we all go somewhere on the moped.

More often than I’d like, its been to the Vets! Seems my skin is very sensitive to the humidity here and there from prone to fungal infections. As my Caretakers have discovered, just about all new dogs to this area suffer the same problems for the first few years. French bulldogs, and other short-haired dogs are more susceptible. As a result, I have anti-fungal shampoo, oil for my skin and anti-fungal cream for spot treatments. Slowly but surely, I am getting better and the breakouts are less often and less severe.

However, we have made a number of trips to the HuangPu River via moped, which is just a few kilometers from my home. It’s big, it’s clean, and there are occasionally dogs there to meet and greet as well.

 

When we first got here, my caretakers were feeding me RoyalCanin Bulldog dog food. They even brought over a 25lb bag for me so they’d have time to find it here. Unfortunately, they just don’t sell that sub-brand in China. There is RoyalCanin dog food everywhere, but nothing for Bulldogs or French bulldogs. Interestingly, as it turns out, that’s not a very good dog food anyway, especially for me. It has too many fillers, grains, and junk that give me eye-boogers and bad for my sensitive skin.

So, my Caretakers changed me over to Evangers Grain-Free Chicken. That went well for a number of months until it too got hard to find. After much research and investigation, they settled on Go! Grain-Free Chicken. As with Evangers, my skin got better and my eye-boogers cleared up.

But, alas, I got tired of it. That forced my Caretakers to switch to Now! Grain-Free Chicken and Fish. Two months later, I got tired of that too. With each change, the food got more expensive. An evil plot on my part? I’ll never say…

Now I’m trying out Orijen Six Fish. It’s pretty yummy, and expensive, but it makes my breath bad, my eye-boogers are back (but not as bad) and I’m a bit ‘runny’ (TMI!!!), which it a side-effect of all that fish. Once I tire of it, I hear they will rotate me back to Evangers and start they cycle all over again. Interestingly enough, many people, breeders and vets on the intertubes, suggest rotating your dog through different foods every few months just to keep them interested and stave off any allergy buildups. Hmmmm…..looks like I was right after all!!

And while Food it still working on getting his Permanent  Resident Card, I’ve already passed all my examines and tests and am now an official resident/citizen of Shanghai, China!

Lately, I’ve become slightly famous. My Caretaker, Food, has been submitting photos of me (and of other things) on a Photo sales site called ‘Foap’. While he has only sold 1 photo thus far. It was, of course, of me!!!

Now, my Caretakers, Love and Food, are preparing for a trip back to the States as my brother is going to graduate very soon. While I took the multiple flights to get here in stride, I won’t be going back with them. Instead, my sister-in-law will be coming here to take care of me most of the time my Caretakers are away. A favor of which I am externally grateful! And for  the last few days, her father will be watching over me as well. It will be a month in all, with Love and Food away, and I know I will miss them deeply. But I am also looking forward to being in a new place with new people and new friends and seeing my sister-in-law, Toes, again!

BTW, I love eating corn off the cob!!!!

 

So, until I write again, Zàijiàn!!!